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APPENDIX No.

4
THE D E A T H O F R I C H T H O F E N
While the circumstances concerning the death of so famous an ace
as Cavalry Captain Baron Manfred von Richthofen must be considered
of some historical importance, undue prominence has been given to
them by the conflict between the evidence of the British-Canadian pilot,
Captain A. R. Brown, and other airmen, who thought that Richthofen,
while chasing an opponent, had been shot from the air by a third
airman (Brown), and the statements of many of the eyewitnesses,
probably thousands in number, who watched the incident from the ground
and believed that the fleeing British airman was saved by a shot from
the ground when there were only two airmen in the fight, all other
planes being then out of the picture. An official inquiry made a t the
time decided, on the strength of the medical evidence and such other
data as were available, that Richthofen was killed by Captain Brown,
and the official historian of the British air force, writing in 1934, holds
that this conclusion is justified; and there-so
far as this volume IS
concerned-the
matter might have been left, if the Australian soldiers
had not elsewhere F e n very widely and publicly accused of wanting
to g r a b the credit which in fairness belonged to another force.
Actually, much though the digger loved t o be given the credit
for his own achievements, he was particularly fair in his judgments;
and was as enthusiastically appreciative of any fine feats of his
neighbours as he was outspokenly critical of any that fell below the
standard he expected them (and himself) t o maintain. Certainly many
of those whose statements are quoted below would rather have seen
Richthofen fall to a shot from hispld opponents in the air than to one
from the ground, for which the credit, if any, was slighter; and
all would have borne witness to Captain Browns feat, had they seen
it. But, after they had actually seen what is described below, the
statements of the air force came to them with a shock, and, though
entirely bona fide, created a widespread doubt as to how far observation
of such incidents, made from fast moving and manoeuvring aeroplane:,
could be relied upon. And from that aspect, also, the incident IS
enlightening and worthy of study.
The following is an abstract, as far as possible complete, of the
relevant first-hand evidence available concerning Richthofens death
on zIst April, rg18, near Vaux-sur-Somme. The sources and dates
of the statements are given so that the reader may be enabled to weigh
their varying value.
The Meeting in the Air
5th Brrgude, R A.F.. Svmmary ( z z April, 1918) :
About I I a.m. yesterday morning Captain Brown, D.S.C. whilst on high
offensive patrol, near Vaux-sur-Somme, dived on a triplane whkh was firing on
Lieutenant May. It had followed Lieutenant May down to about 500 feet. . . .
Refinrt of Cuptain A . R. Brown. 209th Squadron, R.A.F. (ar April, 1918):
Engagement with red triplane. Time, about I I 00 a m. Locality Vaux-surSomrne.
.
Dived on pure red triplane which was firing on Lieutenant
May. . . .

1 Capt. W. R. May, 0 B E., D.S.C.: No. 209 Sqn., R.A.F.


Motor demonstrator;
of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; b. Carberry, Manitoba, 20 March, 1896.

693

THE A.I.F. I N F R A N C E

L21st April, 1918

Report of Lieutenant FV. R . May, 209th Squadron:

. . .
. .

1
. went down and was attacked by a red triplane which chased
me over the lines low to the ground. While he was on my tail Captain Brown
attacked
.'

The Fight
5th Brigade, R.A F.. Summary
I t (the red triplane) had followed Lieutenant May down to about 500 feet.
Captain Brown fired a long burst into it and it went down vertically and was
ohserved to crash by Lieutenant May and Lieutenant Brown.

Captain Broufn's Report.


Dived on pure red triplane which was firing on Lieutenant May.
I got a
long buist into him and he went down bertical and was observed to crash by
Lirutenaiit hlellershs and Lieutenant May.

Report of Lieutenant F. J . W . hiellersh, 209th Squadrun.

. .

I was forced to
.
return to our lines a t about 50 feet.
Wbilst SO
returning a briaht red triplane crashed quite close to me 2nd as 1 looked up I saw
Captain Brown's machine.

