Death from Above

[Andrew P]

While doing some digging on those from Fremantle who served in WW1, I discovered that one of the men who died in France died as the result of being hit by lightning.

I just found this occurence to be extremely unlucky. The soldier in question survived Gallipoli and a few months in France only to be struck down by a bolt from above.

I know the weather in France wasn't the best, but has anyone found other such unlucky soldiers who died as a result of lightning.

Cheers

Andrew

[Jim_Grundy]

Andrew

I don't know about soldiers but there was certainly a very large storm in the U.K. and France in July 1914 in which several people were killed by lightning. Paris was particularly badly affected according to the reports.

I suppose it's just really hard luck to get killed accidently when there were so many other means of dying during a war. However, I've come across quite a few local men who died in accidents. For example, one ASC man died in a kitchen fire in France, whilst an artilleryman drowned whilst bathing in the Tigris. In a different war, one of my cousins survived the campaign in N.W. Europe with the Guards Armoured Division only to drown in the Kiel Canal in July 1945. I expect his parents couldn't believe their bad luck at that.

Cheers,

Jim

[CROONAERT]

A distant (Australian) relative of mine served in the AIF 1915-1918 and fought through Gallipoli, the Somme, 3rd Ypres and the offensives/counteroffensives of 1918. He came through all this unscathed. He was demobbed as unfit in October 1918 after falling out of a window (?????) whilst on leave and damaging his back in early September. His run of bad luck continued when he was drowned in a Sydney boating lake on ,of all days, November 11th 1918.

[BMoorhouse]

Andrew,

I don't know of any people struck directly by lightning, but observation balloons were often hit (and brought down) by lightning - as witnessed by soldiers on the ground. I don't know what affect it had on the occupants - perhaps someone else does?

Brendon.