Three First War German Pilot & Pour le Merite Recipient Postcards

Three First War German Pilot & Pour le Merite Recipient Postcards - Black and white, obverse entitled "Unser Helden-Fliger Leutnant Parschau.", the Leutnant standing, wearing a Pour le Merite at the neck, three orders on a suspension on his left breast, with an Iron Cross 1st Class and Pilot's Badge below, studio marked in the lower left corner, inscribed "380 Postkartenvertrieb W. Sanke BERLIN N. 37. / Nachdruck wird gerichtlich verfolgt." in the lower right corner, reverse with postcard style backer, 86 mm x 136 mm, near mint. Footnote: Leutnant Otto Parschau (born November 11, 1890 in Klutznick, Allenstein, East Prussia, died July 21, 1916 in Grevillers, France) was a German World War I flying ace and recipient of the Blue Max (Pour le Merite), Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, and Iron Cross 1st Class. He was noted as one of the pre-eminent aces of the Fokker Eindecker. He was one of the world's first flying aces, entrusted with the prototype of the revolutionary Fokker Eindecker fighter plane with a machine gun synchronized to fire safely through its propeller arc via the use of a gun synchronizer. Parschau was mortally wounded on July 21, 1916, during combat with the Royal Flying Corps over Grevillers. He was severely wounded in the chest and also suffered a glancing bullet wound to the head, possibly from rounds fired by John Oliver Andrews. He retained enough control to land his plane behind German lines, was rushed to a field hospital but died on the operating table. WWI Oberleutnant Freiherr von Althaus Postcard - Black and white, obverse entitled "Unser erfolgreicher Kampfflieger Oberleutnant Freiherr von Althaus.", the Oberleutnant standing, wearing a Pour le Merite at the neck, with an Iron Cross 1st Class and Pilot's Badge below, inscribed "383 Postkartenvertrieb W. Sanke BERLIN N. 37. / Nachdruck wird gerichtlich verfolgt." in the lower left corner, reverse with postcard style backer, 86 mm x 138 mm, near mint. Footnote: Ernst Freiherr von Althaus (born March 19, 1890 in Coburg, Bavaria, died November 29, 1946) was a Germany flying ace in World War I, credited with nine confirmed aerial victories, as well as eight unconfirmed ones. He was one of the original Fokker Eindekker pilots who became known collectively as the Fokker Scourge. He later studied law, becoming a lawyer in 1937, despite his total loss of vision, which was traced back to an accident in 1915. He did well enough during World War II, rising to become Landgerichtsdirektor (Director) of the County Court of Berlin. In 1945, he served briefly as an interpreter for the victorious Allies. He died of illness the following year. Black and white, obverse entitled "Hauptmann Boelcke", a memorial cross to the right of his name, the Hauptmann standing, wearing a Pour le Merite at the neck, with an Iron Cross 1st Class and Pilot's Badge below, studio marked in the lower left corner, inscribed "363 Postkartenvertrieb W. Sanke BERLIN N. 37. / Nachdruck wird gerichtlich verfolgt." in the lower right corner, reverse with postcard style backer, 87 mm x 137 mm, near mint. Footnote: Oswald Boelcke (born May 19, 1891 in Glebichenstein, Saalhreis, died October 28, 1916 in Baupaume, Pas-de-Calais, France) was one of the most famous German flying aces in the First World War and one of the most influential patrol leaders and tacticians of the early years of air combat. He is considered the father of the German fighter air force, as well as the "Father of Air Fighting Tactics". He was the first to formalize rules of air combat, which he presented as the "Dicta Boelcke". While he promulgated rules for the individual pilot, his main concern was the use of formation fighting rather than single effort. Boelcke died on October 28, 1916, when his aircraft and that of Erwin Bohme made contact during a dogflight. The upper wing of Boelcke's machine was torn in half by Bohme's landing gear, with Boelcke being killed on impact with the ground at the age of 25.