Lirutenant 1Y. R . May's Report


While he (the red triplane) was on my tail, Captain Brown attacked and shot it
down. 1 observed it crash to the ground.
Report of Captain 0. C . le Boutrllrer.' No. 209 Squadron
I
.
fired on red tripl.ine which was shot down by Ca3tain Brown
and crashed our side of lines.
(ortoin .4 R Rrozrn i n " My Fiylrt Wtfk Richtkofen ''.B
( A f l e r telling hcw he 9aH N a y , returning, according to orders to Bertaiiglrs.
hcing chase1 by a red tripl?nr which &pined on hiin despitc-or
parily Inerause ofhlay's agile manaeuvring; and how, having himself rizeii to 3.000 feet, h e r e a l i d
that the critical niomcnt had come, and dived)-Brown
says: I was in erfect
!)Ositio.l a h w e ?nd behind.
{either
I t wa- a mere m.ittcr of straight shootins.
plane was aware ot me
1 had dived until the red snout of my Camel
pointed ialr a t his tail.
My 'thumbs pressed the triggers.
Bullets ripped into his
elevator and tail planes.
The flaming trpcers showed me where they hit. A iittle
short1 Ccn:ly 1 pulled on the stick. T h e nose of the Camel rose ever so slightly
Easy, now, easy1 T h e stream of bullets tore along the body of the all red tripe. Its
occupant turned and looked back. I had a flash of his eyes behind the goggles. Then
hc crumpld-sagged
in the cockpit
hl bullets poured out beyond him.
My
Richthozn was dead.
thumbs eased on the triggers.
T h e triplane staggered.
Wobbled, stallrd. flung over on its nose and went down.
T h e reserve trenches oi
the Austialian infantry were not more than zoo feet below. It was a quick descent
May saw it. 1 saw it as I swung over. And h.Iellersh saw it.
Gunner George Rrdoway a 29th Battery Aust. Ficld Artillery (who was on
the brick-stack near the Bray-'Corbie road, anb had therefore a more extensive view
than most Australians in the area) said, in 1934. that while engaged in repairing
a telephone line a t the brick-stack he heard machine-gun bullets fall around and caw
that three aeroplanes had broken away from the crowd of machines that were fiKhting
several thousand feet up.
When the three were several hundrcd feet from the
ground, he saw that the first was British, the second German, t h r third British
The first 'plane was dodging to escape the second. The third was following above
the second. a t a slightly greater intcrval. T h e third then passed out of the picture
but the other two went on.

. .

' A Lieut L. A. hlellor wrote t o the Melbourne Herald on a6 Feb., 1930 giving
as a n officei of No. 209 Sqiiadron. a similzr account
Efforts t o condrm his
account hy reference to the squadron's records in London have, however, proved
fruitless despite a search kindly made by the authorities there.
Wing Commander F. J. \V. Mellersh, A F.C., p s . a ; INO 209 S q d , R.A.F.
Student, of London; b. Esher, Surrey. 2 2 Sept.. 1898.
'Capt. 0. C. le Boutillier; No. zog Sqn.. R.A.F.
DThis was published in a number of American Journals in tqz7 28, the story being
told in fiw parts of which the third deals with the fight. Captain Brown, on being
asked in 1935 i f the narrative in the Chrcago Sunday Tribune was correct, was
uiiable to confirm it or otherwise. not having re-d that paper a t the time.
Labourer and
RCnr. C. Ridgway. hI.hl. (No. 12974; 29th Bty.. A.F.A.).
surveyor's assistant; of Laiig Lang. Vic.; b. Lang Lang. a7 Kov., 1894.

zIst Apr , 19181

DEATH O F RICHTHOFEN

695

Lceutenant I . A . Waltshire,' 23rd Battalion, A.1 F.. said, in ?934. that from a
point near the Mericourt-Corbie road 3 kilometres south of Heilly he saw three
aeroplanes dive out of the air-fight. 'His rccollectio: was that one'Gcrman 'plane
One British 'plane dived out
was following two British.
(This is an error.)
toward the Somme. ThS,other, with the German on his tail, continued towatd the
ground, out of my sight
(but reappeared later over the crest as told below).

Continuation o f Chase after Captain Brown had left the Fight


(The order of the statements is. as far as possible, that of tbc time at which
thc fight was observed.)

