Contrary to the location
mentionned as "T", the biography written by Prof. Werner mentions
Boelcke encountered heavy anti-aircraft-artillery fire above Varennes.
Boelcke's logbook contained the
remark that anti-aircraft shrapnells hit the armor plate of his aircraft. He
omitted such details in letters he wrote home because he did not want to make
his parents worry about him.
Originating from the Malayan language, the word "Pisang"
means "Banana". However, "Pisang Eater" (Banana
Eater) was a derogatory designation used at the time of Oswald
Boelcke, certainly to describe people one did not value much.
Talking about "roaring men and screaming women", Boelcke
probably refers to French civilians by the usage of the word
"Pisang". There is no known reason today, why the Germans
(or maybe only Boelcke) called the people "Banana Eater",
but this may point to the French colonies where they planted bananas
that got consumed in France while the Germans had to import them for
expensive prices(?).
General der Infanterie (Infantry
General) Kurt von Pritzelwitz was the commanding General of
the 6th (VI) Armee Korps (Army
Corps) in Breslau at the beginning of the war. The 6th Army Corps belonged to
the 4th Army of Herzog (Duke)
Albrecht von Wuertemberg. Von Pritzelwitz awarded the order
Pour-le-Mérite on January 12, 1916. He was born on December 19, 1854 in
Berlin. Date and place of death are unknown.
Darmstadtarian = people from the
(German) city of Darmstadt, like Parisian, Berlinian, New Yorkian etc.
In this case it concerns Boelcke's friends who were at the radio
operator school in Darmstadt together with him.
Metzian = people from the (now French)
city of Metz. In this case it concerns an officer who was at the war
academy in Metz as Boelcke was there too. Since the war of 1870/71 and
until the end of WW1, the French region of Alsace-Lorraine (where the
city of Metz is located) belonged to the German Reich. This fact was
one of the main reasons for the ever lasting quarrel between the
Germans and the French.
