Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/270 PART 3/1 - 1918 - 1939 - Part 3

114
EYEWITNESS'S xxxx  STORY.
Broken Hill, Monday.-The argument on the death of Baron
Richthofen, the Ge rman ace, has now shifted to Broken Hill.
E.C. Rawlings, who says he was an eyewitness of the air duel,
declares the German plane was shot down from the ground. Both
planes were down with thirty feet of the ground, the British
airman apparently looking for a landing. His gun was not working
and it appeared as though the weapon had jammed, or that he had
run out of amminition. Then came a burst of machineggun fire,
and the German machine crashed. He is certain gunners from the
ground brought him down.
 

115
FL.4151

5045.
23 October 1929.
Captain H.W. Crouch, M.C.,
26. Wentworth Avenue,
Sydney.
Dear Sir,
In connection with the death of Baron Richthofen, I am
anxious to secure precise information as to whether there were
two or three aeroplanes involved. According to the account
given by Captain A.R. Brown, R.F.C., who claims to have shot him
down, Richthofen was closely pursuing a British scout, and Brown
himself in a third machine was almost, if not quite, equally
close on top of Richthofen. Brown does not claim to have shot
Richthofen high in the air, but close to the ground, and his
account therefore stands or falls by the question whether, when
Richthofen was racing over the hills near Corbie on the 21st of
April, 1918, there were three aeroplanes involved, or two.
As I understand that you were a witness of the whole
affair, I should be grateful if you would help me to settle the
matter finally.
Yours faithfully,
C.E.W. Bean
[[?]]
Official Historian.
 

116

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26th October, 1929.
Mr. C. E. W. Bean,
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
PADDINGTON.
Dear Sir,
In reply to your letter of the 23rd inst., I regret
to have to inform you that I was not an eye witness of
Baron von Richthofen having been shot down. I inspected the
plane immediately after it was shot down and was convinced at
the time that our machine gun (24th M. G. Co.) actually shot him
down as the two planes passed over this gun. The Artillery
machine gun was farther away from the actual line of flight of
the two planes. I never heard at all of the third plane
(Capt.Brown R.F.C.) at the time that Richthofen was shot down.
There were only two planes, Richthofen’s and the plane Richthofen
was pursuing. Richthofen was not being pursued. Possibly
Capt. Brown's plane had previously fired on Richtofen’s, but when
Richthofen singled out the British plane which he was pursuing
Captain Brown’s plane was out of the fight.
Could you please have advice sent me as to what volumes
of the A.I.F.official History are available, where they can be
purchased and if any concessions are allowed A.I.F. members.
Yours faithfully.
H W Crouch
late Capt. & adj. 4 M.G. Bn.
acknowledged

29/10/29
 

177
FL. 4157

5046.
23 October 1929.
Captain F.R. Watts,
Condong
Tweed River, N.S.W
Dear Sir,
In connection with the death of Baron Richthofen, I am
anxious to secure precise information as to whether there were
two or three aeroplanes involved. According to the account given
by Captain A.R. Brown, R.F., who claims to have shot him down,
Richthofen was closely pursuing a British scout, and Brown himself
in a third machine was almost, if not quite, equally close on top
of Richthofen. Brown does not claim to have shot Richthofen high
in the air, but close to the ground, and his account therefore
stands or falls by the question whether, when Richthofen was
racing over the hills near Corbie on the 21st of April, 1918.
there were three aeroplanes involved, or two.
As I understand that you were a witness of the whole
affair, I should be grateful if you would help me to settle the
matter finally.
Yours faithfully,
C E W Bean
[ppard ?]
Official Historian.
 

118
P.O. Condong.
Tweed River.
N.S.W.
19-11-29
C.C. W. Bean Esq.
Dear Sir
Re yours N^o 5046 of
23rd Oct I'm very sorry for

delay in answering, which I
must explain was unavoidable.
I must emphatically state that
there were only two planes
The British Scout plane pursed

by Richthofen seeing that both
planes passed directly by Sgt Popkin
at a height 'not more than
100 feet I could not have failed 
to have noticed the 3rd machine
if it had been in the 
vicinity. Sg^t Popkin allowed the
British plane to pass & then fired
on Richthofen who had made a right
swing and then came back at a 
lower height when Popkin fired
about 200 rounds at him and 

 

113a
2
Richthofen again swung round to
the right & just managed to
clear ridge and crashed. I can
assure you that there was no 
one else had a chance to 
bring him down because there
was no other guns close 
enough except mine.
Hoping that this will help
I remain
yours faithfully
F R Watts
Capt
 

