Albert Ball. Was this true ?

[skyleader]

Hi

I finally managed to visit my Heroes grave and crash site in 2019. One of those Leger tours. They showed us various graves and all relevant sites etc.

Now I've read a lot about Albert Ball, history and WW1 airman/aeroplanes being a passion,

The guide was a bit dismissive of the history of AB, And when I told him he was a Hero of mine in particular, he said that ' Ball would be on escort patrol or the such like, and he would clear off to chase an enemy and leave the patrol to fend for the themselves. He was nicknamed the flying testicle by his squadron'.

Now I know AB could be eccentric, but in all my research, I cannot find reference to this nickname.

Anybody ??

 

Regards 

Skyleader

[Moonraker]

"Ball was seen as being a ‘lone wolf’ pilot in that he tended to attack German aeroplanes by himself rather than as a team." https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world-war-one/aerial-warfare-and-world-war-one/albert-ball/

[skyleader]

Yes, thank you. I know he was regarded and wss, a Lone Wolf.

[alex revell]

Ball began his combat career as a fighter pilot on joining 11 Sqdn on 11 May 1916, one of a number of pilots of two seater machines selected to fly scouts – as they were then called -  because of their 'aggressive tendencies. This was the era when the concept of Flights was unknown, 11 Sqdn had only two Nieuport Scouts on charge, shared between other pilots in the squadron who also had ‘aggressive  tendencies.’ These  pilots flew and fought alone from necessity; Ball was a typical example.

Later, in April 1917, when Ball  returned to France as a Flight Commander in 56 Sqdn, the era of the loner had long passed. The tactics of flying as a Flight were well established. Flight Commanders led their Flights to achieve tactical advantage, to shoot down as many of the enemy as they could without loss to their Flight.  But Ball had no interest or understanding of the duties of a Flight Commander, he remained a loner by instinct. Billy Crowe, one of his fellow Flight Commanders in 56 Squadron, opined that because of this Ball’s survival would be short. Tragically, he was right.

It’s a pity that you weren’t aware of these facts. You could have disabused the guide’s inaccurate nonsense.

As for the nickname of one testicle.  Willie Fry, a pilot who served with Ball in 11 Squadron, was a family friend of over forty years. Over many conversations discussing the RFC, its personalities and pilots, he told me a great deal about Ball, but never once mentioned this nickname. I don’t know where the guide learnt of this, but I suspect it is nonsense

Could I suggest a fine biography - warts and all -  of your hero. Albert Ball VC. The Fighter Pilot Hero of World War One. by Colin Pengelly. Published by Pen & Sword in 2010.

[skyleader]

Thank you, I have the book already amongst others. Just a bit put out that this 'expert' was so dismissive of a brave man, as you say, warts and all. Tragic that it was almost certainly either mechanical failure of disorientation that brought his career to an end.

[alex revell]

Ball's death has always been a controversy and probably always will be because people  want to give credit, despite all the evidence, to Lothar von Richthofen. Here's how I summed it up in an appendix in High In The Empty Blue, my history of 56 Sqdn

[skyleader]

Alex, your book looks interesting and one I have not seen before.. Is it still available ?.

All I have seen or read about that eventful evening, does not prove conclusively what became of Albert. There were no injury marks on his body, other than crash injuries. I have long believed what your book states.

Lothar vr was involved in that fight but his claim was for a Triplane.

regards

Maurice, aka Skyleader.