Jump to content
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

List of famous people who died in WW1


Lady Linda

Recommended Posts

Hi,

don´t know if this counts, but the name is famous: Prinz Friedrich Karl von Preussen. He was the great-great son of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and active pilot, shot down by Lt. Pickthorn on 21st March of 1917. He crash-landed and was mortally wounded trying to reach his lines.

GreyC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, sassenach said:

W G Grace

Not that WG Grace clearly, alhough he died during the war?

Edited by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rather like the CWGC idea that all are equal in death and each are given the same respect. Titled VC holder or ASC driver. They died for their country

 

Looking for 'celebrities' is adding one of the worst aspects of 21st C society to something that has huge dignity.

 

Not required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Gunner Bailey said:

I rather like the CWGC idea that all are equal in death and each are given the same respect. Titled VC holder or ASC driver. They died for their country

 

Looking for 'celebrities' is adding one of the worst aspects of 21st C society to something that has huge dignity.

 

Not required.

 

It is seen as a "grab" or "hook" for teachers and others. If it generates further interest in the subject so be it. We all have our own men we have interest in. 

Each man has his story to tell. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was just in the process of posting this Scalyback.  

Perhaps ‘looking for celebrities’ is another way of learning and utilising our freedom of thought, speech etc which all those who fought, died, survived provided for us.  It isn’t new as can be seen by the info already out there and on this forum.  It is interesting to many to read just who was involved and if just one bit of ‘celebrity’ research alerts others to learn and remember then that is a good thing.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Scalyback said:

 

It is seen as a "grab" or "hook" for teachers and others. If it generates further interest in the subject so be it. We all have our own men we have interest in. 

Each man has his story to tell. 

 

It perpetuates the theory that celebrities are more important than others. I have rejoiced in the the fact that the equality of the war graves stands as an example to all others of the fact that the death of one person serving their country is not more important than another. 

 

The only people entitled to see one as more important than others are the relatives who bore the loss at the time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Gunner Bailey said:

 

It perpetuates the theory that celebrities are more important than others. I have rejoiced in the the fact that the equality of the war graves stands as an example to all others of the fact that the death of one person serving their country is not more important than another. 

 

The only people entitled to see one as more important than others are the relatives who bore the loss at the time.

 

Even with technology today the current generation of children find it hard to identify any man served connected to them. This is due to various reasons, so again I do see it as something a child can identify with. I'm not saying in anyway one man is more important than another. It is just easier to "tell the tale" of some men than others. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Not that WG Grace clearly, alhough he died during the war?

He is said to have died of a heart attack caused by shaking his fist at a German bomber. 

Isn't there a subtle difference between what we mean by "celebrities" today (ghastly, I agree) and what might have been regarded as "famous people" a hundred years ago?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Especially true if most of the people named here also carry an explantion of who they were and what they were famous for. Surely not needed if universally or even only nationally known still today.

GreyC

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And they were usually famous for something they had done, which is not the case with today's "celebrities," most of whom are famous for being famous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Gunner Bailey said:

I rather like the CWGC idea that all are equal in death and each are given the same respect. Titled VC holder or ASC driver. They died for their country

 

Looking for 'celebrities' is adding one of the worst aspects of 21st C society to something that has huge dignity.

 

Not required

],

i agree , whether famous or not all men who died deserve the same respect. WWhat is this type of list adding to the GWF knowledge base? It strikes me as being along the lines of tv show Pointless

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, sassenach said:

I don't think anyone has suggested otherwise.

It is a list of famous people so sets them aside,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting debate this, about if "famous" is something that we should even consider.

 

I have come to the conclusion that it is important, but only from the viewpoint that such a list has the potential to make me stop and say "I didn't know that". The tricky bit is perhaps how you define famous. Sons of the famous surely shouldn't count? - though I would still find that interesting!

 

I am comfortable with holding that view whilst still subscribing to the view that the CWGC ethos of equality in death is the most fitting and respectful approach. Having said that, do they really follow that through? - Why mention rank?

 

How about being famous because of their place in the story of the war? - should they count? or is that missing the point? - Like...

 

Captain Fryatt

Edith Cavell

 

Regards,

Mike

Edited by Medaler
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I personally think this topic is interesting , albeit limited by the reasons I gave earlier . I do agree that the recent trend of picking

a man out to fit certain  groups 'agendas' is rather tiresome . There were two classic examples of it in the rather dire documentary

'100 days to victory' last night

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, johnboy said:

It is a list of famous people so sets them aside,

Quite on the contrary, in my humble opinion.

It includes them, as it shows that even famous and therefore often privileged members of society who would otherwise be granted a special status that seperated them from the rest and who (sometimes) profit(ed) from this,  nonetheless paid the same price and sacrificed their lives because they took the responsibilty upon them to defend it.

GreyC

Edited by GreyC
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, sassenach said:

He is said to have died of a heart attack caused by shaking his fist at a German bomber.

 

Is that a fact?

How very interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

 

Is that a fact?

How very interesting.

Dai, do I detect that that was a phrase you might occasionally have used to your more verbose patients...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are many different categories of fame from the world of sport, science, engineering, literature and the arts and of course celebrity status now is very different than in 1914, but it is interesting to note that nine members of the teams that played in the 1914 England v Scotland rugby match died in the Great War.  Imagine if one third of those who played in the 2018 Calcutta Cup were killed in a aircraft accident today...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seigfreid Herford, a pioneering climber well remembered in climbing circles for climbing Central Buttress on Scafell in 1914, a route still graded as extreme and well respected today. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Herford?wprov=sfla1

 

Also, though not famous in his lifetime is Charles Inglis Clark. His parents built a hut under Ben Nevis in his memory which is now very well known as the CIC hut. https://www.smc.org.uk/huts/cic

Edited by ServiceRumDiluted
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well that has opened a can of worms! I thought I was on facebook for a moment then!

 

i just wanted a very short list that people can instantly recognise.

 

Not because they were more important, but to interest people that have no  interest in WW1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, sassenach said:

Dai, do I detect that that was a phrase you might occasionally have used to your more verbose patients...

No.

Peter Cook to John Cleese.

Secret Policeman's Ball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...