Location of Erich Loewenhardt's Grave

[Enthusiast]

Greetings again.

I was wondering if anybody had any specific information where he was interred at after his mid-air collision and parachute accident. I figured I might as well ask since I never really could find out and also because today is the 91st anniversary of his death.

I got to browsing around on the net earlier the other day, and I came across this very good Sanke card website (link at the bottom of this post) that had quite a few photographs I'd never seen before, one of which was of Loewenhardt's memorial service complete with his coffin and medals out in back of Jasta 10's hangers when they were based at Ennemain. I attached it below in case anybody else hasn't seen it; in case anybody is interested, they're still doing construction to their funeral photographs page (perhaps someone with more knowledge might be able to give them a hand?).

Furthermore, I have three more questions: 1) How tall was he anyway? I've often looked at the picture of him standing in front of his Fokker Dreidecker and have pondered at it. 2) Does anybody know the specific paint scheme he used for his Dreidecker? I've heard it was entirely yellow, I've heard the wings were painted gray and the fuselage was yellow. . . does anybody really know? I'm aware that the generally accepted paint scheme he used for his D.VII had the standard lozenge paint decal for the wings with a yellow fuselage, elevator and rudder, but otherwise I am amiss. 3) Are there any photographs of him with his D.VII or of his D.VII?

Thanks.


Home - Funeral Photo Cards

[Manfred von Richthofen HU]

look at this:

[Enthusiast]

That's quite a nice decal, my good chum, but it doesn't quite answer my questions.

[tcrean7828]

Originally Posted by Enthusiast

Greetings again.

I was wondering if anybody had any specific information where he was interred at after his mid-air collision and parachute accident. I figured I might as well ask since I never really could find out and also because today is the 91st anniversary of his death.

I got to browsing around on the net earlier the other day, and I came across this very good Sanke card website (link at the bottom of this post) that had quite a few photographs I'd never seen before, one of which was of Loewenhardt's memorial service complete with his coffin and medals out in back of Jasta 10's hangers when they were based at Ennemain. I attached it below in case anybody else hasn't seen it; in case anybody is interested, they're still doing construction to their funeral photographs page (perhaps someone with more knowledge might be able to give them a hand?).

Furthermore, I have three more questions: 1) How tall was he anyway? I've often looked at the picture of him standing in front of his Fokker Dreidecker and have pondered at it. 2) Does anybody know the specific paint scheme he used for his Dreidecker? I've heard it was entirely yellow, I've heard the wings were painted gray and the fuselage was yellow. . . does anybody really know? I'm aware that the generally accepted paint scheme he used for his D.VII had the standard lozenge paint decal for the wings with a yellow fuselage, elevator and rudder, but otherwise I am amiss. 3) Are there any photographs of him with his D.VII or of his D.VII?

Thanks.


Home - Funeral Photo Cards

Mate,
I believe that he was buried in Breslau, Poland. It is questionable whether his grave still exists - ‘frontfleiger.de’.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

[Gregvan]

Hi Enthusiast,

The photo you posted, of course, shows the memorial funeral held on the airfield at Bernes, held (according to Bodenschatz) on 24 August. Loewenhardt had fallen in a contested area near Chaulnes, and his body could not be recovered for a week. After the airfield service, the body was conveyed home to Breslau (present-day Wroclau) for (I presume) another service and burial. As tcrean7828 has said, I don't know if his grave is still marked, etc.

As for his height, I don't know. Photos taken with others show that he wasn't exceptionally taller, or shorter, than most of his contemporaries. He was taller than Udet, but then, so were most others.

I'm not sure that Loewenhardt ever flew that Fokker Dr. I (or any other) much in combat. It may simply have been used as a convenient background for a posed photo. Jasta 10 was never fully equipped with the Triplane, they flew their Pfalz D.IIIa's and Albatros fighters until they were re-equipped with Fokker D.VIIs in late April/early May 1918. It's possible a Triplane from one of the other units was occasionally borrowed by a Jasta 10 pilot for certain missions, etc, but that seems rare. I doubt that Loewenhardt ever had a Triplane painted up as his own, but that's just my opinion. Photos of L with a Fokker D.VII (or any other airplane, other than the Sanke with Dr.I) seem to be VERY rare. The only known photo reportedly shows Loewenhardt's D.VII in flight, shot from below. It doesn't reveal much except that it had streamers from both lower wingtips and the rudder. Contemporary descriptions by his staffel-mates said he flew an "all-yellow" D.VII, which has been interpreted as the aircraft having a yellow fuselage, tailplane/elevators, wheel covers, and all struts. Wings probably retained their printed camouflage finish.

[VtwinVince]

Hate to split hairs, but Breslau was a German city since the time of Frederick the Great in Schlesien (Silesia), was "given" to Poland by the Russians after the war, and is now known as Wroclaw.

[Gregvan]

Right you are, VtwinVince. I used Breslau because that's what it was called when he was buried there. I have amended my post. Thanks.

Greg

[Enthusiast]

Thanks for the information, chaps. I'm now curious to find out more about his alleged service with the Dreidecker. Will have to do some reading this morrow.