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Remembered Today:

99 Squadron, RAF


Guest velleson

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I am researching the life of my great-uncle who was killed flying a DH9 on 26th September, 1918. I wuld like to find out any information possible about his life in the RAF and his death. He applied for his commission in late 1917 or early 1918, trained at Cramlington during the summer of 1918 and was drafted to France in August.

The name is Cecil Robert George ABRAHAMS and he was a 2nd Lieutenant.

Any information will be most welcome.

Many thanks, Veronica Elleson

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Name: ABRAHAMS, CECIL ROBERT GEORGE

Initials: C R G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Regiment: Royal Air Force

Unit Text: 99th Sqdn.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 26/09/1918

Additional information: Son of Alfred and Eveline Abrahams; husband of H. K. Banes (formerly Abrahams), of Jessamine Cottage, Station Rd., Potton, Beds. Born at Plumstead, London.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: 381.

Cemetery: CHAMBIERES FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY, METZ

Cemetery: CHAMBIERES FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY, METZ

Country: France

Locality: Moselle

Location Information: Metz is located in the Department of the Moselle, in the north-east of France on the River Moselle. Chambieres French National Cemetery is on the northern side of the city, some 3 kilometres from Metz Central Station.

Historical Information: During the winter of 1939-1940 British troops were in a sector of the Saar not far from Metz, engaged in patrol and raiding activities. The 51st (Highland) Division relieved the French 7th Division, in this area, in May 1940. Metz was liberated by American troops in November, 1944. There are now nearly 100, 1914-18 and over 30, 1939-45 war casualties commemorated in this site. Special memorials are erected to six British soldiers and one airman from the 1914-18 War, buried in Jarny and Labry Communal German Extension, whose graves could not be found. Certain of the British graves from the 1914-18 War were brought in from Pouilly and St. Jure German Cemeteries and Briey Communal Cemetery German Extension.

No. of Identified Casualties: 109

At this time 99 Sqn were based at Azelot equipped with DH 9A

All The Best

Chris

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Many thanks for that. I had found the CWGC information before, but didn't know where he was based. If anyone has any more detailed information about how he actually died, I would be most grateful.

Thanks again, Veronica

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I am sure that some of our air experts will come forward as usual with all sorts of details. As near I can tell from my limited references, part of the story goes like this:

99 Squadron formed part of the "Independent Air Force", which was intended as a primitive sort of strategic bomber force, although it never had the strength to be really effective. Supposedly at the direct insistence of Marshall Foch, this force was called to support the Franco-American operations at St. Mihiel from September 12, and Meuse-Argonne from September 26. On the latter day, 99 Sqn suffered heavily on a ten plane raid against Thionville. Three turned back with engine trouble, and all but one of the rest were shot down near Metz.

Incidently, this squadron figured indirectly in one of the minor industrial controversies of the day. It was one of the few operators of the DH9 day bomber. British production of high power aircraft engines was seriously deficient, and shortfalls in production of better engines caused the DH9 to be equiped with the untried BHP motor, which proved unreliable. Supposedly as many arcraft were lost by engine failure as by enemy action (but one of our experts might correct me on that!).

I hope these details are not too unreliable!

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Many thanks again. I have done some online searching for the DH9 and found the same information about its unreliability. Most commentators are highly uncomplimentary! It sounds very likely that my Uncle Cecil was involved in the raid on September 26th, though if someone can give me more detailed information, I will be delighted.

regards, Veronica

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my gazeteer shows that the squadron was equipped with both DH 9 & DH 9A at this period so sorry for the misleading info

All The Best

Chris

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That's quite OK. I only know it was a DH9 because I have recently unearthed a book of rather unique photos, kept by his widow, which has several pictures of the aircraft, all labelled. They apparently trained on RE8s at Cramlington and were then posted to different squadrons. He can only have had a maximum of two months' training, and pranged an RE8 rather badly in the process (there's a photo of that too!). I have always wondered if I could find out any more about him, so any info is better than none.

Regards Veronica

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Veronica

Any chance of seeing one of these unique photos please

All The Best

Chris

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Possibly! I am in the process of painstakingly scanning them because many of them are terribly faded, some almost to nothing. However, here is the pranged RE8 (hope this works).

