12 replies to this topic

[Black Dudley]

Gentlemen,
                 I've a couple of  "Feldpost Cards" and a Press Photo with caption, showing shot down RFC crews. The Feldpost cards have a date on the photo, which seems certain to be, when the crews came down. The top photo has the script  "On 11.2.18 captured English flyers" the two men seem in good physical shape. The second "Feldpost Card" shows also a two-man crew sitting  in a open car  dated 9.3.16 according to the short text " wounded English flyers". The bottom picture is a press photograph with a head-bandaged  flyer, caption reads " fights around Soissons - away transport of a wounded English flying observer " I was wondering if there was any chance of  naming the aircrews, after all the date of their capture are on the cards. However it maybe a little more problematic with the press photo as it has no date.  Any information would be appreciated.
                                                                         Regards

Attached Files

•  RFC.jpg   99.36K   6 downloads

[Starlight]

I have a 'probable' for the 9th March 1916 photograph as there is only one entry of a two-seater in Trevor Henshaw's "The Sky Their Battlefield" where both the pilot and observer were taken POW. Lt L R Heywood (pilot) and 2Lt D B Gayford of 20 squadron were on an escorting reconnaisance patrol on the morning of the 9th March 1916 in their FE2b no: 6356 when they engaged with a Fokker near Annapes. With steam reported to be seen coming from the aircraft, Lt Heywood carried out a forced landing near Ligny. Both men were taken prisoner by the Germans, with Heywood making it to Holland on 07/10/18 and Gayford to Switzerland on 24/4/18.

Steve

[Trevor Henshaw]

Great photos.  Thanks for posting.  Steve is definitely correct about the middle image.  I'm wondering if the top image is the captured night bombing crew of 9 Feb 1918??

B439    FE2b    100Sqn
**NB COURCELLES engine failed ftl EoL MIA (2Lt OB Swart POW/2Lt A Fielding-Clarke POW) left 5-51pm

Best Regards,

Trevor

[Black Dudley]

Steve, Trevor,
                     Thanks for your posts and the information. I find, knowing the peoples names brings something extra to the pictures. Looking through my collection, I find, I have two other  "Feldpost Cards" English flyer shot down 22.8.1915 and a shot down English plane Sainghin 9.3.16 - if you have any information on these two I'd be most grateful. They are the last two I have.
                                                                       Best Wishes
                                                                              Alec

Attached Files

•  Pilot 1.jpg   91.53K   1 downloads

[Trevor Henshaw]

Hello Alec,

The upper image is
22 August 1915
2034    BE2c    2Sqn
**Phot HESDIGNEUL dhAA near LA BASSÉE EoL MIA (2Lt CR Gallie KIA/2Lt WM Wallace KIA) 'fell like a stone' over SAINGHIN Δ

and the lower is
9 March 1916
6356    FE2b    20Sqn
**EscRec combat with Fokker near ANNAPES 9-45am steam seen coming from FE2b ftl near LIGNY MIA (Lt LR Heywood POW/2Lt DB Gayford WIA POW) slight WIA, aircraft captured, pilot to Holland 7.10.18, observer to Switzerland 24.4.18 Δ

I hope this helps.  I agree it is good to put names and images together.
Regards,
Trevor

[Black Dudley]

Hello Trevor,
                   Many thanks for the additional information, from what you write, as luck would have it - the second and fifth photos seem to belong together.
                         Best Wishes
                             Alec

[Black Dudley]

Gentlemen,
                 I've this, what I find striking German Feldpost card, of a British Flying Squadron flying over the river Don in the Sainghin area of France on the Western Front being shot-up. The caption reads - "Shooting of a English Flying Squadron over the Don on 2.12.1915. Would any member know which squadron was actually being shot at. Any information  would be appreciated.
                                                                  Regards

Attached Files

•  Don.jpg   31.44K   0 downloads

[munster]

What are the aircraft they look to be monoplanes and a lot of em.What were the rfc using at this time.john

[Starlight]

Though the numbers of aircraft depicted in the picture are about correct for the bombing mission to Don on the 2nd December 1915, IMHO I would suggest that the post card it is just that - a depiction. From the Royal Flying Corps Communiques for that day, 12 aircraft of the 1st Wing (from what I can glean these would have been BE2cs) were accompanied by 7 escort aircraft in the bombing attack on Don railway station.All of the aircraft flew together and not one was shot down during the course of the day, even though contact was made with enemy arcraft. Bristol Scouts Type C and Morane Type N aircraft get mentioned as being escort aircraft, but I don't know the mix and whether or not other types of aircraft were involved. However, even if all of the escort aircraft were Morane's, that would only account for a maximum of 7 monoplanes in the sky at the same time. Communique No: 23 mentions that the aircraft came from 2 and 3 squadron but once again there could have been other squadrons involved. The attack on Don would have been a recordable event as it was unusual at this stage in the war for so many aircraft to be involved in a single mission.
Steve

[Black Dudley]

John, Steve,
                   Thanks for the posts. Looking a second time at the card, the photo has a gloss photo finish, but doesn't look like a natural picture, odd looking composition. I'm inclined to go along with Steve's suggestion that its probably a depiction. Counted 21 monoplanes on the card picture. Thinking over John's point about them all being monoplanes - at first I thought the picture must have been taken almost directly beneath the planes and the planes were high in the sky, coupled with at that time primitive long distance photography, but after reading Steve's first class research on the actual details of the raid, we know that can't be so. Even if the photo is only a composite depiction, at least we know due to Steve post, the raid did take place at the date and place indicated on the card.
                     I did, however turn up this "Feldpost Card" of a British Bi-plane "Punjab 29 Rawalpindi" captured on the Somme, I wonder do members have any further information. A thought crossed my mind, having seen pictures of Indian ground troops, were there Indian pilots as well.
                                             Regards

Attached Files

•  Punjab.jpg   68.89K   0 downloads

[Andrew Upton]

Black Dudley, on 09 January 2012 - 01:21 PM, said:

I did, however turn up this "Feldpost Card" of a British Bi-plane "Punjab 29 Rawalpindi" captured on the Somme, I wonder do members have any further information. A thought crossed my mind, having seen pictures of Indian ground troops, were there Indian pilots as well.

At least one other picture of the same exists:

http://translate.goo...=707&prmd=imvns

[Black Dudley]

Andrew,
           Thanks for the link, it is indeed the the same aircraft, photo is taken from the other side.
                                                       Regards

[Simon_Fielding]

Thomas Weber claims the soldiers in the middle unit are 16 RIR - Hitler's unit as here: http://1914-1918.inv...&#entry1712025. I'm dubious about his attribution after reading this thread....

Black Dudley, on 21 December 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

Gentlemen,
                 I've a couple of  "Feldpost Cards" and a Press Photo with caption, showing shot down RFC crews. The Feldpost cards have a date on the photo, which seems certain to be, when the crews came down. The top photo has the script  "On 11.2.18 captured English flyers" the two men seem in good physical shape. The second "Feldpost Card" shows also a two-man crew sitting  in a open car  dated 9.3.16 according to the short text " wounded English flyers". The bottom picture is a press photograph with a head-bandaged  flyer, caption reads " fights around Soissons - away transport of a wounded English flying observer " I was wondering if there was any chance of  naming the aircrews, after all the date of their capture are on the cards. However it maybe a little more problematic with the press photo as it has no date.  Any information would be appreciated.
                                                                         Regards