John III Dinham (1359-1428) and Erich Rudorffer

Sir John III Dinham (1359-1428) was a knight from Devonshire, England. His principal seats were at Hartland in North Devon, Kingskerswell and Nutwell in South Devon, Buckland Dinham in Somerset and Cardinham in Cornwall.

Contents 1 Origins 2 Inheritance 3 Career 3.1 Avenges father's murder 3.2 Other violent acts 4 Marriages & progeny 5 Death & succession 6 Monuments 7 Sources 8 Further reading 9 References

Origins

He was the son and heir of Sir John II Dinham (1318-1383) by his wife Muriel Courtenay, elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir Thomas Courtenay (1312-1362) (younger son of Hugh de Courtenay, 9th Earl of Devon (1276–1340)) of Woodhuish, Dunterton and Wooton Courtenay in Devon, by his wife Muriel de Moels (d. pre 1369), elder daughter and co-heiress of Sir John de Moels (d.1337), feudal baron of North Cadbury in Somerset. On his mother's death and following her burial in Hartland Abbey Bishop of Exeter Thomas Brantingham granted an indulgence for 40 days to any of his parishioners who should say for the soul of Lady Muriell Dynham and for the souls of all the faithful departed, with pious mind a prayer Oracio Dominica with a Salutacio Angelica. The Dynhams took their name from their ancient manor of Dinan in Brittany, and had been at Nutwell since about 1122 and were one of the leading gentry families in Devon. They founded Hartland Abbey in 1168/9 on their manor of Hartland. Inheritance

His father John II was murdered by robbers on 7 January 1382/3, when John III was aged 24. He inherited his father's estates including Hartland and Nutwell in Devon, Buckland Dinham in Somerset and Cardinham in Cornwall. He also inherited from his mother 3 1/2 knight's fees, including the former de Moels estate of Kingskerswell in Devon, which he made his seat, close to Nutwell, and also Woodhuish, Dunterton in Devon and Cricket Malherbe and Northome in Somerset and Over Worton with a moiety of North Stoke in Oxfordshire and Over Wallop in Hampshire together with 4 advowsons. Career Avenges father's murder

John III Dinham was a violent man. The two notorious thieves Robert Tuwyng and John Broun, who had murdered John II Dynham on 7 January 1382/3 were convicted of robbery and murder and incarcerated in Ilchester prison. After apparently having escaped, John Broun was tracked down by John III Dinham and fled for sanctuary into Exeter Cathedral. On 18 February 1382/3 Dinham broke down the door and killed him after a fierce struggle, thus avenging his father's murder. On 16 March 1382/3 he received the king's pardon for his action, but was ordered by the Bishop of Exeter Thomas de Brantingham to perform penance for having violated the right of sanctuary. The penance mandated by the bishop on 21 March 1382/3 was as follows:

"that on a Sunday before this Pentecost he should stand at the small altar between the choir and the high altar on the south side, with head uncovered with a lit candle of 2 lbs weight in his hand from the start of the high mass, that is to say the Confession (Confiteor) until the end of the same mass and then if he should so wish to make gift at the offertory of the same candle into the hand of the celebrant at the high mass". Other violent acts

In August 1397 he was accused by the Abbot of Hartland of "breaking into his houses, assaulting him and chasing him to his chamber and ill-treating his servants" There had been a long history of quarrelling between the abbots and the Dinham family, founders of the abbey, mainly concerning patronage and occupation of the abbey during a vacancy. Abbot Philip Tone claimed as abbot lordship of the manor of Stoke St Nectan, near the parish church of St Nectan, Hartland, and claimed thereby view of frankpledge from the residents of that manor. John III Dinham with his armed supporters appeared at the abbey, "and so ill-used him that his life was despaired of, took timber and goods to the value of £20, killed 22 sheep, carried off 2 cows, depastured corn and grass, imprisoned his servant, assaulted and ill-used his men, servants and bondsmen". This action prevented the abbot from cultivating his land for a long period and frightened away his tenants and the lucrative flow of visitors come either to pray at the holy sites or to buy the tithes. On 27 February 1397/8 he was bound over for 1,000 marks to keep the peace levied on his lands and chattels in England, with mainpernors each standing as surety for £200 of Sir John de la Pomeray, Sir John Prideaux, Giles Aysse and John Stantorre. He was also later found guilty of committing assaults on others in January 1401/2 and in December 1404. In September 1402 he was amongst those accused by the Abbot of Torre Abbey of digging up a road at Kingkerswell and assaulting the abbot's men. He committed acts of violence also at Nutwell and at Littleham. On 28 April 1407, having paid 700 of his 1,000 marks surety he and his mainpernors were pardoned. Marriages & progeny

