Hi guys, I'm Moritz, the mascot of Red Baron Merchandise
and this is my true story!
In the picture above you can see me with my buddy Manni, doesn't he have a faithful look? Since 1915 I have accompanied Manni everywhere! He took me in as a puppy and raised me, he even slept in my bed. We were only separated when he was sitting in his Thunderbird. The loud noise when Holzapfel, Manni's mechanic, called him to contact him, the 9 cylinder started and the propeller began to turn, was the signal for me to signal with loud barking and wild tumbling around: don't fly away without me, don't leave me alone!
One time I overdid it a bit and got my left ear caught in the propeller. That cost me a piece of my ear, which from that point on was my trademark.
Short Story No. 1
My Life with "Manni" in the Air Force
My life in the flying troop was exciting, funny and sometimes sad. They were constantly flying away with their thunderbirds, but unfortunately some of them never came back. But new friends kept coming along. I was a real star among the flyers, they often played with me, gave me food and petted me.
The group did a lot of stupid things, after all they were young men! Once they even put aviator goggles on me and laughed until they held their stomachs. But when I actually flew with my husband, they just held their stomachs in amazement!
But that's another story.
Source: Kölner Zeitung of 22 April 1938 Mechanic Holzapfel tells
One of the most famous pictures shows Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen with his dog Moritz!
