The Red Baron’s Plane

This artefact is a piece of trench art made during World War I of an Albatros biplane.

The Albatros biplane was flown by the Red Baron, German pilot Manfred von Richthofen, during World War One. Richthofen is credited with downing 80 Allied planes, but with a level of chivalry which, when he was finally shot down himself, earned him a funeral with full military honours, conducted by the Australians. He did not receive the name Red Baron until after the War finished.

During WWI the French named him Le Diable Rouge which translates as The Red Devil which is written on the stand of the model. Richthofen flew several variants of Albatros biplanes during 1916 and 1917 before he received his iconic red Fokker triplane.

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