Lt AP Boor 113 Sqn RFC

[Guest stevenbec]

Mates,

Do you have anything on the death of this RFC officer, Lt Alaric Pinder Boor.

He was commisioned in 7Bn Ox and Bucks Lt Inf before joining the RFC.

He either DoD or KIA 31st Oct 1917.

His NOK is shown as coming from Bunbury WA Australia.

Do you also have when he joinined the British Army and other details.

Thanks

S.B

[Dolphin]

Steven

Lt A P Boor, along with his observer Lt J H Muller, was killed in an accident while flying an unidentified RE8 of No 113 Sqn RFC on 31 October 1917.

'Airmen Died' shows him as a native of Bunbury, WA.

I hope this helps.

Gareth

[Guest stevenbec]

Thanks Mate,

He was another of those who returned to the so called mother country to fight and die.

S.B

[spidge]

name='stevenbec' date='Jun 26 2004, 06:20 PM' post='121639']

Mates,

Do you have anything on the death of this RFC officer, Lt Alaric Pinder Boor.

He was commisioned in 7Bn Ox and Bucks Lt Inf before joining the RFC.

He either DoD or KIA 31st Oct 1917.

His NOK is shown as coming from Bunbury WA Australia.

Do you also have when he joinined the British Army and other details.

Thanks

S.B

This is quite old however my research info shows he was born at Carnarvon, Western Australia

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/communication...ives/200613.pdf

Perhaps the most famous of those listed in the 1917 Annual was Alaric Pinder BOOR. From his

earliest days at CBC, Pinder BOOR was a popular and highly respected scholar. He excelled in

all that he undertook. He captained the cricket and football teams, was the champion boxer for

the school and the champion gymnast for four years running. He was admired as an excellent

student – being dux of the College and winning an Ormond Scholarship - and looked up to as a

prefect. Alaric Pinder BOOR became the second CBC student to win the much prized Rhodes

Scholarship. His life was also tragically cut short during the Great War. Perhaps indicative of the

loss of so much human potential is the comment of Christian Brother historian, Br. Kevin

PAULL, who pointed out that:

At CBC Perth six of the thirteen prefects portrayed in the 1909 photograph were killed in action.

With them died the great hopes many held for education at the turn of the century. Even the

boundless enthusiasm and optimism of Br Paul NUNAN, Principal at CBC Perth over the war

years, faltered. After the war he was never the same again. His heart, like his boys, had died on

the battlefields."

"ALARIC BOOR : Alaric Pinder BOOR was born in Carnarvon in 1892. He was

noted for his outstanding academic and sporting achievements at Christian

Brothers College, Perth, before taking up the 1913 Rhodes Scholarship in

Oxford, England. He enlisted in the British Army in 1914 and transferred

to the Royal Flying Corps. He died of wounds in Palestine on October 31,

1917. Aquinas College is seeking memorabilia relating to Alaric Boor to

add to the collection displayed in the boarding house named in his

honour."

Cheers

Geoff

[Guest]

Don't know if your still around but Alaric is my dad's uncle. Without referring back to family history notes, the boor family owned a drapery shop in carnarvon but can't remember if he was born there. Apparently he died due a plane malfunction, again can't recall the type of plane but it was renowned to having technical problems and it was during a training flight that he was killed. Uncle did have his numerous trophy collection and I remember photos of him when he was a teenager, one of those one in a million type people with many talents.

[Dolphin]

I wrote an article about Australians who died in the RFC/RAF for the Journal of the Australian Society of WWI Aero Historians.  This is the extract about Lt Alaric Boor:

 

Boor, Lieutenant Alaric Pinder; No. 113 Squadron R.F.C.

 

Alaric Boor was born in Perth, W.A., in October 1892.  He was educated at Christian Brothers College (now Aquinas College), where he excelled academically and in sport, being prominent in boxing, cricket and Australian Rules football, where he played for the Subiaco and East Pert Clubs.  In 1913 he began studies at Melbourne University, and was awarded the 1913 Rhodes scholarship for Victoria.  In September he entered Brasenose College at Oxford.  His studies ended in August 1914, when he joined the British Army, being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in December.  Alaric served as a platoon commander in France from September 1915.

