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Remembered Today:

RFC 1914 Casualties


Nick1914

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Dear All, trying to complete info on RFC Officer 1914 casualties. I have what I believe is a fairly full list including both combat and flying accidents -fatal and non-fatal incl PoWs. My list is the following base sometimes on just references or "snippets" from articles or books but not necessarily detailed accounts.

Bayly/Charles George Gordon

Boger/Robert Albany

Charlton/Lionel Evelyn Oswald

Crean/Theodore

Higgins/John Frederick Andrews

Hosking/Cyril Gordon

Hughes-Hallett/Harold Hereward

Lindop/Victor Somerset Erskine

MacNeece/William Foster

Mayne/Henry Graham Lambarde

Picton-Warlow/Wilfred

Rawson-Shaw/Kenneth

Small/Francis Gordon

Mapplebeck/Gilbert William

Waterfall/Vincent

Fleming/Henry Roland

Loraine/Robert Bilcliffe

Skene/Robert Reginald

Perry/Evelyn Walter Copland

Smith-Barry/Robert Raymond

Grattan-Bellew/William Arthur

Maitland-Addison/Alec Arthur Crichton

Grey/Robin

Busk/Edward Teshmaker

Barton/Clarence Harry

Firstly Francis Gordon Small attached to the RFC from the Connaught Rangers - pilots licence 1912. 5th Squadron in 1914. Date of Birth? Any biographical details school etc. I believe he was the first ever pilot shot down(wounded only) by aircraft to aircraft combat? The dates I have suggest between 22nd Nov and 7th Dec 1914. Anything more precise and location?

Similarly another Connaughts officer William Arthur Grattan-Bellew apparently a casualty in 1914? Was he commissioned in 1914 or only in 1915? Which squadron was he with and finally when & where did this occur?

Similarly for 2nd North Staffs officer Harold Hereward Hughes-Hallett - casualty in November 1914?

Finally 2nd Lt Clarence Henry Barton of 6th Squadron - anything on his commission type/date? & Lt Gilbert William Mappleback 4th Squadron -Special Reserve officer but when was he commissioned?

Many thanks, Nick

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One of the first projects of the In From the Cold Project was to cross-reference Airmen Died with CWGC records. As far as I know, any originally missing men are now sorted, so CWGC should be a reliable source.

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Many thanks for both the book references and CWGC website.

My list is of course Fatal and Non-Fatal. All fatalities have been multi-sourced CWGC, Bond of Sacrifice, de Ruginvys etc. Plus PoW at Cox's & IRC.

In from the Cold is indeed an interesting project. Having looked at over 1500 individual officer deaths in 1914 and dates for wounded kia later it is surprising how many forenames are actually still missing on the CWGC database.

Again thanks for your help.

Nick

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Hi Nick,

Although I am not an expert I do believe that 2/Lt A.A.C.Maitland-Addison did go to France as an o/r with the RFC in August,1914, but was commissioned into the Cheshire Regt in September,1914. Whilst serving with the 1st Bn Cheshire Regt., he was wounded on 25th October,1914 and subsequently died as a result of these wounds on 27th October,1914.

Hope this helps,

Robert

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In from the Cold is indeed an interesting project. Having looked at over 1500 individual officer deaths in 1914 and dates for wounded kia later it is surprising how many forenames are actually still missing on the CWGC database.

Submitting forenames to CWGC has not been part of our project. By the by,neither has submitting corrections of "other ranks" service numbers.

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Restricted to RFC casualties, both officers and other ranks, the list I have compiled is:

2nd Lt Robin Reginald SKENE & AM Robert Keith BARLOW, 3 Sqn RFC, both killed 12 August 1914 in Bleriot XI-2 260

2nd Lt Evelyn Walter Copeland PERRY & AM Herbert Edward PARFITT, 3 Sqn RFC, both killed 16 August 1914 in BE8 625

2nd Lt Robert Raymond SMITH-BARRY & Cpl Frederick John Parsons GEARD, 5 Sqn RFC, both killed 18 August 1914 in BE8 391

