Medical Report

This copy of the official medical report on Richthofen’s death was one of the pieces of evidence used by the British High Command to give credit for his downing to Roy. It shows the entry and exit wounds of the fatal shot.

Transcript:

We examined the body of Captain Baron VON RICHTOVEN on the evening of the 21st instant. We found that he had one entrance and one exit wound caused by the same bullet.
The entrance wound was situated on the right side of the chest in the posterior fold of the armpit: the exit wound was situated at a slightly higher level nearer the front of the chest, the point of exit being about half an inch below the left nipple and about three quarters of an inch external to it. From the nature of the exit wound, we think that the bullet passed straight through the chest from right to left, and also slightly forward. Had the bullet been deflected from the spine the exit wound would have been much larger.
The gun firing this bullet must have been situated in roughly the same plane as the long axis of the German machine. And fired from the right and slightly behind the right of Captain RICHTOVEN.

[Diagram]

We are agreed that this situation of the entrance and exit wounds are such that they could not have been caused by fire from the ground.

Capt. R.A.M.C.
M.O. i/o 22nd Wing, R.A.F.

Lieut. R.A.M.O.

In the Field.