September Evening

The Life and Final Combat of the German World War One Ace Werner Voss

Author

Barry Diggens

Publisher

Grub Street, London, 2003

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback in dustwrapper. 22.5 × 14cm, 194pp.

Nineteen-year-old Werner Voss was a legend in his own lifetime and the youngest recipient of the Pour le Merite, Germany's highest award for bravery in World War I. At the time of his death, he was considered by many, friend and foe alike, to be Germany's greatest fighter ace. Had he lived, he would almost certainly have overtaken Manfred von Richthofen's victory total by early spring 1918. Voss is perhaps best remembered for his outstanding courage, his audacity in the air and the prodigious number of victories he achieved before being killed in one of the most famous dogfights of the Great War; a fight involving James McCudden and 56 Squadron RFC, the most successful Allied scout squadron. The life of Voss and the events of that fateful day are surrounded by mystery and uncertainty and even now aviation enthusiasts continue to ask questions about him. The author set out to find out the truth about the fighter ace and analysed every scrap of information he could find about him.