Sjt Maj David Samuel JILLINGS, 2 Sqn RFC, Wia 22 August 1914 in BE2

2nd Lt Vincent WATERFALL & Lt Charles George Gordon BAYLY, 5 Sqn RFC, both Kia 22 August 1914 in Avro 504 390

Lt Victor Somerset Erskine LINDOP, 3 Sqn RFC, Pow 7 September 1914 in BE8 479

Flt Sjt D GOODCHILD & AM J CHILTON, ? Sqn RFC, both Pow 12 September 1914

Lt Gilbert William MAPPLEBECK, 4 Sqn RFC, Wia 22 September 1914 in BE2a 242

Capt Robin GREY & Capt Robert Albany BOGER, 5 Sqn RFC, both Pow 5 October 1914 in Avro 504 638

Lt Cyril Gordon HOSKING & Capt Theodore CREAN, 4 Sqn RFC, both Kia 26 October 1914 in BE2a 317 (or BE2 612)

Lt Kenneth RAWSON-SHAW & Lt Henry Graham Lambarde MAYNE, 6 Sqn RFC, both Pow 27 October 1914 in BE2a 469

Lt Ralph M VAUGHAN, 5 Sqn RFC, Wia 1 November 1914

Lt William Ronald READ, 3 Sqn RFC, Wia 3 November 1914

Graeme


2nd Lt Edward Teshmaker BUSK, RFC, Killed 5 November 1914 in BE2c 601

Lt Ian Malcolm BONHAM-CARTER, 4 Sqn RFC, Wia 6 November 1914 in BE2a

AM1 William George WOOLRIDGE, 5 Sqn RFC, Killed 9 November 1914

AM1 John Joseph HARRINGTON, HQ RFC, Kia 13 November 1914

Lt Gordon Noel HUMPHREYS & AM BARTER, 4 Sqn RFC, both Wia 18 November 1914 in Shorthorn 371

Capt Harold Hereward HUGHES-HALLETT, 4 Sqn RFC, Wia 19 November 1914 in BE2a 314

Lt Francis Gordon SMALL, 5 Sqn RFC, Wia 22 November 1914 in Avro 504 683 ?

2nd Lt Henry Roland FLEMING, CFS, Killed 24 November 1914 in BE2

Lt ARKWRIGHT, 5 Sqn RFC, Wia 27 November 1914 in Farman 1823

Capt Wilfred PICTON-WARLOW, 2 Sqn RFC, Kia 20 December 1914 in Bleriot

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2nd Lt Robert Raymond SMITH-BARRY & Cpl Frederick John Parsons GEARD, 5 Sqn RFC, both killed 18 August 1914 in BE8 391

I'm pretty sure 2Lt R R Smith-Barry survived. This is an extract from an article I wrote for the Journal of the Australian Society of WWI Aero Historians:

No.5 Squadron suffered its first fatal casualty on 18 August when Cpl Frederick Geard (47) who was flying as observer in BE8 No.391, flown by 2Lt R.R. Smith-Barry,

was killed when the aeroplane crashed at Péronne due to ‘control failure’ with fatal consequences for the observer and two broken legs for the pilot.

[later] Lt Col R R Smith-Barry devised the system of flying training introduced in 1917 that is still used today, and commanded the School of Special Flying at Gosport in 1918.

Gareth

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I'd heartily recommend The Sky Their Battlefield II and Airmen Died - both are essential if you need a complete 1914 list to start from.

Fatal and Non-fatal casualties from 1914, on all active fronts... they're all described in detail in my book!

Regards,

Trevor

(And thanks Quemerford, for the reference)

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Dear All, many thanks for your help and suggestions. I've now checked out Trevor's book on his web site and it looks an incredible resource.......and a truly amazing amount of work.

Old Owl.....I'll recheck my Addison - Maitalnd reference.....it does look wrong and also isn't on Topgun's list above either.

Dolphin, very interesting remarks re Smith-Barry.......any idea how he evaded with 2 broken legs? - a WW1 Douglas Bader act!

Thanks everyone......my first visit to the Air War section and most fruitful.

Nick

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Dolphin, very interesting remarks re Smith-Barry.......any idea how he evaded with 2 broken legs? - a WW1 Douglas Bader act!

