Letters to survivors of KIA aviators

[Guest Gary Davidson]

I know many parents of WW1 aviators received heartbreaking news informing them that their son had died valiantly in battle.

I have three questions:

1. Who generally wrote the letter? The aviator's commanding officer?

2. As a rule, how was this news delivered? Mail? Telegram? In person?

3. Are there any examples of these letters written about aviators? I found the following example on the web written about an infantryman in WW1:

A letter has been received by the friends of Lce-Corpl. Hy. Bradly, Eastgate S., Driffield (who was reported as missing on April 23rd), from Mr Louis Mallet, of the British Red /Cross and Order of St John, dated July 14th, which says :- “With reference to your enquiry for L.Cpl. H. Bradley, 9987 A. Company, 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment, we deeply regret to say that we have heard unofficially that Bradley was killed on the afternoon of April 23rd, in the attack at Ypres.  Our informant tells us that he saw Bradley’s body; that he belonged to the same Section, and that they were close together at the time.  He says Bradley was hit in the head.  We should tell you that we are not ourselves inclined to accept this evidence as final, but we thought it right to pass it on to you.”

Gary

[Dolphin]

Gary

Answers to your questions are:

1. It was normally one of the obligations of a squadron commander to write a letter to the next of kin of an airman who had been killed. This followed the practice in the infantry, where the company commander was usually the author of the letter.

2. Initial advice to the family was usually by telegram, with the letter to follow. In Australia, at least, the news was often conveyed by a clergyman. Again, airmen were no different to other members of the services.

3. I don't have any examples to immediately to hand.

Another book you might like to read if you can find a copy is Sholto Douglas's Years of Combat, which covers his experiences as an observer and pilot in the early years, to his time as the commander of No 84 Sqn RFC/RAF in the later stages.

Regards

Gareth

[Guest Gary Davidson]

Gareth --

Thanks for answering that. That WW1 library just keeps getting bigger and bigger...

Cheers,

Gary

[jim_davies]

From Stamford Mercury 1918:

THE LATE LIEUT J.A. ANDREWS, RAF. Mr. F. Andrews, Adelaide-street, has received the following sympathetic letters:-

"BEF April 21, 1918

Dear Mr. Andrews-I write to say how much we feel your loss, as your son-a personal friend of mine and in my flight-was most popular and efficient. Examination afterwards showed your son suffered no pain, as death was instantaneous. He was fully qualified as an observer and about to put his wing up. Its just one's hard luck, and to lose a good fellow at a time like this, it hit the Flight very badly. Yours sincerely,

Captain D.A. Stevenson, MC, OC A Flight"

"April 23, 1918

Dear Mr. Andrews-I regret very much at being unable to write you previously in reference to the death of your son. He was killed during active operations...I need hardly tell you how sorry, not only myself, but the whole squadron are at losing such a fine comrade, as during the time he was with us he had become extremely popular, and was always the first to volunteer for any dangerous work. I wish to express to you and your family our deepest sympathy at your sad loss, which we feel so keenly. Yours very sincerely,

RE Paul, Major, RAF, BEF

Jim

[Dolphin]

Jim

Lt John Alfred Raymond Andrews (from Stamford, Lincolnshire, and formerly 16th Bn, London Regiment and 6th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment) was an observer in No 4 Sqn RAF. On 14 April 1918, a day with mist, rain and low clouds, he was flying with Lt Albert Edward Doughty MM in RE 8 C4561 when they were killed in an accident.

Both airman are buried at Aire, France.

Gareth

[Guest Gary Davidson]

Jim --

Very eloquent letters. You can feel the pain of the men who wrote them. Thanks for sharing that.

Gary

[Guest steveb21]

Mate,

I have a couple of letters written to a family about there died son.

One is from the Troop Officer (who had been wounded in the same action) and another is from a member of the man's Troop.

I find that the soldier's mates writes a letter to the family particularly when he is known to them.

Of cause my letters are the ALH (Light Horse) not the Flying Corps.

S.B

[Guest Gary Davidson]

S.B. --

I would be interested in seeing the content of those two letters if it is possible to post them.

Cheers,

Gary

[Guest steveb21]

Sorry Mate,

I don't have that capacity.

The letter from the officer is short but to the point written about his Troop Sgt who was killed in the Charge of Beersheba.

The letter from the soldiers mate is a little shorter but is more heart felt as I think he knew the family before the war or meet them?

I also have a letter sent to a different family by a soldiers mate reporting the death of this soldier and the way he died, it goes into some detail.

The family didn't recieve a Telegram from the Army so wrote to them to find out. This was news to the Army as they didn't know of the soldiers death.

Inquirys were made and it was soon found that the soldier was fit and well. The person who sent the false letter was never found as the name on the letter was someone in another unit then the man reported killed.

Who and why he would send a false letter to the family is unknown?.

Cheers

S.B

[Guest Gary Davidson]

S.B. --

It is hard to believe someone would send a false letter to a family intentionally. I am assuming it must have been some sort of battlefield mix-up for that type of error to occur.

Gary

[vervos]

Examples of letters to bereaved parents can be found in these 2 books:

Albert Ball V.C. by Chaz Bowyer pub. Kimber 1977

Brief Glory The Life of Rhys Davids by Alex Revell pub. Kimber 1984

A response from the mother of Rhys Davids to the O.C. 56 Squadron and his reply

to her also make for painful and insightful reading.

Hope this is of use.

Vervos