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Who is This ? ? ?


Stoppage Drill

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Then they must be the 7 sons of the Australians Frederick and Maggie Smith - 6 of the 7 (Herbert William, Frederick Walter, Alfred Ernest, Clarence Leslie, Errol Victor and Aubrey Lyall) were killed in action and the 7th, Francis Hume, the eldest, was the sole survivor.

The inset photo, being an older man, must be of Francis.

What a devastating tale.

Cheers

Colin

Oh Colin! That is so close; you have nailed it but unbelievably, it`s the wrong Smiths. Look to the hills, closer to home. The Pennines to be precise.

Devastating, indeed. Just two ordinary families; ten brothers killed.

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Oh Colin! That is so close; you have nailed it but unbelievably, it`s the wrong Smiths. Look to the hills, closer to home. The Pennines to be precise.

Devastating, indeed. Just two ordinary families; ten brothers killed.

OK, I've found it now: it's the Smith family of Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. The man in the inset photo must be Wilfred who was allowed to go home after his 4 brothers and a half-brothe had been killed.

Apparently the vicar's wife wrote to Queen Mary on the mother's behalf and she arranged for Wilfred to be sent home.

Absolutely tragic - and what a coincidence that both families were named Smith.

Cheers

Colin

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Wilfred it is, Colin. Well played. Tragic coincidence indeed. I have spared many a thought for the poor mothers and devastated families left behind after their loved one(s) have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect them.

A similar tale here. This lady`s expression says it all I think.

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That isn’t the way the coal man knocks

Dark earth and blackened hands
Who rattles the letter box?
That isn’t the way the milkman knocks
Pale earth strewn in foreign lands
Who rattles the letter box?
That isn’t the way the fish-seller knocks
Gaping mouths and staring eyes
Who rattles the letter box?
That isn’t the way the egg-man knocks
Cracked shells and broken lives
Who rattles the letter box?
So mother buttons her first son’s coat
In Avondale, in Avondale
And his name comes home in an envelope.
And a mother buttons her second son’s coat
And wraps a muffler around his throat
In Avondale, in Avondale
And his name comes home in an envelope.
And runs a comb through her third son’s fringe
And wipes a crumb from her fourth son’s lips
And presses a note in her fifth son’s fist
In Avondale, in Avondale
And buttons their coats
And their names come home in envelopes.
Some days the wind troubles the hinges and locks
And a sunflower sways and the tree-house rocks
But it’s deadly quiet in Avondale
When somebody knocks.
Who rattles
Who rattles the letter box?
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A haunting poem, NF. I also have a favourite (in German) that wonderfully expresses the deep sadness of a bereaved mother and I've loved it ever since I was first introduced to it at school.

I've also been puzzling over UG's matelot and also got as far as Roe, Roebuck, Deer, Deering or Fallow(e)(s), but can't find a suitable candidate, so here's a new one from me on the theme of flying aces. In fact he did the trick twice and the photo was taken some 14-15 years after he was awarded the Pour le Mérite

post-116807-0-93425700-1421949895_thumb.

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A haunting poem, NF. I also have a favourite (in German) that wonderfully expresses the deep sadness of a bereaved mother and I've loved it ever since I was first introduced to it at school.

I've also been puzzling over UG's matelot and also got as far as Roe, Roebuck, Deer, Deering or Fallow(e)(s), but can't find a suitable candidate, so here's a new one from me on the theme of flying aces. In fact he did the trick twice and the photo was taken some 14-15 years after he was awarded the Pour le Mérite

My post was of de Robeck. Yes I agree and I'll stop now.

Kipling's 'The Children' is a shocking, searing poem.

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Kipling's 'The Children' is a shocking, searing poem.

Indeed it is, and obviously so personal. Displays an understanding of the "finer details" quite untypical of people in general at the time. Terribly guilt ridden and haunted man.
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A haunting poem, NF. I also have a favourite (in German) that wonderfully expresses the deep sadness of a bereaved mother and I've loved it ever since I was first introduced to it at school.

I've also been puzzling over UG's matelot and also got as far as Roe, Roebuck, Deer, Deering or Fallow(e)(s), but can't find a suitable candidate, so here's a new one from me on the theme of flying aces. In fact he did the trick twice and the photo was taken some 14-15 years after he was awarded the Pour le Mérite

Is it Immelmann Colin? I'm at work and as such cannot access my extensive library.
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Is it Immelmann Colin? I'm at work and as such cannot access my extensive library.