(I) Observers in or near Vaux


Lieutenant I . Quinlan 55th Battery Auit. Field Artillery ( 1 9 2 9 ) . I was an
artillery observation office; on the souihern bank of the Somme when I saw
Richthofen was very close t n the hunted
Richthofen chasing one of our 'planes.
'plane when I first noticed him and his machine- un was in action. I left post to see
end of combat and noticed Riclithofen suddenly f s e control of his machine. A third
'plane was certainly there, but not close eno2gh to engage with Richthofen. (In a
second statement Lieutenant Quinlan says:
Richthofen appeared to he intent upon
Bnishing the bunted 'plane.
His machine-gun was in action until just prior, say
aoo to 300 yards before his crash. Thr third 'plane was at that time practically
. from 800 to I J O O yards distant and
.
over Corbie Church . .
hundred3 of fret higher. E b e y Lewis gun was potting at Richthofen and everyone
claimed the honour of eventua ly bringing him down.")
Diary of Captain R L. Forsyth (illedacal Oficer of 52nd Battalion A.I.F. SO
Your-sur-Sorny)
Foriyth standing at the back door of his billet, saw' Richthifen
. . was evidently better managed as our
attack May.
The red triblane .
boy got lower and lower and finally came skimming along a few hundred fret above

. . .

the earth with the hiK 'plane on his tail. I ran through the huuse to the front
door lust in time to see him almost tip the tiles of our gate. and after him. lower
than I have ever seen a 'plane, came the big triplane. Julin with me gave a yell
Over the village they went and skimmed
and grabbed for his revolver. .
up the hill behind it. the triplane s t h e r i n g its gun off in short gasps at what
looked like a go-foot range, At the brcw of, the hill our boy turned sharply and
the triplane . . . swept sideways at once

'Lieut J. A. Wiltshire. M.C , ~ 3 r dBn.


b. Longwood Vic.. 1 5 Feb 1893.
Lieut J.'Quinlan. 55th 'Bty , A.F.A.
b. Cohar. N S . W , 18 June. 1881.

Station overseer: of Caldermeade, Vie.;


Station overseer; of Burrowa. N.S W

696

THE A.1.F I N FRANCE

Czxst April, 1918

Corfioral I . E . Maclean? 52nd Battalion scouts (billetted in Vaux) wrote in


1935: hly companions and I were startled t o hear a 'plane flying so low that it
sremed almost on the roof.
W e rushed out in the road in time to see a 'plane
flying very low and skim over the houses, followed by a red three-decker German
plane.
The German fired a short burst while overhead apparently without effect
T h e Britisher soon disappeared over the brow of the hill n
; a south-westerly direction
and was quickly out of sight. The German 'plane did not go beyond the crest of
the hill, and turned for his own line.
Lieutenant-Colonel I L Whitham commanding 52nd Battalion (in Vaux),
wrote in 1933: I was Ln eiewitness dnly of the passage of the two 'planes-the
BI itish Sopwith Camel and Ricbtbofen's red t r i p l a n e a s they passed over Vauxsur-Somme travelling westwards.
I did not see the triplane crash-this
occurred
over a mile W . N W. of Vaux.
I ani very definite on the point that two 'planes
only came down t h ~ , ~ v a l l e y .
. Both these 'planes came from the east and
downwards.
They
flattened out " a s they passed over Vaux-sur-Somme, less
than io0 feet from the valley level.
I t seemed certain that both would crash into
the spur immediately west of the sharp bend of the Somme where it turns southwards
towards Corbie, but we saw the leading 'plane rise a t the spur, closely followed by
tke triplane.
T h e triplane seemed t,, be definitely under control of its pilot a s it
passed over Vaux.
I cannut he sure whether Richthofen was firing at
the Camel a t this stage a s the noise of both engines was very great, but I heard
machine-guns firing from the ground farther west down the valley.
MUJo!, Blair WarR V.C., 32nd Battalion stated in 1933 that he saw the chase
?nd that
beyond qu&tion there were only iwo aero lanes present, one a British'
plane, being pursued, and second a red triplane w f k h was following it, firing
k e e n l ~ . No other 'plane W ~ Snear, and there could be no p y i b i l i t y of t h e pilot
alrea y having received a wound such a3 that which killed him.

. .

. . .

