Bristol F.2B Painting

[robbie56]

I bought this oil painting a couple of days ago. I think it is a Bristol F.2B ? The frame looks to be of the First World War era to the early 1920s. The back of the painting has some age to it too, cobwebs and the likes. Is there anyway of dating the aircraft from some of the details added by the artist. The only thing that I thought unusual was the colour of the tyres. I thought black instead of grey.

 

Edited 13 June , 2022 by robbie56
Spelling correction

[Dolphin]

It's definitely a Bristol F.2B but, without seeing the serial number, we can't identify the individual aeroplane.  The grey tyres are correct for the period, as black tyres didn't come into vogue until long after the end of the war.

What is interesting is the definite brown colour of the fuselage.  If the artist matched the colour of the subject aeroplane, it's an indication that PC10 was a brown, rather than greenish, colour.

I hope this helps

Gareth

[squirrel]

If the painting were to be cleaned the colours might come out slightly different.

[robbie56]

It needs a clean however the colour of the fuselage is definitely brown when viewed under daylight. Many thanks for replies.

[sdparker]

What a lovely painting!

I think it was painted in those colours which were used on machines on the Western Front by the RFC/RAF.

Home front machines were usually khaki green, I think. The two colours were PC10 and PC12, but can't remember which is which.

After the war , they would have used a different colour scheme, so I think the artist wanted to portray a machine on active service.

Regards

Geoff

[robbie56]

Thanks Geoff, that helps a lot. I was hoping the painting reflected an active service scene. I have attached a closer view and to my eyes the fuselage is brown ? I bought the painting for an RCAF pilot’s collection thinking there might be a slight Canadian link.

 

Edited 13 June , 2022 by robbie56

[Dolphin]

To clarify the colour question, PC10 was a brownish colour (it varied from batch to batch as it was mixed from components) used on British aircraft on the Western Front and in the UK.  PC12 was more a reddish-brown colour which was used on aircraft destined for service in hotter theatres, such as Palestine or Macedonia.  Night-flying bombers were doped in dark green, known as Nivo (Night Varnish Orfordness).

The F.2B in the painting has the look of an aeroplane on the Western Front, as flown by many Canadians.

I hope this helps

Gareth

[robbie56]

Many thanks to all. All things seem to point at this being a representation of an F2.B in Western Front colour scheme.  I’m reluctant to remove the covering on the back but that could be the next step.

Appreciated.

 

[MikB]

When I was a kid in the late '50s - early '60s, my memory is that model Brisfits were always green(ish). Of course, some of the aircrew were still alive with vivid memories of 40 years before.

But interestingly, The Bay has an unassembled Airfix F2B bagged kit made for the French market from 1959 for sale, and the header art is unmistakably in brown.

[robbie56]

In order to remount the painting with glass a framer removed the picture and found some detail on the back in pencil. As best I can tell the first letter is an L or indeed could also be a 2. The last letters appear to my eyes as Galt. I had a look online and indeed there was a pilot named as Lt. Galt. I couldn’t find any other name or initial online. Lt. Galt flew with 59Squadron which towards the later part of the war equipped with Brisfit (Bristol F.2 fighter) aeroplanes.

if possible it would be good to put a name to the pilot.

 

 

[Tawhiri]

There are only two officers called Galt serving with the RAF coming up in the AIR 76 series at the National Archives. According to the Casualty Forms website 2nd Lieutenant Alexander Galt is the man you are looking for, his casualty form shows that he was posted to 59 squadron on 20 October 1918.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/7907

His full service record is currently available online for free through the National Archives website, you'll just need to register for an account if you have not already done so. 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8262373

On 06/09/2021 at 06:43, robbie56 said:

I bought the painting for an RCAF pilot’s collection thinking there might be a slight Canadian link.

Looking at his full service record it looks as though he was a Canadian, or possibly an American passing as a Canadian given his next of kin, who was named as his mother, Mrs C M Jennings, was living in Portland, Oregon, which fits with your supposition that there is a possible Canadian link. He was transferred to the unemployed list on 22 April 1919.

Confirmation of his rank as a 2nd Lieutenant from the London Gazette of 24 September 1918:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30918/page/11348

And transferred to the unemployed list from the London Gazette of 27 June 1919:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31422/page/8113

Edited 20 May , 2022 by Tawhiri

[squirrel]

RFC aircraft colours. As Dolphin has said the WF and home colour was PC10 brown.

