There was an article by a [then] current USAF Flight Surgeon in an Over the Front journal a few years ago which detailed the various ailments and injuries common to Great War airmen. His conclusion was that von Richthofen probably wasn't fit to fly, at least when judged by present day terms, but there was no alternative - Germany didn't have the luxury of being able to withdraw a pilot and leader with his capabilities. On that theme, it's worth remembering that many airmen of the time wouldn't be graded as fit to fly today. The cumulative effects of hours spent in a cramped and cold open cockpit, subject to intense noise and vibration while breathing engine fumes and/or castor oil (in the case of rotary-engined aeroplanes) took their toll. I don't think that the cockpit of many 1914-1919 aeroplanes would be graded as acceptable by modern Occupational Health and Safety inspectors. Gareth
