I was looking for Ernst K. Leman the Russian pilot and found he had committed suicide in December 1917 ... does anybody know anything about that ? http://www.wio.ru/ww1a/ace1.htm Then I found this site ... it's too big a page to translate ... but I thought you may appreciate the pictures ! http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/lesas.pdf
Annie Lehman was badly wounded in action on 26 September 1917 and hospitalised (where he married his fiancee Lydia Velensky) during which time he was awarded the Order of St George 4th Class. He was released on 22 November and returned to his unit, though still very weak. On 17 December he shot himself in the head, and died a few days later with Lydia at his side. It seems that Lehman was on a Bolshevik death list, as being too good an example to those who weren't following the Bolshevik line, and he took his own life before he could be executed. Two other pilots in Lehman's unit, the 19th Corps Detachment - Ivan Smirnov and Longin Lipsky - were also slated for execution, but deserted before it could happen. Gareth
That is so sad Gareth ! ... thank you for that ! heres something to keep you occupied for a while ..... the story of Ivan Smirnov ! http://home1.stofanet.dk/smirnoff/