(2) Observers on hill, or in or near the wood


Liextenant Wiltshire (who from near the crest of the Somme-Ancre peninsula

had seen Richthofen dlsappear on the south side, chasing May)


Within minutes,
from the east, they appeared over the rise. and, flying about 40 feet from the
ground. passed almost overhead. T h e British 'plane was flying u p and down, the
German trying to imitate and giving quick bursts with his gun.
T h e German
seemed to crouch forward a s he gave each burst.
T h e British 'plane steeplechased
a group of trees and swooped down over the Ancre.
Lifting over the
rrres the German 'plane gave up the chase, and, banking to his left, straightened his
nlane towards his line and commenced t o climb.
Lientenant D . L . Frasrr,ll Intelligence Oficer, 11th Aust. Infantry BLigadr (in
saw two
wood on hilltop a t J.19 c.75.65), reported on 2 1 April, 1918, that he
aeroplanes approaching, flying westward directly towards a wood a t a height of
about 400 feet above level of River Somnie over which they were flying." Just
after the British machine reached the edge of the wood, Fraser heard a strong
burst of machine-gun fire from the flats below the south-east corner of the wood
'' Immediately afterwards the red painted enemy machine appeared overhead, flying
very low and unsteaddy, probably not more than zoo feet from the ground.
Flying a s if not un$,er complete control, being wobbly and irregular in flight. it
seerved north .
Brigadier-General I H . Cannan's note, 21 April 1918. "About I O 45 a m .
a n enemy triplane chasing a triplane of ours flew 'about IOO feet above these
headquarters. Our 'plane was not firing a t the enemy though the enemy was
filing nt ours."
Lieutenant G . M . Traversu 52nd Battalion, lrawon oficer wrth 11th Brigade,
iepoited (23 April 1918) that 'he was observing from near J.19 c.8 5 (11th Brigade
H 8.) when he h;ard 'planes a p p r o a c h y from the direction of 26 central, and a
Vickers gun firing from the ground.
T h e first 'plane whlch came into view was
one of our own, and less than 20 paces behlnd him was a n enemy 'plane painted
red. T h e red 'plane was overhauling our 'plane fast.. and both were flying so low
that they almost crashed into the trees a t top of hill. Almost directly over the
spot where I was lying the enemy 'plane swerved t o the right so suddenly that
it seemed almost to t u r n over
C h r 'plane went straight on

. . .

9 Cpl
J E Maclean (No. 33S.7~; 5znd En.).
Civil servant; of M t Lawley,
W. Anst ; h Auckland. N Z.. 8 May, 1893.
l o Major E. A
W a r k V C D S.0 . ~ 2 n dBn
Quantity surveyor; of Pymble.
1894.
N S W.; b Bathurst, N'SW.,' 27 Jul;,
l1 Lieut. D. L. Fraser. 4znd Bn.
Colliery owner, assayer, and metallurgist; of
Rockhampton, Q'land; b. Claremont, London, g Aug., 1875.
-Lieut. G . bi. Travers. M C . ; sznd Bn. Farmer; of Bundaberg, Q'land; h.
Lovington, Somerset, E n g , 18 Jan.. 1881.

c
zrst Apr., 19181

DEATH O F R I C H T H O F E N

697

Sergeant C. B . Popkin. 24th Amst. Machine Cur Company (i: charge of


Vickers gun at J.25.a.8.9) reported on 24 April 1918 that two planes flea
rrry low from the east todards his gun. A s s w n a s hewas free from the risk
of hitting the British plane he fired on the German, which at once banked and
gave up the chase.
Pnvate G . Sourerb~fts,~
44th Battalron, observing for the 11th Brigade. hearing
the engines, saw two planes flying along the valley and shot at 5;chthofens
engine when he passed over. H e says (in 1930) that, wien Popkin fired,. I thought
the gunner had got him as he gave a swerve to the right. hut he straightened out
again and went on aftzr the English plane. I saw him c r o y the Bray-Corbie
road and heard the Lewis guns from the batteries firing. .
Among the records are statements of Captain C. L. A. Thirkell, Lieutenant
C. L. Mayman, and at least fifty other eyewitnesses to the same effect as the nine
last quoted. None saw a third aeroplane in the chase and when it was learned
that Captain Brown claimed to have shot Richthofe;, th; impression (even of
some of those who afterwards met Captain Brown when he subsequently visited
Cannans headquarters) was that he must have been the pilot of the leadiii
machine and was cliiming to have hit Richthofen by firing back over the t a l
of the plane.

