2nd/Lt Charley Pickstone

[thetrenchrat22]

In Courtrai (St Jean) Communal Cemetery is a Unknown 2nd Lieutenant of the Royal Flying Corps with the date of the 3rd September 1917.

 

According to the casualty card for 2nd Lt Pickstone he was seen going down under control over Menin.  

 

Does anybody have any information on this officer and where can I get to see his service records 

 

 

[jonbem]

Hi

doesn't say much but on

www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/pickstone-c.-charley

So then look up 1 Sqdn I guess

 

regards

Jon

Edited 24 February , 2018 by jonbem

[thetrenchrat22]

Jon, 

 

thank you you for your reply.  

 

I had a look at story vault which gave me of the details of him going down over Menin 

 

i could see anything else on the site to help me

 

Alan 

 

[Phill Jones]

From The Sky Their Battlefield by Trevor Henshaw.

 

Seen going down steep with 2 EA on his tail Near GHELUWE , MIA (2nd Lt C Pickstone KIA ) Left 6-10 pm ROULERS-MENIN, in Nieuport 17 B1582  1 Sqd.

Nieuport Claim Combat KOELENBERG 6-50 pm Ltn H Adam Jasta 6 .

 

Find My past has a Service file for this Officer 

Edited 24 February , 2018 by Phill Jones
More info

[Phil Evans]

There is nothing to add in his ICRC files, but, for reference, the cards can be found here.

 

Phil

[thetrenchrat22]

Hi, 

 

thank you for all your replies.

 

i think a letter to the RAF Museum at Hendon is called for. 

 

Alan

[josquin]

Alan,

You can obtain copies of the following records from the National Archives Kew:

Army Officer Service Record for Second Lieutenant Charles Pickstone, General List and Royal Flying Corps; file reference WO 339/89941

RFC Offficer Service Record for C. Pickstone; file reference Air 76/404/12  (many Air 76 files I have found to be quite minimal, however)

Medal Index Card for Charles Pickstone, Officer Training Corps service number 10724 & General list 2nd Lieutenant & Royal Flying Corps 2nd Lieutenant

    file reference WO 372/16/2436

Adding a biographical sketch, Charley Pickstone was born at Seedley, Lancashire in 1898 (his birth was registered at Salford, Lancs during the 2nd Quarter of 1898),

the son of Charley Pickstone Sr & Gertrude Pickstone--his father was a native of Unsworth, Lancs, his mother was born at Radcliffe, Lancs.  The family was

living at Whitefield, Lancs at the time of the 1911 Census.  Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that Charley Pickstone was killed on 3 September

1917, at the age of 19, whilst serving with 1 Squadron, and states that Charley & Gertrude Pickstone resided at "Corrin," Hamilton Rd., Whitfield (sic), Manchester.

The Find A Grave Index lists him as "Charley C. Pickstone," but none of the records indicates a second forename.

The "100 Years Ago Today" series on The Aerodrome Forum gives the following account of Lt. Pickstone's final flight:  During an offensive patrol,

1 and 56 Squadrons fought a large number of German aircraft from more than one squadron.  Lt. Pickstone took-off at 18:10/19:10 flying

Nieuport 23 B1582 and was last seen going down very steeply northeast of Gheluwe with two enemy aircraft on his tail (Leutnant Hans Adam,

of Jasta 6 and Oberleutnant Oskar von Boenigk, of Jasta 4); Adam was credited with shooting down Lt. Pickstone at Koelenberg, at 18:50/19:50

for his 14th victory.  Ltn. Adam was himself shot down and killed on 15 November 1917, near Langemarck, by Lt. Kenneth B. Montgomery of

45 Squadron, R.F.C.

Josquin

Edited 26 February , 2018 by josquin

[thetrenchrat22]

Thank you for your reply. 

 

I was in my local library, the other week and the staff gave me a copy of the COB and GRRF for the above cemetery. 

 

They thought I had left prints on the printer.  I never had a need to look at the cemetery before. 

 

The unknown 2nd Lieutenant RFC just came out at me, I may look at this later.  When I feeling better again. 

 

Thank you

[LDT006]

I have been looking for this man but couldn't find him, there are some unknown aviators buried in cemeteries nearby but I don't have a date of death or burial.

It looks that you found him but I have some reservations:

 

18 hours ago, Phill Jones said:

From The Sky Their Battlefield by Trevor Henshaw.

 

Seen going down steep with 2 EA on his tail Near GHELUWE , MIA (2nd Lt C Pickstone KIA ) Left 6-10 pm ROULERS-MENIN, in Nieuport 17 B1582  1 Sqd.

Nieuport Claim Combat KOELENBERG 6-50 pm Ltn H Adam Jasta 6 .

 

The above shows that he crashed near Koelenberg (located at Gheluwe) east of Menin.

If he survived the crash and was wounded: Why would the Germans transport him all the way to Kortrijk ( 16Km)?

There were several other field hospitals that they passed on their way: Gheluwe, Menin and Wevelghem.

The burials at the St Jean Communal Cemetery were casualties from the Feldlazarett at Kortrijk.

 

There are some other aircrew without known grave and missing in the same period, example:

2Lt Williams CP, missing 26/8/1917 "during combat nr Courtrai on escort to special mission".

 

His medical records can solve it if he meets the data on the special exhumation report:

 

Regards,

Luc.

[thetrenchrat22]

Combat Claim Number 59 by Baron Manfred von Richthofen 

 

Was 2nd/Lt C P Williams of 19 Sqn, Spad VII B3492.  Between Poelcapelle and Langemarck.  Exploded at 500 meters 

 

Also this claimed by Carl Menckhoff of Jasta 3, Zonnebeke about 06.45am

 

taken from the Sky their battlefield 

[LDT006]

We have joined forces in a three men team to collect all the information.

A report has been submitted to CWGC:

He was the only one that crashed in the area at that date.

We were able to exclude all other casualties including the ones that died some time before.

His medical data (height and color of hair) is a perfect match with that on the special exhumation report.

 

I would like to thank Alan for starting this.

Luc.

[Chesterboy]

On 30/04/2018 at 18:57, LDT006 said:

We have joined forces in a three men team to collect all the information.

A report has been submitted to CWGC:

He was the only one that crashed in the area at that date.

We were able to exclude all other casualties including the ones that died some time before.

His medical data (height and color of hair) is a perfect match with that on the special exhumation report.

 

I would like to thank Alan for starting this.

Luc.

Any update on this case

[LDT006]

The usual email with the CWGC ID Case (443) was received early may 2018 but nothing more since then.

I have another case, 8 months older, also without news.

Luc.

[Chesterboy]

On 30/04/2018 at 18:57, LDT006 said:

We have joined forces in a three men team to collect all the information.

A report has been submitted to CWGC:

He was the only one that crashed in the area at that date.

We were able to exclude all other casualties including the ones that died some time before.

His medical data (height and color of hair) is a perfect match with that on the special exhumation report.

 

I would like to thank Alan for starting this.

Luc.

Any further updates as there seems a lot of activity on rededication ceremonies and searching for next of kin 

Will

[Chesterboy]

On 02/11/2021 at 07:35, LDT006 said:

The usual email with the CWGC ID Case (443) was received early may 2018 but nothing more since then.

I have another case, 8 months older, also without news.

Luc.

Any update on this case, as there seems to be a lot of redication services involving the RFC or RAF graves