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Better known as "the Red Baron," Manfred von Richthofen remains one of the greatest legends of aviation. Born in a part of Germany that is now Poland, Richthofen was the son of an aristocratic Prussian family. A far better athlete than scholar, he wanted to become a calvary officer, but the changing nature of war had eliminated the need for calvary, so, he turned to the "new calvary," aviation. When World War I began, Richthofen …

…rning, he has been unable to shoot down while the battle lasts until it is far on the other side." Wilfred May, the pilot of the Camel, said it was his erratic, untrained piloting which saved him, until the Red Baron was killed by a bullet fired either by Australian gunners on the ground or by the Canadian pilot Arthur "Roy" Brown. His body was recovered by the British, and buried with full military honors.