(3) Other ground observers


( a ) British
Lmktarart J. R . Payne 18 159th Brigade R.F.A 35th Divisional Artillery (The
Daily Mail 26 April 193 ): The German ace d
h:
tailed one of our Camels to
the groundin our l i n k . hey both taxied along as far as the Albert-Amiens road

[apparently an error for the Bray-Corbie road]. . . . Here our plane lohhed
over, while Richthofen did his Immelmann turn to make for his own lines.
Lsewtenant D . 1 . Jenkrns,i8 212th Siege Battery, R.G.A writing in 1929 said
that from his observation post in the copse on the platea;, half-a-minute Leforc
Richthofens death, he saw t h e German ace . . . sitting alone in his red
triplane sone zoo feet above the Somme and at about only I Z O yards distance
from me.
. Licut. W. R. May was zigzaggmg and Richthofen was keenly
followin him less than 50 ards behind the tail of Mays machine. Suddenly
Lieut. hfay turned left across d e copse . . . and I thou ht they would both crash
in the,;ree-tups.
Explaining how his attention was cakled to the incident, he
says:
Machine-gun firing from the air and from the ground caused me to look
out before me and I saw tliese two machines pass hurriedly across my field of
vitw about 150 feet above the Vaux road. This officers impression was that
May decoyed Richthofen across the hill.

( b ) German
The History of the 238th Field Artillery Regiment (p. 75). and of the 10th Foot
Artillery Regiment (p. 156) whose observers were watching mention that Richthofen
was chasing a British plane. and describe the crash in a way which indicates
that the narratives are based on observation: hut they say nothing of any third
aeroplane.

The Turn and Crash


Major L. E . Beavis,

commanding 53rd Battery, Awst. Field Artillery, whose


guns were slightly on the northern side of the crest of the peninsula, with tbyr

A
two anti-aircraft Lewis gun posts ahead of them, wrote (5 May 1 9 3 1 ) :
telephone message came from the battery observation post, situated hcar the stone
windmill on the north side of the Somme, about midway between the battery and
the air-fight that a British aeroplane and a red aeroplane which was pursuing it
were flying in the general direction of the battery. In a very short time the
aeroplanes appeared in view flying low along the west-cast valley of the Somme.
Keeping on this general course . . . brouaht them . . . close to the crest
~~

Sgr. C. B. Popkin (No. 424 24th M.G. Coy.). Carpenter; of Palmwwds.


Qland: h. North Sydncy, ao Sept.: 1890.
P t e . G. Sowerbutts, M.M. (No. 5194; 44th Bn.). Farm hand: of Bridgetown
W. Aust.; b. Kirkham, Lancs , Eng., 7 Feb., 1889.
Lieut. J. R. Payne 159th Bde R.F.A (35th Divn.). Builder; of Coningsby,
Lincolnshire. Eng.; h. victoria Bayracks, Belfast. 6 Oct.. 1891.
l o Lieut. D. J. Jenkins, 212th Siege Bty., R.C.A.
Insurance manager; of Streetly,
Staffordshire, Eng.; h. Stafford, I Oct., 1883.
7 Col. L. E. Beavis. D.S 0 , p s c , p a c Commanded 53rd Bty , A F A . 1 9 1 7 / 1 8 .
A D 0 S 1st Aust. Corps, A.1.F , 1940. Duntroon graduate; of Bathurst, N S.W.
b. Bathurst, 2 5 J a n , 1895

