MvR items at Canberra

[FliegerJG1]

Hello Forumites,

Other soldiers weren't as restrained and the Red Baron's boots and iron cross are housed in the national war memorial in Canberra. Despite his war experiences, Mr Smout never lost his sense of fun.

I've read at various times about certain items supposedly belonging to MvR that are in Canberra's memorial. Does anyone know for certain exactly what they really do have? I think I've seen a photo of fur boots that are there. Thank you for any further helpful details about this!

Best regards, FliegerJG1

[Langdon]

FliegerJG1,

They have an extensive collection, I have insepected many of the items on the museums list below, some of them are bogus in my opinion e.g. ammo belt is not the correct type to fit through the spent belt tube on a Dr.I, carburettor piece is not from an Oberursel or LeRhone, aircraft identification plate is similar to other fakes from around the world but apart from these it is a wonderful collection, the RAAF museum at Pt Cook in Victoria also has some excellent items, including the control column torque tube from 425/17, the rev counter, a spark plug, as well as turnbuckles and the propeller hub.

Regards,
Langdon

Group by object type: Richthofen


Object type: Aircraft
Accession number Title
RELAWM07570 Painted German cross on wing fabric : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00938.001 Red fabric from fuselage of Baron Manfred von Richthofen's Fokker DR1
RELAWM09715 Portion of propellor from Fokker aircraft : Richthofen
REL/00938 Fabric : Richthofen
RELAWM09714 Piece of fabric (cross?) from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen


Object type: Award
Accession number Title
REL/00922 Piece of ribbon for medal : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service


Object type: Heraldry
Accession number Title
REL/00927 Section of ammunition belt with bullet : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM15932 Engraved brass fitting from Richthofen's aircraft
RELAWM00719 Three documents taken from Capt Baron von Richthofen
RELAWM13876.002 German metal sign `Richthofenstr' (Richthofen Street)
REL29695 Wingspar fragment from Manfred von Richthofen's Fokker DR1 : Major General C B B White, Australian Imperial Force
REL/00929 Piece of cloth from overalls : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00938.002 Photographic envelope which contained a piece of fabric from Richthofen's Fokker aircraft


Object type: Munition
Accession number Title
REL/00931 7.92 mm Cartridges (von Richthofen's)


Object type: Personal Equipment
Accession number Title
RELAWM00705 Flying overboot (left foot) : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM16615 Flying overboot (right foot) : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service


Object type: Technology
Accession number Title
RELAWM15897 Step from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM16225 Section of wing from Richthofen's aircraft
REL/16236 Bosch brand spark plug from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM09123 Part of wing from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00941 Replica aircraft acceptance plate for Richthofen's Fokker Dr I 425/17
REL/03749 Framed piece of fabric (believed to have come from Baron Manfred von Richthofen's aircraft)
REL/00925 Part of the propeller from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00928 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft (& photograph?): Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM12690B Anti aircraft gun sight from machine gun used to engage Richthofen : Gunner R Buie, Royal Australian Artillery
REL/00932 Brass turnbuckle for wire bracing : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM15213.011 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM00706 Compass from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00924 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00921 Part of the propeller from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00920.001 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00936 Part of the propeller from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00933 Piece of aluminium from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM16029 Red painted piece of Fokker wing strut : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM00704 Control column for Fokker Dr I 425/17 : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/03287 Wooden box section from Fokker wing : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM12173 Painted German cross on wing fabric : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM12690A Anti aircraft gun sight from machine gun used to engage Richthofen : Gunner R Buie, Royal Australian Artillery
REL/00942 Telescopic sight from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00920.002 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL24794 Turnbuckle for wire bracing : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00937 Piece of plywood from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00923 Part of the propeller from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM09124 Fragments of engine crankcase from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM09122 Part of carburettor from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00940 Replica aircraft acceptance plate for Richthofen's Fokker Dr I 425/17
REL/00934 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00926 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/03934 Fabric from wing of Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/03146.001 Part of propeller from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00939 Piece of metal from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/07067 Piece of aluminium from Fokker Dr I : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
REL/00935 Lewis Gun Anti Aircraft Sights x 2 (England) from one of the guns which engaged Baron Richthofen's aircraft
RELAWM15224 Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service


Object type: Uniform
Accession number Title
REL27258 Pair of flying gloves : Baron Manfred Von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service
RELAWM15900 Buckle and strap from overalls : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service


Description of RELAWM07570:

A rough square of aircraft fabric featuring a black German Balkenkreuz bordered by white, all on a red painted background. The black cross and its white border are unevenly painted and do not match each other. There is evidence of multiple white and black paint coats, as there is with the red paint. The reverse of the fabric is very messy, with evidence of black, red and green paint and possibly dope. The fabric has been removed from the aircraft in a rough square shape approximating the Balkenkreuz, but has cut though the lower end of one of the crosses. The approximate centreline of the Balkenkreuz coincides with a double folded sewn seam. This appears to be where the square of fabric has been repeatedly folded and is thus fragile at this point. Most of the paint is crazed or cracked.

Context:

This square of fabric was recovered from von Richthofen's crashed triplane a few minutes after the crash by Lieutenant George M Travers, MC, 49 Battalion. He related his account of events for Smith's Weekly on August 25 1934 and the narrative commences from the point where he was lying on Corbie Hill with a pair of binoculars, watching two planes approach from 2-3 miles (about 5 kilometres) away. One was Lt Wilfred May's Sopwith Camel - the other Richthofen's Fokker Triplane.

"My runner, Private Webber, was with me and I had the two planes in view, coming straight towards us, for 2 or 3 miles. They came straight along the line of the Somme to Corbie Hill. Richthofen was very close to the tail of the other plane and firing at it when he was within a few hundred yards of us.

"Just then a machine gun down below us fired three of four bursts and Richthofen's plane seemed to turn on its side, right itself again, then swerve sharply to the right and swoop gradually to the ground, landing about half a mile away.

"The first three to reach the plane were Captain Cruickshank, Staff Captain of the 11th Brigade, my runner and myself. Cruickshank took charge of things and carried a few papers and a gold watch back to Brigade headquarters. Richthofen was identified by an inscription on the watch.

"I don't suppose anyone can be 'shot at dawn' after fifteen years or more for admitting to going souvenir-hunting. I got one of the big black crosses, about 4 ft by 4 ft, painted on the red paint which was over the fabric of his plane. This cross I wrapped up and put in my valise.

"A few days after, at Villers-Bretonneux, I was severely wounded and eventually arrived at Wandsworth Hospital, England. A Sergeant from the Records Section in London came down to see me and said he had been sent by Major Treloar, OC Records. He said they had heard that I had Richthofen's cross and asked if I would let them have it for the Australian War Museum. Eventually I gave into them."

Smith's Weekly also tracked down and interviewed Edward Burrow, a fellow member of Travers' company, who corroborated Travers' account:

"I was also a witness of the affair and went over to the place where the plane was lying immediately after it had struck the ground. Richthofen was then dead.

"There was such a scramble for souvenirs that, although only minutes had elapsed from the time he struck the ground till I got there, someone had relieved him of his boots."

Attempts by Australian War Memorial staff to contact Travers in October 1934 to ascertain which wing he had cut the cross from were unsuccessful - a Memorial clerk noting "apparently useless to hope for a reply".

Quoted in AWM93 - 12/11/5350 "G.M. Travers Esq, MC, Balranald, NSW."