Warbird Information Exchange

On my last visit to Jack Kosko's, I was able to perouse through one of his latest acquisitions: A cigar box loaded with mostly World War I era images. Some of them were quite unique and images I had never seen published anywhere else. I snapped pictures of a few of them (yes, I took pictures of pictures), so I apologize if the quality isn't 100%.

Fokker D.VII

DSC_0016a by onyxsax, on Flickr

Albatros (I think!) undergoing maintenance, literally "in the field". Note the crude conditions World War I mechanics had to deal with!

DSC_0017a by onyxsax, on Flickr

Another Albatros:

DSC_0018a by onyxsax, on Flickr

Not sure who the other individuals are, but the man in the center is Manfred Von Richtofen. I don't think there is a person on WIX who isn't familiar with him or his more familiar nom de guerre "The Red Baron. This picture really gives an indication of how young he was.

DSC_0019a by onyxsax, on Flickr

Hopefully, I take a few more the next time I head up to the hangar. I showed these to my friend who is a videographer and World War I afficianado (he's known as "the other Dave" up at the hangar) and hopefully he can take some true digital scans of these and the other images

I am not a WWI expert by any stretch of the imagination, but the taller fellow standing behind Manfred's left shoulder looks quite a bit like the fellow identified as Lothar von Richtofen in the following link. See what you think:

http://www.briggsenterprises.com/bluemax/jasta11.jpg

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

I would agree that is Lothar. There is definitely a resemblance between the two of them.

There appear to be others in both photos. The other tall fellow in your posted pic (behind Manfred's right shoulder) appears to be the fellow crouching on the wing in the linked pic. Perhaps both pics shot on the same day? Somebody knows!

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Whoa -- seriously cool stuff!! Canya get any more????

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Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas

PIC, Ford 6600 pulling Rhino batwing up and down the runway

L-R
Moritz (dog), Vizefeldwebel Sebastian Festner (nine victories that month, killed on 23 April), Leutnant Karl-Emil Schäffer (fourteen victories), Oberleutnant Manfred von Richthofen (22 victories), his brother Leutnant Lothar von Richthofen (fourteen victories) and Leutnant Kurt Wolff (21 victories) April 1917 Roucourt France

Version without Moritz

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Disclaimer: Photo discription, original photographer and/or original web source credit unknown unless otherwise noted.

Interesting! Looks like the pic you posted was taken on the same day. It appears the one I posted might have been a more "informal" picture, as the facial expressions are a bit more candid, as well as the presence of the dog (whose pet was it?). Some of these pics were stamped with a photography company in England on the back, so these pics must have come into their possession after the war.

I will try to get more photos. Right now, I'm not planning on heading up to the hangar again until January, as the TBM will be in Hagerstown by mid-December. Once the TBM heads off to its new home in Culpeper, I'll be going back up to Jack's to help out with the Cessna "Bamboo Bomber" that's the next project up to bat. There's a chance that "the other Dave" may be able to get up there and get some of these pics scanned in.

Moritz was owned by MVR




Another taken on the same day, MVR with Generalleutnant von Höppner

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Disclaimer: Photo discription, original photographer and/or original web source credit unknown unless otherwise noted.

Outstanding! What became of Moritz after MVR's death?

Ltn. Alfred Gerstenberg took care of the dog following MVR's death (IMO due to AIF groundfire).

Moritz died of old age on Gerstenberg’s farm following the war ( see ‘Cross and Cockade Journal’ Vol 18 Number 4 Winter 1977 by Marvin L. Skelton pg 324)

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Disclaimer: Photo discription, original photographer and/or original web source credit unknown unless otherwise noted.

These may have been photos that were reprinted by the hundreds after the war and sold as souvenirs, they look familiar.

This one is certainly well known, it's Ernst Udet with his Albatros D.III of Jasta 15 on New Year's Day 1917 at Habsheim airfield. Mechanic's names are Gunkelmann and Behrend:





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http://www.biplanerides1.com/

Baldeagle - your explanation seems to fit, as there were literally hundreds of photos in the cigar box, with most of them having the same stamp from the company in England on the back.

Taken seconds apart, going by the fact that they haven't moved much or at all. I agree about the formal / candid element...


I'm not familiar with the logo at the bottom left, but it's almost certain this print dates to 1934-1944 Nazi era...

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

Laying a wreath at the gravesite during that time




Willi Sanke aus Berlin is the most well known of the patriotic WW1 cards

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Disclaimer: Photo discription, original photographer and/or original web source credit unknown unless otherwise noted.

Same day, same time, same camera position. Look at the trees between the first two men on the left, as well as the split tree between the Richtofens. The camera angle has changed a bit (dropped the tripod down a little between the two...see the positioining of the fork in the tree in relation to Lothar's hat band), but same day and same place. Different crops and differing camera height is all.

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"Anyway, the throat feels a bit rough...the legs have gone...but I'm still able to chant, so let's get going."

Joe Strummer, 1999