Extremely Rare Original Section of Fabric Taken From Baron Manfred von Richthofen's Crashed Red Fokker DR-1, 1918.. ... (Total: 2 )

Description

Fabric Taken From The Red Baron's Fokker Dr.1

Extremely Rare Original Section of Fabric Taken From Baron Manfred von Richthofen's Crashed Red Fokker DR-1, 1918.

A 1 ½ x 1 ½-inch (40 x 40 mm) section of red fabric taken from the fuselage of Richthofen's Fokker Dr.1/17 in which he was shot down and killed near Sailly-le-Sec, France on April 21, 11918. The fabric was personally obtained by No. 31009 Air Mechanic First Class Morris Waldman of No. 65 Squadron RFC/RAF, stationed at Bertangles, near the crash site and mailed home to his brother in England. In the letter accompanying the fabric Waldman wrote: "I saw the corpse (Richthofen) yesterday. He is not a big man and looked very powerful." Waldman was the mechanic and rigger for Capt. John Gilmour commanding "C" Flight of No. 65 Squadron. The fabric was later presented to Charles Donald, an authority on Baron von Richthofen, by Maurice Austin of Concord, California. The fabric is accompanied by an six page scientific evaluation of the fabric dated November 13, 2022 by Charles S. Gross.

The facsimile of the fabric is handsomely framed with a print of Richthofen's Last Flight, by J. B. Deneen, view area 18 x 12 ½-inches, a photographic portrait of Richthofen, view area 4 x 6-inches, and of course the fabric mounted on a typescript caption, view area 4 ¾ x 6-inches. The tableau is framed and matted under glass to an overall size of 25 x 27-inches.

Condition: Excellent.

More Information: In August of 1914, when World War One broke out between France and Germany, young American citizens who were residing in France rushed to the aid of the French Republic. The first volunteers joined the French Air Service and soon engaged German squadrons in aerial combat over the front lines. Other young Americans volunteered to serve with the French Ambulance Corps and drove Ford Ambulances to the front to recover wounded from the battle lines and transport them back to the hospitals.

This vanguard of American volunteers was small in number. Only 38 American pilots flew in the Lafayette Escadrille. Two-hundred-thirty-one other young Americans flew heroically in other French Squadrons. These American pilots flew and fought in French uniforms. The Ambulance drivers wore their own distinctive uniform. The following offerings represent these young heroes' service to France in the Great World War.