Carleton Place’s Historic Connection to the Red Baron

Carleton Place April 21 marks the 90th anniversary of the most famous aerial combat of all time, in which the Canadian pilot, Captain Arthur Royal Brown, shot down Manfred von Richthofen, Germany’s illustrious Red Baron. By this act, Brown saved the lives of countless allied pilots and brought to an end the career of the deadliest flying ace of the war.

In some ways, Brown and Richthofen were each other’s mirrors, handsome, intelligent, athletic and natural leaders. So it was inevitable that this dogfight, which lasted only a moment, would become the stuff of legend, a metaphor for the nobility of aviators of all nations and of the tragedy of war.

However, this legend crowded every other aspect of Roy Brown’s remarkable life from the public eye. For example, unlike virtually every other RAF flight commander, Brown never lost a pilot under his command. Indeed, his decisive combat with Richthofen took place because Brown was diving to the defence of another Canadian pilot.

Brave, understated and thoughtful, Carleton Place’s Roy Brown was the very model of a Canadian hero.

“It is appropriate that we remember our heroes”, Reid said. “Heroes like Capt. Roy Brown are noted for their sense of duty to country, their loyalty to their comrades and their steadfastness in the face of great adversity. They are role models that should not be forgotten.”

To draw attention to the importance of remembering our hometown heroes, local MP Scott Reid presented two copies of Manfred Von Richthofen’s autobiography “Der Rote Kampflieger” to the Hall of Valour. The first edition was published in 1917, before his fateful encounter with Roy Brown. The second edition of the Red Baron’s autobiography was published in 1933, and contains a forward by Capt. Brown.

Through the recounting of events, like the downing of the Red Baron, which have attained almost mythological status, we are also reminded of the unsung heroes who served with equal valour alongside the few who achieved fame. Most are remembered only by their immediate families.

While national museums preserve our history on a national scale, it is community museums like the Victoria School Museum and its Hall of Valour that preserve our local connections to past events.

“I cannot think of a better repository for this volume than the Hall of Valour because it is our community museums that remind us who we were and where we came from, thus helping us to understand who we are today,” Reid concluded.

For more information or to speak with Mr. Reid
Please call 613-257-8130 or 613-947-2277.

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