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Holzapfel in the 1938 ‘Kölner Zeitung’

Event ID: 810

Categories: 

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 - Volume 1 - Bruno Schmäling - 2024 Aeronaut Books

18 March 1916

Exact date?
40 Rue des Fleurs, 54111 Mont-Bonvillers, France
Mont

Source ID: 71

Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 11 - Volume 1 - Bruno Schmäling - 2024 Aeronaut Books p.  85 

ISBN: 978-1-964637-05-1

“Josef Holzapfel in an interview in the ‘Kölner Zeitung’ of 22 April 1938: ‘The officers slept in railroad cars and the rest of us slept in tents near the airplanes. We had made ourselves quite comfortable, the main thing being that it wasn’t as hot as it was in the railroad cars. One day Richthofen came to us and asked whether he could sleep in our tent. He wanted to know if he wouldn’t be disturbing the others and if they might agree. Even though the others of course acted enthusiastically about it, Richthofen had the keen sense that the men wouldn’t feel as free in his presence as when they were alone.

This is what happened: one night the NCO on duty stumbled over the bracing rope in the dark and a puddle of water that had pooled in the bagged canvas spilled all over Richthofen, who had camped near the entrance. Wet as a cat, he called for his orderly, had his belongings brougth back to the railcar, and said, laughing: ‘These are OK guys, they got rid of me in a decent way.’

Holzapfel continued: ‘Don’t misunderstand this…he was ‘the Baron’ in our eyes, he was an officer, I the subordinate. But he didn’t act at all like that. He had a splendid way of dealing with us. And that’s what enabled us to perform at the highest level.”

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