Guest Bill Woerlee Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Mates Below is a pic of an aircrash scene. While the nature of the scene is obvious - a BE2 has been downed, the pilot killed and German troops are looking at the scene of the crash. That is the easy part. We know the Id of the aircraft is B 5854. I am wondering if anyone knows where this scene is, the German unit and - this is the difficult part [as if the first part wasn't difficult enough] who the pilot is of the aircraft. Thanks in advance. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Woerlee Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Mates Just to add further to the mix, here is another, similar pic but of a different crash at a different location. I am wondering if someone is able to give some sort of identification to the scene. BTW, I am led to believe that the aircraft again is a BE2. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Bill The aeroplane in your first photograph is RE 8 B5854 of No 67 (Australian) Squadron RFC, which set off from Julis at 0705 on 4 January 1918 to bomb Jenin aerodrome in Palestine. It collided with an enemy Albatros that was attacking another RE 8, a machine from No 113 Sqn RFC. The pilot, Lt Jack Diamond Sumner Potts, from Sydney, though born in London, and formerly 7th Light Horse, was killed, and his observer, 2Lt Vincent John Parkinson, from Sydney, but born in New Zealand, was injured and taken Prisoner of War. Lt Potts is buried in Jerusalem. There doesn't appear to be a German casualty to match the event. I hope this helps you Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Woerlee Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Gareth G'day mate You are an answer to a maiden's prayer. Heck that was quick. Thanks for that mate. Boy did I get the locations wrong by 3,000km. Looks like the pix are from the same event, just different aircraft. Once again, thanks muchly. Cheers Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Bill What's left of the tail in the second photograph could be the tailplane from an Albatros D.III - it looks to be sort of about the right shape. Whatever it was, I think that the term 'damaged beyond repair' is applicable. Cheers Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 At least one of the personalities in the picture seems to be the same man. The fellow in the lighter jacket. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevenbecker Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Mates, Can I add this, from the book by 2/AM Joe Bull, it gives the following details on this. Aircraft B 5854 an RE 8 was ToC (Taken on Charge) of C Flight 67 Sqn AFC (1 Sqn AFC) on the 29th Nov 1917 from X Aircraft Park. The aircraft was report lost on the 4th Jan 1918 when Lt Potts was killed in a collision with a British aircraft (not a German one so the second crash is British). Reported KIA that day are; Capt Harold Hewett MC RFC (pilot) and 2/Lt Alfred Butt RFC (obsver) of 113 Sqn RFC. Bull writes; "Friday 4th Jan 1918 Again 12 of own machines took part in a bomb raid to enemy airdrome. One recco this morning a German scout drove Lt Potts and Lt Parkinson down in the enemy lines, they were in a RE 8 which was seen to bust into flames as she landed so it is uncertain what happened to the pilot and obsver. An RFC machine was also lost". So now you have three ways these aircraft came down, one a collision between and German and allied machine, a collision between two Allied machines or the RE * was brought down by a enemy scout. Take your pick. Cheers S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Beckett Posted 10 April , 2007 Share Posted 10 April , 2007 Steve, this is an interesting observation report: Again 12 of own machines took part in a bomb raid to enemy airdrome. One recco this morning a German scout drove Lt Potts and Lt Parkinson down in the enemy lines, they were in a RE 8 which was seen to burst into flames as she landed so it is uncertain what happened to the pilot and obsver. An RFC machine was also lost as Bill's pic is definitely not showing any flame or burning damage Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Roberts Posted 11 April , 2007 Share Posted 11 April , 2007 In the second picture, the squarish item with pipe attached, just to the right of the group of men, looks like a cooling system header tank which was normally mounted on the top wing of German aircraft. The RE8 had an air-cooled engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auimfo Posted 11 April , 2007 Share Posted 11 April , 2007 I'm no expert when it comes to aircraft. In fact all I know is that they have wings and somehow defy gravity. Nevertheless, had anyone noticed in the second photo that there appears to be a body on the left at the feet of the soldiers. It strikes me that if this was a German pilot the soldiers wouldn't be taking the pose of the 'great hunter' as they appear to be doing. Surely they would be showing far more respect for a fallen comrade. That in itself would indicate to me that the plane is an Allied one. Cheers, Tim L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 April , 2013 Share Posted 28 April , 2013 In case someone is researching Aircraft RE8 I/D No. B5854, I had this German photograph of the remains of B5854, along with the aircraft's KIA pilot, who I understand may have been J. Potts ? LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airshipped Posted 28 April , 2013 Share Posted 28 April , 2013 It was indeed Lt Jack Diamond Sumner Potts. The next of kin info is noted on his CWGC entry: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/647886/POTTS,%20JACK%20DIAMOND%20SUMNER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancashire Fusilier Posted 28 April , 2013 Share Posted 28 April , 2013 On 29/04/2013 at 07:28, Airshipped said: It was indeed Lt Jack Diamond Sumner Potts. The next of kin info is noted on his CWGC entry: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/647886/POTTS,%20JACK%20DIAMOND%20SUMNER Many thanks for the info. I did a Forum search using ' RE8 B5854 ' before posting, and nothing came up, perhaps because it was 6 years ago. Regards, LF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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