Ref: Who killed the Red Baron?
The medical evidence of MvR has been the subject of a recent review by Dr. Geoffrey Miller. A leading historian and medical proctitioner. His whole paper is available at
www.anzacs.net
Along with this there is a review of MvR's medical
history by Dr. Henning Allmers of Dortmund, Germany who poses the question "Was MvR fit to fly? These papers and other evidence (some animated) is presented and available at this site for consideration.
One thing is very certain and that is encapsulated in this summary from Dr. Miller:
Dr. M. Geoffrey Miller in his thorough re-examination of the evidence in the Australian War Memorial makes the following statement about the path of the fatal bullet...."one is drawn to the conclusion that the fatal bullet must have passed directly through the chest from its entry wound at the posterior axillary line (the back of the armpit, right side) at the level of the 9th rib (that is at about five inches below the lower level of the outstretched arm). As there is no real evidence that the bullet hit the vertebrae the most probable trajectory of the bullet would have to be along a line joining the entrance and exit wounds. Such a line indicates that the bullet was fired from the side, behind and below the pilot’s body, notwithstanding his position in the cockpit.
As the exit wound was about three-quarters of an inch external to the left nipple this means that the bullet would have passed through the heart and would have been rapidly fatal. von Richthofen would have lost consciousness within 20 to 30 seconds, and certainly could have not continued to fly his aeroplane and fire on Lt. May for over a minute.
It is possible to correlate the medical evidence with that of the eyewitnesses of the last flight. Fortunately, as the events took place at low altitude, directly over the Australian lines, the chase and crash were witnessed by many eye witnesses".
A voice track from an eye-witness who was only a few yards from Buie is also on the site and this is presented from historical interest. Buie claimed that he shot him frontally and the eye witness supports this. The nature of the wound is such that this was impossible. Brown's approach to the Fokker Dr1 is also examined and it now seems that this approach was from the left.
The only claimant in a position to administer the fatal bullet was Cedric Popkin or an unknown soldier with a Lee-Enfield .303
Strangely enough, a poll on my site asking visitors to vote on who they thought did it brings Brown to the lead by a head. VERY strange!