University Archives Hold Taped Personal Interview with Hitler’s Pilot

Ostfront, Adolf Hitler, Erich v. Manstein

Wayland Baptist University’s archives hold a one-of-a-kind document which could give hearers and readers a different perspective about Hitler and World War II — a point of view from someone who has closely worked with him as the battles raged, someone who can be called one of his closest companions, the dictator’s personal pilot.

The interview which was recorded in four tapes and transcribed into a 26-paged document, consist of a conversation with Hans Baur, Adolf-Hitler’s very own pilot.

Baur, a successful German WWI pilot, worked as Adolf Hitler’s private flier before WWII began. He lived and traveled with the dictator and was with him when he committed suicide in 1945. most of the talk deals with Hitler’s final days, his suicide and how the pilot, together with those who were with them that time, tried to remove the body. It also spoke of how the pilot came to work for the leader and how the latter disliked flying while at the same time understanding why it was very important to get from place to place quickly.

The tapes were donated by J.T. Milyer whose father, Command Sergeant Major james T. Hilyer, recorded them in 1984. The late army officer had met Baur through a friend and the two became friends.

“No one else, to our knowledge, has this. It is with Hitler’s private pilot who served him for a number of years. The guy knew [Hitler] very, very well. It’s an apology for Hitler. [Baur] thinks the man was misunderstood, but that is his perspective and he has a right to his opinion,” Dr. Owens, WBU’s Dean of the School of Behavioral and Social Sciences, stated about the said tapes.

-Read Full Story and More Information About the Tapes in My Plainview

Heziel Pitogo

Heziel Pitogo is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE