Capt. Roy Brown had ordered the young airman not to engage the enemy, but Lt. Wilfrid sa国际传媒淲opsa国际传媒� May sa国际传媒� a school chum from Edmonton sa国际传媒� couldnsa国际传媒檛 help himself.

It was April 21, 1918 sa国际传媒� a century ago this Saturday sa国际传媒� and the two Canadians in their canvas-covered Sopwith Camel biplanes were about to match wits with the deadliest ace of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron.

As the engines of primitive German and British warplanes snarled in the skies over the Somme River in northern France, May joined the fight, only to have his guns jam as Richthofensa国际传媒檚 all-red Fokker triplane closed in from behind for what would have been his 81st kill.

sa国际传媒淏rown saw that his buddy was in trouble,sa国际传媒� says Don Brodeur, Brownsa国际传媒檚 grandson and a retired Royal Canadian Air Force pilot with more than 6,000 hours of flight time in fighter jets.

sa国际传媒淩ichthofen broke some of his own cardinal rules sa国际传媒� He followed May for too long, which is why Brown got on top of him.sa国际传媒�

As May flew fast and low over the French countryside, skimming over the scars left by trenches and bomb craters, Brown pitched his plane into a dive and aimed his machine-guns at Richthofen, firing bursts at long range.

sa国际传媒�(Brown) wound that Camel up to 190 miles an hour, which was no mean feat,sa国际传媒� says David Bashow, editor of the Canadian Military Journal and a retired lieutenant-colonel who served 36 years with the RCAF.

sa国际传媒淭hat aircraft was particularly unstable at high speeds.sa国际传媒�

What happened next has long been the subject of an intense debate, even as the world marks the 100th anniversary of the storied dogfight.

May escaped as Richthofen broke off to the right to avoid Brownsa国际传媒檚 blasts and rising terrain, but that manoeuvre brought him within range of Australian Corps machine-guns on the ground.

Soon after Brown fired on the scarlet fighter aircraft, Richthofen crashed in a sugar-beet field, where he died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was 25.

The Royal Air Force credited the 24-year-old Canadian, originally from Carleton Place, Ont., with the combat victory sa国际传媒� his 10th.

However, the results from autopsies performed on Richthofensa国际传媒檚 body raised questions about who fired the fatal shot.

Over the years, some historians and forensics experts have suggested the orientation of Richthofensa国际传媒檚 wounds indicated the .303-calibre bullet must have been fired from the ground and not from Brownsa国际传媒檚 guns, which fired the same type of ammunition.

sa国际传媒淥ver time, the Australians made a very compelling case for one of their troops on the ground,sa国际传媒� says Bashow, an associate professor at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., and a former fighter pilot who logged 2,400 hours in the supersonic CF-104 Starfighter.

sa国际传媒�(Brownsa国际传媒檚) flight-path geometry just does not work.sa国际传媒�

However, Brownsa国际传媒檚 grandson disagrees, saying the more plausible explanation is that Brown fired a lucky shot.

sa国际传媒淭here is only one record,sa国际传媒� Brodeur said in an interview from his home in Victoria. sa国际传媒滲oth Canada and the U.K. attribute the shooting down of the Red Baron to Capt. A. Roy Brown. Thatsa国际传媒檚 a fact to this day.sa国际传媒�

As well, Brodeur says his interpretation of what happened sa国际传媒� as seen through the eyes of an experienced fighter pilot sa国际传媒� has led him to conclude Richthofensa国际传媒檚 aircraft would have been practically inverted for the Australian theory to make sense.

sa国际传媒淚n movies, you see aircraft rolling in a dogfight, but itsa国际传媒檚 a waste of time,sa国际传媒� says Brodeur, who flew several types of jet fighters and was a member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic squadron.

sa国际传媒淚t looks good in Hollywood films, but itsa国际传媒檚 not something you do in an air-to-air fight.sa国际传媒�

Rob Probert, president of the Roy Brown Historical Society in Carleton Place, says there was nothing to be learned by examining Richthofensa国际传媒檚 downed plane because it had been damaged by artillery shells and quickly stripped by souvenir hunters.

sa国际传媒淏rown was officially credited with the kill, and 100 years later that still stands,sa国际传媒� Probert says.

sa国际传媒淭he problem here in Canada is that there hasnsa国际传媒檛 been a group championing Roy Brownsa国际传媒檚 story, until our group came along. Wesa国际传媒檙e just trying to make sure the story doesnsa国际传媒檛 get lost over time sa国际传媒� Itsa国际传媒檚 part of the Canadian psyche not to brag about our heroes.sa国际传媒�

Appropriately, the society will gather Saturday in Carleton Place, to fete the man they say brought down the Red Baron.

Regardless of who fired the fatal shot, one thing is for certain: Were it not for Brownsa国际传媒檚 superior skills as a pilot and leader, one of the most celebrated aerial battles of the war would never have happened.

sa国际传媒淚 think he was a hero for sure sa国际传媒� he never lost a man under his command,sa国际传媒� says Probert, who is part of a local effort to have a statue of Brown installed across from town hall in Carleton Place.

sa国际传媒淚t cansa国际传媒檛 be refuted that Brown caused this battle to happen.sa国际传媒�

After the dogfight, Brown went to a nearby aircraft hangar to see Richthofensa国际传媒檚 body.

sa国际传媒淗is face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement,sa国际传媒� Brown later wrote.

sa国际传媒淪uddenly I felt miserable, desperately unhappy, as if I had committed an injustice. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself sa国际传媒� I could no longer look him in the face. I went away. I did not feel like a victor sa国际传媒� If he had been my dearest friend, I could not have felt greater sorrow.sa国际传媒�

Brown, who was in poor health and complained of being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, was later transferred to a flight training unit. He was badly injured in a crash on July 5, 1918, when his engine quit soon after takeoff.

Unlike Richthofen, whose martyrdom continues to be commemorated in books, movies and, of course, the perennial Peanuts cartoon, Brownsa国际传媒檚 legacy is largely muted in Canada.

sa国际传媒淗e didnsa国际传媒檛 really speak about his exploits,sa国际传媒� says Tim Cook, First World War historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

sa国际传媒淲e donsa国际传媒檛 have a whole lot of military heroes from the past who still resonate today. It has something to do with our national character. It has something to do with how we view war and peace. And, perhaps, theresa国际传媒檚 the sense that Canadians are not always the best at backslapping and elevating their heroes.sa国际传媒�

Brown moved to Stouffville, Ont., after the war. He died of a heart attack in 1944 at the age of 50.

He is buried in Toronto, but his grave remained unmarked until a few years ago.

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

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