dived away. Macmillan claimed an "out of control" victory when he returned to base.The following day, Voss signed himself out on leave on his authority as Staffelführer (squadron leader). His first stop was Berlin, where he was honored by receiving an autographed photograph of Kaiser Wilhelm II from the emperor's own hands. From the 15th to the 17th, he was at the Fokker factory in Schwerin; he was accompanied by his girlfriend Ilse. His leave authorization also cleared him for Düsseldorf and his hometown of Krefeld, but it is not known if he visited them. He returned to duty on 22 September 1917. Final patrol Voss returned from leave on 23 September 1917 not yet fully rested; as fellow pilot Leutnant Alois Heldmann observed: "He had the nervous instability of a cat. I think it would be fair to say he was flying on his nerves." Nevertheless, Voss flew a morning mission and shot down an Airco DH.4 from No. 57 Squadron RFC at 09:30 hours. Upon his return to his air base with bullet holes in his Fokker, he took advantage of Richthofen's absence at the Voss family hunting lodge to celebrate with a victory loop before landing. In contrast to Voss's usual tidy flying garb, he was wearing striped gray trousers, a dirty gray sweater, and tall lace-up boots. Just before Werner landed, brothers Max and Otto Voss arrived at Jagdstaffel 10 for a visit. They were both now in the German military. Otto was a 19-year-old army leutnant bucking for an opportunity to become a flier like his elder brother. Max Jr. was a 16-year-old sergeant. Voss was fatigued and told his brothers he was looking forward to more time off. He ate lunch with his brothers—soup, black bread, coffee, and cake. His brothers noted his haggard appearance, apparent in his final photographs. After the meal, the three posed before Werner Voss's camera, which was equipped with a timed shutter release. Then Voss was scheduled for another patrol. Even as the brothers were in their photo session, on the other side of the lines No. 56 Squadron RFC was mustering for its own afternoon patrols. 'B' Flight was led by Captain James McCudden. In Royal Flying Corps fashion, his Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a serial number B4863 was marked with a large initial G painted upon the side of its fuselage. He would be followed by two other