Desdichado Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 An interesting book by Barry Diggins documenting the last combat of Werner Voss. It's well-researched book and contains an account of Voss' death by Leutnant Rudolph Wendelmuth, who claimed to have seen Voss fall under the guns of 'two Sopwiths' after he had managed to escape from McCudden and Rhys Davids and restart his engine. The story goes that Voss then met up with two Jasta 8 pilots and the three of them engages an SE5 and two Sopwiths, one of which, allegedly flown by a Lieutenant Keegan, shot him down. The story was told to Raymond Collishaw after the war and he thought it credible. I doubt that it could be proven at this date though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 30 July , 2007 Share Posted 30 July , 2007 Presumably if true then Keegan would have claimed shooting down a DrI and this can be checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdichado Posted 1 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Presumably if true then Keegan would have claimed shooting down a DrI and this can be checked. Probably so but the book doesn't provide any further information on this officer. I wonder if old RFC combat reports are held in the N/A? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 It's well-researched book and contains an account of Voss' death by Leutnant Rudolph Wendelmuth, who claimed to have seen Voss fall under the guns of 'two Sopwiths' after he had managed to escape from McCudden and Rhys Davids and restart his engine. Thanks for advising on the availability of the book. Although the "Voss flew on" theory does concern me. If my memory serves me correctly, McCudden wrote that when he saw Voss triplane impact with the ground it looked as if it smashed into a thousand pieces. Also I recall a witness (possibly McCudden or one of the others from 56) say that Voss appeared to be gliding down to the ground and then his plane suddenly flipped onto its back before crashing. The members of 56 neither needed to brag, exagerate or lie. I think Revell in Brief Glory (and sorry if I am wrong and it was somewhere else) said that a Lt Keigan buried Voss close to where he fell. I assumed Lt Keigan to be an infantry officer. Strange coincidence on similarity of name. Regards, Jon S EDITED - yes TNA does hold RFC combat reports but several of the more intersting ones were stolen several years ago. I am not sure if that includes the 56 Sqn combat reports on the action with Voss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 1 August , 2007 Share Posted 1 August , 2007 Does the book give the exact location of Plum Farm where Voss was supposed to have crashed? I am following the activities of 56 Sqn shortly and would like to find, as close as possible, where Voss fell. Thanks and regards, Jon S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdichado Posted 2 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2007 Does the book give the exact location of Plum Farm where Voss was supposed to have crashed? I am following the activities of 56 Sqn shortly and would like to find, as close as possible, where Voss fell. Thanks and regards, Jon S Yes it does; in fact it contains an aerial photo of Plum Farm, purported to be the only one that exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 2 August , 2007 Share Posted 2 August , 2007 Yes it does; in fact it contains an aerial photo of Plum Farm, purported to be the only one that exists. By any chance does it give a location that you could describe, or can you describe it from the photo ie. near crossroads at XX, in case I can find it next week? Thanks and regards, Jon S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 2 August , 2007 Share Posted 2 August , 2007 By any chance does it give a location that you could describe, or can you describe it from the photo ie. near crossroads at XX, in case I can find it next week? Thanks and regards, Jon S No worries I found Plum Farm - a success story for the combination of my pda and the Great War Digital maps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desdichado Posted 2 August , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 August , 2007 No worries I found Plum Farm - a success story for the combination of my pda and the Great War Digital maps! There are several arrows on the picture with names written next to them. I estimate that the photograph was taken from between 12 and 15,000 feet and the names read from right to left are as follows: Bank Farm C.24. b 3.6; Somme, D13. c. 5.3; Jasper Farm C29 b.4?; Gallipoli D13.d.4.1; Plum Farm O24 c.6.4; Gravenstafel D.9.C; Pommerm Castle D19,b.3.3; Kaiser Bill C29 a. 9.0; Iberian D 19. 2.2.; and, Square Farm C30 b.8?. Does this make any sense to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 2 August , 2007 Share Posted 2 August , 2007 Does this make any sense to you? Yes! These look like trench map grid references. They might well help. Many thanks, Jon S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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