Marvelous and diverse archive of relics, letters, ephemera, and photographs related to the legendary World War I career of German ace fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, known the world over as the ‘Red Baron,’ deriving from the personal collection of Connecticut veteran Alvin H. Thibault, who began assembling the archive while serving with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II as a Corporal and ground aircraft observer in Europe.
This extensive archive is highlighted by three crash relics recovered from the Red Baron's body and plane on April 21, 1918, a Red Baron hair relic certified by noted autograph dealer Charles Hamilton, and a map used in the headquarters of Australian General John Monash, who commanded the sector where Richthofen crashed. Additionally, the archive features seven volumes of scrapbooks and photo albums containing approximately 330 photographs, several broadsides and comics, more than a dozen prints of World War I aircraft, 124 pages of correspondence from collector Charles Donald, and copious pages of articles and newspaper stories clipped from various English-language and German-language periodicals, most of which are filled with photographs and artwork.
The historic Red Baron relics are as follows:
- Original swatch of fabric, 3.75˝ x .75˝, removed from Richthofen's Fokker triplane after he was shot down on April 21, 1918. Procured by F. R. Rawlinson, No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, and framed with a photograph of Richthofen and a 1962 letter of authenticity and transferal from collector Charles Donald, to an overall size of 10˝ x 13˝.
- Original plywood fragment, 3˝ x 3˝, removed from Richthofen's Fokker triplane after his crash. A faded inscription on the plywood reads, “Part of Baron Richthofen's Triplane brought down by our battery on 21-4-18 France. He claimed 80 victories.” Procured by R. L. C. Hunt, 53rd Battery, Australian Imperial Force, and framed with photographs of Richthofen and the seat from his plane, and a 1962 letter of authenticity and transferal from collector Charles Donald, to an overall size of 12˝ x 15˝.
- Original swatch of coveralls, 1.5˝ x 1˝, removed from Richthofen's Fokker triplane after his crash. Procured by F. R. Rawlinson and framed with photographs of a deceased Richthofen, a larger piece of overalls and leather belt from which this piece was taken, and a 1962 letter of authenticity and transferal from collector Charles Donald, to an overall size of 10˝ x 13˝.
- Original lock of Richthofen’s hair, displayed in an oval frame next to an image of a locket presented to a family member by the fighter ace. Framed with a certificate signed by prominent autograph collector Charles Hamilton to an overall size of 9.5˝ x 12˝. The certificate states: “I certify that the crewcut lock of hair attached herewith was removed by me from a locket, of which a photograph accompanies, and is an original lock of hair of German World War I ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen presented by him to a cousin.”
- Original field map used in General John Monash's Headquarters on April 21, 1918, when telegrams were arriving regarding the death of Baron Manfred von Richthofen. The map includes a small iron cross showing the original burial place of Richthofen, which was originally procured by Lt. Jack Willats of the Australian Signal Corps. Framed with a photograph of Richthofen's original grave and a 1962 letter of authenticity and transferal from collector Charles Donald, to an overall size of 37˝ x 31.5˝. In overall fine condition.
The balance of the archive includes:
Loose Photographs and Prints
- Vintage 6.75 x 10 photograph of Richthofen in his military uniform and full-length fur coat
- Vintage circa 1917 8 x 10 photograph of Richthofen in his military uniform, with his Pour le Mérite, an original image by German photographer Nicola Perscheid (1864-1930)
- Group of 17 photographs, with subjects including Richthofen (ca. 1917-1918) and Thibault (ca. 1942-1951)
- Signed photograph of Joseph Doerflinger, a German Air Force pilot (1898-1970) who earned a position in the squadron of Baron Manfred Von Richthofen; he was shot down twice and had 14 aerial victories
- Color 11 x 14 lithograph entitled ‘The Red Knight of Germany,’ published by the Leach Corporation Heritage of the Air Collection in 1959
Scrapbooks and Photo Albums
- White ring-bound photo album, containing 55 letters (124 total pages) from Charles Donald to Thibault, dated between September 1960 and January–October 1962, with various enclosures regarding trades of Richthofen relics for books and medals. Highlighted passages include:
September 18, 1960: "I believe I have one of the largest collections on Manfred Von Richthofen in the U.S. today and quite a few authentic relics to boot, which I received from Australians who were there on April 21, 1918 when he crashed. I also have many authentic letters and documents & many of Werner Voss. Drop me a line and let me know the titles you have in books to trade. The scarcer the title, the better the relics."
January 12, 1962: "I am glad you have a Pour Le Merite for trade believe me. I shall be glad to trade you a piece of fabric from Richthofen's triplane. All known pieces existing today are tiny pieces – cut from owner's larger pieces – the only real large pieces are in the Canadian Military Institute in Canada and the Canberra War Memorial in Australia."
