16 Facts About Gerhard Neumann

Gerhard Neumann was a German-American aviation engineer and executive for General Electric's aircraft engine division.

Gerhard Neumann was naturalised as an American citizen by an Act of Congress, and went on to a career in the aerospace manufacturing industry.

Gerhard Neumann's parents Siegfried and Frieda were non-practicing Jewish Germans.

In late 1938, Gerhard Neumann saw a bulletin board posting at Mittweida saying that Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek needed engineers in his fight against Japanese invaders.

Gerhard Neumann decided to leave his family and embark on a long journey to the British colony of Hong Kong in May 1939.

Gerhard Neumann was interned in the school together with some 100 Germans for several months.

Gerhard Neumann arranged for Neumann to enter China without a passport.

Gerhard Neumann flew to Kunming, capital of the remote Yunnan province, and there he contacted the Chinese Air Force.

Gerhard Neumann worked as an auto mechanic until the Pearl Harbor attack, when he accepted an offer from Colonel Claire Lee Chennault, who had established the Chinese Air Force with Madame Chiang Kai-shek, to work in support of that Air Force.

Gerhard Neumann helped the effort against the Japanese in many important ways.

Gerhard Neumann led dangerous supply convoys, performed all types of mechanical repairs on P-40 aircraft, translated to and from Chinese, assembled a working enemy Zero fighter from crash parts to assess its flight characteristics, and even directed bombing attacks from the ground while disguised as a Chinese coolie.

Gerhard Neumann accepted, and on their way to China he and Clarice were married.

In March 1948, Gerhard Neumann began work as a test engineer for the General Electric Aircraft Gas Turbine Division, located in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Gerhard Neumann retired from GE on January 1,1980, after 32 years of service.

Gerhard Neumann remained active in retirement, until he developed leukemia and died on November 2,1997.

In 1987, Gerhard Neumann was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.