Who's remains were sent home?

While glancing through the Bodenshatz Diaries and Kilduff's "Richthofen Combat Wing" I was suprised at whose remains were returned to Germany for burial. Through 1917 it seemed that any pilot of any reputation was sent home. In 1918 it seems that aces such as Weiss, H-J Wolff, Scholz, were all buried at Cappy. Kirstein ( a PLM winner) was buried near where he fell yet certain non-descript
and non-scoring pilots were sent home. Gontermann
was buried in Neuville yet von Tutschek was returned to Munich for his send off five months later.

I guess my question is:

Did Germany's precarious financial situation in 1918 preclude it from sending home everyone?

Did the pilot's station in life in terms of possible status or nobility come into effect?

Did families with more resourses pay to have their love ones returned?

Thanks in advance,

Holck

[rammjaeger]

I can´t really answer your question but have some ideas:

When studying documents about returning remains of pilots to Germany I found often the remark "genehmigt, falls unbeerdigt" (allowed if not buried). If somebody was already buried than the chances were bad for a returning. Therefore a very quick decision was necessary for a return.
The proposal for returning a corps needed maybe a longer time during the major offensives and retreats in 1918. The result: more pilots became burried near the front.

Additional the transport capacities of Germany were more and more exhausted. The railway lines were still working but at first you had to transport the corps to the railway station. Fuel became rare and horses died of starvation and sicknesses in big numbers. One of the main reasons of the slow progress and finally standstill of the construction of German airfields in the homeland 1918 was lack of raw material and especially lack of horses or other transport capacities.

Count, most likely this was the result of "the end being near" getting into May 1918 and later. Losses, retreat and shifting airfield locations just did not allow for such "luxuries" for the fallen heroes.

According to Bodenschatz, men like Friedrichs and Kirschstein "had to remain in the French earth". Although it is left unstated, it appears as if the misfortunes of war is what caused this to occur.

In English, CORPSE is a deceased human being; corps (pronounced CORE, is a unit of military troops.)

WHOSE body was sent home?
Who's on first?

[rammjaeger]

Ooops! How about a corps of corpses?

Sorry, but that is a horrible language!

At first my English teachers forced me to speak the letter "e" like our "i" (and even worse an "a" like an "e") - and then this silly letter is even changing the meaning of a word!

Unbelievable!

This time I will bear the correction but the next critic will be sentenced to speak 1000 times the German word "Bahnschrankenwärterhäuschen".

I admit that is a rather soft punishment but I am still breeding over a lot of more horrible German words for foreigners. [grin]

Any suggestions are welcome.

VBR
Hannes

[Rick]

Give 'em hell, Hannes. I'm totally on your side.
If a Forumite is so literate (or perhaps, illiterate) that he/she can't 'read between the lines', they shouldn't be making asinine (John L -read stupid) comments.

Usually I can agree with a lot you say, John L., but this time I am really disappointed.
Steve

Nothing stupid about correcting grammar so that a person knows the difference between words that sound alike. There was nothing nasty, irreverent or stupid about it!
From my previous e-mail correspondence with Hannes I know that he learned conversational English by listening to British short wave radio broadcasts and written English form courses in school.
Now prop me, and I'll get outa here.

[rammjaeger]

No, John. I did never hear short wave radio broadcasts (maybe you are meaning the Dutch aviation fan and history student Reinout who is currently not over the front) or written English form courses. I had courses with English and American teachers but some years ago and sometimes I am simply to lacy to grap my English literature to make sure the right spelling of a word. To be honest: I saw young Americans post here on the Forum who were making a lot more spelling mistakes. I hope they are getting your support too.