Several incidents happened just before I left Berlin. My train was
scheduled to leave the Zoo at 8:06. A half hour before my departure I
noticed that my "_Pour le mérite_" was missing. I could not think of
leaving without it. I rode to get it; it had been left in my civilian
clothes, but my valet had already taken these. Of course, there was
no auto in sight, so I had to take a street car, though I was in a
hurry. My valet was, in the meantime, packing my things up. The result
was that I got to the station just as the train was pulling out. At
the same time the valet was at the station at Friedrichstrasse with
all the luggage. After riding around a while we met again at our
house. Fischer was trembling like a leaf, for he thought it was all
his fault. I immediately changed my plan, for the days till the start
of the next Balkan train had to be utilized; so I decided on a flight
to headquarters in Vienna and Budapest. I had the Aerial Division
announce my coming to Vienna, and left that night from the Anhalt
Station. As companion, I had a Bohemian Coal Baron, who had only given
30,000,000 marks for war loans; he was very pleasant. Except for a few
attacks by autograph collectors, the trip was eventless. In Tetschen,
at the border, I was relieved of the bother of customs officials
through the kindness of an Austrian officer. It was the lasting grief
of my companion that he had to submit to the customs in spite of all
the letters of recommendation he had.