He married thrice: Firstly at some time before 3 February 1379/80 to a lady named Ellen or Eleanor (d. post 1387) whose parentage has not been directly evidenced but who has been shown to have been Eleanor de Montagu, daughter of John de Montacute, 1st Baron Montacute and his wife Margaret de Monthermer. By Eleanor his first wife, John had a daughter Muriel, wife of Sir Edward Hastings of Elsing and Gressenhall.

She was granted licence by Thomas de Brantingham, Bishop of Exeter in the 13th year of his reign (1382) to hold divine service during one year in her chapel situated within her manor of Kytone. John and his wife Elianora were also granted by Bishop Brantingham on 3 January 1383/4 licence to celebrate divine mass in their chapel within their manor of Kingskerswell. Eleanor is identified in Complete Peerage as 'Ellen', with the note that she was alive on 22 Sept 1387. She is named 'Elena' and 'Elenore' in licenses granted by the Bishop of Exeter from Feb 1379/80 to 1382. Her connection to the Montagu family was first noted by John P. Ravilious in the household accounts of the Dinham family: one record is an account roll noting a payment of 40d. "to Richard Batyn at the lord's instruction" at Hartland, and other "Expenses of John de Dynham de Hertilond going to Warblington to fetch his wife (ad quer' uxorem &c.).". This record can be dated 1381x1386, as Richard Batyn was a valet to Sir John de Dinham during this period. Warblington was a manor of the Monthermer family held during this period by Margaret de Monthermer, Baroness Monthermer and wife of John de Montagu. There are itineraries of Dinham officials visiting Warblington as well as Dinham manors in the spring of 1381, spring of 1383, the winter of 1383/84, between June 1384 and June 1385, and August 1394. These visits to Warblington occurred only during the period of John Dinham's marriage to Eleanor, and ceased following her death in 1393/4 . Eleanor de Montagu is named in the will of her father dated 20 March 1387/88, in which he devised 'to Alianore, my daughter, the crown which my wife had in her custody'. This crown or coronet is represented on her effigy at Kingskerswell, Devon, described as "The figure in the easternmost window wearing a coronet,..". There is heraldic evidence of the marriage of Sir John de Dinham and a daughter of John de Montagu. Richard Symonds made a record of the arms displayed in the windows of Exeter Cathedral in 1644: two which he matched in one window were "Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable" and "Gules, three fusils conjoined in fess ermine .". The arms in the adjacent windows are of the 14th and 15th century: the only arms identifiable as "Argent, three fusils conjoined in fess gules, a bordure sable" are those of Sir John de Montagu (d. 1378), the husband of Margaret de Monthermer. Secondly before 26 November 1396 to Maud Mautravers (d.circa 1402), a daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Mautravers of Hooke, Dorset (a cousin of John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers (1290?–1365) of Lytchett Matravers, Dorset) and widow of Piers de la Mare of Offley, Hertfordshire. Thirdly to Philippa Lovel (d.15 May 1465), daughter of Sir John Lovell of Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire and Minster Lovell, Oxfordshire, by his wife Alianore la Zouche, daughter of Sir William la Zouche of Harringworth, Northamptonshire. She survived her husband and some time before 24 March 1428/9 remarried to Nicholas Broughton. By Philippa Lovel Dynham left progeny including: Sir John IV Dinham (1406-1458), his son and heir. Death & succession

John III Dinham died 25 December 1428 at the age of about 69. He left a widow and his heir was his 22 year-old son Sir John IV Dinham (1406-1458) . His chest tomb with his effigy and the effigies of two of his wives survive in St Mary's Church, Kingskerswell, to the immediate west of which are situated the ruins of the Dinham manor house and seat. Monuments

The effigies of Dinham and two of his wives survive in St Mary's Church, Kingskerswell.

