An attempt of murder by a German pilot on a boy, aged fourteen.

[Bobrah]

Hello,
There were some articles on French newspapers or the newspaper "Flight" on 27 April, 1916 about to an attempt of murder by a German pilot with his pistol near Saint Omer against a French boy aged fourteen, who was named Lefort. The article of the "Flight":

"The Saint Omer correspondent of the Petit Journal writes that recently a Fokker aeroplane was struck in a commune of Saint Omer by French anti-aircraft guns, and forced to descend on the bank of a river. A boy, aged fourteen, named Lefort, who happened to be working near, was suddenly confronted by the German pilot, who without any excuse fired at him, two bullets striking his left arm. Several farmers were about to make the German aviator pay dearly for his cowardly attempt, when some soldiers who arrived on the scene took him prisoner".
(Source: Aerospace and Aviation News | Aviation Industry & Airline Statistics | flightglobal.com).

I know the French article "Petit Journal" by a French member of my French Forum. The date is normally (or near) on April 17, 1916.

Please, do you know the name of this German pilot and if this attempt is the true? Thank you for advance.

Best regards.
Nico.

[Bobrah]

I don't think, was the aircraft of the German pilot Roessler (or Roesler) on the April 10, 1916 in Marne, because absolutely not the same area and same date.
I think it's Saint Omer in the North of France (comfirmed by article of "Ouest-Eclair") and the date was 17 (16?) April, 1916 for this aircraft that i'm researching.

[frontflieger]

Bonjour,

for Le Petit Journal German aviators were always murderers of civilians... see . Just propaganda - that took place on both sides of the trenches.

Did Le Petit Journal mention that Oswald Boelcke saved a drowing boy in Douai?

Thorsten

[Bobrah]

Originally Posted by frontflieger

Bonjour,

for Le Petit Journal German aviators were always murderers of civilians... see . Just propaganda - that took place on both sides of the trenches.

Did Le Petit Journal mention that Oswald Boelcke saved a drowing boy in Douai?

Thorsten

Hello,
Thank you for your answer.
It is also a little my opinion.

Same if the true or not, It isn't easy to have an opinion with no more information, information only by news-paper. Ridiculous, for to know the true circumstances, if was true. No result by me in my research in French archives on the interrogations of German aviators by French soldiers on 1916.

Was there a Fokker aircraft and a German pilot prisoner in the area of Saint-Omer on April 1916? Thank you.
Best Regards.

[rammjaeger]

Hi Nico,

the only other candidate for this action would be the other Fokker pilot who accidently landed in the British sector in April (8 April 1916). So, we have no lost Fokker pilots landing in Saint-Omer on 16/17 April and no French DCA claims for these days as well.

The British report by a Reuter´s correpondent was describing the capture on 8 April and did not mention such a deed or any French DCA fire. And I am sure the British would hardly have missed the opportunity to use the opportunity for own propaganda too. IMHO it is pure war propaganda - maybe with the only intent to counter the earlier German reports about Boelcke saving a 14-year old (sic) French boy in Fall 1915.

[Bobrah]

Originally Posted by rammjaeger

Hi Nico,

the only other candidate for this action would be the other Fokker pilot who accidently landed in the British sector in April (8 April 1916). So, we have no lost Fokker pilots landing in Saint-Omer on 16/17 April and no French DCA claims for these days as well.

The British report by a Reuter´s correpondent was describing the capture on 8 April and did not mention such a deed or any French DCA fire. And I am sure the British would hardly have missed the opportunity to use the opportunity for own propaganda too. IMHO it is pure war propaganda - maybe with the only intent to counter the earlier German reports about Boelcke saving a 14-year old (sic) French boy in Fall 1915.

Hello,
Thank you for your answer.
If no aircraft, surely a strange propaganda by French journalist . And i have posted this request in my French forum, and for to know if there was a French court decision for this action in France for attempt against a civilian (?), no answer by French members of my French forum for to tell it; so i imagine this text by the news-paper is wrong and propaganda.
If was the true, the German pilot was normally inside the French court for numerous years of jail for an attempt of murder on an civilian.
I don't know more about this article.
Thanks again.
Nico.

[redintheskies]

Originally Posted by frontflieger

Bonjour,

for Le Petit Journal German aviators were always murderers of civilians... see . Just propaganda - that took place on both sides of the trenches.

Did Le Petit Journal mention that Oswald Boelcke saved a drowing boy in Douai?

Thorsten

i heard the story about boelcke. but, how did it happen?

[Joe M]

Hi Redintheskies,

It took place in Douai while FA 62 were based there. The canal was directly across from their mess building. Boelcke noticed a young lad climbing over the fence towards a jetty in the canal where boats unloaded. Seemingly he got dizzy and fell in. Boelcke who was an Olympic class swimmer immediately dived in and eventually found the young lad under the water and hauled him to safety. The boy that Boelcke saved was Albert Delplace, he was 14 years old. It happened on the 28 august 1915.The town folk wanted Boelcke to be awarded the Legion d’Honneur!

A good account may be found in ‘Knight of Germany’ by Professor Johannes Werner originally published in 1932.

Happy Hunting
Joe M

[redintheskies]

Originally Posted by Joe M

Hi Redintheskies,

It took place in Douai while FA 62 were based there. The canal was directly across from their mess building. Boelcke noticed a young lad climbing over the fence towards a jetty in the canal where boats unloaded. Seemingly he got dizzy and fell in. Boelcke who was an Olympic class swimmer immediately dived in and eventually found the young lad under the water and hauled him to safety. The boy that Boelcke saved was Albert Delplace, he was 14 years old. It happened on the 28 august 1915.The town folk wanted Boelcke to be awarded the Legion d’Honneur!

A good account may be found in ‘Knight of Germany’ by Professor Johannes Werner originally published in 1932.

Happy Hunting
Joe M

thank you!! and boelcke, an olympic class swimmer?? damn, need to find more books on him. the internet has almost nothing. google is a ridiculous when it comes to boelcke.

any other good books on his life?

[PFFF]

OSwald Boelcke