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I was interested in the point Mosby brought up in a recent thread about the chap named Twycross being the first on the scene after MvR's plane came down and heard him utter his last words. I think he has a few challengers.
In a unit history I read a few years ago it stated that Captain Adams and Signillar Wright both from the 44th Battalion AIF were first on the scene and make no mention of Richthfen speaking. The following is from the battalion history
"Wright states that Richthofen was still sitting in his plane, still with his wonderful pink complexion and not a sign as to his cause of death"
while CEW Bean in his volume 5 of the Official Australian history in his appendix of Richthofen states that a Lt Fraser, intelligence officer with the 42nd Battalion was with the first half dozen that reached the plane and also make no mention of MvR speaking or uttering his final words.
The following is from Beans history
"Lt Fraser, running up with the first half dozen, undid Richthofen's safety belt, had him lifted out, and examining his papers, found his name. A signaller of the 3rd Division writes :We of course didn't know who he was, but we saw he was dead, so lifted him out and laid him on the grass"
These men, the first at the plane would not have left out of their story something fantastic like MvR uttering his final words to them.
Though good luck to Twycross if it's true.
Cheers
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