Eschwege’s aim was perfect that morning, and the top of the gasbag erupted in flame. But as the German pilot passed near the balloon an enormous cloud of smoke enveloped his plane (see sidebar). Observers saw the scout bank sharply and dive to the ground. British medics found Eschwege’s body in the wreckage.

The Aegean Eagle’s body was identified, and he was given a funeral with full military honors. Six RFC flying officers carried his coffin to the grave. A few days later a British plane dropped a message over the Drama airfield that 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.” The British carried out their promise, enclosing a photograph of Eschwege’s funeral with his belongings.

The following day a German plane dropped a wreath, a flag and a letter on the RFC airfield at Monuhi. The message read: “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 British complied, and the Bulgarians later erected a monument to Eschwege’s memory. The inscription reads:

Leutnant Rudolf von Eschwege
Pilot
Born on February 25th, 1895
at Homburg von der Hohe
Fell here at Orljak
on November 21st, 1917
From the 10th Aegean Division

Unlike German Jagdstaffel pilots on the Western Front who fought in squadron strength or at least as a Kette (two or three aircraft), Rudolf von Eschwege fought virtually alone on the Macedonian Front. He scored all his 20 victories in little more than a year without assistance. He was brave and resourceful, fighting under harsh conditions. Yet despite his magnificent record, he was not awarded Germany’s highest honor, the Ordre Pour le Mérite, commonly known as the “Blue Max.” Other German aces who scored 20, 19, 18, 15, 13, 10, 9 and as few as 8 official victories on the Western Front were accorded that honor. It appears that the men who fought in this forgotten little war in Macedonia were as neglected by the high command as was the war in which they fought.

Captain Georg Heydemark became a prosperous Berlin publisher after the war and wrote three books about his days as an officer observer with the Imperial German Air Service. His book War Flying in Macedonia is an excellent source of information on Eschwege.

British Lieutenant Hyde, who with Lieutenant Beare was shot down by Eschwege on March 22, 1917, over the Drama-Kavalla road, wrote in the preface of Heydemark’s book: “Sydney Beare and I will always remember Eschwege’s solicitude for us and our wounds. He brought us in hospital gifts of chocolate, books and cigarettes. May his soul rest in peace after his many flights.”

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Walter A. Musciano is a scholar of the German fighter aces of World Wars I and II. He has written numerous articles and two books on the subject: Eagles of the Black Cross (WW-1) and Messerschmitt Aces (WW-2). The author appreciates the efforts made by Nick Hauprich, Ernest Vagi, A.E. Ferko, Lorenz Rasse and H. Termont in providing photographs and biographical information for this article. For further reading: The German Air Force in the Great War, by Georg Paul Neumann; and War Flying in Macedonia, by Georg Wilhelm Heydemark.

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