Nick

I'm pretty sure that Smith-Barry came down in Allied territory, so no evasion was required.

Cheers

Gareth

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My apologies. Copying information from one of my databases into a Word document then pasting it here wasn't the seamless operation it appeared to be! Smith-Barry, of course, survived the crash, as detailed by Gareth.

Graeme

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Dear Topgun, just came across this Forum post from member Patrick Anderson in 2012.....looks like our man. But from later posts seems the info wounded with 11th Hussars is clearly wrong and with the RFC as you have detailed. However, just studied my dbase and his name came up under the 11th Hussars.

Casualty at Mons on 24/25th August when with A Squadron 11th Hussars, then invalided/sick on 20th September 1914 during the battle of the Aisne. Presumably then moved to the RFC?

Nick

Posted 24 March 2012 - 08:30 PM

Captain F G A ARKWRIGHT , RFC together with Lieut Allan Hardy, RFC were accidentally killed whilst flying between GLAMIS and FORFAR on October 14th , 1915 . Capt Arkwright was aged 29 years old and was the son of Mr F C Arkwright of Willesley , Matlock. Capt Arkwright had been wounded whilst serving with the 11th Hussars in November 1914 . Lieut Allan Hardy was 25 years of age and was the son of Col Hardy of Chilham castle Kent

Capt Arkwright together with Lieut Hardy were stationed at RFC Montrose in Forfarshire Scotland in 1915 and they had flown from Montrose aerodrome on 13th October 1915 when owing to a defect in the machinery they landed near GLAMIS CASTLE . ( The home of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Capt The Hon Fergus Bowes- lyon , BLACK WATCH (kia Loos Sept 1915) .

A new propeller was fitted and the following day the officers began to return back to RFC Montrose but soon they were seen to be in difficulties when flying at a height of three or four hundred feet . The machine circled once or twice and then crashed to the ground with great force. The machine was wrecked and both officers were killed instanteously.

Both officers bodies were removed and military funerals took place in England at their home locations .

Does anyone know any details of the aeroplanes as Airmen died in the Great War 1914-18 edited by Chris Hobson shows only they the officers were members of 6 Reserve Aero Sqn RFC with no details on the aeroplane make or serial numbers? Also any details of location of the plane crash other than near Glamis (castle ) and Forfar ??

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Nick,

This site says it was a Maurice Farman - don't know the source though. There's a little about the location as well.

http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1916.htm

If I really had to guess, I'd say 2974 - as it came on strength 31 July 15, and in my records (based on log books etc I've sifted) I don't have any others at 6RAS at the time. But it is definitely speculative...

Odd that more details weren't reported.

Trevor

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Hello Nick,

As advised, you can't do better than Trevor's book The Sky Their Battlefield. However, there are more general details in my forthcoming book Baptism of Fire which will be published in the Spring. This is the history of the first year of the RFC in France, August 1914 - August 1915. All but two of the people in your list are mentioned in the text.

Alex

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Dolphin, very interesting remarks re Smith-Barry.......any idea how he evaded with 2 broken legs? - a WW1 Douglas Bader act!

Nick

I'm pretty sure that Smith-Barry came down in Allied territory, so no evasion was required.

Cheers

Gareth

Apparently he told the French that came to the crash site "Call me a cab"

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Nils d.

Not quite. He was in hospital and when told that as he couldn't walk he would be left behind to be captured by the advancing Germans, he instructed one of the hospital orderlies to fetch him a cab. He left on one side of the city while the Germans were coming into the other. Quite a character Full details in forthcoming book. :-)

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From 1914 Army List - Lt. Francis Gordon Small - date of birth 7.3.1890

2nd Lt. Connaught Rangers 20.4.1910, Lt. Connaught Rangers 23.12.1911, Lt. R.F.C. 17.4.1913.

