'A Hun airman with a good war record. The German Flying Lieutenant Immelman with his Fokker machine', 1916 (c)

Photograph, World War One, Air Operations (1914-1918), 1916 (c).

Lieutenant Max Immelman (1890-1916) was a German flying ace credited with at least 15 combat victories. Known as 'The Eagle of Lille', Immelmann was the first pilot to be awarded the Pour le Mérite (or Blue Max), Germany's highest military honour. Immelman is shown here standing next to his Fokker Eindecker, a monoplane fighter that was the first aircraft to be fitted with synchroniser gear, enabling the pilot to fire his machine gun through the arc of the propeller without striking the blades.

This revolutionary machine took a heavy toll on Allied aircrew during 1915-1916. Immelman was killed on 18 June 1916 when he was shot down by an F.E.2b aircraft of 25 Squadron Royal Flying Corps over Sallaumines in France. According to the official account he was shot down by Second Lieutenant G.R. McCubbin and Corporal J. H. Waller.