No. 70 Sqn Camel Pilots group photo between Oct 1918 and Feb 1919, please?

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

Obviously the antithisis of posh, but officer and pilot material, Londoner Walter Ian Caven started work at 15 in the City and joined the RFC aged 18 (2Lt) and at 19 Pilot and Lieut RAF (1 Apr 1918).

Crossed to France 30 Sep 1918 (my Grandfather was recovering from his 1 Sep 1918 wound by that time), and joined No 70 Sqn RAF on 7 Oct 1918.

The War had only four weeks or so to go, but No 70 Sqn had always been a busy Fighter Squadron flying the numble Sopwith Camel: for example 21-year old Canadian Lieut Kenneth Watson (later DFC) downed a Fokker DVII on 4 Nov 1918 at 1148 hrs SW of Renaix, being the last EA claimed by No 70 Sqn before the end of the War.

The unit had since the March Offensive been heavily involved in air-to-ground operations, losing numerous pilots, which necessitated an influx of new Pilots, Lieut Caven being one.

There may or may not have been an End-of-War group photograph after November 1918. Be that as it may, Lieut W. I. Caven, late RAF was shifted to the Unemployed List on 22 Feb 1919. Whether he returned to the City having flown a high performance fighter?

Twenty years later Walter Ian Caven was a poultry farmer, at Friston (near Eastbourne). He died, aged 71, at Eastbourne, 1970.

Caven also has TNA Officers Papers at WO 339/11664, and hopefully the 1918-19 War Diary for No 70 Sqn RAF is availible.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

I have just seen the existance of the book mentioned below,

Perhaps a lucky owner of the work could Scan any possible Officer Group photos from 1918-19, please?

A Short History of 70 Squadron, RFC/RAF 1916-1919' by Colin Waugh

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Perth Digger]

Hi Kim

Waugh's Short History is actually an article (26pp) in Cross & Cockade Vol.20, No.4 (1979), pp.289-315. The only group photo it has is of B Flight, June 1916.

You probably know this, but Caven was born in Clapham on 29 March 1899, South London. His father was a commercial traveller, dead before 1911. In 1911 his mother lived in Westcliff-on-Sea. He was the younger son of 3 children.

Mike

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Mike,

Many thanks for putting me right regarding the No. 70 Sdn Cross & Cockade article, which of course does not tangent Lieut W. I. Caven.

I only knew that the youthful erstwhile Camel pilot was born at Clapham, on 29 Mar 1899.

I did not know - and many thanks for this (the beauty of the Great War Forum!) - that Caven snr apparently died early, and that Walter was the younger son of three.

The ca. 1911 Westcliff-on-Sea connection is also gratefully noted!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

A Happy End from a medal collector's viewpoint.

Not Lieut Caven in a No. 70 Sqn group photo, or posing with his Sopwith Camel (although I am sure that such 1918 photos of Caven were taken), but a July 1940 Home Guard group including the named and jovial-looking Caven. Voila!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Perth Digger]

Well done, Kim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Thanks for that.

It was the proverbial Stroke of Luck:

I typed in at random a likely-sounding historical society...

...and the next morning a similarly-sounding group with a kindly editor beamed me Caven's Image.

On the other hand: One makes one's own Luck!

Kindest regards,

Kim.