4 replies to this topic

[shaymen]

Hi all
Just nipped into the war in the air forum to ask all you RFC experts to tell me all you know about Captain Basil Radford aka Gilbert the Filbert.
I have had a search on forum and can't find anything...might be my search techniques though.
My reason for asking is I have just been given a transcribed personal diary written by an old soldier (Artillery signalmen) from my village and he quotes
"I saw Cpt Basil Radford (Gilbert the Filbert) fall from balloon"
Its a very interesting diary and names those around who were killed or wounded. Hope to maybe add more with his grandaughters permission, but for now its going in my book and I would like to add a few annotations to it.

Name: RADFORD, Basil HALLAM
Initials: B H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Flying Corps
Unit Text: No.1 Army Kite Ballon Sec.
Age: 28
Date of Death: 20/08/1916
Additional information: Son of Walter T. H. and A. L. M. Radford, of 206, Cromwell Rd., South Kensington, London. Actor, known to theatre goers as 'Basil Hallam' or 'Gilbert the Filbert.'
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 15.
Cemetery: COUIN BRITISH CEMETERY

[Stebie9173]

Times Obituary 24-8-1916

 BHRadford.jpg   44.29K   8 downloads



Steve.

[Terry_Reeves]

Read all about him here:

http://tinyurl.com/3cc55c

TR

[shaymen]

Steve / Terry
Thanks chaps, excellent stuff.
Appreciated
Glyn

[Kate Wills]

I have a photo of him, if you need one for your book.

His death is recounted in Gliddon's book on the Somme. I can't remember if it was that or another book which quotes a letter home from a fellow officer who witnessed Basil's death, describing his body as "dreadfully foreshortened".