high wood Posted 31 May , 2009 Share Posted 31 May , 2009 I rescued this photograph this morning from a car boot sale bit I cannot quite fathom out if it is Great War or not. The Lieutenant seems to be wearing the uniform of the Royal Marines Light Infantry yet he has an RAF type brass eagle badge above his left breast pocket. Can anybody tell me anything about the uniform please? The photograph came from a house clearance where there were a lot of items from a family called Bull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 31 May , 2009 Share Posted 31 May , 2009 He could have been in the RNAS. There were 2 Bulls in the RNAS. ADM 273/18 Page 204: George Copeland Bull. RNAS Officers Service ADM 273/23 Page 256: Rene Bull. RNAS Officers Service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 31 May , 2009 Share Posted 31 May , 2009 There is a paper index to find RM officers at the UK National Archives, which cross references the original RM books and page numbers with their UKNA reference. Unfortunately the RM officers' records were not put online with the other records from ADM196. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 31 May , 2009 Share Posted 31 May , 2009 I just want to add "Great photo" and "well rescued". I hope you get an identification. Regards, Jonathan S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 31 May , 2009 Share Posted 31 May , 2009 Here are some illustrations of RNAS badges: http://www.rafweb.org/Badges2.htm http://www.britairforce.com/rnas_1.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 31 May , 2009 Author Share Posted 31 May , 2009 <!--quoteo(post=1194832:date=May 31 2009, 02:32 PM:name=per ardua per mare per terram)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (per ardua per mare per terram @ May 31 2009, 02:32 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1194832"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->He could have been in the RNAS. There were 2 Bulls in the RNAS. ADM 273/18 Page 204: George Copeland Bull. RNAS Officers Service ADM 273/23 Page 256: Rene Bull. RNAS Officers Service<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd--> Many thanks for your help with this. Rene Bull was a war artist for Black and White magazine during the Boer War and a famous illustrator of books. Among the items from the house clearance was a bag of Christmas cards, all privately printed and based on a hand drawn picture relating to the events in the lives of the Bull family over the preceding year. There were about 20 in total dating mainly from the 1930s to the 1950s. This would seem to suggest that there was an artist in the family. It was in the bag containing the Christmas cards that I found the photograph of the RMLI officer. I will contact the dealer and see if I can purchase the cards as I obviously failed to appreciate their possible significance at the time. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 2 June , 2009 Share Posted 2 June , 2009 Hope you're successful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 20 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2009 I have managed to get a Christmas card from the dealer that I got the original photograph from. It seems to have come from the estate of Flight Lieutenant Sir Stephen Bull RAFVR who was killed in action on 11th March 1942. I am not sure that it is him in the photograph though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 20 June , 2009 Share Posted 20 June , 2009 Rather a parallel query - but that wouldn't be Peter Bull the actor? (The Russian Ambassador in Dr Strangelove amongst other things) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 20 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 20 June , 2009 Rather a parallel query - but that wouldn't be Peter Bull the actor? (The Russian Ambassador in Dr Strangelove amongst other things) Yes it is him, he was the third son of Hammersmith MP Sir William Bull, Bt. His elder brother, Sir Stephen Bull became the second Baronet. The list of names on the back of the card includes their mother, Lady Bull, Sir William Bull, Bt's wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 21 June , 2009 Share Posted 21 June , 2009 The RM Museum, Eastney might be able to help with identification; dating the uniform style if nothing else. http://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk/index2.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 28 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2009 Some more items from this house clearance have turned up and I can confirm photographically that it is indeed Peter Bull the actor. This is a close up from the family Christmas card 1963. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 28 June , 2009 Share Posted 28 June , 2009 There is no-one with the name BULL in the RM Officers Medal Rolls ADM 171/92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 28 June , 2009 Share Posted 28 June , 2009 Peter Bull was born in 1912, which means it is unlikely he served in WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 28 June , 2009 Author Share Posted 28 June , 2009 Peter Bull served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 27 November , 2011 Share Posted 27 November , 2011 I believe that the mystery RMLI Officer was Lt Charles Edward Robinson. He was sadly KIA in the Dardanelles in 1915. The "Wings" he is wearing I believe are RNAS Officers sleeve eagles which were normally worn above the rank braid. I have tried attaching a copy of C E Robinson's photograph from the RAC aviators certificate records, No 740 dated 19 Feb 1914 but it appears it is too large to attach!!! Hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge of how to attach photos may be able to do it to enable others to compare the likeness. John Gilbert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepper Posted 27 November , 2011 Share Posted 27 November , 2011 This is Charles Robinson's RAC photo, sorry it's quite dark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 27 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2011 There is certainly an extraordinary likeness between the two photographs. If they are the same man I wonder the photograph came to be amongst the Bull family ephemera. Thank you for posting the photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high wood Posted 27 November , 2011 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2011 Name: ROBINSON, CHARLES EDWARD Initials: C E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Flight Commander Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Air Service Age: 29 Date of Death: 08/12/1915 Additional information: Son of Mrs May Arthur (formerly Robinson), of Shanghai China, and the late Edward Le Messurier Robinson. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 2. Memorial: HELLES MEMORIAL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 Per Appendix 2, page 482, of Gen Blumberg's history 'Britain's Sea Soldiers' Lieutenant C E Robinson RMLI, attached RNAS was “Shot down and seriously wounded in November 1915. Taken prisoner and died of his wounds in the hands of the Turks.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 To confuse matters slightly, the 'Flight' issue of December 17th, 1915, has the following from Turkish sources, dateline Constantinople Dec.10th, " Dardanelles,—On December 8th, near Akbach, we brought down an English aeroplane. The aeroplane and the aviators were completely burnt." 8th Dec 1915 is the date of death quoted iro Robinson, so this may be a ref to him, or to another flyer(s) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 More from 'Flight' December 17th, THE following casualties have been announced by the Secretary of the Admiralty :— Under date December 10th : Missing. Flight-Commander Charles E. Robinson, R.N., Capt., R.M.L.I. This suggests to me that Blumberg's mention of Robinson's having been shot down in November is mistaken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 "Royal Navy Aircraft Serials and Units" (Sturtivant) has:- "B.E.2c biplane Serial 979 missing from Narrows-Helles area 8.12.15; probably the aircraft from Tenedos which left to bomb Chanak and in which Flight Commander CE Robinson killed (remains returned in tow of a monitor?)" If this is the aircraft, the Turkish report of aviators is in error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkTurner Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 Flying Marines by A E Marsh (1980) states that he was shot down and wounded in November 1915, taken prisoner and died 8 December 1915. Regards Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 28 November , 2011 Share Posted 28 November , 2011 Flying Marines by A E Marsh (1980) states that he was shot down and wounded in November 1915, taken prisoner and died 8 December 1915. Lifted straight out of Blumberg, I suspect (plus CWGC date). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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