For the second time at court
Event ID: 629
10 June 1917
Source ID: 55
‘On 10 June, I reported back to the ’Kogen” from my trip to the Orient, which I had not taken.
On the same day, the King of Bulgaria was at headquarters, and I had the opportunity to be introduced to him during a visit to the Emperor. He is a very tall, stately gentleman with a sharply curved aquiline nose and a very intelligent face. Everything he says makes perfect sense. He talked to me for quite a while, asking me about this and that in aerial combat, and I must say I was amazed at how much insight the king had gained into my profession. I have very rarely found such knowledge among active officers who were not pilots themselves. I don’t think he had prepared himself for this, or that he had been told about flying shortly before, but I believe that he is knowledgeable about everything.
The second son made a good impression. He still looked very childlike and was probably only seventeen or eighteen years old. He was interested in machines and even knew about the Albatros D III. Of the family, the father made by far the best impression on me.
The table at the emperor’s was the usual one. We ate in two courses. I sat at the emperor’s table at the left end, with the court marshal on my right and Prince Pleß on my left. I had the opportunity to thank the prince for his aurochs invitation. I talked almost exclusively with him. He told me that he wanted his son to become a pilot as well. I find it a remarkable decision for a prince like him to allow his eldest son to take up such a dangerous military profession.
Father Lyncker, the head of the military cabinet, was once again extremely kind to me. He resembles his son, or rather, his son resembles him remarkably. Every movement, every facial feature is exactly like his. I only knew Lyncker’s son for a relatively short time. For me, he was the model soldier. He was his father’s son.
After the meal, the Bulgarian spoke with this person and that person, including Falkenhayn’s son. He made no secret of his political views. Afterwards, I spoke with Bethmann, who had also been at the table. The next day, His Royal Highness, the Bulgarian, I mean, presented me with the Cross of Valour, First Class.
Old Plessen is a very good-looking man. His appearance is extremely stately; one might say he is a handsome old gentleman. His eyes sparkle like those of an old hunter. On horseback, he is a picture of perfection. He always has a gracious, friendly smile and is never condescending, so that everyone is bound to be taken with him. The Emperor also holds him in very high esteem. One thing impressed me about the old gentleman: at the age of seventy-six, he climbed into Fritze Falkenhayn’s aeroplane and flew around the area for an hour and a half. He was so enthusiastic about it that when he got out, he pressed twenty marks into the hand of each mechanic. He would have loved to take off again straight away. That is something that impressed me immensely, because you will find a great many younger gentlemen, knights without fear or saddle, who would never be persuaded to get into an aeroplane.
I spoke to several wing adjutants, probably all of them who were there, for example Dohna, who has been serving as wing adjutant to the Emperor until his third Möwe flight. I asked him how he felt about his position. He gave me a mischievous look. This small, unassuming man made by far the best impression on me of all the others. You could see that he was a soldier and not a courtier.
Count Frankenberg also made a good impression on me, as he occasionally shed his courtly demeanour and became human. He made a very apt remark to me: ‘You know, you are surrounded by people, only people, and all of them with extremely human attitudes, from the highest to the lowest.’ He had spoken a very true word.
Incidentally, the evening was spent standing, as always, since the emperor does not sit down, which is usually very embarrassing for his company, especially the old gentlemen, such as Hindenburg, who was also invited to the table with Ludendorff.”
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