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With Holck in Russia

Event ID: 107

Categories: 

Der rote Kampfflieger von Rittmeister Manfred Freiherrn von Richthofen, 1917, 351.000 - 400.000, Verlag Ullstein & Co, Berlin-Wien

16 July 1915

Juni, Juli, August 1915
52.08675170532428, 23.655930791916195
Brest
Brest

Source ID: 4

Der rote Kampfflieger von Rittmeister Manfred Freiherrn von Richthofen, 1917, 351.000 - 400.000, Verlag Ullstein & Co, Berlin-Wien p.   

‘In June, July and August 1915, I stayed with the flying unit that took part in Macken’s entire advance from Gorlice to Brest-Litovsk. I had come there as a very young observer and didn’t know the first thing about bells and whistles. As a cavalryman, my occupation was reconnaissance, so the current service was my speciality, and I really enjoyed the huge reconnaissance flights that we undertook almost every day. For the observer, it is important to find a sensible guide. Then one fine day I was told: ‘Count Holck is on his way to us.’ The thought immediately occurred to me: ‘This is the man you need.’ Holck didn’t turn up in a 60 P.S. Mercedes or a first-class sleeping car, as you might think, but on foot. After days of travelling by train, he had finally arrived in the Jaroslau area. He got off there, because it was another endless journey. He told his lad that he would like to follow with the luggage, he would go ahead. He set off, and after an hour’s walk he looked around, but no train was following him. So he walked and walked without being overtaken by his train until, after fifty kilometres, he finally arrived in Rawa Ruska, his destination, and twenty-four hours later the lad with the luggage appeared. But this was no unusual work for the sportsman. His body was so well trained that he didn’t mind walking fifty kilometres. Count Holck was not only a sportsman on the green grass, he apparently enjoyed flying just as much. He was a leader of rare ability, and above all, and this is the main thing, he was in a class of his own above the enemy. We flew many a beautiful reconnaissance flight, who knows how far, towards Russia. I never had a feeling of insecurity with the pilot, who was still so young, rather he gave me a foothold at critical moments. When I looked round and saw his determined face, I had as much courage as before.’

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