After discovering that the Common was used to test Military Aircraft, I decided to use the remainder of my time at the Lincolnshire Archives to further investigate the presence of the Military at the Lincolnshire Grandstand and in doing so, I discovered the following document at the Lincolnshire Archives.
The above photographs are of a document which refers to the death of the Red Baron.
There was nothing written or printed on the document which suggested when it was written, nor who by, other than the words written on the front of the document which read:
THE END OF THE RED BARON
BARON VON RICHTHOFEN
Presented to the Workers in the Aircraft Works
AS A SOUVENIR OF THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE “CAMEL” B7270
BY
Clayton & Shuttleworth Ltd. Lincoln.
As stated in my previous post ‘Researching The Site – Part I’ Clayton & Shuttleworth built aircraft which were tested on the Common opposite the Lincoln Grandstand.
The following is a picture of the “Camel” which the front of the document refers to.
The text in the document goes into small detail about an encounter between British pilots, the Red Baron and the aerial combat which followed. It also claims that a Sopwith “Camel” was responsible for the death of the Red Baron.
The account found in the document could become integrated into my performance because the aircraft allegedly responsible for destroying the Red Baron may have been one of the aircraft which Clayton & Shuttleworth tested at the Common. However, the Lincolnshire Archives had no more documentation regarding this claim, so I have no evidence other than the account found within the document in question, so for the moment this idea will be put on hold.