Peter Kilduff's new book

[Germanophile-1]

Hannes Taeger wrote:

"Hello Peter,

I enjoyed and still remember your visit years ago. The Großenhain book was published in mid-March 2007. I should have sent you one copy immediately but was too occupied with the other, following projects (see: Flugplatzgeschichte - Weitere Projekte ) to realize that. Meanwhile I did already finish the most of the next book – my manuscript is in the process of correction and translation (into English language) before I go to offer it to some publishers.

"Despite of year-long research no authentic Richthofen-document (written or photographed) came to light in Großenhain until now. He was still a “Nobody” in 1915, and nobody seems to have cared too much about him all the years. Aviation enthusiasts in Großenhain know he was there but often they thought in error he got his fighter pilot training at the airfield.

< snip, snip>

"It is possible to order our book about Airfield Grossenhain via keil@satztechnik-meissen.de

"This e-mail address is also placed on many sites of my homepage
Flugplatzgeschichte - FP GROSSENHAIN

"(If something goes wrong then I am always willing to forward orders to the publisher or to give helpful advices.)

"Every of my posts includes also the link to my homepage and two earlier threads at the Forum are dedicated to our book.

========================

Thanks, Hannes, for the good news.

The photos on the two links noted (above) are terrific and well worth a look.

Good luck with your next book. I'm sure the Forum will want to be informed about it.

MfG

Peter

"... as I told you about my contacts with him -- as well as that I located many of the old Reichsarchiv reports he thought had been destroyed during World War II. Further, as I explained to you, it would not have been a good idea to send copies of them to Tornuss's home in what was then East Germany..."

Peter Kilduff


Germanophile-

did you not realize that Tornuß was dead for eleven years, since 1980, when you visited me in 1991? You couldn't send him nothing from the "Reichsarchiv" when you have "explored" Potsdam, whatever this should be. The German archives are open for everyone, not only for germanophile. The next time you wrote a Richthofen biography, look for the Salzmann papers. Yes, the man you quoted in your first MvR biography.

I ask you for relationship with Erich Tornuß, because I am on search for the two volumes Erich Tornuß lost with his "pen-friends" in the West. You were named by Winfried Bock in the memoriam of his father as a colleague. I could not find your name in the Tornuß correspondence he had with his "pen-friends". Did you know Fritz Jacobsen?

ZAK

[Ross_Moorhouse]

ZAK cool it now. Your agression is not wanted here. To cool you off I am locking this thread for 24 hours.

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Thread is now open again.

ZAK push the issue or I get any complaints about you and I will BAN you for a long time. You have been warned.

[Germanophile-1]

"ZAK" wrote:

"Germanophile-

"did you not realize that Tornuß was dead for eleven years, since 1980, when you visited me in 1991? You couldn't send him nothing from the "Reichsarchiv" when you have "explored" Potsdam, whatever this should be. The German archives are open for everyone, not only for germanophile. The next time you wrote a Richthofen biography, look for the Salzmann papers. Yes, the man you quoted in your first MvR biography.

"I ask you for relationship with Erich Tornuß, because I am on search for the two volumes Erich Tornuß lost with his "pen-friends" in the West. You were named by Winfried Bock in the memoriam of his father as a colleague. I could not find your name in the Tornuß correspondence he had with his "pen-friends". Did you know Fritz Jacobsen?

"ZAK"
====

Herr Thiemeyer,

Of course I knew that Erich Tornuss died in 1980 and, for those Forumites who may not have heard of him, some explanation is in order: Tornuss grew up in post WW I eastern Germany and became fascinated with stories of the great German aces. He saved Sanke cards, newspaper and magazine articles, etc. He also visited the former imperial archives -- das Reichsarchiv -- in Potsdam (outside Berlin) and spent many hours poring over the Kommandeur der Flieger [Officer in Charge of Aviation] -- or Kofl reports from the various Army Corps and copied the aerial victory lists. He was a German aviaton history pioneer along with Himmelstoss, Isemann, Melchers, Schmidt, Schorler, et al.

Most or all of these official reports were thought to have been destroyed during W II bombings of Berlin and surrounding areas. The Soviets and their East German successors refused all access to the former Reichsarchiv files and, for a long time, it was widely believed that Tornuss was the only (or certainly an important) source for much of this material. Even though Tornuss lived in communist East Germany, he was able to correspond with westerners and share his knowledge. I was introduced to him in the early 1970s by Carl Degelow, onetime leader of Jasta 40, and Tornuss was helpful in my early research. In return, I sent him food items and (as restricted by his government) used clothing.

Back to Herr Thiemeyer's comments: I sent many queries to the Military Archive of the National People's Army in Potsdam, which took over the old Reichsarchiv holdings. They continued to ignore me and I continued to pester them. In 1976, I was surprised (and dee-lighted!) to receive an offer to obtain copies of records I requested, provided my check was drawn on an affiliate of Chase Manhattan Bank. It seems the East Germans loosened up on their ideology in return for hard currency. From then until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, I bought a lot of photo copies of documents for my research. Among them were many of the Kofl Reports that Tornuss had used as a young man before WW II.

The point I wanted to make in an earlier posting to this thread was that I wanted to send Tornuss copies of some of my copies as a sort of memento of his earlier efforts -- but his government (which had sold me the copies) would not allow me to send him any "military" materials. I was never able to fathom that line of thought. But he was a nice, helpful person and I didn't want to create problems for him.

