Erwin Böhme (29 July 1879 – 29 November 1917) was a German World War I fighter ace credited with 24 aerial victories. He was born in Holzminden on 28 July 1879. Both studious and athletic, he became a champion swimmer, proficient ice skater, and expert skier, as well as an alpinist. After serving his mandated military service in 1899, and earning a civil engineering degree, he moved to Switzerland for three years of mountaineering.
He became interested in Africa. Walking solo, he crossed the Alps southward to Italy; there he took ship for German East Africa. From 1908 to 1914, Böhme completed a six-year employment contract on a timber plantation in Tanganyika where he oversaw construction of the Usambara Railway to export raw cedar timber to the Hubertus Mill in Germany. In July 1914, contract ended, Böhme sailed to Europe for an alpine holiday. He disembarked into World War I. Despite being 35 years old, he immediately returned to his old infantry unit, then trained as a pilot.
After serving in a bomber unit, he was transferred to Germany's first fighter squadron Jagdstaffel 2. During Böhme's combat career, he was a friend and eventual subordinate to Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. He was also friend, subordinate, and wingman to Germany's leading ace of the time, Oswald Boelcke. Böhme was inadvertently responsible for Boelcke's death on 28 October 1916. Although haunted by guilt, Böhme carried on, becoming a 24 victory ace (and a squadron leader). He also found heart for courtship via correspondence.
Erwin Böhme was killed in action on 29 November 1917, a month after his betrothal, while leading his squadron into combat. He died five days after receiving notice that he had won the German Empire's highest award for valor, the Pour le Merite. In 1930, his edited collected letters were published as Letters From a German Fighter Pilot to a Young Maiden.
Early life
Erwin Böhme was born on 29 July 1879 in Holzminden, on the banks of the Weser River in the Kingdom of Saxony. He was one of six children – a daughter and five sons. His brothers were named Gerhard, Erich, Martin, and Rudolf, and the latter two would die in action during World War I.
Böhme was a multi-talented athlete from his youth. He was a proficient ice skater and an expert skier. Another sport he excelled in as he matured was mountaineering; he became the only foreign member of the Swiss Mountain Climber and Skier Guild. His prowess as a swimmer was demonstrated when he won a three-kilometer (1.9 Mile) race in Lake Zurich on 30 July 1905.
Böhme was studious; he qualified as a civil engineer, graduating from a technical college in Dortmund. As required by German law, he performed his national service, serving in a (Guards Infantry Regiment) in 1899. Then the restless youth moved to Switzerland for a three year sojourn climbing in the Alps.
African sojourn
While in Switzerland, Böhme read the letters of a Swiss explorer in Africa and corresponded with him. Undeterred by the explorer's death in March 1908, Böhme found a German emigration society to sponsor his move to German East Africa. Hiking solo, Böhme left Berne, climbed up and over the Jungfrau and the Matterhorn, and travelled on to Genoa. He took ship for Africa there. Once in East Africa, he entered into a six-year contract as an engineer for a German-owned timber plantation. He supervised the construction of the Usambara Railway from Neu-Hornow into the Pare Mountains of Tanganyika. The cedar timber extracted via the railroad was shipped to Germany for milling into pencil material by the Hubertus Mill.
In July 1914, Böhme returned to Germany, intent on an alpine holiday. However, upon landing in the midst of war breaking out, he reported to his old infantry regiment, despite turning 35 at month's end. Erwin Böhme promptly volunteered for aviation duty.
Flying service
Duty as a bomber pilot
Though Böhme was the oldest student in training, he passed flight school at the top of his class in December 1914. His expertise got him a posting to instructor duty for nearly a year. During 1915, Böhme's brother Rudolf was killed in Russia.
In late November 1915, prompted by his request for a transfer, Erwin Böhme was posted to a tactical bomber unit, (Battle Squadron 10), at Mörchingen. The unit was one of the squadrons comprising (Tactical Bombing Wing 2) commanded by Wilhelm Boelcke, elder brother of famous ace Oswald Boelcke. Teamed with a 47-year-old observer manning the gun in the rear seat of his Albatros C.I, Böhme submitted three combat claims for aerial victories; one claim for 2 August 1915 was reportedly confirmed, though it does not show as accredited on his official victory list.