[The Letters of Wilhelm 'Willy' Kaulitz]

2 September 1916
Lagnicourt Aerodrome, France

Father,

I am well! I have completed my training at the Fokker school at Schwerin and have been posted to Lagnicourt.

When I completed my single-seater training at Schwerin, where I trained on Eindeckers, I assumed I’d be sent to an Eindecker unit, but at the last minute I was called into the commander’s office and ordered to join a new Jadgstaffeln at Lagnicourt.

Last summer, when I was flying two-seaters with Kaghohl 2 at Kovel, I had the good fortune to meet Hauptmann Boelcke, of whose exploits I am certain you have read in the newspapers. He was touring the front and visited his brother, who commanded my unit. I was assigned to take Boelcke up in an orientation flight along our sector of the front. At one point we spied a column of Russian cavalry in column along a road. Beolcke, who was flying as my observer, signaled me with his hands to indicate that he wanted me to fly low near the column so he could engage it. I did that, hopping over fences and hedges parallel to the column while he let loose with our machine gun, scattering the column in holy terror. The Hauptmann later told me that it was the first action he’d had in months, and he much enjoyed it.

Apparently, he remembered me and personally asked that I be assigned to his new unit. I arrived here on the 30th of August and proceeded to spend my days doing orientation flights of the area, and discussing aerial matters with Boelcke and my new Jasta-mates.

I was not assigned to an Eindecker, but to a newer Fokker biplane. Its much like the E IV I trained on, with the double rotary engine and two machine guns. It’s still a warper, without ailerons. But it’s much more maneuverable than the E IV. But, oh, how I wish I had been assigned one of the new Albatros machines that Boelcke and a few of the others in our unit are flying. They are much faster than my slow Fokker. Herr Hauptmann assures me that I will soon be flying one of the Albatrosses as they reach our unit.

He truly is the great man that we read about in the papers. He’s doing an excellent job training us in his methods, a method that has done so well for him. And despite his efforts to help us, he somehow keeps scoring; shooting down ever more of the Lords.

I’ll try to write every week, or perhaps every fortnight.

Your son,

Willy

Last edited by Nowi; 09/12/18 05:24 PM.

Nowi