German Photographs

There are many pictures of German pilots and their captured Allied pilot POWs. Was it a standard procedure of the German air force to have pictures taken (professionally?) of their captured enemy pilots? Maybe for propaganda use later or proof regards to the fate of an enemy pilot? Or were most of the photographs taken on an unprofessional level simply for a personal photograph collection? Is it known if any Allied pilots objected at having themselves photographed?

[Rod_Filan]

I understand taking snapshots or even the possession of a camera was a court martial offense on the allied side. I doubt if
anyone was shot for it, but it probably was punishable as such.
Did Imperial forces have any regulation against photography? German photographs, especially aero subjects are far more
common it seems, than British, American or French. In what you describe; was it more allied airmen went down on the German
side of the lines than Germans on the west side of the front? Or were Germans more acceptable of, and adept at using cameras.
Availability, proximity, and tolerance may be the solution to your question. Propaganda and confirmations of claims were
probably secondary to commonplace acceptance as well as the quality of cameras and film that result in what survives today.

VBR
Ro§bud

As far as I know, the Allied pilots were treated as guests - and everyone (incl. German soldiers) were glad, in case enemy solders were brought down alive.
I can remember the fact, that an "aerial victory" of Oswald Boelcke sent a letter to the Boelcke-family after he had learned of the pilot's death. There is a pic of both men existing (www.jastaboelcke.de) - in the Johannes-Werner-book.

[Vigilant]

As far as I know the photos were taken merely as souvenirs. But I suppose evrything involved with MvR had propaganda implications. Lt.A.F.Bird, the British officer in this photo, was the Baron's first victory on the Fokker Triplane. Tony Fokker was staying with JG1 during the evaluation period. Despite his smile, Bird complained after the war that he had felt like a trophy being shown off.



Vigilant