January 28, 1962: "I believe I have more on Richthofen in the United States than any other collector…Please remember Richthofen crashed in Australian territory not German territory and much of my material came from Australians, they were there, they picked him out of the tripe and they helped bury him. They saw all the action both in the air and on the ground, the Germans did not know what happened to their leader on April 21, 1918."
February 11, 1962: "You are the only person so far I let have a piece of Richthofen's plane—I have 2 other pieces signed on the back by H. R. Rawlinson of #3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps and another piece from someone else. I wanted that Pour Le Merite badly to display with the Richthofen Collection."
June 9, 1962: "You will have a nice variety of Richthofen relics —fabric, cowling, and plywood pieces. Dont leave any out of your hands to anyone else—as Richthofen relics are hard to come by and I wish to keep these relics controlled, not that everyone under the sun can say they have pieces of his plane. By all means don't part with any of them. You will have quite a few true relics on Richthofen just as I do."
August 24, 1962: "If you want the piece of coveralls which was taken from Richthofen on April 21, 1918, when they were probing the wounds, I can let you have this relic to go with your other relics and it would frame nicely. It is only a small piece and cut from F.R. Rawlinson's larger piece which he intended to donate to the Canberra War Memorial. My friend McKay borrowed the larger pieces to photograph them and Rawlinson let him cut a small piece off the larger piece for me and I was glad to get it. It is…an unusual & scarce Richthofen relic."
- Blue scrapbook, 10 x 11.5, containing 156 photographs, which include images of Richthofen in the field, with airplanes, with the pilots of his group, and with his brother. Other photographs show the wreckage on his last flight, souvenirs, his military funeral (April 22, 1918) by the Royal Flying Corps of the British Army, and his second military funeral in 1925.
- TLS from L. E. Beavis, two pages, April 9, 1961. “The Germans shelled the general area of the crash soon after it happened, probably 15 to 30 minutes later. I don't remember exactly, but it did not prevent visitors. One of my officers, Lt. Ellis, and a number of gunners ran across immediately after the crash, and Ellis brought back a souvenir with M.R. on it. That was the first evidence I had that made me think it was Richthofen. Then about 30 or 60 minutes after the crash, I sent over my hospital folding stretcher and Richthofen's body was brought to my dugout about an hour after the crash – that is, in broad daylight, in the middle of the day. Any other accounts are imaginary. I reported the crash and the holding of the body to my HQ – 14th Artillery Brigade and a few hours later a tender or truck from No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps came along and picked up the body. The officer with it said Richthofen had been shot down by an R.E. 8 of their squadron, which of course was ridiculous."
- Red scrapbook, 9.5 x 11.5, containing 26 photographs of German aviators and aircraft, including Richthofen, his first military funeral, his fur overshoes; a TLS in German from Karl Riehm, June 13, 1961; an ALS from Ernst Legler, June 21, 1911; and more.
- Red scrapbook, 9.5 x 11.5, containing 39 photographs, most of German flying ace Werner Voss (1897-1917) and World War I aircraft.
- Red ring-bound scrapbook, 76 pages, including a variety of photographs and ephemera, including: 92 photographs of World War I-era aviators and aircraft; Hello Buddy: Comics of War, Facts of Service, pamphlet sold by unemployed or disabled ex-servicemen. New York: Veterans' Service Magazine; a Christmas menu for officers and men of the World War II destroyer USS Gandy (1944-1946); eight broadsides for subscribers to victory loans and other patriotic efforts including the United States Food Administration (1917- 1920); 17 pages of newspaper and magazine clippings about Richthofen and other World War I aviators; a printed ballot from the 1938 German and Austrian referendum to approve the "reunification" of Austria with the German Reich under the leadership of Führer Adolf Hitler, March 13, 1938; and more.
- Burgundy scrapbook, 12 pages, 10 x 12, with original prints of various articles, most dating around 1959-1960, related to Richthofen, the Flying Circus, the Fokker Triplane, and more.
- Burgundy scrapbook, 58 leaves, 12.5 x 16.5, containing original prints of various articles and other ephemera, dated 1919–1962, with the majority of the articles written by Floyd Gibbons (1887-1939), the war correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during World War I. One of radio's first news reporters and commentators, he was famous for his fast-talking delivery style.
- ‘Valuable Document’ vinyl folder with records of Alvin H. Thibault's service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, including honorable discharges in 1945, 1947, and 1951, and two copies of his birth certificate.
Alvin H. Thibault (1924-2002) was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and went to work for a steel ball manufacturing company by 1940. From 1943 to 1945, he served in the U.S. Army as a ground aircraft observer in Europe with the rank of corporal, and from June 1946 to November 1947, he again served in the Army as an armorer with the rank of staff sergeant. After the war, he worked as a landscaper before returning to service in 1950 and 1951, when he served in the U.S. Air Force as a weapons mechanic with the rank of sergeant.