698

THE A.I.F. I N F R A N C E

[rist April, 1918

of the transverse spur on which we were stationed. At the time I estimated their
height as 150 feet. The Dritish Sopwith Camel was deviating to right and left for
protection, and the red 'plane was trying to keep dead on his tail. The Lewis
gunners were standing to their two guns, which were mounted on posts and fitted
with A.A. ring sights, and as soon as the Sopwith Camel was clear of the line of
fire the guns opened fire. Immediately the red triplane turned sharply to the north
became somewhat unsteady in its flight then went about N.E. and hit the ground
400 yards N.N.E. of where the Lewls guns were. There was no third 'plane
.
. within a radius of at lenst z.000 yards."
Similar evidence was given on the day of the fight or since by the Lewis
~
in
gunners (R. B u i ~ 'and
~ W. J. Evans,'* and Bombardier j. S. S e ~ c h l , 'N.C.O.
charge), and Lieutenants J. C. Doyle," A. B. Ellis and J. J. R. Punch" of the
~ 3 r d Battery. all eye-witnesses. Othe; details giv& are that the turn occurred
after both quns had opened fire, Buie from ahead, Evans from Richthofen's left;
and, that, as the 'plane banked. further bursts were fired into it (from Richthofen's
left), knocking scraps of metal and wood from the machine.
Sergeant C. B. Popkin (in charge of Vickers gun at J.25 a 8 9) reported,
24 April, 1915. The German plane banked, turned round and came back towards
my gun. As it canie towards me I opened fire a secoAd time and observed at
once that my fire tonk effect. The'rnachine swerved, attempted to bank, and make
for the ground. and immediately crashed.
Lieutenant C. M. Tiovers reported that, after Popkin first fired, "the enemy
'plane was quite out of control and did a wide circle."
Diary of Captain R. L. Forsyth: " A t the brow of the hill
. . the triplane
ran into a direct stream of bullets from a machine-gun in amongst a battery. H e
swept away sideways at once, very low, turned sharply as i f going to attack the
gun, and nose-dived to earth."
Liewtenant 1. C. Doyle, 53rd Battery, said (in 1930): " When directly over
our No. I (Lewis) gun the 'plane staggered, side-slipped into a bank,' and in the
bank swerved in a 3/8ths circle towards his lines, and after satlinr: some hundreds
of yards side-slipped and crashed into a wurzel heap."

Other observers say that after sharply swerving the 'plane rose;
many thought that the pilot had turned home and was trying to gain
height: after about 400 yards it swerved northwards again and dived
more steeply but not steeply enough to wreck it, and landed "with
engine roaring full-out'' against a wurzel heap just beside the BrayCorbie road. The petrol tank was broken in the crash, but not the
wings. The standing orders were that troops were not to show
themselves on this height, which was in view of the enemy: but the
curiosity of the men was too great, and from all directions-even from
Vaux, a mile away-they streamed towards the 'plane. The pilot was
in it, dead, with many wounds mostly caused by the crash (but also
possibly from splinters knocked from his plane by bullets).
German observers, seeing the rush of men to the spot, have reported
that Richthofen was murdered after landing (e.g., History of 238th
Feld-Artillrrie Regt., p. 7 5 ) . Actually the rush was for souvenirs; and
eagerness increased tenfold when the intelligence officer, Lieutenant
Fraser, running up with the first half-dozen, undid Richthofen's safety
belt. had him lifted out. and. exammine: his uauers. found his name. A
"Gnr. R. Buie (No 3801. 53rd Bty., A.F.A.). Fisherman; of Brooklyn,
Hawkesbury River, N.S.W.; b.' Brooklyn, 8 Aug., 1893.
'9Gnr. W. J. Evans (No. 598; 53rd Bty.. A.FA.). Shearer: of Hughenden.
Q'land; b. Queanbeyan, N.S.W., 1891. Died, 18 April. ~ g z j .
=Bdr. J. S. Seccull (No. 27532; 53rd Bty., A.F.A.). Carpenter; of Melbourne;
b. Preston, Vic., 1895.
"Lieut. J. C. Doyle, 53rd Bty., A.F.A. School teacher; of Bangalow, N.S.W.:
b. Ulladulla. N S.W., 19 hlarch, 1892.
"Lieut. A. B. Ellis, M C ; 53rd Bty., A.P.A. Grocer; of Bunyip. Vic.; b
Mornington. V i c . 6 Dec., 18S7.
"Capt J J. R Punch, RI C , 53rd Bty , A F A , and 1st Aust Carps Medium
A r t y , A . I . F , t g q ) Farmer. of Dalby, Q'land, b Sydney, 24 Oct , 1892

