Bodenschatz, Dostler, Döring, and Wolff visit MvR
Event ID: 415
Categories:
06 July 1917
Source ID: 58
“In the afternoon, Bodenschatz, Dostler, Doering and Wolff pile into a car and drive there.
‘You can’t speak to Mr Rittmeister,’ says the nurse. ‘Why not?’ all four shout almost simultaneously and become restless. ‘Because he needs rest,’ replies the nurse impatiently. ‘Oh, I see,’ says Lieutenant Bodenschatz with relief, ‘so then we can go in.’
Sister Käte stares grimly at the incomprehensible visitors, then goes into the house. When she returns, the four of them are allowed in. With a thick, snow-white bandage around his head, the cavalry captain receives them somewhat dejectedly. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he says, “to have to stay away in the middle of all this, but I’ll be back soon, very soon.
He has a ten-centimetre-long wound on his head; they had been able to stitch it up, but later you could always see the bare, white bone of his skull shining out from one part of his hair.
But…he was doing well. Richthofen’s father, who was the local commander near Lille, was informed, as was his mother.
First Lieutenant v. Doering takes command of the squadron.
At the airfield of Fighter Squadron 11 in Marckebeeke, the German gentlemen sit as close together as pigeons. They have squeezed the adjutant and pressed him from all sides They want to know exactly how the commander looks, what he has said, what mood he is in, whether he has to lie in bed or whether he is allowed to sit on a chair, and whether he has a good doctor, whether he has at least got a nice nurse, how long it is likely to take, etc., etc. And when they have learnt everything and the adjutant leaves, somewhat exhausted, they sit together for a long time. There wasn’t much talk of ‘revenge’ or ‘we’ll get back at them’ in any of the messes of the four hunting squadrons that evening, nor was there a toast to the day.
But there was a certain thoughtful expression on all the faces and a certain concentrated hardness in the eyes, and everyone’s chin was a centimetre higher in the air than usual. The adjutant had probably noticed this. For his part, he sent an urgent evening prayer to heaven. May the weather be fine the next day, he thought fervently.”
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