Erich Rudorffer and John III Dinham (1359-1428)

Contents 1 Early life 2 World War II 3 After the war 4 Awards 4.1 Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links

Early life

Rudorffer was born in Zwochau, Sachsen. He flew for Deutsche Lufthansa until two months after the beginning of World War II, when all pilots were transferred to the Luftwaffe. In early 1940 Rudorffer was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen. World War II

Rudorffer got his first victory over a Curtiss Hawk 75, on 14 May 1940. He scored eight more times before the capitulation of France. He flew throughout the Battle of Britain, and legend has him being pursued down Croydon High Street below rooftop level by a Hurricane. He achieved his nineteenth victory on 1 May 1941; he was then awarded the Ritterkreuz of the Iron Cross and appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen" the following month. By the end of December 1941 he had claimed 40 kills.

In 1942 Rudorffer participated in Operation Cerberus (Channel Dash) and flew over the Allied landings at Dieppe in August 1942. After 45 victories in November 1942 his unit was transferred south to Sicily and later Tunisia. On 9 February 1943 Rudorffer claimed to have defeated 8 British pilots during a 32-minute aerial battle, and collected his first multiple victories. Again on 15 February he was victorious over 7 allied aircraft. Among his victories over North Africa are 10 Allied bombers. Rudorffer on 21 June 1944. In the background is his wingman, Unteroffizier Kurt Tangermann

In July 1943 Rudorffer was appointed to command II./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) on the Eastern Front. He claimed his first victory in that theater on 7 August. Due to the experience gained by fighting the RAF he achieved incredible success. During his first sortie on 24 August 1943, 5 Soviet aircraft were downed in 4 minutes. On 11 October 1943 Rudorffer made history when during 17 minutes he claimed 13 kills.

Rudorffer earned his nickname Fighter of Libau on 28 October 1944 near the Latvian city of Libau. While preparing to land he spotted a Soviet task force of about 60 close air support aircraft on its way to attack Libau airfields. He broke off the landing and engaged the enemy without any backup. He drove off the attackers, shooting down nine enemy aircraft within 10 minutes. In the winter of 1944 Rudorffer was trained on the Messerschmitt Me 262 Jet fighter. In February 1945 he was recalled to command I./Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7). Between December 1944 and beginning of April 1945 the I./JG 7 operated from the then newly built Luftwaffe Airbase in Kaltenkirchen north of Hamburg. So he seems to have been Group Commander more or less for the one month of March 1945. Rudorffer claimed 12 victories with the Me 262, to bring his total to 222. His tally included 136 on the Eastern Front, 26 in North Africa and 60 on the Western Front including 10 heavy bombers. After the war Fw 190 A8/N reproduction by Flug Werk GmbH Germany in the colors (minus the Swastika) and markings of Major Erich Rudorffer's mount of JG 54 when stationed at Immola, Finland.

Rudorffer started out flying DC-2s and DC-3s in Australia. Later on he worked for Pan Am and the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt, Germany's civil aviation authority. He is the last living recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Rudorffer was one of the characters in the 2007 Finnish war movie Tali-Ihantala 1944. A Fw 190 participated, painted in the same markings as Rudorffer's aircraft in 1944. The aircraft, now based at Omaka Aerodrome in New Zealand, still wears the colours of Rudorffer's machine. Awards Verwundetenabzeichen in Black Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (20 October 1940) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1000" Combined Pilots-Observation Badge Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty (2nd class) German Cross in Gold on 9 December 1941 as Leutnant in the 2./JG 2 Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (22 May 1940) 1st Class (28 June 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Knight's Cross on 1 May 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the 6./JG 2 "Richthofen" 447th Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./JG 54 126th Swords on 26 January 1945 as Major (war officer) and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./JG 54 Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
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