Regards, Veron

post-8075-1127163376.jpg

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Wonderful - many thanks

All The Best

Chris

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Veronica

On 26 September 1918, No 99 Sqn, Independent Force, RAF, sent two formations of five DH 9s to bomb Railways at Thionville, with Railways at Metz-Sablon as a secondary target. The raid had been ordered to support the Allied ground offensive near Verdun.

The raiders were organised in two flights:

Formation 1

B9347 Capt P E Welchman (pilot) & 2Lt T H Swan (observer)

B9366 2Lt S McKeever & 2Lt H A Boniface

D544 Lt D H West & 2Lt J W Howard

D7343 2Lt G R A Dick & 2Lt E Smith

C6272 2Lt C R G Abrahams & 2Lt Christopher Harold Sharp

Formation 2

D1668 Capt H Sanders & 2Lt G M Power

D5573 2Lt L G Stern & 2Lt F O Cook

D3270 2Lt H E KIng & Sgt S Beswick

E632 Lt S C Gilbert & 2Lt R Buckby

D3213 2Lt W H Gillett & 2Lt H Crossley

The raid was below strength - normally twelve aircraft would have been used - and included some inexperienced crews. D1688, D7343 and D3270 had to return due to various problems before the now-combined formation of seven DH 9s reached the lines, which they crossed at 11000 feet over Pont-à-Mousson.

The formation was attacked by German fighters and, after losing one DH 9, Capt Welchmann opted to bomb the secondary target. The remaining DH 9s were attacked as they returned, suffering severe losses:

Capt P E Welchman died of wounds, 2Lt T H Swan was taken PoW;

2Lt S McKeever was wounded and crashed just inside Allied territory;

2Lt J W Howard was killed in action;

2Lt C R G Abrahams & 2Lt C H Sharp were both killed in action;

2Lt L G Stern & 2Lt F O Cook were both killed in action;

Lt S C Gilbert & 2Lt R Buckby were both killed in action;

2Lt W H Gillett & 2Lt H Crossley were both taken PoW.

It was No 99 Sqn's last raid of the War.

C6272 was built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Company in batch C6051 to C6350 and was delivered on 9 May 1918. It was originally allocated to No 104 Sqn, but was wrecked on take-off on 1 July. After repair, it was sent to No 99 Sqn on 7 August. It appears that the victory over C6272 was credited to Offizierstellvertreter (Warrant Officer) Bernard Ultsch of Jasta 77b; it was the last of his 12 victories.

I hope this is useful to you.

Thanks very much for posting the RE 8 photograph. Any more will be greatly appreciated.

Gareth

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It's more than useful, it's amazing. You've no idea. Thank you so much. I haven't any more aircraft at the moment but this is my uncle with his training flight at Cramlington Aerodrome in June 1918.

Thanks so much again, Veronica

post-8075-1127172126.jpg

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Veronica

I'm pleased that I was able to help. In case you don't have the information, Cramlington was the home of No 52 Training Depot Station, 19th Wing, 16th (Training) Group, RAF.

Looking at Keith Rennles' Independent Force, I noticed that 2Lt C R G Abrahams and 2Lt C M Sharp took off in C6272 on a 13 aircraft No 99 Sqn raid on the aerodrome at Buhl on 25 September (their first raid?). However they, like the inexperienced crews of another 4 DH 9s, mistook the signal of Lt K D Marshall, their formation leader, when he had to return with engine trouble, and followed him back to Azelot.

Regards

Gareth

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Gareth

I don't think it will have been their first raid - he had been sent to France in August, and I can't imagine they would have been allowed to hang about. He was certainly inexperienced though. It was a frighteningly short time to have been in training before going into action.

Many thanks again.

