Last flight of BE2E, No.2856, April 1917

[Mike Cross]

This is the final entry in 2nd Lieutenant F Matthews' Pilot's Flying Log Book.  This former Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussar soldier became a POW after perhaps being shot down on or after April 8th 1917.  I was wondering if information exists as to where and perhaps when this happened.

The drawing of a similar airplane was created by a colleague in the POW camp, thought to be Schweidnitz.

Thanks for any help.  These are recent donations to the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum.

Mike Cross

[fellop]

Trevor Henshaw excellewnt works TSTB and TSTB II gives the following information: 

11 April 1917 4 Sqn RFC

BE2c serial 2769 departed Cambrai at 0708hrs on a bombing mission. Combat with about 8 enemy aircraft and propeller hit. 2Lt F Matthews WIA [leg] and POW.

Combat claimed by Lt F Roth of Jasta 12.

[Edit] A cross reference with: The Jasta War Chronology by Franks,Bailey and Duiven confirms this information.

 

Regards

Peter

Edited 2 April , 2022 by fellop

[topgun1918]

The BE2e was actually A2856 which was allotted to No 4 Squadron on 25 March 1917.  It was later sent to No 15 Squadron, via 1 AD and 2 AD, arriving there on 21 May.  It went back to 1 AD on 24 June and was struck off charge as time-expired.

On 11 April, a 5 strong bombing formation of 4 Sqn BE2's (pilots only), escorted by B Flight 3 Naval Sqn and some SPADs of 23 Sqn, encountered 8 HA scouts (noted as Albatros & Halberstadts) over Cambrai; these were evidently from Jasta 2 (Boelcke) and Jasta 12.

It is worth noting the BE's were at 5,000ft and Matthews was in the rear machine; he was hit in the leg and the propeller was also struck, probably by fire from Ltn d R Friedrich Roth from Jasta 12 who claimed his second victory in the vicinity of Hem-Lenglet (north of Cambrai) at 08:45.  Also lost was 4 Sqn's Lieut Francis Leslie Kitchin who was killed in BE2d 5849, probably falling to Ltn d R Adolf Schulte of Jasta 12, who claimed his seventh victory over Tilloy at 08:55.  A third loss in this engagement was 23 Sqn's 2nd-Lieut Roche who was attacked by 2 HA, his SPAD's struts being hit.  He went down in a spinning nose dive; the engine failed and he effected a forced landing at Cambrai where he was taken prisoner.  The victor in this instance was likely Ltn d R Hermann Frommherz from Jasta 2 who claimed his first victory over Cuvillers, north of Cambrai at 09:00.

Graeme

 

[Mike Cross]

Many thanks gentlemen for your explanations.  So it seems that Matthews effected a landing behing German lines despite his injuries and damage to his aircraft.  In the course of his captivity he was joined by many other RFC men and these feature in a journal kept during this time.

MC

[Mike Cross]

It is interesting that both contributors reported that Matthews suffered from leg wounds.  I have now been talking with the family and they remember that he was in fact wounded in the shoulder.  They are convinced.  Is there one central source that holds what appears to be erroneous information?

Thanks again.

Mike Cross

[josquin]

Frederick Matthews was born on 2 March 1897, at Fifield, Oxfordshire and lived there prior to his service with the

Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars as a Private (service number 2037) and the R.F.C. and R.A.F. (Private 2037 and 2nd

Lieutenant).  Appointed a Probationary Temporary/2nd Lieutenant with the R.F.C. on 3 September 1916, he was appointed

a Flying Officer on 5 April 1917 subsequent to embarking to France (on 22 March 1917) and his posting to 4 Squadron

(23 March 1917).  Taken prisoner on 11 April 1917, less than 3 weeks after joining the squadron, he was repatriated on

2 January 1919 and placed on the Unemployed List on 1 April 1919.  I did not locate any information about his postwar

life.  He died at Witney, Oxfordshire, in 1973.

Josquin

[Tawhiri]

His associated casualty incident card(s), there are two of them, side by side, when you follow the links below just say that he was wounded, without specifying where.

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/7000278833-matthews-f

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/7000278834-matthews-f

There is also an associated casualty form which provides a more detailed look at dates. etc, but again it just states that he was wounded.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/14989

[Acknown]

I suspect you have seen his ICRC Card, but in case not it's here: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/en/File/Details/444860/3/2/. Three entries:

23 May 17 - Entry below. Record headed 'Gefl. Augustabad'. I think this describes a hospital in Hamburg, but others may know better.

29 May 17 - he was in 'Lazerette [Hospital] Hamburg'.

19 Jan 18 - record headed 'Schweidnitz', with following entry. I think 'Unterschenkle' means lower leg, perhaps the site of his injury, but I don't understand why it states '1k.' and 'Neubrandenburg'.

Acknown

Edited 23 April , 2022 by Acknown

[Mike Cross]

Superb information, thank you.  I am fairly comfortable with 'regular' research but this info is beyond my normal scope.  I am still absorbing this material and very much appreciate the help and detail provided.

MC

[Acknown]

Ads an addition, both Schweidnitz and Neubrandenburg were 'Offizierlager', but in different corps areas. The former may be the initiator of the report rather than where he was held (I have made this sort of mistake before!). We need an expert and let's hope that one responds to this thread.

Acknown

[Acknown]

By the way, the ICRC WW1 POW record is contained here: https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/. Click 'search for a person' in the top bar, then put in the surname and start scrolling. It is often difficult to find people and spelling is sometimes inaccurate, so you have to be creative when searching.

Acknown