21st Apr., 19181

DEATH OF R I C H T H O F E N

699

signaller of the 3rd Division writes : W e of course didnt know who


he was, b$ we saw he was dead, so lifted him out ,,and laid him on
the grass. After mentioning the souvenirs, he adds, but it was then
found out who he was, and the padre of the 8th Field Artillery Brigade
collected them all from the souvenir kings. . . . W e got the
propeller and cut it up. . . . By the time we got the propeller off
ail oflicer of Tiveys crowd (6th Aust. Infantry Brigade) arrived and
chased us away. Fraser got Captain Adams,?4 44th Battalion, to put
a guard over the body and the plane, but the German artillery quickly
laid a barrage on the place and made it dangerous to approach.
Richthofens bcdy, wrapped in a blanket, was taken to the battery lines,
and after dark was fetched by a party of No. 3 Squadron, Australian
Flying Corps, to Poiilainville aerodrome.
The Medical Inquiry
At the aerodrome, as reports claiming to have shot him caine both
from Captain Brown (who made the claim before he knew Richthofens
identity) and from the 53rd Battery, an informal post-mortem was held
to discover by surface examination the cause of death. The reports
were as follows:
The four iriedisal oficcrs mentioned below agreed that Richtho fen
had been hit by only one bullet, which entered at the right armpit a t the
level of the iiinth rib, passed through the body from right to left, and
came out a little higher in the front of the chest.
Colonel T Sinclair,s Consulting Surgeon, Fourth Army, reported. The bullet
appears to have passed obliqiiely backwards through the chest, striking the spindl
column from which it glanced in a forward direction and issued on the left qide
of the chest about z inches higher than its entrance on the right and about in the
anterior axillary !me. . . . These fact3 were abcertained by probing.
Captain G. C. GrahamPeand Lieutenant G. E . Douns,n medical oficers attarlied
to :he air force, in a oint repoit.,said ihat the by!let enAered in the posterior fold
of the right armpit and came out slightly higher and about half an inch below
thc right nipple and a b y t three-quarters of an inch external to it. They thought
that the bullet passed
straight through the chest from right to left and also
slightly forward. They did not agree that it struck the backbone, as the exit would
in that case have been larger. They gave as their opinion that the bullet must
h w e come from a pun i n roughly the same plane as the German machine and
fired from the Light and slight1 behind the right of Captain Richthofen, and
that the wound could not have Ieeii caused by fire from the ground
Colonel G . 1V. Barber D.D.Ib5.S , Australian Corps. made a separate examination
and furnished a report toGeneral Birdwod describing the same wound and saying
that it was just such as would have been inflicted by fi,re from the ground whilst
A bullet nole in the side
the machine was banking. Writing in 1935. Ee says
of the plane coincided with the w c p d through the fhest, and I am sure that he
was shot from below while banking

Inquiries kindly made in 1935 by Mr. L. R. Macgregor,29 Australian


Trade Commissioner in Canada, and his assistant, Mr. R. R Ellen,qo
showed that. although the seat of Richthofens machine, now in the
Capt. E. C. Adams, 44th Bn. Stationmaster; of Kalgoorlie. W. Aust.; b.
Laura, S. Aust.. 13 Feb.. 1882.
XE Col. T. Sinclair, C B : R.A.M.C.
Consulting Surgeon, Fourth Army, 1g15/18.
Of Bdiast. Ireland; b. Belfast. I 7 Dec., 1857.
Capt G. C. Graham, R A.M.C.
Lieut. G. E. Downs, R.A M C. Medical practitioner; of Marlow, Bucks. Eng.;
b 1 8 Sept., 1885
9 This is probably a mistake for left
L. R. Macwegor. Esq., C.B.E. Aust. Trade Commissioner in Canada, 1930/38;
Comwssioner-General for Aust. in U.S.A., 1938 Public servant; of Dueensland;
b. Glaseow. Scotland. 4 May. 1886
S Q.M S R. R. Ellen (No. 5818, A I.F. H.Q.). Public servant; of Footscray.
Vic.. b. Buckland Valley, VIC.,1 7 July, 1897.
49

700

THE A.IF. I N FRANCE

[ a s t April, 1918

Canadian Military Institute, Toronto, contains many holes, it is impossible


to decide whethrr they are bullet holes, although it is believed, after
inspection, that they are not.
Conclusions