Veronica

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Veronica

I've had a look through the aircraft and crew lists for No 99 Sqn's raids from 15 August (when the unit recommenced combat flying after re-building following disastrous losses on 31 July) and up to 26 September 1918, but I can see 2Lt C R G Abraham's name only on 25 and 26 September. The raids were:

15 Aug - Boulay aerodrome

20 Aug - Dillingen blast furnaces (a 1 aircraft raid)

23 Aug - Buhl aerodrome

25 Aug - Bettenbourg railway/Arlon railway

27 Aug - Buhl aerodrome

30 Aug - Conflans railway

02 Sep - Buhl aerodrome (twice)

03 Sep - Morhange aerodrome

07 Sep - BASF works at Mannheim

12 Sep - Courcelles aerodrome

13 Sep - Metz railway

14 Sep - Metz railway/Buhl aerodrome

14 Sep - Metz/Sablon railway

15 Sep - Metz railway

16 Sep - Karlsruhe railway

25 Sep - Buhl aerodrome

26 Sep - Thionville railway/Metz-Sablon railway.

It's likely that 2Lt Abraham would have been posted to a Pilot's Pool in France after leaving the UK, and then waited there for a vacancy to occur in a DH 9 unit. After arrival at a squadron, he would have taken some time to become familiar with the area over which he would operate before commencing operations.

A photograph of Major K A Pattinson MC, the Commanding Officer of No 99 Sqn, is below.

Changing subjects, the serial on the RE 8 in your photograph looks like E26 or E76, which would make it a machine built by The Siddeley-Deasy Motor Co Ltd of Coventry in batch E1-E300. Is the serial any clearer on the original print?

Regards

Gareth

post-45-1127196468.jpg

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Gareth

I did wonder if something like the Pilot's Pool existed. It sounds horribly likely that this was his first foray over enemy lines. This is backed up by his last letter home, written on 24th September (this is quoted in his obituary, which appeared in his local church magazine - also where the dates and all the other information not supplied by the photographs comes from) - he says "We can only trust that I may be brought through safely, and in that trust we can feel that whatever happens, God will take care of us." This does sound to me as if he had not yet seen any action, and knew that the following day could well be his last. He must have been well aware of the limitations of the DH9.

I'm afraid the RE8 photo is as clear as it's likely to get. The originals of all these pictures are only about 1"x2", kept by his widow glued into an autograph album. The RE8 is one of the better ones. I'll post some more aircraft when I've managed to scan them.

Thanks again for all your help - Veronica

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Veronica

Thank you very much for the DH 9 photograph. What a pity the aircraft's serial number isn't clear. Sometimes I wonder if there was a scheme among the men of the time to try to obscure serial numbers, knowing that it would frustrate people looking at the images 90 years later!

Best wishes

Gareth

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From the London Gazette of 17th September 1918.

Air Ministry,

17th September, 1918.

ROYAL AIR FORCE.

The undermentioned temporary appointments are made:—

FLYING BRANCH.

The undermentioned 2nd Lts. (late Gen. List, R.F.C., on prob.) are confirmed in their rank as 2nd Lts. (A.).:—

C. R. Abrahams. 27th July 1918.

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveVi...&selHonourType=

Hope this helps,

Steve.

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It is very helpful, thank you. Considering this time 3 months ago, all I knew of my great uncle was that he had been killed in WW1, and that he was flying something rather than on the ground, this week has been quite something. Here is another photo which will please Gareth as you can read the number. It is labelled as "RE8?" by my uncle's widow, but I'm sure Gareth will be able to confirm what it is!

Regards, Veronica

post-8075-1127302044.jpg

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Veronica

I'm pleased that we on the Forum are able to add to your family history.

Again, thanks for the photograph. The aeroplane in the foreground is an RE 8, and the serial number looks like C2393, which makes it a machine built under licence by The Daimler Company Ltd at Coventry in batch C2231 to C3080. It has the enlarged fin fitted to some training aircraft.

The tail in the background has a definite 'de Haviland' shape to it, and the serial number looks like it could be C123?, which makes it a DH 9 built by G & J Weir Ltd, in Cathcart, Glasgow, in batch C1151 to C1450. It's likely that the machine is C1239, which was used by No 52 Training Depot Station at Cramlington (this fits with your great uncle's training). Unfortunately, C1239 had a tragic end: on 5 November 1918 it stalled from 100 feet during a flat turn and crashed. 2Lt George Henry Woodland, aged 19, and AMIII Frederick George Ryder, aged 17, were both killed in the accident.

Regards

Gareth

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Veronica...

You could have hidden the number to give Gareth a challenge... :P

Steve.

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Good point, didn't think of that....

Never mind, I have some others where you can't see the plane, let alone the number - maybe I'll post one of those next ... ;)

Veronica

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