Vickers Vimy Biplane

[mhifle]

Hi,

I came across these old postcards in some family paperwork today.

Any idea which unit the soldiers would have been from?

Regards Mark

[Doc2]

I believe that at the time of this trans-Atlantic Flight, both Pilots (Alcock and Brown) were not military, but were civilians working for the Vickers Company. If what you are asking is what units the guards on the crashed plane were from, I have no idea, but the plane landed in Ireland (looks more like a crash than a landing to me, but the card says they "landed". At least they walked away from it......) Doc2

[mhifle]

I believe that at the time of this trans-Atlantic Flight, both Pilots (Alcock and Brown) were not military, but were civilians working for the Vickers Company. If what you are asking is what units the guards on the crashed plane were from, I have no idea, but the plane landed in Ireland (looks more like a crash than a landing to me, but the card says they "landed". At least they walked away from it......) Doc2

Thanks Doc2,

I was wondering about the guards. It does look more like a crash rather than a landing! Apparently my Great Uncle, The Rev Joe Jackson visited the crash site at the time and he got the postcards some time later.

Mark

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I believe that at the time of this trans-Atlantic Flight, both Pilots (Alcock and Brown) were not military, but were civilians working for the Vickers Company.

Sir Arthur Whitten Brown (1886-1948): served in the Manchester Regiment, transferred to the RFC, shot down November 1915 over Valenciennes in France, (behind enemy lines), prisoner of war, repatriated September 1917.

Medal card of Brown, Arthur Whitten

Corps Regiment No Rank

3rd Manchester Regiment Second Lieutenant

Manchester Regiment Second Lieutenant

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...;resultcount=18

Sir John William Alcock DSC (1892-1919) served in the Royal Naval Air Service, designer of the Alcock Scout, September 1917 ditched near Suvla Bay, prisoner of war, repatriated September 1918.

Sources included Dictionary of National Biography.

Although they were civilians at the time of the flight, they retained military rank. There had been an Armistice, but the war had not ended.