To Capt  Bean with Complements  R.S.L.
119
10 Jntayl 
sgd

Who saw Richtofen Crash - Who crashed him?
I was concerned in the incident referred to in the recent par. in
the "Reveille".
I was an artillery observation officer on the southern bank of the
Somme when I saw Richtofen chasing one of our planes.
It will be remembered that the southern bank of the Somme arose
sheer 200 feet higher than the opposite side, therefore, directly
the planes arrived on the southern side, they were naturally lower
than when flying over Hamlet or Corbie.
Richtofen was very close to the hunted plane when I first noticed
him and his machine gun was in action. I left post to see end of
combat and noticed Richtofen suddenly lose control of his machine.
A third plane was certainly there but not close enough to engage
with Richtofen.
Every Lewis gun - one of which was attached to each battery and
there were three brigades of artillery along the railway line between
Bonnay and Corbie - were potting at Richtofen and everyone claimed
the honor of eventually bringing him down.
1 took bearings with a prismatic compass in an endeavour to determine
who brought him down and concluded that the honour belonged to the
Lewis Gunner of the 53rd Bty. Evans, I think, his name was.
I was ordered to submit a report to Divisional Headquarters. Later,
General Hobbs sent a letter of congratulation to Gunner Evans of
the 53rd Sty.
This Digger, in my opinion, was manning the only gun within range
of Richtofen and in a position to bring the airman down at the time
he lost control of his machine. I can definitely state that
Richtofen was shot from the ground.
(SGD) JAS QUINLAN Lt.
14t^h FAB.
ADDRESS:
CO. REPATRIATION DEPT.
SYDNEY.

 

FL.4151
120
5079.
30 October 1929.
J. Quinlan, Esq.
c/o Repatriation Commission,
Box 3994 V V, G.P.0.,
Sydney.
Dear Sir
The editor of "Reveille" has sent me on your letter
concerning the death of Richthofen. The point in which I am
particularly interested is the presence of a third 'plane. You
mention that one was there, but not close enough to engage with
Richthofen. 1 do not know whether yourmenory would still retain
the details, but I should be grateful if you could tell me
whether the third machine was, to your recollection, in any way
apparently concerned with Richthofen; whether it was within,
say, 100 yards or 400 yards of him, at the same height, or
Flying in the same direction; or did you receive the impression
that it had been engaged with him? Do you remember its type, or
whether it flew over the spot where Richthofen crashed? Any
light on these points would be valuable.
I interviewed the Lewis gunners shortly after the
incidents and have their statements, but they only concern the
actual end of Richthofen.
Yours faithfully,
CEW Bean
Capt
 

121.
c/o Repatriation Dept.,
SYDNEY.
1st November,  1929.
Capt. C.E.W. Bean,
Official War Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
SYDNEY.
Dear Sir,
In reply to your communication of 30th
October, 1929 I have to advise you that naturally an incident
of this nature, viz. the death of Richtofen leaves a lasting
impression and my memory is quite clear regarding the occurrence.
The third plane was flying at a much greater height
than Richtofen, who as I stated in my letter to "Reveille" was
exceptionally low and who appeared to be intent upon finishing the
hunted plane. His Machine Gun was in action until just prior,
say 200 to 300 yards before his crash.
The third plane was at that time practically
over Corbie Church, was flying in the same direction as Richtofen
and the hunted plane, but was, in my opinion, from 800 to 1200
yards distant and in addition, was hundreds of feet higher. From.
my observation at the time of the occurrence, I can only repeat that
undoubtedly the German Ace was shot from the ground. There may be
an element of doubt regarding which Lewis Gunner actually brought
him down, but there is no doubt he was not shot by the third airman.
I did not receive the impression that the third
plane was engaged with Richtofen, on the contrary I was quite
sure it was not in range. It did fly over the spot where Richtofen
crashed, but I cannot remember what type of plane it was. I
don't know that I took any notice of that phase.
Yours faithfully,
Jas Quinlan
 

122
Townsville Star Limited 
Townsville, 30th October. 
[*The "Star")
is the
Oldest and
Mest Widely
Circulated
Evening Paper
North of
Brisbane.*]
Captain Bean,
Sydney.
Dear Sir/.
We recently published the enclosed cutting
from a Sydney paper, and new enclose a letter which we
have received in reply, that may be of interest to
you.
We remain,
Yours faithfully,
"TOWNSVILLE EVENING STAR"
Per.
MANAGER.
ackd