Who is This ? ? ?

[neverforget]

8 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

 

Is this William Shemin?

Afraid not.

He got peppered attacking a machine-gun post, but despite being mortally wounded carried on and drove the Germans out.

1 minute ago, Knotty said:

There were 34 posthumous winner of MoH, of which only 7 were of a rank Private which I think he is.

First in the list is David B Barkley

Sirry. Not Barkley either.

[neverforget]

I forgot to mention that he is another "First".

[Knotty]

How about the first Greek-American to win the MoH, a PFC George Dilboy

[neverforget]

3 minutes ago, Knotty said:

How about the first Greek-American to win the MoH, a PFC George Dilboy

That's the chap! General John Pershing listed George Dilboy as "one of the ten great heroes" who "died in the battlefield of France with super-human heroism and valor."

From his MoH citation:

"In 1918, Dilboy fought in the Battle of Belleau Wood in France. After his platoon had gained its objective along a railroad embankment, Private First Class Dilboy, accompanying his platoon leader to reconnoiter the ground beyond was suddenly fired upon by an enemy machine-gun from 100 yards. From a standing position on the railroad track fully exposed to view he opened fire. He failed to silence the gun and rushed forward with his bayonet fixed through a wheat field toward the gun emplacement. He fell within 25 yards of the gun with his right leg nearly severed above the knee and with several bullet holes in his body. With undaunted courage he continued to fire into the emplacement from a prone position killing two of the enemy and dispersing the rest of the crew."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Dilboy

 

[Knotty]

Blimey, I have just read the wiki reference, not only was he a brave soldier, but even after his death, controversy followed him to his final resting place.

[neverforget]

Indeed so. Buried three times in all! Shocking behaviour by Johnny T. 

R.I.P. finally, Mr. Dilboy. 

[Ron Clifton]

Here's another one without a picture, but it should be easier than Lt Boughey.

 

In 1914 this midshipman was aboard HMS Aboukir when she was sunk, but was rescued. He lost his life in July 1917 and has no known grave.

 

His younger brother was killed in 1940 as an RAF pilot, covering the retreat to Dunkirk. He, too, has no known grave.

 

Ron

[neverforget]

Hatfield Arthur William Back?

[Ron Clifton]

I'm afraid not, NF.

 

Ron

[Knotty]

Midn. Claude Du Pre Stansfeld Mauleverer, age 18, killed at Scapa Flow on 9/7/1917, by explosion onboard HMS Vanguard. Came from Leamington.

[Ron Clifton]

Not him either, Knotty, but you are a lot warmer.

 

Ron

[Knotty]

Then could it be Midn. Christopher Arthur Gresham Cooke, age 20, as my previous candidate, he was lost in the explosion on HMS Vanguard 9/7/1917 at Scapa Flow and commemorated on the Chatham Memorial

[Ron Clifton]

Yes, Knotty, that's him.

 

His brother Nicholas was killed on 31 May 1940 covering the retreat of the BEF to Dunkirk. He was 26 but had already earned the DFC Their father Arthur Cooke FRCS was a surgeon at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, and they lived at Grove Lodge just opposite the (old) hospital.

 

They are both commemorated on the war memorial in my church, Great St Mary's, Cambridge, and are the only pair of brothers on it spanning both World Wars.

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

 

 

Who might this be, “an enormous man, as proud as Lucifer and as punctilious in matters of etiquette as an introducer of ambassadors” ? ? ?

 

 

 

EDIT: image from here: http://jpierre.dagandagand.free.fr/Adrien Jean.htm

Edited 20 April , 2019 by Uncle George

[Uncle George]

Right then:

 

 

[Ron Clifton]

Louis Franchet-d'Esperey, the French general referred to by the British as "Desperate Frankie"?

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

10 hours ago, Ron Clifton said:

Louis Franchet-d'Esperey, the French general referred to by the British as "Desperate Frankie"?

 

Ron

 

Not him, no.

 

“[He] became so exasperated at what he considered [Haig’s]

Edited 20 April , 2019 by Uncle George

[Ron Clifton]

General Lanrezac, then?

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

1 hour ago, Ron Clifton said:

General Lanrezac, then?

 

Ron

 

Non. Our witness is writing here of “when the I Corps was in the Givenchy sector in 1915”:

 

”It was sometimes difficult to arrange meetings, even during critical operations, between Sir Douglas and his French colleagues. I have a vivid recollection of the tension, largely due to this cause, that arose, for instance, between him and [this man] ... That General, although his command was more than five times the size of Sir Douglas’s, complained that he was treated barely as an equal by his English colleague. I am afraid that this was so.”

 

[Wasn’t Haig Scottish? Let us skirt around that for now.]

[Ron Clifton]

Vicomte de Curieres de Castelnau?

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

32 minutes ago, Ron Clifton said:

Vicomte de Curieres de Castelnau?

 

Ron

 

Sorry, no. At the time of the strained relationship with Haig mentioned in post #11743, my chap commanded the French Tenth Army. Here he is again with Joffre and Foch:

 

 

[Ron Clifton]

Ah, then it is General Louis-Ernest de Maud'huy. He was a bit further down on my list.

 

Given that he was later demoted from being an Army Commander to being a Corps Commander, it looks as if his own view of his importance vis-a-vis Haig was something of an overstatement.

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

1 hour ago, Ron Clifton said:

Ah, then it is General Louis-Ernest de Maud'huy. 

 

 

Sorry Ron, but no.

 

[Ron Clifton]

Then it's General d'Urbal. He is the only other officer to command Tenth Army in 1915, which is when the British I Corps were at Givenchy.

 

Ron

[Uncle George]

1 hour ago, Ron Clifton said:

Then it's General d'Urbal. He is the only other officer to command Tenth Army in 1915, which is when the British I Corps were at Givenchy.

 

Ron

 

Yes! Quotes from Spears’ ‘Prelude to Victory’ (1939).

 

The