Have a look ... back on History !

[Webuhlan]

Hello boys (and girls ?),

Look at this photograph I bought some month ago ...

Behind it, it's written :
"??? franzosicher Flugzeug (Leffincourt April 1917) (Baldamus)"

I think the picture was taken April 14th, 1917 when Hartmuth Baldamus was dead. Because the french aircraft was germanized then they put red cross upon ... maybe, the aircraft that brought Baldamus dead body in Leffincourt ??

What's your opinion about this ?

[Volker_Nemsch]

.
... of the photo would be of interest. Could you please provide us with a scan of the text or note? A more detailed scan of the unusual national markings would also be interesting, since I've never seen this "strange style of markings" before. It might help.

.

[Froggy]

the photo of the Nieuport and text at reverse can be seen on e-bay
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/122084310385

Certainly not on 14/4/1917-the two aircraft collided in mid air and the two pilots were KIA
(French pilot was Cal Jean Simon escadrille N 37)
BTW , I don't read 'Baldamus'at reverse ??
Cordialement
Bruno

[Froggy]

I think I have perhaps the clue

On 12 April 1917 Caporal Marcel Carré escadrille N112 was FTL at Leffincourt on the ennemy airfield (Jasta 9 & jasta 10 were on that airfield at that moment)
with his Nieuport XVII N° 2779 (cause unknown)

[Webuhlan]

Originally Posted by Froggy

the photo of the Nieuport and text at reverse can be seen on e-bay
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/122084310385

Oui, c'était moi l'acheteur.

Originally Posted by Froggy

Certainly not on 14/4/1917-the two aircraft collided in mid air and the two pilots were KIA
(French pilot was Cal Jean Simon escadrille N 37)

Ce qui n'empêche pas que le corps soit ramené à Leffincourt sur cet appareil. Je n'ai jamais dit que cet avion-ci était celui de Baldamus, qui volait d'ailleurs sur un Albatros. Ce qui n'est, ici, visiblement pas le cas. C'est un avion de prise utilisé pour diverses raisons. Avec des croix rouges dessus, il sert manifestement d'ambulance ...

Originally Posted by Froggy

BTW , I don't read 'Baldamus'at reverse ??

Mon amie allemande (ma traductrice officielle), elle, le lit ...

Cordialement

Xavier

[Webuhlan]

Originally Posted by Froggy

I think I have perhaps the clue

On 12 April 1917 Caporal Marcel Carré escadrille N112 was FTL at Leffincourt on the ennemy landing field
with his Nieuport XVII N° 2779 (cause unknown)

It's maybe this french aircraft ... but it's not the M. Carré landing of april 12th 1917

Marcel Carré didn't land in Leffincourt with iron crosses painted on wings and with red crosses to cover this added national emblem ...

Isn't he ?

[Froggy]

Originally Posted by Webuhlan

Marcel Carré didn't land in Leffincourt with iron crosses painted on wings and with red crosses to cover this added national emblem ...

Isn't he ?

The nieuport 17 of Marcel Carré was re-painted later with German markings
How can you say it was 'red cross' ?? -

http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escad...adrille112.htm

[Webuhlan]

Originally Posted by Froggy

How can you say it was 'red cross' ??

Just have alook to this detail ...

A french aircraft captured ...

A black Iron cross painted ...

The red cross put above ...

And ... maybe an ambulance, just behind !

[Volker_Nemsch]

.
... in connection with the term "ambulance aircraft":

An ambulance aircraft has the basic requirement, that a wounded or sick person can be transported in it. But the Nieuport 17 on the picture is definitely a single-seater and therefore unsuitalbe for the transport of a second person.

The whole story only (although rather unlikely) only makes sense, if the pilot was also something we would call a "flying doctor" today. So, were there any doctors with a flying license during WW1 - this means, the doctor flying with his aircraft to a defined place in order to help people?

And - not to forget - it seems that the machine on the photo is still armed with a machine gun. But "vehicles" marked with the Red Coss have to be unarmed...

.

[Froggy]

Just After the end of ww1 there were some trials of ambulance aircraft with
the Voisin X 'Aerochir"