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AllFlying |
Profile:
Carl Gustav von Rosen (Nov 2005)
The Flying
Count
 Count
Carl Gustaf von Rosen (1909-1977) was one of the pioneers within Swedish aviation
and gained world wide recognition for his courageous work flying supplies into
African war zones during the 1950's and 60's.
He was the son of explorer Eric
von Rosen and also related to Hermann Göring, leader of the Nazi Luftwaffe.
Partly influenced by his infamous uncle, who was a pilot in WWI, von Rosen started
his career as a pilot in a travelling aerial circus.
During WWII, von Rosen
joined a relief mission to Ethiopia, flying food and supplies for the Red Cross.
He also flew bombing missions for the Finns during the Winter War against Russia.
von Rosen's application to the RAF was however rejected, due to his family relation
to Göring. For the remainder of the war he flew for KLM on the dangerous
route between London and Lisbon.
After the war von Rosen went back to Africa
where he founded the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force on Haile Sellassie's request.
He then became the pilot for the UN secretary general, Dag Hammarskjöld,
who was later killed in a mysterious plane crash in Congo when von Rosen was grounded
by illness.
Seven years later he flew relief missions to aid civilians during
the Biafra-conflict in Nigeria. In a joint effort with the French secret service,
von Rosen imported small civilian MFI-9 planes produced by SAAB, which were re-equipped
and used to strike back at airfields belonging to the Nigerian Air Force.In 1977,
once again flying relief for refugees, von Rosen was killed during a Somali guerrilla
attack, abruptly ending a life full of compassion and bravery.
von
Rosen Image from:
http://www.brushfirewars.org/aircraft/mfi_9b_biafran/mfi_9b_biafran_1.htm
By
Erik Sellen
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