The Blue Max

The movie the Blue Max shows the general's wife visiting the aerodrome. Besides von Richthofen's nurse, did women/wives really visit the aerodrome's at the front?

It is told in the lore concerning the "First Pursuit Group" that American nurses at a local facility were prohibited from further visits to the American airfield (Toul, I recall)as they were apparently partying a little too long and hard. The 95th Squadron commanded by Harold Buckley (do know of the noted "Buckley School for Girls" that was in Brentwood, Calif.?- his wife's endeavor..) were the "Cocktail Kings" and famed for their well-appointed bar. The Group C.O. Harold Hartney termed himself "Hot-Lips" Hartney and played a mean trumpet in the Groups Band. The prohibition was greatly resented and shortly thereafter two of the Groups Nieuport 28's came over the hospital one early and foggy morning and "toilet-papered" the establishment in revenge on the Medical Corps C.O. for the difficulties to which he'd subjected the young ladies and their pilot admirers. This is one factual example of the presence of the fairer sex on base. Numerous other occasions on both sides of the lines saw visitation by women who had reasons which justified their presence. I know of nothing however, which remotely compares with the high-spirited incident I've related above. It has to be one of my favorite tales among all I've encountered from that greatly interesting period of Aviation history. Regards! Lee

[stephen]

Hi Tonya! Most instances that I've heard of regarding women at an actual airbase involved the wives of officials, or some specific function around which their visit revolved. Generally speaking, when pilots pined for female companionship they had to go find it... usually at the nearest major town. Mingling with English and American nurses and Red Cross personnel was generally preferred to the company of the local French girls, who in many cases came with a price (financial and medical). On the other hand, in cases where men and women worked together in military service (such as hospitals, etc), the on-the-job hanky panky got to the point where neither the men nor the women could do or think of anything else. Just read a diary of a married soldier who spent a year as a hospital guard... it read like a soft porn novel... or an episode of Days Of Our Lives. Temptation was so bad he couldn't wait to get home... I hear that mixed service has the same results nowadays.

[leo]

I've seen pictures of MvR with the Kaiserin and of Brumowski with various AH noblewomen at airfields.

[stephen]

You know, there were some occasions in British service where nurses were brought en masse to an airfield as a social event for everyone. Dances were popular, but the usual drinking binges and carousing were understandably quelled. Accounts I've read showed the men really looked forward to this, and treated the women with respect... much different from situations where they actually served duty together.

the visit of a group of nurses to a combat unit is recounted in Robert Mason's book Chickenhawk,
the account of his Vietnam experiences. It is probably one of the saddest parts of the book.
The book itself is one of the best accounts of air warfare ever written and recommend it to anyone whatever their interest.

Tonya, See if you can locate a book called "Airmen of World War 1" by Chaz Bowyer, Hippocrene Books, Inc. 171 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. On page 70 there is a section called "Women at War." and on page 86 there is a photo of Queen Mary inspecting an RFC Depot at St. Omer on 5 July, 1917. On Page 88, a photo of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium and Princess Alice at No. 1 Flight Wing, RNAS at Dunkirk, 1915.
Sorry it took so long to post. Had to find my copy. This should be the data and photos you wanted.

I read somewhere that Georges Guynemer would show up in the morning (I assume returning from leave) escorted by a pair of Parisian ladies in a requisitioned staff car. Is this close to the truth or just a romantic myth? I can picture it now...a scantily dressed can-can dancer under each arm, one wearing his flight jacket over her shoulders, the other carrying a half empty bottle of champagne; unlit cigarette in mouth. Ah...the life of a flying ace!

[Lufbery]

A.S.G. Lee, in his book, No Parachute, got to spend a lot of time with his wife when he was on home guard duty in England. In fact, he talks about a lot of the wives and girlfriends showing up and watching the afternoon formation flying practice. That was in England, though, so I'm sure things were a bit different in France.

-Drew

[Amy]

Rosebud,

I've read that it was Nungesser, rather than Guynemer, who would show up on the aerodrome with women he had presumably spent the night with. Someone once referred to Nungesser's life being similiar to today's modern rock star.

Amy