Fokker D.VII
Stolen or given?
A remarkable piece of Dutch aviation history: an original Fokker D.VII, returning to the Netherlands after a mysterious journey of 85 years, is now on display in the museum.
A long journey home
After an absence of more than 80 years, the Fokker D.VII, a remarkable piece of Dutch heritage, has returned to the Netherlands. This First World War fighter aircraft is believed to carry serial number D-28. However, this has not yet been confirmed with certainty.
For now, it will be on display for a period of five years, until 2030, at the National Military Museum, on loan from the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
Dutch markings beneath German camouflage paint
This fighter aircraft disappeared from the Netherlands without a trace during the Second World War. No one knew what had happened to it until American servicemen from the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives programme, better known as the Monuments Men, discovered the aircraft in 1945 in a farm shed in Vilsbiburg, Bavaria.
The aircraft bore German markings and was subsequently transferred to the Deutsches Museum in Munich. For many years, it was believed to be a German aircraft until restorers made a remarkable discovery in 1980. Beneath the camouflage paint, original Dutch markings appeared, including a Dutch roundel and parts of the registration code “D-2?”, possibly D-28.
A remarkable discovery that marked the beginning of a fascinating search for the true identity and history of this mysterious aircraft.
“The Fokker D.VII case seems straightforward, but the deeper we investigate, the more complex the puzzle becomes. We are searching for the final missing pieces.” Alfred Staarman, curator
The mystery of its disappearance
The Fokker D.VII originally belonged to the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service, which had twenty of these aircraft in service, numbered D-20 through D-39.
How the aircraft travelled from the Netherlands to Bavaria remains unknown. Between May 1940, when the aircraft was still in the Netherlands, and December 1945, when it was rediscovered, there is a period that remains largely unclear. The most likely explanation points to Hermann Göring, Hitler’s right-hand man and a former fighter pilot during the First World War. Göring himself flew a Fokker D.VII and had plans for a major aviation museum in Germany. It is possible that he had this Dutch aircraft transported to Germany as a kind of “gift”. However, the exact course of events remains uncertain.
Research is still ongoing in both the Netherlands and Germany into the precise circumstances of this remarkable disappearance and rediscovery.
What role did Göring play in the disappearance? (Dutch)Provenance research: stolen or given?
Although the investigation is still ongoing, the Deutsches Museum has expressed its intention to restitute the Fokker D.VII to the Netherlands, partly based on the joint research with Dutch colleagues. Intensive and constructive collaboration has taken place over the past two years, but not all key facts are yet known and some questions remain unanswered.
Although the discovered markings strongly point to the D-28, definitive proof is still lacking. Not all digits of the registration are fully visible. Modern forensic techniques support the identification, but there remains a small possibility that the aircraft is another example, possibly the D-20. Only when it has been conclusively established that the aircraft is indeed the D-28 will it be officially transferred to the Netherlands.
Until then, you can admire this extraordinary piece of aviation history up close. An iconic museum object that continues to hint at the secrets it still holds.
See the Fokker D.VII with your own eyes
The Fokker D.VII is now on display at the National Military Museum.
Order tickets