I t will be seen that Richthofen, before reaching Vaux, was dived


on by Captain Brown, who thought that hE killed him; that C;ptain
Browns immediate report that Richthofen went down vertical was
mistaken, and shows that Brown saw nothing of the chase that followed;
that Richthofeii actually went on chasing Lieutenant May for almost
exactly a mile, attempting to follow his nianceuvres and firing bursts
from his machine-gun; that on rising to cross the ridge and coming
into the presence of the numerous batteries beyond it, and under close
fire from rifles and machine-guns, he for some reason abandoned the
chase and suddenly swerved eastwards and, after quickly rising sevcral
hundred ieet, swerved northwards again and crashed ; and that apparently
IIOIIC of the observers who saw the pursuit after it approached Vaux
knew of a third plane being in any way involved in it. I t is also
clear that Sergeant Popkins gun, whert first fired, and those of the
53rd Battery, cannot have sent the fatal shot-since
it came almost

The brokcrk liiae SAOZPW thc direction of Sergcartt Popkins fire at the
zehcia kc Ittiitself Dcltcvrd lie hit Richtltofcrz. S-Point
at which
Richthofeii alas fired on by Lc-wis guris of 5 j r d Fatfcry.

tiriic

directly from the right and from below the aviator-although they
may well have caused him to turn; but that scores of other men were
firing and, when Richthofen banked and turned back, Sergeant Popkin
(who now opened again) was in position to fire just such a shot as
killed Richthofen. (Private R. F. Weston,31 who helped Popkin, wrote,
on the day of the event that their previous burst did some damage,
but that the second burst w a s fatal. This was when Popkin himself,
EI Pte. R
F. Weston (No. 600; 24th M G . Coy.). Clerk; of
N S.W.; b hfalvern, V i c , 3 Nov., 1891.

Randwick,

aIst Apr., 19181

DEATH OF R I C H T H O F E N

701

according to his statement also made a t the time, observed a t once


that my fire took efect.3%)
It is just conceivable that Richthofen might have contorted his body
in such a wav that CaDtain Brown. thouah above and behind him, could
have inflicted such a wound as that described; but it is surely inconceivable that, with such a wound in the region of the heart, he should
have continued for a mile his intensely purposive flight, closely following
the movements of the fugitive airman and endeavouring to shoot him.g
Certainly no one who watched from the ground the last minute of
that exciting chase with only two planes in the picture will ever believe
that Richthofen was killed by a shot from a third aeroplane which
no one from Vaux onwards observed. A Bri$sh artillery officer (P.
Hutton34) wrote to the Daily Aioil in 1935:
As anti-aircraft officer
on the spot I claim to be in the best position to judge. . . . Later
in the day the Air Force came to me for confirmation of their claim
which was then the rule, but I could not substantiate it 35

89 The historian of the British air force does not appear t o have noted this
statement when he says that shots from this gun could not have entered Richthofens body from the right hand side. A glance a t the sketch map above shows
that this is incorrect.
=The history of the Brltlsh :;r force (The 1t.m In the Air 1-01. 15.. 8. 394) Rives
as
the likeliest explanation
that the German leader ;allied f o g a few brief
moments after he was mortally wounded in combat, and then died fighting.
2 Lieut P. Hutton, R . F A.
Of Northampton, Eng.
Since this volurht was published the following confirmatory evidence has been
noted. T h e diary of a n Australian a t Corps Headquarters under the date July 1 1 says
that bfajor C. L. Chapman (Longueville,6dN.S.W.), a medical officer there also
examined Richthofen and told the diarist
that the bullet came out about a; inch
higher than it went In and might quite Hell have been shot from the ground. The
history of No. 3 Squadron A.F C. (The Battle Bfllom, by W i n g Commander H. N.
Wrtgley. pp. 66-7) also sdys that the squadron commander, bfajor D. V. J. Blake
(Parramatta. N.S.\V.). was present a t the medical exarmnation. and was satisfied
that Richthofen was brought down by fire from the ground, and that Captain E. G.
Knox (Sydney), who also was present, confirms his account.

Map No. 4.

THEREGION

OF T H E

BRITISHOPERATIONS IN MESOPOTAMIA
NORTH-WEST
PERSIA

AND

:Mountains are shown only where necessary for the readers guidance.)

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