The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Consists of a piece of pink blotting paper, a fabric sample and a white envelope. The blotting paper bears numerous imprints in ink and a mark on the right hand side that matches the fabric sample. The sample is approximately square in shape and has at least two layers of finish on the upper surface. The base layer consists of an almost transparent finish with a slightly brown colour. The top layer is a red finish. The reverse has no finish and is not marked. The fabric appears to be damaged with either oil or water seepage. It is also covered with regular fragments of debris including plant fragments, oil and detached chips of paint. If the damage is from oil the fabric may have been located near the engine area. In this case the liquid would have been castor. Thread count: 22 threads/cm x 22 threads/cm, 1:1 plain weave.
Written in blue ink on the front of the envelope is ‘A piece of Red Cloth which was part of the wing covering of the plane known as the “Red Pirate”, in which the German Baron von Richthofen was flying when he was shot down by an Australian Machine Gunner’. On the reverse of the envelope is written ‘Sent by the late Lieut. Alfred Edwin Winterford 25 Batt 10. ed 1st A.I.F Killed in Action – France 10.6.1918 from. M. Brereton Winterford (Manly, O Land)' The writing is in the hand of Margaret Brereton Winterford, Alfred's wife (see National Archives of Australia file B2455, folio 60 for a comparison).
THE CLOTH WAS SENT FROM FRANCE BY THE DONOR'S HUSBAND LT. A. E. WINTERFORD, WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON 10TH JUNE 1918.
Control column from a Fokker Dr I aircraft, serial No 425/17. The head of the control column has been twisted / distorted to the right about forty-five degrees and slightly upward. It has at least two
Flier's knee high left overboot, custom-made from narrow sections of pelts, possibly deer, with the fur side being outermost. The pelts have been sewn together vertically with linen thread using the '
A length of wing strut removed from Rittmeister Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen's Fokker Dr1 triplane soon after he was shot down on 21 April 1918. The strut, of distinct aerofoil shape, has
This artifact consists of two objects: one is a fragment of aircraft linen, painted light blue, with a red painted surface overlaying that. The other item is a piece of paper, to which is adhered red
Consists of two pieces of fabric. The first has a finished surface of two layers,. The base layer is a partially transparent layer of varnish with a light brown colouration while the top layer is a si
An approximately rectangular section of fabric with two distinct paint layers on its surface. The base coat is an almost transparent finish with a slight touch of brown. The top coat is a red finish.
An approximately rectangular section of fabric, finished with two layers; a light blue/grey layer underneath and a red layer on top. The fabric is marked on the reverse with a circular ink stamp 47mm
Piece of fabric from the wing of a Fokker DR1 aircraft. One side is covered with red paint, which appears to have been applied as the first coat over the underlying linen. The red paint is an almost e
A rough square of aircraft fabric featuring a black German Balkenkreuz bordered by white, all on a red painted background. The black cross and its white border are unevenly painted and do not match ea
