#OTD in 1918
Manfred von Richthofen, the #RedBaron, was shot down and killed near Morlancourt, France. He was the top ace of the First World War. His death remains controversial to this day.
Who shot him down???
Let’s discuss!
A thread:
#Richthofen

1/15

What do we know?
Richthofen was chasing Lieutenant Wilfrid "Wop" May of 209 Squadron RAF. May had attacked Richthofen's cousin Wolfram and MvR flew to his rescue. He broke his own rules and chased May too long. Captain Roy Brown then attacked to help his squadron mate.
2/15

The dog fight drew close to the ground and Australian gunners targeted the Red Triplane. A single .303 bullet hit Richthofen in the middle of his chest. His aircraft stalled and dived into a field near the Australian lines.

Last Flight of Baron von Richthofen RAF Museum
3/15

Australian soldier George Ridgeway reached his plane in under a minute but Richthofen was already dead. His death certificate stated: "died 21 April 1918, from wounds sustained in combat."
“The Baron’s Demise - Captain Roy Brown’s Sopwith Camel, 21 April 1918” by LW Stonell
4/15

Richthofen's body was treated with great respect and he was given a funeral with full military honours. No. 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps provided pall bearers and a guard of honour.
5/15

We know that experts have claimed that other factors such as brain damage from a head wound, combat stress, and even stronger than normal winds played a role in Richthofen's death.
6/15

And we also know the incident had a major impact on Brown. Soon after his famous fight he was admitted to hospital with influenza and nervous exhaustion. When he returned to flying ops he suffered a serious crash.

Roy Brown and SWW Canadian ace George "Buzz" Beurling
7/15

After the war he felt abandoned: "We who served in the last war know what it is to get kicked out of the service and then wonder ... where to go to make a living. I got back into civilian life last time with 27 fractures and was a nervous wreck. I got no pension."
8/15

What we don't know?
We don't know who shot down the Red Baron.
Roy Brown received credit for shooting him down. To this day, the badge of 209 Squadron RAF carries a falling red eagle, symbolizing the destruction of Manfred von Richthofen's red Triplane by Brown.

CWM photo
9/15

Australian gunners (especially Sgt Cedric Popkin of the 24th Machine Gun Company) have also been credited for bringing down the ace. Twice he fired at Richthofen with his Vickers gun.

Tweed Museum TH85-31
AWM E01716 - 24th MG Coy, Popkin is middle row, 2nd from left.
10/15

The Wiki page on Popkin states, "it is now considered all but certain by historians, doctors, and ballistics experts that Richthofen was actually killed by an AA machine gunner firing from the ground." Truth is, we don't know, and we can't know.
Richthofen's seat @rcmiHQ
11/15

Experts who claims they know what happened are fooling themselves and you. There are too many unknowables.
We'll never know for sure if it was Brown or Popham or someone else who fired the fatal shot. It really doesn't matter.
12/15

We do know that Richthofen made a mistake by chasing May. He was bounced by Brown and drew Australian gunfire by flying too low. Brown and the Australians carried out their duties in the face of terrible odds and together were instrumental in ending the Red Baron's reign.
13/15

For this they all deserve to be honoured and remembered.
Brown is commemorated in his hometown of Carleton Place, Ontario; Popham in the town of Tyalgum, New South Wales, Australia.
Tyalgum photo from Sunshine Coast Daily, 18 Apr 2018
14/15

All photos, unless otherwise noted, were found on Roy Brown Society website: http://www.captroybrown.ca 
15/15