Richthofen Funeral Wreath Delivery

[Michael Scarborough]

Hello all,

Not sure where to post this so, Des, pls move it if necessary......

Do I remember correctly that following MvR's burial by Allied forces, one of the funeral wreaths was flown over and dropped to a German airfield?

If so, is there an account of who the Allied pilot was and what he was flying, and how his aircraft may have been marked???

Any help appreciated.

Vielen Danke, y'all,
Michael

[uncletony]

Not quite so romantic

After the grave was closed, photographs were made with flowers in place on the top (P00743.038). These pictures were dropped over German-held positions by British flyers, with photographs of the body, taken to prove to the Germans that Richthofen was indeed dead. Titler quotes Captain Roderick Ross, technical officer of No. 3 Squadron, who examined the wrecked aeroplane, as saying that the pictures were taken ‘to combat possible German propaganda’.

article

Doesn't say who might've flown the plane or in what...

[Michael Scarborough]

OK, Faithful Bo,

Thank you! I know that when I was a kid my dad was major MvR fan (we were building a full scale replica of the Dr. I) and he had some
16mm movies of the whole funeral, etc. I assume they were the same as those now available on line. Specifically, I remember a scene of a plane dropping a wreath.  Now, 50 years later, as I'm less gullible, (somewhat, anyway) I would assume that this was a scene staged for the news reels.

I thought such an event, had it actually happened, would make a nice vignette....some Brit C.O. handing the wreath to whomever the delivery pilot was. Considering the level of 1/32 WWI figures now available, the possibility of many such scenes come to mind. And, who's to say I can't do it anyway titling it something like, the "End of Chivalry".

OK...back to the Pup.

As always, thanks for the help.

Michael

PS I do have planned a trio scene featuring Mike Good's amazing bust of MvR, as close to an accurate build of his Tripe as feasible, and a vignette of the shoulder carried casket with Vicar in the lead. That will probably assuage my MvR needs.