When was first British KB Officer shot down and baled out?

[Errol Martyn]

Anyone know when this might have been, please? More likely to have been shot down by a fighter than artillery fire?

 

Errol

[Moonraker]

I'm trying to work out what "KB" stands for.

 

Moonraker

[JMB1943]

Kite Balloon?

 

Regards,

JMB

[Errol Martyn]

Yes, sorry should have said, Kite Balloon Officer.

 

Errol

[MikeMeech]

On ‎05‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 09:09, Errol Martyn said:

Anyone know when this might have been, please? More likely to have been shot down by a fighter than artillery fire?

 

Errol

Hi

I don't know the first KBO shot down, but the first shot down by an enemy aeroplane and killed appears to be 2/Lt. Thomas Waldegrave NOPS of 9 KB Section on 21.10.16.

 

The first KIA appears to be Capt. Basil Hallam RADFORD of 1 KB Section on 20.8.16.  He was killed when his parachute failed to open after his balloon broke free.

 

This information is from 'Airmen Died in the Great War 1914-1918' (DVD-ROM).

 

Mike

[topgun1918]

The first listed in my database is 2nd-Lieut Edward Frederick Sheffield of No 7 KBS, killed in a parachute descent on 17 May 1916.  He was interred in Ecoivres Military Cemetery; Ecoivres is east of Flers.

 

I don't know whether this was the result of action by enemy aircraft or artillery fire.

 

Graeme

 

[MikeMeech]

4 minutes ago, topgun1918 said:

The first listed in my database is 2nd-Lieut Edward Frederick Sheffield of No 7 KBS, killed in a parachute descent on 17 May 1916.  He was interred in Ecoivres Military Cemetery; Ecoivres is east of Flers.

 

I don't know whether this was the result of action by enemy aircraft or artillery fire.

 

Graeme

 

Hi

 

'Airmen Died' has this down as an 'Accident' , so I am presuming the parachute descent he was killed in was a 'training jump'.

 

Mike

[topgun1918]

Cheers, Mike.  Should have checked.

 

Graeme

 

[Errol Martyn]

Many thanks Graeme and Mike. So sometime on or before 21 Oct 1916, it seems.

 

Cheers,

Errol

[James A Pratt III]

There is a book "The Balloonitics" that deals with balloon operations in WW I that might help.

[Errol Martyn]

Thanks James,

 

I have the book but author Hodges didn't start his RFC balloon training (in England) until about late 1916. Looks as though he didn't get to France until 1917. The book is not great on dates and there is no specific historical account about balloon operations before he got to France.

 

Cheers,

Errol