Third Reich Presentation Salver to Luftwaffe Knights cross Winner – Item 116937

Interesting Alpaka marked silver presentation salver. With Squadron emblem of eagle and marked “Hptm Robert Georg Jrhr Von Malapert Neufville” commemorating his award of the Knights Cross on the 6.4.42 Postum”. Reverse with Alpaka and manufacturers markings. Measures 25.5cm in diameter. An interesting researchable salver probably presented by the Squadron to his family.

Historical Note:  Robert-Georg Freiherr von Malapert genannt von Neufville was born on August 7th 1912. In 1934 he entered the army in Potsdam with the Infanterie-Regiment 19.
In the fall of 1936 he entered the Luftwaffe as a Oberfähnrich and he was promoted to Leutnant on April 1st 1937. He joined the III Gruppe Stuka-Geschwader 165 as Flugzeugführer. In the summer of 1939 he joined the Stuka-Geschwader 1. After the Polish Campaign and the Campaign in the West, he became Kapitän with the 5. Staffel.
After this he was from June 1941 placed on the Eatern Front.

As Hauptmann, he overtook command of the II. Gruppe/Stuka-Geschwader 1 in March 1942.
On 21st May 1942, von Malapert and his observer Oberfeldwebel Otto Mees started their plane from the airfield in Sechtschinskaja, for an attack on a bridge near Moscow. After von Malapert had destroyed the bridge his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire and he had to make a crash landing. He landed in the no-mansland between the German and Soviet front between Sechtschinskaja and Moscow. Walking they tried to reach their own lines. During the last jump to reach their own defences, von Malapert was probably shot by a sniper. Otto Mees succeeded in reaching the German lines. An infantry unit later managed to reach von Malapert’s body and brought it to the nearby base at Sechtschinskaja, where he was buried.