centurion Posted 23 December , 2011 Share Posted 23 December , 2011 2 photographs of WW1 Observation Balloon Pilots - apparently very dangerous work! Just behind the first observer is his Spencer parachute Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 23 December , 2011 Share Posted 23 December , 2011 Motor Balloon Lorry ( with winch ) as shown in Cigarette Card No.33 Well it's a winch, I've had a copy of this for some time and I'm not convinced that it's a balloon winch. Only the cab partly resembles the image on the card. The winch is completely different. The stays at the back of the vehicle in the photo suggest that it's used to winch things in from the rear and from a level approximate to the lorry. The balloon could, depending on changes of wind, be behind, in front of or to the dside of it's winch lorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Centurion, Many thanks for all the great photographs and information. I know nothing about WW1 Balloons or their parachutes, however, I read your previous post from some time back on the subject, and got interested. I can now see the " Spencer " type of parachute you mention. Here is another period photograph of the " Spencer " parachute attached in flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 From the same WW1 series of photographs, showing the " Spencer " parachute in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Centurion, Many thanks for all the great photographs and information. I know nothing about WW1 Balloons or their parachutes, however, I read your previous post from some time back on the subject, and got interested. I can now see the " Spencer " type of parachute you mention. Here is another period photograph of the " Spencer " parachute attached in flight. This most unusual.I've looked at photos of balloons in service with British, Bulgarian, French, German, Italian, KuK, Turkish and US forces (with both Drachen and Caquot type balloons) and none have the basket attached in the manner shown in this stereo picture. Similarly all Spencer type packs are attached to the basket side whereas the only 'chutes carried in the manner shown that I have photographic evidence of are the early Paulus ones used by the Prussian Balloon Corps. This balloon appears to have a large chute pack on the side of the basket, similar to mid period German ones but much bigger. I wonder if what we have here is an experimental set up, possibly of the late war French system of having one big 'chute for the basket and crew?. The 'single rope' attachment of the basket would allow a rapid detachment from the balloon and the size of the parachute pack on the basket side is commensurate with the size of 'chute that would be needed. The Spencer pack in the rigging would be a secondary chute in case the experiment did not work. Looking at the photo closely there appears to be another pack on the other side of the balloon (the rope attaching it to the observer can be seen below the basket). This would be another Spencer pack for the other observer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 2 photographs of WW1 Observation Balloon Pilots - apparently very dangerous work! as Captain Darling noted, there was "nothing cushy" about the Women's Auxiliary Balloon Corps.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.36 - Motor Operating Theatre. " An entirely new conception of surgical work is created by the modern methods of warfare, and the huge list of casualties it entails necessitates effective and immediate attention for the wounded. Operating Theatres are taken as closely as possible to the firing line " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.37 - Motor Pigeon-Cote. " Motor Buses are converted into pigeon lofts, the birds being housed on the tops of the vehicles in specially constructed cotes. The method of sending messages by pigeon-post is a very ancient one, but the practice of taking carrier pigeons about on motor buses to wherever they are needed is certainly a new and up-to-date procedure " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Motor pigeon loft, with an actual " Government Pigeon Service " pigeon carrier message " On water - attacked by Huns ". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.38 - Motor Railway Engine. " Owing to the enormous amount of traffic, the depth of mud, and through being constantly subjected to heavy enemy shell fire, many of the roads in Northern France have become useless for vehicles. Welcome relief has been afforded by the construction of light railways. Motor cars, after being fitted with suitable wheels, are used as engines " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.39 - Motor Searchlight. " The military value of these powerful searchlights can hardly be overestimated. The 7,000 candle-power beam of light is thrown from the 38 inch reflector, and will brilliantly illuminate objects at a great distance. The light can be made ready for use in a few seconds, and the projector is fitted with a distance control apparatus, worked by the operators when 300 feet from the light " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.40 - Motor Tractor. " Motor Tractors were destined to play a very important role in modern warfare providing heavy haulage and for moving guns of the largest calibre. Motor traction has almost superceded the use of horses. With the aid of these powerful motor tractors, large field guns are moved rapidly to any desired positon on the battlefield " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Motor pigeon loft with an actual pigeon carrier message " On water - attacked by Huns ". Message is " On water - attacked by 3 Huns " and was despatched by a Felixstowe F2A flying boat under attack by 3 German Hansa Brandenberg W29 2 seat monoplane sea planes. Bird would have been from a static loft in Britain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 That particular message shown " On water - attacked by Huns " is written on an official " Government Pigeon Service " message pad, and shows the many folds where it was greatly reduced in size to fit into the pigeon ring. Are you saying that the Flying Boat also used a pigeon to send their message ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 WW1 Searchlight Motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.37 - Motor Pigeon-Cote. " Motor Buses are converted into pigeon lofts, the birds being housed on the tops of the vehicles in specially constructed cotes. The method of sending messages by pigeon-post is a very ancient one, but the practice of taking carrier pigeons about on motor buses to wherever they are needed is certainly a new and up-to-date procedure " RE Signals despatch riders distributing pigeons from a mobile loft German recce crews were told to look out for pigeon lofts as they would be located near HQs and if the loft moved to a new location this was a signal that the HQ would also move. This might indicate a new offensive. There is a story that to combat this the French started to camouflage their mobile lofts but did this so well the birds couldn't locate them either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 WW1 Motor Searchlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 That particular message shown " On water - attacked by Huns " is written on an official " Government Pigeon Service " message pad, and shows the many folds where it was greatly reduced in size to fit into the pigeon ring. Are you saying that the Flying Boat also used a pigeon to send their message ? Yes - that's the message you show - flying boats carried pigeons for that very purpose Indeed I believe that the " Government Pigeon Service " message pads were used for messages where the pigeon would be flying to a loft in Britain and different pads (probably military signals ones) would be used by troops in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Centurion, A great photograph of the Dispatch Rider delivering the message from the mobile Pigeon Loft. With regard to the Flying Boat pigeon message " On Water " means for some reason they have put down on the water, maybe engine problems ? " Attacked by 3 Huns ", meaning 3 enemy planes ? Could it have been that the Flying Boat also carried a number of Carrier Pigeons for just such an emergency ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Centurion, A great photograph of the Dispatch Rider delivering the message from the mobile Pigeon Loft. With regard to the Flying Boat pigeon message " On Water " means for some reason they have put down on the water, maybe engine problems ? " Attacked by 3 Huns ", meaning 3 enemy planes ? Could it have been that the Flying Boat also carried a number of Carrier Pigeons for just such an emergency ? Yes - I've already said this. The incident was a famous one when Hansa Brandenberg W29 and W19 sea planes attacked a number of Felixstowe F2A flying boast and forced one down onto the water. It continued to defend itself with its four Lewis guns, shooting down one sea plane, whilst taxing toward the Dutch coast. It beached, in flames, on Terschelling Island and the crew were interned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Centurion, Some of our post have been crossing - now understand exactly. That is the fun of this Forum - the exchange of information. Before hearing about the Flying Boat, myself and I am sure most others, would have assumed the urgent pigeon carrier message " on water - attacked by 3 Huns " would have come from a besieged land based infantry unit, who had run out of food, and were about to be overun! The odd bit, was the number " 3 " in the message, it made no sense presumably to worry about " 3 Huns " ? Anyway, its good that you sorted out the history of this pigeon post message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Will's WW1 Military Motors - Card No.40 - Motor Tractor. " Motor Tractors were destined to play a very important role in modern warfare providing heavy haulage and for moving guns of the largest calibre. Motor traction has almost superceded the use of horses. With the aid of these powerful motor tractors, large field guns are moved rapidly to any desired positon on the battlefield " A Panhard Note I believe the winch truck that you posted a photo of is also a Panhard and part of the artillery train not a balloon winch (it would be used to extract guns and bogged down trucks). I suspect the original Wills card was mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 24 December , 2011 Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Another view of the Panhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Great photographs of the WW1 Motor Tractor ( Panhard ) straight off Cigarette Card No.40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 24 December , 2011 Author Share Posted 24 December , 2011 Another photograph of the WW1 Panhard Motor Tractor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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