Georg Zeumer (7 March 1890 – 17 June 1917) was a German

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

fighter pilot known primarily as the man who taught the

Red Baron Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

to fly. Zeumer served in the famed Jasta Boelcke (Jasta 2), which produced a number of German World War I aces. He shot down four confirmed planes before dying in combat in 1917.

Early life

Georg Zeumer was born in

Mikołów Mikołów (german: Nikolai, szl, Mikołōw) is a town in Silesia, in southern Poland, near the city of Katowice. It borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of over 2 million, and is within a greater Silesia ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, on 7 March 1890, to a family of factory owners.''Georg Zeumer.'' (n.d.). Gmina Mikołów. https://mikolow.eu/en/hero/georg-zeumer-2/

Military service

Zeumer reportedly already had a pilot's license when

broke out in mid-1914.The Aerodrome Forum. (2004, 16 March – 1 April). ''Informations about Olt. Georg Zeumer?'' nline forum thread The Aerodrome. http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14620 He joined the German flying service in August, and served with ''

Feldflieger Abteilung Feldflieger Abteilung (''FFA'', Field Flying Company) was the title of the pioneering field aviation units of what became the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (German air service) by October 1916, during World War I. Composition The use of aircraft as a tact ...

'' 4 (Field Flyer Detachment 4, or FFA 4).Feldflieger-Abteilung 4. (4 March 2020). In ''Wikipedia.'' https://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Feldflieger-Abteilung_4&oldid=58971381 By November 1914, he had been awarded the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

and the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of St. Henry.Franks, N. (2004). ''Jasta Boelcke: The history of Jasta 2, 1916-1918.'' Grub Street. At some point he also received an Ehrenbecher, or "honor cup", one of many engraved silver goblets given as awards to German airmen.''The History of Ehrenbecher Cups.'' (n.d.). Indy Squadron Dispatch. http://www.indysquadron.com/history-of-the-ehrenbecher-cup.html From May to August 1915, Zeumer flew on the Eastern Front with Feldflieger Abteilung 69 (FFA 69), where he befriended

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

, better known as the Red Baron. Richthofen, then an

observer An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment. Observer may also refer to: Computer science and information theory * In information theory, any system which receives information from an object * State observer in co ...

with no victories to his credit, would go on to become the highest-scoring ace of World War I. Zeumer was Richthofen's first pilot, and in August 1915, the two men flew a Gotha G.I in

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, as part of the Brieftauben-Ableitung-Ostende (BAO) unit. Zeumer was with Richthofen during the latter's first aerial combat, in which they tried unsuccessfully to down an Allied reconnaissance place. Richthofen wrote of the experience: Richthofen, M. (1969). ''The Red Baron.'' (P. Kilduff, Trans.). (S. Ulanoff, Ed.). Doubleday & Company. (Original work published 1917) Despite this spat, Richthofen and Zeumer had a close relationship, with Richthofen referring to Zeumer as "my good friend" and writing that Zeumer "flew with rare skill." When Richthofen decided to move from being an observer to a pilot, it was Zeumer who taught him how to fly. In early 1916, both men served with bombing unit

Kampfgeschwader {{wiktionary Kampfgeschwader are the German-language name for (air force) bomber units. In WW1, they were air squadrons, while in WW2, they were air wings. History First World War During World War I, ''Kampfgeschwader'' were specialized bomber ...

2. Zeumer achieved four confirmed victories there, the first of which was a French Nieuport Scout over Douaumont on 11 April 1916. In June 1916, Zeumer was shot down by the French. Although only slightly injured by the crash, he broke his right thigh in a car accident while being transported out,Richthofen, K. (2001). ''Mother of eagles: The war diary of Baroness von Richthofen'' (S. Hayes Fischer, Trans.). Schiffer Publishing Ltd. (Original work published 1937) under what Richthofen described as "quite stupid circumstances." At some point Zeumer was promoted to Oberleutnant, the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German armed forces. In May 1917, he joined Jasta Boelcke, a fighting unit founded by famed German ace

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

Personal life

Following the accident that injured his leg in mid-1916, Zeumer developed diabetes. Because his thigh did not heal properly, he was left with one leg nine centimeters shorter than the other, and had to use a walking stick. Zeumer's comrades nicknamed him "the lunger" because he suffered from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

, which in those days was fatal. Knowing his days were numbered, Zeumer gained a reputation for being a reckless flier. This attitude earned him the nickname "Black Cat," and he had a black cat insignia painted on his plane.

Death

Oblt. Georg Zeumer was killed on 17 June 1917, while attacking a British

R.E.8 The Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 was a British two-seat biplane reconnaissance and bomber aircraft of the First World War designed and produced at the Royal Aircraft Factory. It was also built under contract by Austin Motors, Daimler, Standard ...

two-seater near

Honnecourt-sur-Escaut Honnecourt-sur-Escaut (, literally '' Honnecourt on Escaut'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of ...

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. The plane was crewed by Lt. Douglas and Lt. E. O. Houghton of the 59 Squadron. Houghton's combat report reads: Manfred von Richthofen mentioned Zeumer's death in a letter later published in ''Ein Heldenleben'', a 1920 compilation of his autobiography ('' The Red Fighter Pilot'') and related writings. Historian Norman Franks quotes the passage in his book ''Jasta Boelcke'':

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeumer, Georg 1890 births 1917 deaths Aviators killed by being shot down German military personnel killed in World War I Luftstreitkräfte personnel People from Mikołów People from the Province of Silesia Recipients of the Iron Cross