The Bavarian Pilot's Badge Awarded 20th April 1914

On the successful completion of his flying instruction he was awarded his military pilot flying badge (left).  (Later during the war the successful completion of a pilot training course did not include this award.  It was necessary then for a pilot to complete a number of operational flights before he was authorised to wear the badge.)

In May 1914 he was flying with an observer doing experimental exercises in directing artillery fire.  In the midst of this work they received orders to return immediately to Schleissheim.  In the late evening of August 1^st came the explanation. Mobilisation!

Max Muller was drafted to Feldfliegerabteilung 1b under Oberleutnant Erhard.  They moved Buehl aerodrome, Saarburg with their six Otto pushers in canvas hangers.  Two days later with his observer Oberleutnant Peter, he made his first operational flight. Several flights later on the 18^th the motor of his Otto failed and in the resulting crash landing Muller broke both his legs.

Max Muller in the pilot's seat of an Otto B1. The observer is believed to be Oberleutant Peter. Photograph taken at Schleissheim shortly before World War 1.

In hospital Muller was awarded the Iron Cross 2^nd class, and after resting for the shortest possible time, Muller against medical advice returned to the Front.  His C.O. would not let him return to operational flying, (he was still using two walking sticks to get around) but allowed him to ferry the Otto replacements the LVG to the aerodrome.

In May 1915 they were replaced by the more powerful LVG C1, this was fitted with a machine gun fitted on a rotatable ring.  It was not long before Muller was flying this aircraft, regularly escorting the unit's B class machines.

Hauptmann Rutz his C.O. and usual observer recognised in Muller the ideal "field" pilot and they were responsible for many fine reconnaissance photo's taken by Feldfliegerabteilung 1b in late 1915.  An example of their work was the low altitude reconnaissance carried out for the pioneers concerned with the mining of Hill 10 near Fricourt.  On December 13^th Rutz and Muller left Hervilly aerodrome in an Ago, crossing the line at 3,400 metres.  Over the objective they descended to 1,250 metres to expose the plates.  Only Muller's determination to descend in the face of heavy fire and the skill of Rutz with the 25cm hand held camera ensured that suitable photographs were obtained.  Several previous attempts by other units to secure this information had resulted in failure. Mueller received the Bravery Medal in silver for his part in the operation.

Jasta 2 line-up Oct/Nov 1916 just as Von Richthofen's reputation was beginning to rise. ( Click the photo for a larger view.)

Early in May 1916 Max was posted to Kampfeinsitzerstaffel 1 at Mannheim for the Fokker E monoplane course.  Over the next 14 days he flew the Fokker and Pfalz E machines, practicing turns, mock air combat and air to ground firing.  He was now posted to the largest Kampfeinsitzer Kommando in the 1^st Army when he was assigned to Abwehr Kommando Nord at Bertincourt attached to Feldfliegerabteilung 32.  In August the assembly of pilots in the various armies' Kampfeinsitzer Kommandos were used as the nuclei for the permanent single seater units named jagdstaffeln.  Abwehr Kommando Nord material was absorbed into Jastas 1 and 2, both of which were formed on Bertincourt aerodrome.  Offizierstellvertreter Max Muller was posted to Jasta 2 on September 1^st 1916, other new arrivals on this day were Leutnant Reimann and Leutnant Manfred von Richthofen from the Eastern Front.

Now flying an Albatros D1 he scored his first confirmed victory when he brought down an FE2b in flames near Vraucourt.  Six days later a BE2c fell to his guns, on November 3^rd his third victory came when he forced a Vickers two seater down near Haplincourt.  His fourth followed on the 16^th, a BE near Flers and on the 27^th a Nieuport Scout near Hebuterne was his fifth victory.

On April 30^th, he brought down an FE at Armentières.  By June 18^th his total stood at 17 confirmed victories and being the highest scoring pilot in the unit he was given the privilege of using the officer's mess despite his NCO rank.  He did not rest on his laurels but went on to run up more victories, scoring two in one day on August 19^th and 21^st.  Probably the proudest day in his life was August 26^th when the complete personnel of Jasta 28 were paraded to see him promoted to the rank of Leutnant for bravery in the face of the enemy.  This has been recorded as the first such promotion awarded to a regular soldier of the German army.  His score now stood at 27 and with officer's rank he must have known that the Pour le Mèrite would follow: it did, on September 3^rd 1917, when he became the 29^th German aviator to receive this decoration.  In addition to the "Blue Max" he already wore the ribbons of the Wuerttemberg Bravery Medal in Gold and the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords.

