Aviator's defense against intrusive
questioners:
The following is an early
"faq" that Oswald Boelcke wrote to keep off the most intrusive of
the many people who asked him questions about aviation. He obviously wrote
and copied it on a moody day during his stay at Château-Porcien.
Please ! ! !
Do NOT ask about aviation !
The most common questions are answered below:
-
Sometimes it is
dangerous, sometimes it isn't.
-
The higher, the
colder.
-
Yes, one notices when
it's getting colder - on the freeze.
-
Cruising altitude
2000 - 2500m.
-
Yes, one still can
see something, but not as good as from 100m.
-
With binoculars one
sees poorly because it is shaking.
-
Yes, we threw bombs
already.
-
Yes, an old woman is
supposed to have been injured but the orderlies had been scared.
-
The observer is in
the front seat and can see something.
-
One cannot speak
because the engine makes too much noise.
-
We don't have
telephone in the aircraft, but electric lights we have.
-
No, we do not live in
earth caves.
Since the beginning of the war, Oswald flew together with his brother
Wilhelm, who was a perfect observer. The Boelcke brothers became a very
successful pilot/observer team which earned them not only admiration but
also envy of some of their comrades. These people knew it well how to
ingratiate on the missions with the squadron leader to bring the successful
duo apart. By the end of March and beginning of April 1915, things changed
for Oswald and Wilhelm. Although the situation had calmed down between the
Boelcke's and their comrades, it grew worse between them and their squadron
leader who insisted to separate them on future missions. As they asked about
reasons there was none he could give and as he became insulting to Wilhelm,
the brothers reported the occurrence at the head quarters for protest,
requesting their transfer to a different unit. The result was that the
squadron leader had been topped off by his Excellency, Infantry General
Kurt von Pritzelwitz. The squadron leader gave in but the situation wasn't
much agreeable anymore so the Boelcke brothers hoped to get soon transferred
to a different unit.
On April 4, 1915, Oswald wrote home: A very sad Easter day for me!
Wilhelm has been transferred to the Fliegerabteilung in Posen. He's already
gone. The squadron leader knew it well how to turn things the way that only
Wilhelm will be transferred, but not me. I submitted a second request for
transfer indeed, despite the treat of the captain that he will look to put
me to the infantry in the trenches. But that doesn't matter to me - I just
want to leave! Don't know yet how to realize this since the captain, and
obviously the general command too, don't want to let me go. For the present,
the doctor was so kind to hear "slight noises" in my bronchus. He
sends me to a rest center for three weeks. From Tuesday on, my new address
will be: "Military Hospital I in Château-Porcien near Rethel". My
quiet hope is it to have better chances to transfer from there to a
different unit. Actually I'm just happy to turn my back to Pontfaverger and
the boss of "Abteilung 13"!
Bored to tears, Oswald spend much time walking and training his dog
Wolf, hanging around and drinking beer with the doctors and the orderlies.
But that wasn't the life that he wanted. As his assistant physician wanted
to send him home to the Harz for two weeks, his consultant came up with
doubtful reasons to stay so Oswald insisted on a clear answer. Then the
consultant told him that his Excellenzy von Pritzelwitz said it was already
bad enough that Wilhelm had left the Corps so he want to keep at least
Oswald. So Oswald's stay at the rest center of Château-Porcien was no
longer necessary and he insisted on returning to the front. He came back to
F.A.13 which had been transferred to Marneville in the meantime but this
time his stay was limited to just a week. On Sunday the 25th April 1915, he
was happy to write his parents: Hurray! I've been transferred to F.A.62.
On tomorrow I'll travel to Berlin to report at the "Inspektion der
Fliegertruppen". Because I will stay for 2 or 3 weeks I will certainly
find the time to visit you too.
Source: Boelcke - der Mensch,
der Flieger, der Führer der deutschen Jagdfliegerei
by Prof.
Johannes Werner
published
by Hase & Köhler, Leipzig 1932.
|