 

In early 1917 Alaric transferred to the R.F.C. and he was gazetted as a Flying Officer on 5 April.  He was then posted to No. 113 Squadron on the Palestine Front on 31 August.  The squadron was a reconnaissance and artillery observation unit commanded by Major Horace Haycock (formerly West Yorkshire Regiment).  On 1 September he was promoted to Lieutenant.

 

At 08.30 on 31 October 1917 Lt. Boor, with Lt. John Herman Muller (formerly 9th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment) as observer, left El Buzzar aerodrome in an R.E.8 on a reconnaissance mission over the Turkish defences at Beersheba, prior to an Allied attack[ii].   Notes on the enemy positions were dropped near Allied Headquarters.  As the airmen returned to El Buzzar at about 10.30 the R.E.8 suddenly went into a spin and crashed, killing both airmen.  The cause of the accident was not determined.

 

Major Haycock wrote to Alaric’s parents:

 

1st November, 1917
113 Squadron
R.F.C., E.E.F.

Dear Mr and Mrs Boor,

No doubt by now the government - the military authorities will have told you of your son’s fatal accident - what can I say? For him to have been here in the tent with me at 8 o’clock in the morning and then by 10 o’clock to hear that he had entered the great silence has brought to me a great void for in the few months I knew him I had learned to admire him deeply. We came from England together, the journey through France and Italy, our stay at Taranto, the week aboard the “Aragon” and coming out here sealed our friendship.

Of his accident there is little to say, from the C.O., other officers and men who saw it - I did not see it - it seems that he got into a spinning dive at about 300 feet and crashed into the ground - he was unconscious when taken out of the machine and passed away about half an hour after admittance to hospital. Whether his controls jammed or not it is impossible to say but knowing his ability as a pilot I cannot help believing something went wrong with the machine, but whether it was that or a slight error of judgement we shall never know. He had flown the same machine all the time he had been out here and he spoke warmly of her - both of the machine’s rigging and engine.  She was an RE8.

I tried last night to get into communication with the hospital people but was not successful. I am trying again today and shall if it is anyway possible get over to his burial, but out here in the desert communication is rather difficult and especially so just now while the show is on. As soon as I know I will get the exact spot where he is lain at rest and marked on a map and send the map out to you - and the squadron’s carpenters will make a fitting cross to mark where he lies. I will get a snap of his resting place too and send it to you as soon as I possibly can.

Knowing from him the affection you had for him, for often he spoke of his mother and father and of the happy times he had at home and of the fact that my own Mother and Dad have lost a son I can feel and sympathise with you - his everlasting topics were home, his people, and his fiancé. In the few months I knew him I came to know you deeply how almost yearningly he longed to get back to see you all. Oh it is cruel! and my deepest sympathy goes out to you who are left to mourn his loss.

His kit I am packing up today and will see it sent out to you - two films are being developed and we were only waiting for printing paper before we sent out snaps to our people - when the printing paper does come I will send the snaps along. His negatives which I know will be prized I will send registered to ensure as far as in these times it is possible to ensure that they will reach you - nor is there anything which I shall not esteem an honour to do for you - I know how my people craved for news of my brother. 

With the very deepest sympathy for you who had so grand a man for son. Believe Me.

 

Yours Sincerely, H. Haycock

 

Lt. A. P. Boor is buried in Grave O. 48 in the Beersheba War Cemetery, Israel.  Lt. J. H. Muller is buried in Grave O. 73.

 

Pinder Boor Boarding House at Aquinas College is named in Alaric’s memory.

 

[Then] 2Lt. H. Haycock flew with No. 9 Squadron on the Western Front in 1917.  On 2 February B.E.2e 7093, with 2Lt. Wilfrid Steer (formerly London Regiment) as observer, force landed and overturned near Bazentin due to engine failure on an artillery registration flight.  On 30 April B.E.2e 7198, with Lt. Harold Carver Barlow4 (formerly Lancashire Fusiliers), force landed after engine failure on patrol over Bouchavesnes.

 

4Lt. H. C. Barlow was killed in action on 18 June 1917 when R.E.8 A4290 of No. 9 Squadron, flown by Lt. Reginald Walter Ellis (formerly Northumberland Fusiliers), failed to return from a photographic reconnaissance.

 

[ii] The 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade (4th and 12th Regiments) successfully charged the Turkish positions at Beersheba in the late afternoon of 31 October 1917, and captured the town.

 

I hope this is useful.

 

Gareth

 

Edited 17 October , 2017 by Dolphin