Hello Ken,
I agree with Greg and I think this is not
Walter Blume.
-The Halberstadt CL IV was introduced in spring 1918. At this time Blume was an official member of Jasta 26 and since mid march 1918 a member of Jasta 9. So why should he sit in a schlasta-aircraft? Ok, it could be the courier-aircraft of the staffel, but I don´t think so.
- Downside on the left of the picture stands: “Pilote Thieffert”- I didn´t found a pilot with this name or nearby this name either by Jasta 26 nor Jasta 9.
- Pilote = French Language
- On the backside stands: Frohe Weihnachtsgrüße – Merry Christmas. Do you really think he wrote this postcard on Christmas 1918? – The year 1917 could not be!
- flandern1 had sold very dubious pictures from members of the fliegertruppe which he had declared, they are from jastas in the last few months. But I think he will only make them more interesting. I have bought a picture of him with a British Pilot which he declared, this would be
Donald Maclaren (54 kills) but it was W.W.Rogers (9 kills)!
Regards
Rainer