Dolphin Posted 16 May , 2023 Share Posted 16 May , 2023 The invaluable The Sky Their Battlefield II indicates that on 2 June 1915, the crew of Vickers FB 5 1637 fought three German aircraft between Polygon Wood and Zonnebeke. The crew is identified as Capt Rees (pilot) and Lt Roger Vincent de Halpert (observer). So far, my efforts to find a Capt Rees in No 5 Squadron on the date in question. have not been crowned with success. Hence, I'll be most grateful if anyone can identify the elusive pilot. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 16 May , 2023 Share Posted 16 May , 2023 Possibly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 16 May , 2023 Share Posted 16 May , 2023 (edited) As I understand it, Lionel Rees took command of No.11 Squadron at Netheravon at the beginning of 1915, prior to the squadron moving to France in July 1915. He flew the Vickers FB5 Gunbus. I can only presume that he must have gone ahead of the squadron in order to get himself acquainted with front line flying, as a guest pilot with No.5 Squadron. MB Edited 16 May , 2023 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawhiri Posted 16 May , 2023 Share Posted 16 May , 2023 His observer on this occasion, Roger de Halpert, didn't have a long life at the front, qualifying as an observer on 25 May 1915, before being wounded and admitted to hospital on 20 June 1915. He was eventually returned to the UK on a hospital ship on 23 July 1915. https://www.casualtyforms.org/form/9850 https://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/de-halpert-r.b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 17 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 17 May , 2023 Thanks very much for the information. I had considered Capt L W B Rees, but can't find mention of his brief service with No 5 Squadron. However, in the absence of any other Capt Rees in the unit, it seems most likely that the future VC was the man. His observer is a puzzle, as the airhistory records indicate that his initials were R V, but mistakenly recorded as RB.; his wounds on 20 June were burns sustained when Vickers 1642, flown by Lt W H D Acland, was set alight by Archie. He is also shown as being RNAS, not ex-Indian Cavalry. Roger Vincent de Halpert served in the Royal Navy until retired for medical reasons in 1912. During the War he was commissioned and served as a French and Russian interpreter. In November 1918 Commander R V Halpert was awarded the Siamese Order of the White Elephant, Third Class. How and why he came to be in the front of a Vickers FB 5 is not clear. Was he RNAS or RN? Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 (edited) Roger de Halpet lived a rather interesting and checkered life, pre-war he had been a Royal Navy officer, but it would appear that, at one stage in his career, he may have had a problem with alcohol, and was retired on health grounds in 1912. At the outbreak the war he joined what was briefly the ‘Corp of Interpreters’ (under the aspices of the War Office) and arrived in France 28/9/15 for liaison duties with the BEF. However since the French were already providing interpreters for the BEF, the 'Corps of Interpreters' swiftly faded out of existence. I believe Roger de Halpert then got himself attached to a RFC Squadron as unit Int. Officer, and that is how he came to be in the front seat of a FB5 in June 1915. He later rejoined the Navy in April 1917 (in the rank of Lieutenant RNAS, again serving in an intelligence role, and was subsequently promoted to Commander). MB Edited 17 May , 2023 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topgun1918 Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 According to the dreadnoughtproject.org website, de Halpert was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1907. However, he was dismissed T.B. 042 following a Court Martial, having been determined to have been AWOL and drunk on board his ship, resulting in his losing two years’ seniority (the Navy List shows his date of seniority as 1 October 1909). He was admitted to Haslar to be treated for chronic alcoholism and was placed on the Retired List on 14 April, 1912. The AIR76 record I have found for him carries the notation 'relinquished commission on reverting to employment under Admiralty 14.12.15’. The ADM file I located shows him as Lieut R.N. (Retired) 10.2.17; Redcar (Executive Office); Compass Dept 30.4.17; Intelligence Dept 5.6.17’. There is a note 'Reverted to Admiralty 30.4.17' and under particular notations it says '7.2.17 - Transfer from D.I.D to R.N.A.S.; 10.2.17 - Appointed Interpreter in French & Russian; 6.9.17 - Submission that he be appointed to Intelligence Division. No objection.' He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October, 1917 and to the rank of Commander in recognition of his wartime service, dated 11 November, 1918. The last note I have for him is in the London Gazette for 22 June 1945, in which it was announced that he resigned his commission on 5 May 1945 and was permitted to retain the rank of Squadron Leader. Graeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Renault Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 Certainly Trevor Henshaw himself was not confident enough to say they were the same person, naming them separately in the index. It would be helpful to see the files he was working from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 17 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 17 May , 2023 Thank you MB and Graeme In summary, R V de Halpert had a rather interesting and varied wartime career. I wonder what he did in the second half of 1915 and then in 1916, aside from recovering from his burns. Thanks again Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 28 minutes ago, Max Renault said: Certainly Trevor Henshaw himself was not confident enough to say they were the same person, naming them separately in the index. It would be helpful to see the files he was working from. I’m confident that it’s the same person (same d.o.b.)… Corp of Interpreters Medal Card https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D2060421 RFC https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8268258 RNAS https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9747314 MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Renault Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 Just now, KizmeRD said: I’m confident that it’s the same person (same d.o.b.)