Click the picture for the 26,27,28,29 story.

On 22^nd October he caused two Sopwith Pups of 54 Squadron piloted by Second Lieutenant Cowie and Lieutenant Goodbehere to collide, causing the death of Gordon Cowie a former pupil of Rugby School.  (I have his medal group and memorial plaque.)  These were his 30^th and 31^st victories, he had left Jasta Boelcke on January 19^th 1917, when his victory score stood at five.  Re-joining that elite band of air fighters on November 3^rd 1917, his score of aerial victories officially confirmed was 31 and he was the most successful German fighter pilot still alive next to Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen.  On November 7^th he brought down a Spad south-west of St Julien as his 32^nd victory.

Muller shoots down his namesake!

I am indebted to Mike Miller the Grandson of 2/Lt Miller for allowing me to use this extract of his Grandfathers diary and notebook.

On the 2nd December Muller shot down a DH 4 A7422, North West of Menin, the pilot of the DH 4 was 2/Lt D Miller of 57 Squadron RFC he was wounded but his observer 2/Lt AHC Hoyles was killed. As Miller is the English equivalent of Muller it would seem that Muller had shot down his namesake!

The following extract from the note book entitled 'Notes on Prison Life' by 2/Lt D Miller, he makes reference to a visit made to him in hospital, whilst recovering from his wounds, by Max Muller. It shows the more compassionate side of him of Muller.

"About the 14th December Lt Muller came to see me. He was very nice and seemed a good sportsman."

The sister Schwester Eingartz gave me a package containing nuts, sweets and fruit, also a packet of writing paper. Lt Muller gave me a book entitled "A Love Episode". On the following day all the decorations remained and our sister photographed the ward. I was promised a print but I left hospital before it came through. I wrote home on Christmas day being allowed to be out of bed for almost 2 hours between playing chess and chatting in German with Lt Gunter Ludiger. The time passed until January 6th until I left hospital."

An ironic twist in this, is that after Muller visited Miller in hospital, although a claim was made by Muller for a Sopwith Camel on the 16th of December, I can find no trace in our records for it. It would appear that after shooting down his namesake, Muller claimed no more victims until his death, shortly after 2/Lt Miller left hospital.

Muller now had two Albatros D Va machines and he normally flew these on alternate patrols.  He scored again on November 29^th and again on December16th a Sopwith Camel, this turned out to be his final victory.  New equipment was now beginning to arrive in the shape of Fokker Dr1 Triplanes and Mueller must have looked ahead with confidence into 1918.

In the war diary of Jagdstaffel Boelcke Max Muller is listed as being Staffelfuehrer following the loss of Lt von Buelow until he fell in action on January 9^th 1918, shot down by the observer of an RE 8.  His position as leader of this famous unit would no doubt have been made official had he survived.  It is said that on the day before his death Muller had lectured the pupil pilots at the Jagdstaffelschule at Valenciennes on how best to destroy the slow artillery observation machine known as the RE 8.  The machine that proved his undoing came from 21 Squadron RFC, the first corps squadron to be equipped with the RE 8 and the unit that was generally held to be the finest artillery observation squadron on the Western Front.

On January 9^th 1918 Max Muller left the aerodrome at Marke in Albatros D Va 5405/17 leading six other Albatros Scouts and headed for the lines, an RE 8 from 21 Squadron was engaged on a photographic reconnaissance in the Paschendaele area.  Muller soon saw this machine and led his unit on to it in a formation attack.  The pilot of the RE 8, Captain G Zimmer, saw the seven Albatros Scouts approaching and manoeuvred his machine to allow his observer, Second Lieutenant H Sommerville, to get a good burst into the leading Albatros at very close range.  The Albatros, after firing at the RE 8, veered off and began to glide away; then suddenly it burst into flames and fell out of control.  The pilots of Jasta Boelcke saw their leader's aircraft fall in flames and as they watched they saw Muller detach himself from the burning machine to fall to his death near the ruins of Moorsledge at 12.50hr.  Max Muller died as he would of wished, at the height of his fame flying for his beloved Fatherland.

His deeds were not forgotten and after a further weary 10 months of war, just before the Armistice, it was officially announced that Max Muller had been posthumously awarded the Max Josephs Order, this decoration bringing with it a Knighthood of Bavaria.  Max Muller from Rottenburg had received the highest decorations that Prussia and Bavaria could bestow.  He would be assured of a place in the history of Germany military aviation and be known as Max Ritter von Muller, the highest scoring Bavarian fighter Pilot in World War 1.