Anecdotes from vacation
Event ID: 651
18 May 1917
Source ID: 55
‘Lothar writes: When Manfred achieved his fiftieth aerial victory, he was summoned to the Grand Headquarters. He quickly shot down his fifty-first and fifty-second targets in one flight and then flew off to report on 2 May. He also had to introduce himself to the Empress. The Empress was so interested in flying that she herself appeared at the airfield. My brother was now wearing the old leather jacket in which he had achieved all his aerial victories. Immediately after landing, he reported to the Empress. To justify wearing his old leather jacket on this solemn occasion, he explained that he had achieved his fifty-two aerial victories while wearing it. The Empress stroked the jacket and said, ‘What a fine jacket, it has been through fifty-two aerial victories.’
After reporting for duty, Manfred drove to Berlin. There he took a cab to get to the hotel. As he got out, the cab driver said, ‘Well, Captain, you could give me that leather jacket, I could still wear it at night.’
In Silesia, Manfred used a Halberstadt single-seater for a flight. His comrades told him that there was no need to strap himself in at home, but my brother insisted because that’s what he always does. Halfway between Schweidnitz and Breslau, he let go of the control stick. A normal aircraft continues to fly in the same position. When there is nothing going on at the front, you sometimes do that, put your hands on the side wall and admire the scenery. Then the aircraft flies by itself, so to speak. My brother had not thought about the fact that he was flying a completely unfamiliar aircraft. Suddenly, he flew in the opposite direction, upside down. He was only hanging in his seatbelt, but luckily he had fastened it, otherwise he would have fallen out. The aircraft was so top-heavy that it tipped forward the moment he let go and continued this movement until it flew on with its wheels pointing upwards. Fortunately, my brother managed to get the aircraft back into the correct position immediately. However, he said that the shock was still in his limbs when he landed.
His oil painting is on display in an exhibition. He enters the exhibition to take a look at it. Although he is in uniform, he is wearing a cloak so that the Pour le Mérite is not visible and he has little fear of being recognised. A gentleman is standing next to his painting. He approaches him and says, ‘Don’t you think the painting bears a certain resemblance to me?’ The gentleman turns around, looks at my brother from head to toe in astonishment and says, ‘Well, you needn’t flatter yourself.’ In the course of further conversation, the gentleman realised his mistake.’
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