And, yes, the German Federal Archives (das Bundesarchiv) is open to everyone -- but here's where it gets complicated. With the reunification of Germany, eastern archival holdings were sent to the west, where (I was told by a member of the Bundesarchiv staff) they have yet to be unpacked. I believe you are aware of this fact, Herr Theimeyer, which is why you asked me about obtaining copies of what I received from Potsdam "in former times," to use an ever-present phrase in modern Germany. As you had already reneged on our photo exchange, I was not overly motivated to try to work with you.

Finally, I don't know what correspondence you found in (what I assume to be) Tornuss's estate -- and whether there is mention of me or not, but I have a file of letters FROM Erich Tornuss, which would seem to indicate that he and I did correspond. And, no doubt I was mentioned by Winfried Bock, as I had extensive correspondence and conversations with his father, the late Dr. Gustav Bock. So, what is your point and why do you ask about connections to the late Fritz Jacobsen?

All WW I aviation enthusiasts would be better served if you would devote your time to publishing the book you described to me.

Peter Kilduff

[Frank_Olynyk]

Greg,

With regard to your first post in this thread, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that there is a new biography of René Fonck. The bad news is that it is in French.

René Fonck: L'as des as, l"homme. Corinne Micelli & Bernard Palmieri. Published by Institut de Stratégie Comparée and Economica. 2007. 374 pages. Part one, 144 pages, covers his life to early 1926. Part two goes to page 305, and covers the rest of his life. The remainder of the book consists of various appendices: bibliography, photos, victory list, French scoring system, the text of award citations, and an index.

Maybe your other wishes will come out in English.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Germanophile-

Erich Tornuß was not interested in Kofl-Berichte. He was interested in the diaries of the Jagdstaffeln, the "Kriegstagebücher". Could you not realize this important difference?

We have had contact for about 10 month in 1991/92. I feel cheated and quit. That's all.

ZAK

PS Ross: You do your job well, but we are living in different worlds. Will think about quit information and the status of a lurker.

Germanophile-

I think this is important for your memory.

From my letter 25.11.91

"...Doch nun zu dem "geschäftlichen" Teil. Ich war ziemlich überrascht, als ich auf der letzten Frankfurterv Buchmesse den Dummy eines neuen Manfred von Richthofen Buches vorfand. Autor: Peter Kilduff. Zuvor hatte mir schon Ales Imrie davon erzählt, aber ich wollte ihm die Geschichte nicht glauben - ich glaubte mich von Dir komplett unterrichtet.

Your answer 03.11.91

"...Du warst bei der Frankfurter Buchmesse überrascht? Ich auch! Wie Du weisst, ich arbeite auf einem Buch über die "operational history" des JGs ...Was hat der Verleger Alex gesagt? Es scheint zu mir, dass ich muss "etwas" mit dem Verleger diskutieren...


By your visit in summer 1991 you told me about a "operational history of JG 1", you would like to wrote, and you ask for material. I told you about my interest in a MvR biography. Two different themes. Obviously you doesn't know the most important sources for a biography, so I don't distrust you. You went with a bag of material.

For those, who can read German, the text above should be help for an own view.

ZAK

PS Your biography "Richthofen, beyond the legend of the Red Baron" was published one year later.

[Germanophile-1]

Herr Thiemeyer,

Your comments weave and bob so much you should use the cover name "Zickzack" [zigzag].

In any event, I've had enough of your distortions and faulty logic. Furthermore, I don't think Forum readers are all that interested in your and my version of a photo swap gone sour, so I am going to make better use of my time than to play silly games with you.

Peter Kilduff

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by ZAK

Germanophile-

I think this is important for your memory.

From my letter 25.11.91

"...Doch nun zu dem "geschäftlichen" Teil. Ich war ziemlich überrascht, als ich auf der letzten Frankfurterv Buchmesse den Dummy eines neuen Manfred von Richthofen Buches vorfand. Autor: Peter Kilduff. Zuvor hatte mir schon Ales Imrie davon erzählt, aber ich wollte ihm die Geschichte nicht glauben - ich glaubte mich von Dir komplett unterrichtet.

Your answer 03.11.91

"...Du warst bei der Frankfurter Buchmesse überrascht? Ich auch! Wie Du weisst, ich arbeite auf einem Buch über die "operational history" des JGs ...Was hat der Verleger Alex gesagt? Es scheint zu mir, dass ich muss "etwas" mit dem Verleger diskutieren...


By your visit in summer 1991 you told me about a "operational history of JG 1", you would like to wrote, and you ask for material. I told you about my interest in a MvR biography. Two different themes. Obviously you doesn't know the most important sources for a biography, so I don't distrust you. You went with a bag of material.

For those, who can read German, the text above should be help for an own view.

ZAK

PS Your biography "Richthofen, beyond the legend of the Red Baron" was published one year later.

------------------------------

Mate's
For those who do not read German here is a word for work (I think translation), how about some help and speak in a language we all can understand, not just a few of us. Tks in advance.

But now to the "business" part. I was quite surprised, when I found the dummy new Manfred von Richthofen of book on the last Frankfurterv book fair. Author: Peter Kilduff. Before Ales Imrie had already told me of it, but I did not want to believe him history - I believed myself from you completely informed.

Your answer 03.11.91

"... you were surprised with the Frankfurt book fair? I also! How do you know, I do work on a book concerning "operational history" the JGs... which have the publisher Alex said? It seems to me that I must discuss "something" with the publisher...

No insult intended - just helping the rest of us figure out what is going on.

cul

tcrean7828

tom