A history in pictures

December 27, 1916

Victory 15 - the reports of the English

"First is a list of 29’s six pilots on this patrol, who took off from their base at le Hameau, at 1350 hours: Name DH2 Time Down Captain H. J. Payn 7849 1535 Li...

January 31, 1917

A cracked wing

It came at a time when the German fighter force was starting to have problems with the Albatros D.II. His own machine had suffered a cracked wing the previous d...

April 29, 1917

Victory 49 - Hamilton's version

"According to the survivor of this encounter, Lieutenant W. N. Hamilton, the British patrol was not an ordinary one, but one especially ordered to deal with the...

April 13, 1917

MvR receives the Württenburg Military Merit Order

May 9, 1917

MvR receives the Knight's Cross with Swords

MvR receives the Knight's Cross with Swords, of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order, from the Duchy of Coburg and Gotha

July 6, 1917

MvR wounded - Schröder's version

"On the ground not far away was a German observation post, manned on this day by Leutnant Hans Schröder. After the war he wrote a book An Airman Remembers. A fo...

April 12, 1918

JG 1 moves to Cappy

"The grouphad moved there on 12 April, the officers being housed in the nearby château, just a short distance from the village itself. There were several airfie...

Jasta 2's Albatros Scouts prepare for flight at Lagnicourt. Richthofen in his light-coloured pullover is training his field-glasses on the distant front line. Imelmann and Kirmaier stand close by.

MvR, on the left, while talking to Krefft, Wolff and Brauneck, on the front steps of the château at Roucourt, April 1917.

Karl Allmenröder and MvR discussing the coming day's operations. April 1917. The airfield is off to the right, the château within the trees on the left.

Another picture taken during this same visit. Otto Brauneck, MvR, Major von Richthofen, Böhme, Krefft. Although a pilot, Constantin Krefft was also the unit's Technical Officer.

MvR speaking to General Ernst von Hoeppner, General Officer Commanding the German Air Service, with Oberst Hermann von der Lieth-Thomsen, on the left. The latter was Chief of the General Staff to the Commanding General of the Air Service (May 1917).

MvR in his leathers, ready for flight. Not the most flattering picture, he looks a bit like the Jaws character in the James Bond movies.

One of the mysteries of MvR's eighty claims had been scored on the evening of 23 June 1917.

From time to time, Jasta leaders would be summoned to conferences to discuss the changing circumstances at the front. This particular gathering was at the Jastaschule at Famars. Richthofen is sixth from the left in his fur coat. A number of well-known faces can be picked out and in particular the officer at the back in the light-coloured cap, 7th from the right. This is Karl Bolle, commanding Jasta 2 Boelcke. Jasef Mai of Jasta 5 stands in the doorway, left hand side.

Something to smile about. Kurt Wolff, Constantin Krefft, MvR in his leather jacket.

In late August 1917, the new Fokker Dr.I Triplane was brought to the front by its designer, Dutchman Anthony Fokker. This picture shows a group of high-ranking German officers visiting JG1 at Marckebeke at this time. To the left of von Richthofen is Oberleutnant Fritz von Falkenhayn (son of General Erich von Falkenhayn, Chief of the German General Staff), who had been a memberof BAO. Almost centre in the light coat is German Chancellor, Dr Georg Michaelis. The bearded man is General Friedrich Sixt von Arnim, commander of the German Fourth Army.

Leutnant Georg Zeumer was MvR's pilot on the Russian Front whilst serving with FA.69 on Albatros C two-seaters. On returning to France to serve with BAO, Zeumer came too, probably flying the large AEG G.II aeroplanes. These were twin-engined, the propellers of which were perilously close to Manfred's front cockpit. Zeumer later flew with Jasta 2 in 1917 by which time he was suffering from tuberculosis. He was killed in action on 17 June, a quicker end to his suffering.

Friend and fellow airman to Boelcke, Erwin Böhme of Jasta 2 had the great misfortune to be the pilot who collided with him, during a fight with DH.2s of 24 Squadron. Böhme survived the collision and went on to shoot down twenty-four Allied aircraft and win the Blue Max before falling in combat on 29 November.

Oberleutnant Stefan Kirmaier took command of Jasta 2 following Boelcke's loss. By special decree the Jasta then became known as Jasta Boelcke. He had earlier been a Fokker pilot with KEK Jametz, whit whom he scored three victories. He had brought his score to eleven by 22 November, the day he too fell in combat, with the DH.2s of 24 Squadron RFC.

Captain J.T.B. McCudden at the height of his fighting powers. He received the VC, DSO & Bar, MC & Two Bars, MM and CdG, becoming one of the top-scoring aces of the RAF/RFC. His untimely death in a flying accident on 9 July 1918 robbed the RAF of an outstanding airman. Had von Richthofen shot him down on 27 December, the name of James McCudden would have passed into obscurity.

Leutnant Hans Lübbert

In Brown's flight was a new and inexperience fellow Canadian, W. R. May from Edmonton, who attended the same school as Brown. Following infantry service, Wilfrid 'Wop' May became a pilot and was posted to 209 in April 1918. Attacked by the Red Baron, May showed considerable skill by flying low and from side to side, although if the Baron's guns had been working properly there is no doubt he would have been shot down. Surviving this day he went on to be awarded the DFC, was credited with thirteen victories and survived the war. He died in June 1952,

Arthur Roy Brown.

Leutnant Richard Wenzl.

Among many objects that were taken from the downed Fokker, was the control column. To left are two rectangular gun triggers, marked L and R. On the top is the coupé button for the magneto, while to the right is the finger grip, and on the left is the auxiliary throttle control. The small holes at the base are where the cables from the throttle and triggers pass through.

One of Richthofen's flying helmets, presented to the RAF Museum where it is on display. Obviously it is not the one he was flying when shot down, nor the one he was wearing when wounded in July 1917. It is light brown in colour and made of soft leather and was donated to the museum by the von Richthofen family.