No, sorry, not he.

In WW1 he was with the Marinefliegerkorps, in WW2 he was the first Commodore of a Jagdstaffel that was subsequently named after his immediate successor and he has a first (in the field of reconnaissance) and a last to his name (both in WW1)....

EDIT: What I believed to be the "last" to his name turns out on further investigation to be an error...

Cheers

Colin

My post was of de Robeck. Yes I agree and I'll stop now.

Aaaaarggghhhhhhhh!!

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Colin. Off the top of my head again; Kostin?

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Well that's annoying. I suffer a bereavement, the next day Ofsted arrive (you couldn't make it up) and now into the bargain when I return to the bosom of my online pals at WIT I find I've missed a whole sub-theme.

Enjoyed the woodland creatures - surreal even by our standards,

We appear to just have Beechhill's three brothers in arms to identify. My ignorance of cap badges and collar dogs as ever hampers me. However shameless use of the extensive library (I'm too mentally drained to even make an attempt at pretending I recognised these three obscure Canadians!) suggests they are the brothers Millett, beloved of budgerigars everywhere :hypocrite:

David

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Oh the Trill of the chase!

Condolences, David.

EDIT: We do still have the lady from the previous page with the poem dedicated to her.

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Oh the Trill of the chase!

Condolences, David.

EDIT: We do still have the lady from the previous page with the poem dedicated to her.

She's Amy Beechey. I was certain we'd featured her before in the dim and distant past of WIT, but she's not on the spreadsheet so I must have seen her in another context.

David

David

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That`s her, David. Well done.

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Colin. Off the top of my head again; Kostin?

No. sorry, it's not Kostin either. His first concerned a reconnaissance flight over Britain in a land-based plane and his "tally" was 32 + 6. Here a photo in WW1.

According to some British sources he could have been your dad's brother (but I've not seen that in German texts).

post-116807-0-26114100-1421993585_thumb.

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Well that's annoying. I suffer a bereavement, the next day Ofsted arrive (you couldn't make it up) and now into the bargain when I return to the bosom of my online pals at WIT I find I've missed a whole sub-theme.

Enjoyed the woodland creatures - surreal even by our standards,

We appear to just have Beechhill's three brothers in arms to identify. My ignorance of cap badges and collar dogs as ever hampers me. However shameless use of the extensive library (I'm too mentally drained to even make an attempt at pretending I recognised these three obscure Canadians!) suggests they are the brothers Millett, beloved of budgerigars everywhere :hypocrite:

David

Indeed they are:-)

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No. sorry, it's not Kostin either. His first concerned a reconnaissance flight over Britain in a land-based plane and his "tally" was 32 + 6. Here a photo in WW1.

According to some British sources he could have been your dad's brother (but I've not seen that in German texts).

He is Theo Osterkamp - 32 victories in GW and 6 in the Second war.

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The very one - well done UG!

Cheers

Colin

Osterkamp. Are you commencing a points of the compass sub-theme?

Who, then, is this ? ? ?

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Osterkamp. Are you commencing a points of the compass sub-theme?

That wasn't my intention, but if you insist:

Harold Easton?

I don't think it will produce a high yield - unless we look for names containing ..nnw.., ..ssw... etc :D

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That wasn't my intention, but if you insist:

Harold Easton?

I don't think it will produce a high yield - unless we look for names containing ..nnw.., ..ssw... etc :D

You may be right about the yield: but look how far the avian sub-theme was taken. All the way to the Millett brothers!

He is not Harold Easton.

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You may be right about the yield: but look how far the avian sub-theme was taken. All the way to the Millett brothers!

He is not Harold Easton.

OK - here's one for you to ponder while my mind wanders off in all directions to find your answer....

It may be a bit cheaty of me because you'll need his full title which is not usually shown - but it does in fact contain two points of the compass!

post-116807-0-31229800-1422017310_thumb.

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He is not Harold Easton.

Then perhaps Mortimer Sackville West? I've not come up with a photo of him, so I'm guessing blind...

He was, however, an ace with 5 victories, killed 11.11.1917

Cheers

Colin

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