Background
Eric von Rosen"s father was Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen and his mother was Ella Carlton Moore of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Eric von Rosen"s father was Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen and his mother was Ella Carlton Moore of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Von Rosen was married to Baroness Mary Fock (1886–1967) with whom he had six children: Bjorn (b 1905), Mary (b 1906), Carl Gustaf von Rosen (b 1909), Birgitta (b 1913), Egil (b 1919), and Anna (b 1926). The pair became acquainted when Göring was flying Eric von Rosen in bad weather from Stockholm to Rockelstad Castle, at the lake Båven in Sörmland, Sweden. Due to bad weather conditions, Göring had to stay at the castle.
There he became acquainted with the sister of von Rosen"s wife, Carin von Kantzow.
Eric von Rosen had been using a swastika as a personal owner"s mark. He originally saw the symbol on runestones in Gotland, while at school.
Knowing that the symbol signified good luck for the Vikings, he utilized the symbol and had it carved into all his luggage when going on an expedition to South America in 1901. The aircraft, a license manufactured Morane-Saulnier Mississippi Parasol/Thulin Doctorate, was marked with his badge, a blue swastika on a white background.
The Finnish Air Force adopted this roundel as their national insignia.
Göring had noted the swastika during his stay in Sweden and at von Rosens" castle (forged into a metal piece at the fireplace). However, the swastika of the German Nazi party had been adopted already in 1920, two years before Göring met Adolf Hitler.