… Corp of Interpreters Medal Card https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D2060421 RFC https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8268258 RNAS https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9747314 MB Apologies, I was referring to the discussion about Rees! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 (edited) Ah, poor Rees - awarded a VC, MC, AFC and an OBE, yet for all that his biographical information remains fairly weak. I’m still betting on the asumption he went to France in June 1915 as part of the advance guard from No.11 Squadron (which became operational in July 1915). Seems plausible to me that he might have borrowed a machine from No.5 Squadron to go scouting with his Squadron Int. Officer designate. What date is shown on his MIC for his entry to France? MB Edited 17 May , 2023 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 17 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 17 May , 2023 MB Your theory sounds quite plausible to me. Rees must have been trusted to fly the aeroplane and bring it back safely. Cheers Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawhiri Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 (edited) 12 minutes ago, KizmeRD said: What date is shown on his MIC for his entry to France? Unfortunately it's not helpful, as according to his medal index card he qualified for the 1914 Star with an initial entry into France on 12 October 1914 as far as I can tell. He does, however, seem to be the only logical candidate to be the mysterious Captain Rees. Image sourced from Ancestry: Edited 17 May , 2023 by Tawhiri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 17 May , 2023 Share Posted 17 May , 2023 3 hours ago, Dolphin said: Rees must have been trusted to fly the aeroplane and bring it back safely. Assuming we have identified the right Rees, he was undoubtedly trusted to fly the FB5 (having previously been an instructor at Upavon). MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 18 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 18 May , 2023 As far as I can determine, Capt L W B Rees embarked for France on 12 October 1914 to serve in No 6 Sqn. He was posted to No 11 Sqn on 16 February 1915, which must have meant a return to the UK. On 29 May he re-embarked for France, while his squadron remained in Britain - this would allow him to fly with No 5 Sqn on 2 June. Presumably he returned to the UK afterwards, as his next re-embarkation for France was on 24 July 1915 with No 11 Sqn. I wonder if the airmen of the RFC ever thought that over a century after the war there would be people interested in the details of their histories. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 18 May , 2023 Share Posted 18 May , 2023 Gareth, that’s great Info, thank you (I’m vindicated!) - but may I ask where the reference to Rees re-embarking to France on 29th May comes from? As for his earlier service in France during 1914 (according to ‘The Air VC’s’ by Peter Cooksley)… Rees was later sent to form an aircraft acceptance park at Bruges, Belgium, but the rapid German advance through Belgium stopped such plans, and with No. 6 Squadron, to whom he had also been delivering stores, he moved bases rapidly, arriving at Bruges on 6 October. The next day he moved to Ostend and on the 13th to St Pol before leaving there for St Omer on 21 October. Rees returned to England having seen some service as an observer. He was promoted to captain at the end of October and posted to the Central Flying School as an instructor. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 18 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 18 May , 2023 Mb The information on Capt Rees's movements came from http://www.airhistory.org.uk/rfc/home.html I hope you find it useful Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fetubi Posted 18 May , 2023 Share Posted 18 May , 2023 Hi Gareth, It feels it must be LWB Rees, but just for your records, here is the relevant Combat Report for that day, out of AIR1, at TNA. Interesting that the Observer - 5 Sqn Observer... - put in the Report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 21 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2023 On 19/05/2023 at 01:58, fetubi said: Hi Gareth, It feels it must be LWB Rees, but just for your records, here is the relevant Combat Report for that day, out of AIR1, at TNA. Interesting that the Observer - 5 Sqn Observer... - put in the Report. Many thanks for the CITAR. I wonder if the report was submitted by the observer as, unlike Capt Rees, 2Lt de Halpert was an officer of No 5 Squadron. A report from a pilot who was not a formal member of the unit may have prompted some questions. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fetubi Posted 21 May , 2023 Share Posted 21 May , 2023 Hi Gareth, I had the same thought! All the best, Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 21 May , 2023 Share Posted 21 May , 2023 (edited) Yes indeed, but nice of No.5 Squadron to allow Rees up in one of their aircraft and for him to be shown round the front line by their Squadron Int. Officer (sitting in as observer/gunner). Apparently de Halpert took every opportunity to get airborne - l’ve read other accounts of him flying during this same period with 2/Lt R.M. Pike (claiming to have downed an Aviatik C, 26 May 1915) and also accompanying Lt. Col. L.A. Strange. MB Edited 21 May , 2023 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 21 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2023 2 hours ago, fetubi said: Hi Gareth, I had the same thought! All the best, Trevor Trevor Modesty prevents me from remarking that great minds think alike! Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 21 May , 2023 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2023 Mb 2Lts Pike and de Halpert would both have been able to reminisce about their old days in the Royal Navy, though not while flying. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 21 May , 2023 Share Posted 21 May , 2023 2 hours ago, Dolphin said: Mb 2Lts Pike and de Halpert would both have been able to reminisce about their old days in the Royal Navy, though not while flying. Gareth Gareth, I’m surprised that Pike passed the RFC medical, after having been discharged from the navy with TB of the knee. Unfortunately he was KIA later that summer (after having earned a MiD). MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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