This was posted in a facebook group "Airplanes and Aces of World War I" by Catherine Hewit, but was very interesting so posting it here, hope she doesn't mind

The War in the Air 1917

21 November 1917

🌹in memorium Leutnant Rudolf von Eschwege 🌹

Leutnant Rudolf von Eschwege was a German World War I flying ace who was the German Empires only fighter pilot operating on the Macedonian Front. He was credited with twenty confirmed and six unconfirmed victories.

Having joined the army before the war, Eschwege saw action with the cavalry before his transfer to the German Air Force in 1915. He was not a natural pilot, but managed to qualify despite crashing several times. He was assigned to Flieger-Abteilung 36, an aerial reconnaissance unit in July 1915. By July 1916, he was flying a Fokker Eindekker as a fighter escort to the unit's two-seaters.

He served there until autumn of 1916, when he was commissioned an officer and transferred to the Macedonian Front. In 1916, he was credited with his first two victories after joining FA 66 on the Macedonian front, an air force made up of Turks, Germans, and Bulgarians battling a vastly numerically superior French and Franco-Serbian foe.

His brief was to patrol a 99 mile (160 km) long front and guard the Bulgarian 10th Aegean Division against enemy air activities. There were a total of three German reconnaissance units in the theater, but he was the sole German fighter pilot. Opposed to him were two Royal Naval Air Service Wings, Nos. 2 and 3; two Royal Flying Corps squadrons, Nos. 17 and 24; as well as about 160 French and Serbian airplanes, equivalent to another ten squadrons. The Bulgarian infantry began to refer to him as "The Eagle of the Aegean Sea". Reassigned to FA 30 in January 1917, achieving 18 additional victories with a variety of fighter aircraft, beginning on 9 January, with another victory which he shot down at his home airfield at Drama, Greece.

For his next win on 18 February, he took on British ace Captain Gilbert W M Green and his wingman, forcing down and capturing Lieutenant J. C. F. Owen when Green's gun jammed. The following day, a British plane dropped a query about Owen's well-being, which the Germans replied to. This sense of chivalry was manifested in a different way after Eschwege's next win of 22 March when he visited his latest victims, a wounded pilot and observer, in the field hospital bringing gifts of cigarettes, chocolate, and books.

About this time, Eschwege managed to upgrade to an Albatros DIII fighter which he would fly to the end of his career. He was wounded during May by the gunner on a British two-seater. Disregarding his wounded right arm and his plane's punctured fuel tank, he continued to attack and returned home to make a dead-stick landing. As well as being wounded, he became ill with malaria in early September.

By the beginning of October, Eschwege had run his score to sixteen wins. He then began to choose British observation balloons for his targets. He managed to down two of them during October and November, plus a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter that tried to defend one of them. On 21 November, he attacked a balloon at Strymoniko, Greece that had risen to the unusually high altitude of 2,500 feet. As he laced it with machine gun fire, it exploded and knocked him out of the air. The balloon had been fitted with a dummy observer and 500 pounds of high explosives; the booby trap was command detonated to kill Eschwege. His death quashed his pending award of the Pour le Merite.

A British official stated:

“He came to his end as a result of a legitimate ruse of war, but there was no rejoicing among the pilots of the squadrons which had suffered from his activities. They would have preferred that he had gone down in fair combat.”

Rudolf von Eschwege's coffin was carried to his grave by six British aviators and he was buried with full military honors. After the funeral, a British plane dropped a message on the German's home airfield.

It read: "To the Bulgarian-German Flying Corps in Drama. The officers of the Royal Flying Corps regret to announce that Lt. von Eschwege was killed while attacking the captive balloon. His personal belongings will be dropped over the lines some time during the next few days." When the parcel was dropped, it contained a photo of his funeral packed along with his personal items.

In turn, the Germans dropped a flag and a wreath for Eschwege's grave.

“To the Royal Flying Corps, Monuhi. We thank you sincerely for your information regarding our comrade Lt. von Eschwege and request you permit the accompanying wreath and flag to be placed on his last resting place, Deutches Fliegerkommando”

The Bulgarians later built a monument to him at Droma, Greece. He was just 22 years old.

A very interesting read... many thanks.

Yes a very interesting story. It's always amazed me when you consider how young some of these men were.

Werner Voss was only just 20 and he already had 40 odd victories when he was shot down and he was shot down by someone who was still only 19 in Arthur Rhys Davids.

It wasn't just in the air of course, their were lads in the navy who were 14 and 15 who went down with their ships.

So much expected of men so young.

Herr Eschwege figures prominently in Haupt Heydemarck's War Flying in Macedonia. Great read, as are all 3 of Heydemarck's

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I agree completely Lofty, all of Heydemarck's books are a must read. And as you mention, Rudolf von Eschwege is far more the main focus in "War Flying in Macedonia" than are the author's anecdotes about his own service and accomplishments in that theater.

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Wow, I didst know the English engaged in that type of ungentlemanly conduct,

Carrick, unfortunately, ungentlemanly behavior is not restricted to race, creed, colour, or nationality, and is prominently displayed by all armed forces I am sorry to say. It's a failing of the human race!

Using a ruse to catch the enemy unawares is not ungentlemanly... it's war I'm afraid.
Is it gentlemanly to come up behind an unaware enemy pilot at point blank range and put 100 rounds into his aeroplane and turn it into a flaming torch?... it's just war sadly.

Trooper what you say is true. What I was hinting at is that it's a failing of the human race that we can't overcome violence.

Best Regards