In mid-1943, Gerda Christian returned to Hitler's staff as one of his private secretaries. Eckhard was promoted to "Generalmajor" and Chief of the Luftwaffe Command Staff at Hitler's request on 1 September 1944. In April 1945, Eckhard was stationed in Berlin at the "Führerbunker" HQ. He left the bunker complex on 22 April 1945 to become Chief of the liaison staff of the Luftwaffe to OKW Command Staff North. Gerda and Traudl Junge both volunteered to remain with Hitler in the "Führerbunker". While in the bunker complex, the women also looked after the Goebbels children.