I got this from various documentaires on the History channel and from a few WW2 books. Adolf Galland was shot down while trying to land by a mustang and wounded in early 1945. He was out for the rest of the war. Another German ace was shot down trying to take off and was killed. Another suffered serious burns that scarred his face severely. I can't remember his name. I know the Time-Life WW2 books had some stuff on this.
Thanks, I'll look that up. That certainly must have been an elite corp of pilots.
Putting aside the peripherals of the war itself, you just can't help wondering what those guys were thinking. The worlds first jet airplane, and they were flying it.
Except for take off and landing, once they were in the sky, they were untouchable.