[The following details an experience by the German Ace fighter pilot, Manfred von Richtofen, AKA the “Red Baron.”]
Suddenly, something struck me in the head. For a moment, my whole body was paralyzed. My arms hung down limply beside me; my legs flopped loosely beyond my control. The worst was that a nerve leading to my eyes had been paralyzed and I was completely blind.
I felt my machine tumbling down – falling. At the moment, the idea struck me, “This is how it feels when one is shot down to his death.” Any moment, I waited for my wings to break off. I was alone in my bus. I didn’t lose my senses for a moment.
Soon I regained power over my arms and legs, and was able to grip the wheel. Mechanically, I cut off the motor, but what good did that do? One can’t fly without sight. I forced my eyes open – tore off my goggles – but even then I could not see the sun. I was completely blind. The seconds seemed like eternities.
Note:
His sight would return to him seconds later, a little slowly. He says he was almost losing consciousness by the time he landed his plane in friendly territory, and that he barely made it at all. He also says that if the British fighter pilot had followed him down to finish the job, he would certainly have been killed.
Source:
Stephens, John Richard. “Firsthand Accounts by Famous People.” Weird History 101: Tales of Intrigue, Mayhem, and Outrageous Behavior. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2006. 94. Print.
Further Reading:
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