Downed German Aviator, World War I

Air power became an effective tool during World War I. Both sides employed aircraft for reconnaissance, to attack front line positions, and to strike communication and supply centers in the rear. However, it was the fighter pilot that became the heroic embodiment of aviation during the war. Ace pilots became national celebrities on both sides of the trenches as air-to-air combat was regarded as chivalrous sport by the public, who eagerly read romanticized accounts of their battles. Here, Thomason depicts a German aviator shot down near Thiaucourt, France, in 1918. With a pensive expression on his face, the enemy flyer is escorted by Marines to be interrogated before transfer to a prisoner of war camp.