Hans Lotter

Hans Lotter (17 November 1917 – 21 November 2008) was a highly decorated Oberleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership (his crew performed more than 400 reconnaissance flights over the enemy area).

At the end of the war (in May 1945) Hans Lotter was taken prisoner by the Red Army. In February 1946 he with two other prisoners escaped POW camp near Kovel in Ukraine. They managed to reach Poland. Then about half a year later he found and joined his wife and two children, who were held in a camp for German families near Wroclaw in Poland, and returned with them to his native Nuremberg. The story of his imprisonment and escape he described in his book of memoirs Zeig mir Vater der Weg (Show me the way, Father!) published in 1994 in Nuremberg.

After the war he worked for several decades as a teacher in grade school.

Beside the mentioned above book of memoirs Hans Lotter is the author of several poetry books.

Awards and decorations

 * Aviator badge
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (12 October 1942)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * German Cross in Gold (12 April 1943)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 January 1945 as Oberleutnant and observer in the 11.(H)/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 12