Boelke and Nurse Blanca...

[Hauksbee]

I stumbled over this in an odd folder. We've seen it before, but it's still good one more time. I've always wondered about her. Who was she? Did she ever see Boelke again? Did she survive the war? And the  next one? For one brief second she entered history, then dropped out again.

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Hauksbee

[+Hasse Wind]

I remember reading somewhere that two nurses visited the aerodrome (Douai, I believe) and Boelcke took both of them for a short flight over the field in his Eindecker. Apparently only one of the nurses was photographed in the cockpit. Perhaps she was the prettier one? 

 

With only those two photos and the name Blanka, there's not much to go on, research-wise.

[JFM]

In Lance Bronnenkant's book Blue Max Airmen Volume 1, Boelcke/Immelmann, page 36, it says: "On 11 August 1915, Boelcke informed his parents: 'Lt. von John, who is in hospital here with an injured knee, came along to visit me with two nursing sisters. As they were both so longing for a flight, I took them one after another for a jaunt above the aerodrome in my little monoplane, to the great joy of all the beholders.'"

 

What's that, you say? You don't have Lance's book? Tsk, tsk, tsk.  Here, let me help you: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Max-Airmen-German-Awarded/dp/1935881051/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1493252275&sr=8-5&keywords=blue+max+airmen

[+Olham]

Boelcke didn't say more about the event in his book, than Bronnenkant quoted.

So it was just a brief visit, two brief flights, just an hour or two with women, not with war.

 

If nothing "ignited" between the nurses and Boelcke - well, then it was just that.

[Hauksbee]

If nothing "ignited" between the nurses and Boelcke - well, then it was just that.

That was a very cozy arrangement in the Eindecker cockpit. Hard to believe there wasn't, at least, some "ignition". But back in those days folks were much more discreet. Not like the Facebook-driven maniacs of today.

[Dutch_P47M]

Are we sure here name is Blanca and not Bianca? Bianca is more common while Blanca, I never did hear that name for an girl in N-Europe.

Edited May 6, 2017 by Dutch_P47M

[+Hasse Wind]

Are we sure here name is Blanca and not Bianca? Bianca is more common while Blanca, I never did hear that name for an girl in N-Europe.

 

Apparently the nurses were French.

[+Olham]

Well, under the photo in the book it says neither "Blanca" nor "Bianca" - but "Blanka" with a "k" -

which is even more unusual for any Romanic language, French or Italian.

but it did exists, as WIKI knows.

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blanka

[Dutch_P47M]

That what I think is happen; that an common German name has been changed. While title is Blanca, and in the English book its Blanka. So who know it is the more nothern Bianca, without knowing it could be difficult.

[Burning Beard]

After years of painting signs, I have come to the conclusion that many people don't know how to spell their own names.

 

Beard

[JimAttrill]

Hey Mr Burning Beard, if you are a signwriter who can spell you are one in a million    At one time I used to walk past a bottle store (bottle shop in Australia, off-licence in the UK, dunno what it is in the US) and the windows were covered in very nicely signwritten and painted adverts for the booze inside.   They couldn't even spell whisky right! 

At one time I worked for a firm making lorry (truck) bodies.   They used to keep a good eye on the signwriters for spelling mistakes because the clients would notice.  I did admire the skill in painting of the signwriters - I could never do that. 

 

And you may enjoy this sign from Swansea in Wales:

Edited May 10, 2017 by JimAttrill

[JFM]

US: Liquor store. 

[+elephant]

1915, Boelcke Takes Off With Nurse Blanka - James Field

 

[Hauksbee]

And you may enjoy this sign from Swansea in Wales:

CropperCapture1.jpg

A strange language Welsh is. At least when it comes to spelling. Does anyone here know who undertook the task of transliterating the sound of Welsh using the Latin alphabet? I'd bet it was some Churchman, or group of church scribes.

[JimAttrill]

I dunno who did it but it doesn't sound anything like what it looks like.   Maybe it was done by a sheep

 

I'll be visiting my niece there in a couple of weeks.   The only Welsh I could understand last time I was there was their word fof STOP because it was painted on the roads in big white letters.   (I have forgotten what the word is and the internet is no help). 

[Hauksbee]

Are we sure here name is Blanca and not Bianca? Bianca is more common while Blanca, I never did hear that name for an girl in N-Europe.

After a little poking around, I find that "Blanca" (or Blanka) is Spanish for 'White', or 'pure'.