Where next in my quest?

[jmoha]

I have hit a bit of a brick wall with my research into the above officer, Lt Thomas Richard Chetwynd Birkin, 7th Dragoon Gds and RFC (25 sqn). I have visited TNA and have read his file along with those relating to his various tours with his previous regiments (Salonika, Mesopotamia and Flanders).

Reading the diary for 25 Sqn it makes no mention of him or his death although the offical history, written post war, lists him as killed in an accident in theatre.

Where can I go from here? Does the RAF museum hold any more info than that which is held at TNA or have I missed a vital source of detail held elsewhere in the TNA itself?

Any help will be appreciated as this officer was the son of a Baronet and it suprises me that details of his demise are so scant.

[Dolphin]

Lt Thomas Renard Chetwynd Birkin (formerly 7th Dragoon Guards) was killed in an accident while flying as pilot in BE2e 2542 of No 25 Sqn RFC on 12 June 1917. It appears that he might have been alone in the aircraft.

Thee is a minor oddity in this, as No 25 Sqn wasn't equipped with the BE2e, being an FE2b/FE2d-equipped unit.

I hope that this helps.

Gareth

[jmoha]

Thanks for the assist. I recall that they did have Be2's at one point. Looking at his records he had only been in theatre for 3 weeks before his death, so he may have been using it as a training flight.

Where did you find the info about the plane number as I don't recall it on his record at TNA?

Thanks again.

James

[Dolphin]

James

The source is 'Airmen Died in the Great War' complied by Chris Hobson, ISBN 0 871505 81 X.

Cheers

Gareth

[Guest mruk]

Hello James,

I'm sure you already have this, given the date of the post, but this is Birkin's obituary from The Times. There's also a more detailed biography on page 6. [Fallen Officers]

Birkin-Killed in action on the 12th June, 2nd Lieut. Thomas Renard Chetwynd Birkin, Dragoon Guards and Royal Flying Corps, eldest son of Mr and the Honourable Mrs Stanley Birkin, Park House, Mapperley, Nottingham, and the eldest grandson ofSir Thomas Birkin, Bart., aged 22 [The Times, Monday, June 18, 1917. p. 1. Issue 41507]

Cheers,

Dave

[freddy1918]

The RAF museum at Hendon will have his casualty card, and there are service files of sorts, they're usually a couple of pages listing when and where the men were; but I've found little titbits on some of them that weren't in WO374 etc. Mostly medical details.

Freddy

[jmoha]

Thank you both for this latest info. I haven't seen the Times obit, will take a look in a moment.

As for Hendon, I visited last year but it seems Lt Birkin is determined to remain a mystery. They had very scant other information and were most apologetic as his documents were "unusually brief" and lacked basic info.

[freddy1918]

James,

Don't know if you have anything on thepersonal side but this may be of interest...

You did know about the film on his brother Henry who was also in the RFC and later a racing driver? (He was always known as Tim - one of the Bentley Boys) His father Sir Stanley is played by Geoffrey Palmer and Henry by Rowan Atkinson so you can guess the kind of mood! It's called Full Throttle.

The younger brother Charles was an Etonian, (too young for the war, killed at about 22 in a motorcycle accident in 1927) but niether "Tim" or Thomas appear on the school registers. I've picked up the father on the Wellington College register in the early 1870's.

For what it's worth Thomas didn't go to Rugby either, but I don't have the other public school rolls at home. He didn't go to Sherborne, Wellington or Tonbridge, I suggest checking Harrow and possibly Malborough first... If not maybe Radley, or Uppingham, even Charterhouse. As far as prep schools go can rule out Summer Fields and the Dragon for all three brothers but you never know; they may not have been to one, they may have been educated at home.

[Charles WL Griffin]

Hi

I was doing a bit of research on the net to find out about Lt Birkin. I have a picture of him and wanted to post it on the website that I write for, the British Empire. I write about British an Empire regiments and their uniforms. I am writing, at the moment, about the 7th Dragoon Guards and I have pictures of various soldiers but little information. The picture I have of Lt Birkin shows him in the uniform of the 7th DG, with an RFC badge. I was very interested to find out where he came from and what happened to him. Are you interested in seeing the picture? I can send the link to the website when it's posted if you want.

sambrowne

[fetubi]

James,

This is a summary of what the RFC Casualty Report has on his death (in AIR1 at the National Archives Kew):

2542 BE2e 25Sqn - Practice Flight - wings folded whilst looping then crashed and wrecked (Lt TRC Birkin KIFA) - a little bit more information.

Regards,

Trevor

[Madmeg]

On 08/01/2012 at 21:29, Charles WL Griffin said:

Hi

I was doing a bit of research on the net to find out about Lt Birkin. I have a picture of him and wanted to post it on the website that I write for, the British Empire. I write about British an Empire regiments and their uniforms. I am writing, at the moment, about the 7th Dragoon Guards and I have pictures of various soldiers but little information. The picture I have of Lt Birkin shows him in the uniform of the 7th DG, with an RFC badge. I was very interested to find out where he came from and what happened to him. Are you interested in seeing the picture? I can send the link to the website when it's posted if you want.

sambrowne

I'd be interested in the picture

[sadbrewer]

On 29/08/2019 at 02:16, Madmeg said:

I'd be interested in the picture

  Quite a few online.

[Madmeg]

Thanks- I see the family resemblence

[mickdavis]

By the time of Birkin's death, the FE2b/ds were being withdrawn from daytime work in France and 25 Sqn, like 18 Sqn, was converting to Day Light Bombing work with DH4s. A few BEs were issued to facilitate conversion from 'pusher' to 'tractor' types - 2542, 7247 & A3166 known.