However, this extract from:

"Fighters - attack & training aircraft 1914-19 -  Kenneth Munson -  additional notes Ian D Huntley"

Blandford Press 1968 - ISBN 0 7137 0760 7  - Appendix 2 Page 184

Might be off interest FWIW:

"...the early varnishes, having a low proportion of Fe2O3 inthe pigment, and being spread thinly on the fabric, resulted in a light olive brown hue. The later dopes, with a higher percentage of pigment (which helped to save cellulose), appeared denser, more opaque, and of a more yellowish-brown colour. The introduction of PC10 pigments in Linseed oil and long oil (copal type) varnishes, , again in different proprtions and strengths, produced further variations in the final hue. It is the variety of application media - oils-varnishes-cellulose, which, with their optical effect of "green shift" on a newly finished aircraft, give rise to the oft repeated "dark green" or "khaki green" descriptions of aircraft finished in PC10 shades."

[Tawhiri]

According to his RAF service record Alexander Galt was born in 29 March 1895, which then leads to the birth of an Alexander Galt in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 29 March 1895, the son of William Galt and Agnes Rennie.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNG8-Q6N

I can also find the marriage record of an Alexander Galt, the son of William Galt and Agnes Henderson(?), who married Mildred Thurmond on 18 April, 1931 in Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States. Alexander's age is given as 36, so born in 1895, and both the groom and bride state they were born in Portland, Oregon, which coincidentally is the same place that Alexander Galt's mother was stated to be living in the next of kin section in his RAF service record. Alexander's occupation on marriage was sales manager, and it was the first marriage for both groom and bride.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2Q7R-3H6 

Sadly, I can also find the death of an Alexander Galt, the husband of Mildred Galt, registered in Marion, Oregon, a little over three years later on 15 July 1934.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZH6-RS3

There seems to be an associated obituary that was printed in the Oregonian, which was published in Portland, Oregon, on 16 July 1934. Unfortunately I cannot access the actual image, FamilySearch only has an text index for the obituary.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5Q8-CLTZ

Edited 20 May , 2022 by Tawhiri

[Tawhiri]

In the 1901 Canada census, Alexander and family, consisting of William, Agnes, Alexander, and an older and younger sister are living in York, Ontario.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KHPM-J5M

Digging a little deeper, the contact address given on Alexander Galt's RAF service record is 5120 Forty Second Avenue, Portland, Oregon. In the 1920 US Federal Census there is an Agnes H Jennings living at this address with her husband Charles M Jennings. Charles is aged 45, while Agnes was born in Scotland and is aged 55. Agnes immigrated to the US in 1904, and became a naturalized citizen in November 1914. Charles and Agnes are living at the same address in the 1930 Federal Census, with the additional information that Agnes' first marriage was at the age of 23, so presumably Charles was not her first husband. The death of an Agnes Jennings, the wife of Charles Jennings, was registered on 14 June 1934 in Portland, Oregon, a month before Alexander died. 

1920 US Federal census

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M48W-G7D

1930 US Federal census

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC91-YHS

1934 death registration of Agnes Jennings

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZ4K-61F

I'm not having any joy finding Agnes and the children in either the 1910 Canada or 1910 US Federal censuses, although given that Agnes apparently immigrated to the US in 1904, they must presumably be in the US somewhere.

Edited 20 May , 2022 by Tawhiri

[Tawhiri]

There is this May 1917 US draft card though, for an Alexander Galt, born on 29 March 1892 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, working as a hotel clerk in California at the time. The year of birth is wrong, but the fact he is working in a hotel matches what is recorded at the bottom of the third page of Alexander Galt's RAF service record, which is that he had been working in a hotel in Portland, Oregon from July 1914 to June 1916.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZK9-J22

[robbie56]

Many many thanks Tawhiri and Squirrel, your time is much appreciated. My understanding is Galt was Canadian born but a US citizen. If he had a US draft card combined with the Canadian connection the RFC would not have been unusual ? 

The more I look at the written pencil on the back I can see  Lt or 2?. The details you provide indicate Second Lieutenant. Alexander does seem to be the Christian name and Galt a surname. The middle name has a couple of o’s, looks like spoon !

The framer said the painting was about 100 years old. The type of nails used, rust covered too, and the recesses on the back said that was typical of the time.

Once I have the glass in place I will forward to an RCAF friend in Canada along with your information.

Again many thanks. 
ps - I couldn’t see his obituary dated to the year 1934. It would be interesting