Who is This ? ? ?

[ilkley remembers]

A Yorkshireman and a near neighbour of mine...or at least he would have been had I been alive 120 years ago.

An aviator, racing driver, spy master and insurance salesman he is believed to have been responsible for a notable wartime first. 

[neverforget]

8 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

A Yorkshireman and a near neighbour of mine...or at least he would have been had I been alive 120 years ago.

An aviator, racing driver, spy master and insurance salesman he is believed to have been responsible for a notable wartime first. 

Another one I remember posting long ago. I remember this one, and remember his first. In fact it was two firsts iirc.

Mum's the word for now.

[ilkley remembers]

10 minutes ago, neverforget said:

Another one I remember posting long ago. I remember this one, and remember his first. In fact it was two firsts iirc.

Mum's the word for now.

Yes thats right...I should have checked before posting.

Still if antone is having trouble identifying him there are clues  involving Edward Fox and Sean Connery available

Edited 5 March , 2023 by ilkley remembers

[neverforget]

I may have been mistaken regarding one of his firsts, I'm looking into that now, but for sure he undoubtedly has at least one to his credit.

[Uncle George]

Too generous of clue: Euan Rabagliati

[Knotty]

A much younger photo from his Aviators Certificate

[David Ridgus]

4 hours ago, ilkley remembers said:

England rugby captain (the other game not the real one), Ronald Poulton-Palmer.

 

Indeed it was 

Although you would hardly credit it was the same person. I remember reading once that such was the general dismay when his death was announced that there was a rumour that he had been specifically targeted by the Germans, only scotched by a description of the circumstances - a night time working party and a stray bullet. 

David

[Uncle George]

Good afternoon, Mr Phelps

The woman you are looking at has been described as “young and beautiful” with “captivating wiles” and “coquettish timidity”. Here she is, undercover in the guise of a simple fruit seller. No photographs of her are known to exist.

Your mission, should you decide [and so on]:

 

 

EDIT: image from here: 

https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Felice-Schmidt-%E2%80%93-The-German-Spy-Sent-to-Tempt-Kitchener.pdf

Edited 5 March , 2023 by Uncle George

[ilkley remembers]

1 hour ago, neverforget said:

I may have been mistaken regarding one of his firsts, I'm looking into that now, but for sure he undoubtedly has at least one to his credit.

He certainly claimed to have been the first British pilot to have shot down an enemy plane

 

50 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

Too generous of clue: Euan Rabagliati

Yes absolutely right. Born in Bradford the family lived here in Ilkley. He was educated at Bradford Grammar and later at Sandhurst his Wiki entry has grown over the years and reference to his WW2 exploits as head of the Dutch/Denmark desk is now included. Ian Fleming was a colleague although the two didn't get on apparently. The opening scene to the 007 film Goldfinger when Connery comes out of the sea in a wet suit and is wearing a Tuxedo underneath was based upon an incedent during WW2 involving a Dutch spy. A Dutch film called Operation Orange or something had Edward Fox playing the part of Euan

 

the phot is from the Mary Evans Collection

51 minutes ago, Knotty said:

A much younger photo from his Aviators Certificate

Yes thats him I used the image when I wrote and article about for the local rag. 

 

34 minutes ago, David Ridgus said:

Although you would hardly credit it was the same person. I remember reading once that such was the general dismay when his death was announced that there was a rumour that he had been specifically targeted by the Germans, only scotched by a description of the circumstances - a night time working party and a stray bullet. 

Certainly has the 1000 yard state about him in that photograph

[neverforget]

3 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

He certainly claimed to have been the first British pilot to have shot down an enemy plane

That is confirmed I think. When I posted him a while back I mentioned that incident on 25th August, but I also referred to his being shot down three days earlier. My picture was different to yours, though he was still instantly recognisable, so clearly I found him somewhere else. Can't seem to find that source now for some reason. 

[ilkley remembers]

4 minutes ago, neverforget said:

That is confirmed I think. When I posted him a while back I mentioned that incident on 25th August, but I also referred to his being shot down three days earlier. My picture was different to yours, though he was still instantly recognisable, so clearly I found him somewhere else. Can't seem to find that source now for some reason. 

did a lot of research on him about 10 years ago when I wrote about him for the local newspaper. Don't recall such an incident off the top of my head but you could easily be right. His mother, a redoubtable lady who came from a family of radical freetraders, her uncle was John Bright, did like to keep the town up to date about his exploits.

[neverforget]

4 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

did a lot of research on him about 10 years ago when I wrote about him for the local newspaper. Don't recall such an incident off the top of my head but you could easily be right. His mother, a redoubtable lady who came from a family of radical freetraders, her uncle was John Bright, did like to keep the town up to date about his exploits.