Clarence Harry Barton, formerly 5433 28th London Regiment, gazetted 2nd Lt. General List R.F.C. 4.4.1917

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30035/supplement/3925

Gilbert William Mapplebeck (not Mappleback as posted) was gazetted 2nd Lt. 4th Bn. King's (Liverpool R.) 8.3.1911

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28473/page/1960

and, as Lt. 4th (Special Reserve) Bn. King's Liverpool R. seconded to R.F.C. dated 8.5.1913

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29030/page/151

Edit to add:

William Arthur Grattan Bellew was commissioned into the R.F.C. as 2nd Lt. (on probation) 17.1.1915, no mention of Connaught Rangers.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29054/supplement/997

He was confirmed in his rank, R.F.C., Military Wing, in London Gazette issue 29146 of 27.4.1915 page 4151

Harold Hereward Hughes Hallett was gazetted 2nd Lt. into 3rd Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regt. 18.12.1895

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26690/page/7301

After secondment to the Colonial Office and service in the West India Regt. he transferred, as Capt., to the N. Staffs. R. on 20.2.1907

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27997/page/1194

Appointed Adjutant of 7th Bn. North Staffs R. 21.8.1914

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28890/supplement/6980

23.12.1914 Seconded to the General Staff. Staff jobs thereafter

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29015/page/10922

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Harold Hereward Hughes-Hallett is quite interesting. His wounding was reported in The Aeroplane magazine on 2 December 1914 with this outline of his military career:

"Captain Harold Hughes-Hallett joined the West India Regiment from the Militia, and afterwards transferred to the North Staffordshire Regiment. He served with the Central African Regiment and in the Yao contingent of the 3rd East Africa Battalion. His war service includes the operations in Sierra Leone and Somaliland, and he was present at Jidballi with Sir Charles Egerton. He is a graduate of the Staff College, and was recently serving with the 3rd North Staffordshire Regiment and the Royal Flying Corps".

Although it gives his Battalion as 3rd, he was Adjutant of 7th (Service) Battalion from 21 August to 1 September 1914, before being seconded to the RFC and according to "Observers and Navigators and Other non-pilot aircrew" (by Wing Commander C G Jefford), was one of ten officers who attended the "first formal Observers course run by the RFC", arriving in France on 23 September 1914. He is also listed in table of 19 officers "known to have flown as qualified observers with the RFC in the field during 1914".

He was Mentioned in Despatches whilst serving with the RFC in France. It is included in John French's Despatch of 14 January 1915 for something he did during the period from October to December 1914.

Not sure of the circumstances of his "wounding" but he clearly recovered sufficiently to undertake staff work for the rest of the war but died in Sussex on 16 June 1919. He is commemorated by CWGC. Born in India in 1878, he was 41 years old at his death.

C

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Some background on Francis Gordon Small:-

Birthplace Keynsham, Somerset (now Bristol), son of Lt.-Col. William George Small (1842 - 1931) and Ellen Agnew Fedden (1856 - 1933).

In the 1901 census, when Francis Gordon Small was 11 years of age, the family was living at Kings Heath, Westbury Hill, Westbury on Trym, Glos. he was in the household. His father's occupation was given as Lt.-Colonel Army Pay Dept. retired.

Francis Gordon Small died in 1970.

An obituary for his father was published in The Times on Wednesday, 7.10.1931. The Army Lists show that he served with the 20th Regt. of Foot in the Indian Mutiny and 59th in Afghanistan.

post-43672-0-90368800-1453535942_thumb.j

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The Times, Friday 27.11.1914, casualty list issued by G.H.Q. dated 23.11.1914 included:-

WOUNDED

Hughes-Hallett, Capt. H. H., N. Staffordshire Regiment and R. Flying Corps.

Also listed was Loraine, Sec. Lieut. R., R. Flying Corps.

The Times, Thursday 10.12.1914, casualty list issued by G.H.Q. dated 7.12.1914 included:-

WOUNDED

Small, Lt. F. G., Connaught Rangers [No mention of Royal Flying Corps.]

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Dear All, many thanks for all the most valuable feedback - "lots of interesting flavour" for me to digest and hopefully other members also.

Good luck with the book Alex.....don't forget to post its publication.

Harry I have also logged the casualty refs from the Times, this is a good starting point to work back to the actual casualty dates. Also noted the spelling corrections etc. The info on Small is very helpful I've been drawing a blank on general internet searches.

Best regards, Nick

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