Ltn Joeph Jacobs and the quest for the 2nd DEVIL image

[van der Laan]

Very interesting HANS !

I am no expert on the German Language, I do speak arabic and russian and english as a primary language but German was never in the cards for me.

From numerous printed accounts and various verbal accounts with historians, I've always seen or heard the words KOBES or KOBIS or such associated with Jacobs name and then they elaborate that it’s a short for “Jacobs” but also "arrowhead" or "pumpkin" and such then they claim these where patronymics for him, and the reason his Albatross aircraft has an arrowhead badge painted on it.

I have no hard evidence if any of this is accurate though, other forum member could elaborate as they have translated much of his personal diaries and letters for Cross and Cockade or Over the Front periodicals. Possibly my misspelling of the word is so “way off” that it confuses the issue? Or another more likely senario: I'm the one confused by the issue

I am interested in your thoughts on the subject.

[Michael_Dailey]

The PLM in the last close up drawing appears to have an odd attachment, certainly not oak leaves but perhaps a crown like the crown that I have heard was attached to the 50 year anniversary version of the award handed out to those members still alive at the time.

MDD

[van der Laan]

Michael_Dailey

The magic of a 20 meg scan .... not sure what it is, maybe just the ring shinning in the sun .... you tell me

Here is the exact same PLM owned and highly worn by JJ, now kept at the Denver Vintage Aero Flying Museum (VAFM): it appears to be the clasp you are speaking of.

[Tim West]

Thanks again for posting these photos and scans. I like the pencil drawing a lot.

Lol, the flash is right where the crown is on the PLM.. How did it end up in Denver?

[Hans]

van der Laan, hi!

A pumkin is in german a "Kürbis" (kuerbis, u umlaut), maybe this is the reason for a mixup. An arrowhead is a Pfeilspitze (arrow=Pfeil, head=Spitze). Maybe this is a mixup also, as "head" is literally a 'Kopf' (for a man's head f.e.).

Kobes is still in use in the Rhine area, especially in Cologne. The waiter of a beer hall is called a 'Köbes' (o Umlaut), but it also based on some form of Jakob / Jakobus. Jacobs was born in the Rhineland area.

So I think, Kobes is really a short form of his name. It is not quite usual to shorten the family name, but there are other examples too.

H

[van der Laan]

HANS....

"The waiter of a beer hall is called a 'Köbes' "



Well when you see a few more of my Photos we may also assume they were tesing him on this issue (just kidding), but you'll think they are funny when you see them, Photos of him having a real good time


Thanks for your continured input as every bit helps.

[van der Laan]

TIM

Jacobs had a number of PLMs, the original in the photo and a few others that are now mounted on his diaries and the like and the crowned one given on his 50th anniversary. The one in the photo does not have the crown as it was his field medal I believe.

The collection maintained by the guys in Denver (most notably Andy Parks and Stephen Lawson both members of the aerodrome) is the product of donations given to Andy’s Grandfather who if I am not mistaken was a physician in WW1 and treated many pilots; both Allied and non Allied forces. After the war he became very close friends to a number of the survivors and upon their passing their wives generally sent everything to Dr Parks: a person they could trust. (paintings, uniforms, medals, parts of planes, …) As a result, there are literally REAMS of ultimate cool WW1 artifacts located there including a lot of MFR’s personal items as well as the majority of the complete collection of JJ: photos, medals, goblets, diaries and so on. If you ever are in Denver you must drop by or suffer the loss for the rest of your existence. look

They would welcome you with open arms as they did me.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Van der Laan:
The Fok.DR.I in the group photo, is the one with the propeller and Clerget 9b engine from a Sopwith F.1 Camel. I think it was Dr.450/17 that had the Glerget engine.
Blue skies,
Dan-San

[van der Laan]

Dear DSA
Both 450/17 and 470/17 had Clergets and Camel Props at the same time, the only way I have been able to tell the difference between the two in a some of my photos is that 470 always seems to have either a dent or a bullet hole in the cowling to the left and lower when looking at it head on facing the prop.

But that said you may still be right, because the paint job on the one shown is already painted all-black (see no light blue under wings) but the exposed portion of the crosses on the wings seems to be out of spec for both machines.

Jacobs had claimed on more than one occasion that he had THREE DR1s outfitted with Clergets at his disposal after he had received the DVIIs to Jasta 7, but many historians doubt evidence supports it.

Who knows, this might be the third, but the dent leads me to believe its 470 then again I've see a copy of this photo in Leaman's book and it attributes another photo to Bill Evans WITH THE SAME DENT and claims its 450

[van der Laan]

We sometimes forget with all the DR1 talk and postings regarding fighter pilots that they spent far more time flying other aircraft than the DR1. In my quest to find the 2nd “devil” image I sometimes have to force myself to stop and smell the roses by collecting non DR1 stuff related to old JJ. I’d seen this photo in O’Conner’s book but never really appreciated it until I ran across an original. One is always impressed by the clairty of those little LICA cameras way back then.

This is the early 80 HP Eindecker E III 608/15 that JJ bitched and moaned about so often in his diaries and official reports but it was also the machine he made his first confirmed kill on May 12 1916.

This is his Ehrenbecher goblet won as the result and now held in Denver