Piece of fabric from Fokker aircraft : Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Geschwader 1, German Air Service

Consists of a piece of pink blotting paper, a fabric sample and a white envelope. The blotting paper bears numerous imprints in ink and a mark on the right hand side that matches the fabric sample. The sample is approximately square in shape and has at least two layers of finish on the upper surface. The base layer consists of an almost transparent finish with a slightly brown colour. The top layer is a red finish. The reverse has no finish and is not marked. The fabric appears to be damaged with either oil or water seepage. It is also covered with regular fragments of debris including plant fragments, oil and detached chips of paint. If the damage is from oil the fabric may have been located near the engine area. In this case the liquid would have been castor. Thread count: 22 threads/cm x 22 threads/cm, 1:1 plain weave.

Written in blue ink on the front of the envelope is ‘A piece of Red Cloth which was part of the wing covering of the plane known as the “Red Pirate”, in which the German Baron von Richthofen was flying when he was shot down by an Australian Machine Gunner’. On the reverse of the envelope is written ‘Sent by the late Lieut. Alfred Edwin Winterford 25 Batt 10. ed 1st A.I.F Killed in Action – France 10.6.1918 from. M. Brereton Winterford (Manly, O Land)' The writing is in the hand of Margaret Brereton Winterford, Alfred's wife (see National Archives of Australia file B2455, folio 60 for a comparison).

THE CLOTH WAS SENT FROM FRANCE BY THE DONOR'S HUSBAND LT. A. E. WINTERFORD, WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION ON 10TH JUNE 1918.