I was more than likely mistaken. Perhaps I confused him with Waterfall and Bailey, who were both killed. Rabagliati survived being downed of course, but as I said, I can't find any reference to that now.

On 22 August 1914, the first British aircraft was lost to German fire. The crew—pilot Second Lieutenant Vincent Waterfall and observer Lt. Charles George Gordon Bayly, of 5 Squadron—flying an Avro 504 over Belgium, were killed by infantry fire.

[ilkley remembers]

17 minutes ago, neverforget said:

On 22 August 1914, the first British aircraft was lost to German fire. The crew—pilot Second Lieutenant Vincent Waterfall and observer Lt. Charles George Gordon Bayly, of 5 Squadron—flying an Avro 504 over Belgium, were killed by infantry fire.

Clearly pre-dating Rabagliati's deed and presumably the first aircraft to be brought down as a result of enemy action during WW1. 

[neverforget]

3 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

Clearly pre-dating Rabagliati's deed and presumably the first aircraft to be brought down as a result of enemy action during WW1. 

Indeed. I'm not sure where I got the idea of Rabagliati surviving being downed on the same day.

[ilkley remembers]

57 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

Good afternoon, Mr Phelps

The woman you are looking at has been described as “young and beautiful” with “captivating wiles” and “coquettish timidity”. Here she is, undercover in the guise of a simple fruit seller. No photographs of her are known to exist.

Your mission, should you decide [and so on]:

Actor Bob Johnson was the voice behind the tape in Mission Impossible but don't thing he was a crosss-dressing fruit seller in WW1..although, you can never tell I suppose.

Marthe Cnockaert apparently passed messages hidden in peices of fruit...played by Madeleine Carroll in the film 'I was a Spy'. The idea came from another unknown spy who did the same in vegetables whose nickname was 'Canteen Ma'. 

Is this on the right track?

 

Edited 5 March , 2023 by ilkley remembers

[ilkley remembers]

3 minutes ago, neverforget said:

Indeed. I'm not sure where I got the idea of Rabagliati surviving being downed on the same day.

Actually that does ring a bell will have to locate my file on him and check. The file is in one of the attics however, given the amount of stuff up there it could take several days

 

[neverforget]

1 minute ago, ilkley remembers said:

Actually that does ring a bell will have to locate my file on him and check. The file is in one of the attics however, given the amount of stuff up there it could take several days

 

It would be nice to find that I haven't completely lost the plot, (though some might smile knowingly at that remark) but please don't go to as much trouble as that 

[ilkley remembers]

8 minutes ago, neverforget said:

It would be nice to find that I haven't completely lost the plot, (though some might smile knowingly at that remark) but please don't go to as much trouble as that 

Ok will have a go tomorrow but if you don't hear from me for a couple of days send out a search party

[neverforget]

3 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

Ok will have a go tomorrow but if you don't hear from me for a couple of days send out a search party

Please be careful. I already have more than enough on my conscience as it is 😊

[Uncle George]

22 minutes ago, ilkley remembers said:

Marthe Cnockaert apparently passed messages hidden in peices of fruit...played by Madeleine Carroll in the film 'I was a Spy'. The idea came from another unknown spy who did the same in vegetables whose nickname was 'Canteen Ma'. 

Is this on the right track?

 

Yes. Yes it is. This young woman used her cover as a pretty peasant girl of the Midi. She was discovered by the Marseilles police skulking in a fort embrasure making a sketch of a gun. She was tried as a spy and put to death.

[Knotty]

UG

Is this the same Marthe Cnockaert?

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

Different outcome if it is.

[Uncle George]

3 minutes ago, Knotty said:

UG

Is this the same Marthe Cnockaert?

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

Different outcome if it is.

That’s the spy, yes. Here’s a clue:

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/was-lord-kitchener-gay/

[neverforget]

4 minutes ago, Knotty said:

UG

Is this the same Marthe Cnockaert?

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

Different outcome if it is.

Yet another I posted a while back.😁 Honoured by Germany, Belgium, France and Britain. 

[neverforget]

2 minutes ago, Uncle George said:

That’s the spy, yes. Here’s a clue:

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/was-lord-kitchener-gay/

Are we then looking for someone else; Canteen Ma perhaps?

[Uncle George]

Just now, neverforget said:

Yet another I posted a while back.😁 Honoured by Germany, Belgium, France and Britain. 

Sorry I think I’ve misled. My WiT is not Marthe, but she was a spy.

1 minute ago, neverforget said:

Are we then looking for someone else; Canteen Ma perhaps?

Someone else, yes. Canteen Ma, no.

(Sorry for this confusion.)