Heres our first challenge ..... something to think about and maybe participate in .... it would be very cool to be able to find information on these flyers ..... as much as we can ...... During winter 1917-18, RFC instructors trained with the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army on three airfields accommodating about six thousand men, at Camp Taliaferro near Fort Worth, Texas. Training was hazardous; 39 RFC officers and cadets died in Texas. Eleven remain there, reinterred in 1924 at a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery where a monument honours their sacrifice. http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510000222/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ During World War I, thousands of Royal Flying Corps officers and men came to Texas for flight training. However, many came only to die without ever facing the enemy and never returning home to Canada or the UK. This video is about eleven of those men. http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-145616 I started finding headstones ... but no information yet .... where did these young men come from ?? J C Wray, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510001590/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Claude F Bovill, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510021939/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ W Miles, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510021847/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Howard Hooten, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510021707/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Robert M Herbert, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510001162/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Milo W Kirwan, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510001068/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ James G Ringland, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510000898/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Cyril A Baker, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510021207/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ M E Connelly, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510000652/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Eric D Manson, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510020917/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ F G Hill, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510000408/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/ Stuart Ross Cuthbert, Royal Flying Corps http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoelessjoe/510020723/in/pool-royalflyingcorps/
William Miles Cpl EE/1597 Royal Flying Corps, died 19th March 1918 Husband of W Miles, 84 Boundary Road, St Johns Wood, London http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=4010485 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=4226676&queryType=1&resultcount=12 If William has a medal index card, he may have been an old hand who saw active service prior to going to the USA
47 Fatalities in 7 Camps At Fort Worth the Royal Flying Corps. a camp of young Canadians trained by British officers, are in daily competition with the Americans in an adjoining camp. A goodly number of young Americans also are enlisted with the Canadians. A regard for military secrecy prohibits relating the total number of students who have taken to the air here this Winter. It reaches a figure that gives great comfort to the military men who know, and compared with the total advancement made by the men, the number of accidents reported has been surprisingly small, it is 'stated. The. death of Vernon Castle while flying at the British camp on Feb. 13, and the death of James G. Ringland of Dover, England, at the same camp on Feb.21 , together with the death today of Cadet Franklin Fairchild of Pelham. N. Y., at the American Camp at Fort Worth, brought the total killed in accidents to Feb. 23 to 47. NY Times Feb 24, 1918, Sunday Page 4 http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9806E4D7133BEE3ABC4C51DFB4668383609EDE
Hooten Howard Cemetery - Fort Worth Greenwood Country - USA Area - Texas Rank - Cadet Official Number - 153260 Unit - Force - Royal Flying Corps Nationality - British Details - Died as a result of an aeroplane accident. 27th March 1918. Husband of L. Hooten of 30 Clairmont Apartments Montreal. Lot 7. http://www.twgpp.org/information.php?id=859355 http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/content/collections/books/bww1/ww1588.jpg http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=4010482
As I don't have access to A* ... my friend A had already found this .... ( I asked permission to use it ! ) Robert M Herbert was an American, born in New York. His name appears amongst the list of passengers aboard the SS Sicilian which arrived at St John's, New Brunswick on 30th December 1918 having left Liverpool on 17th December. His home adress was 15t Seaman Avenue, New York. There was the following handwritten note by his name: 'Joined British Army Nov 22 1917'. He died in Jacksonville Florida on 18th February 1975. Here is his WWII Draft Registration Card -
Vernon Castle is well-known; he was a famous dancer before the war, along with his wife Irene. Having served with the RFC in France, he was an instructor at the time of his death. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Castle The story goes that he had witnessed an accident in which the pupil in the front seat of Curtiss Jenny died and the instructor survived, so after that he instructed from the front seat, and when he died his pupil survived.
Wray, J C Cemetery - Fort Worth Greenwood Country - USA Area - Texas Rank - Second Lieutenant Official Number Unit Force - Royal Flying Corps Nationality - British Details - Died as a result of an aeroplane accident. 13th February 1918. Lot 4. http://www.twgpp.org/information.php?id=859360
In Memory of Lieutenant J. STUART ROSS CUTHBERT Royal Flying Corps who died on 28 December 1917 Son of Mrs. A. R. Cuthbert, of Ithaca, New York. Remembered with honour FORT WORTH (GREENWOOD) MEMORIAL PARK I had a hard time finding him .... because of the "J" !!
I found this .... Besides molding men into lean, mean fighting machines, Hicks also molded some long lasting friendships between the Canadians and Americans. Floyd Scott, a member stationed at Hicks told a Fort Worth newspaper, "One of the most vivid memories of Hicks Field was the remarkable friendship that existed between the RFC pilots and the American flyers". Indeed, the townspeople of the surrounding communities opened their homes, their hearts and numerous facilities to the young aviators. ( And this is for Adrian ! ..... ) http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=castle&GScid=66788&GRid=181& Now with the training behind them, the aviators were to test their skills in battle. The first to leave was the 17th Aero Squadron, with 95 pilots and a full compliment of support officers and enlisted men. They departed Hicks Depot on December 17, 1917 and arrived in Garden City, New York where they were ushered by boat to Paris, France. Many of the pilots, graduating from the Jennys, became known as "Camel Drivers", namely the Sopwith Camel (Many of you are no doubt familiar with Snoopy from the popular Peanuts cartoon). Although the Sopwith was the most successful of all the planes in shooting down enemy aircraft, it's unusual handling characteristics made it very difficult to fly, and ended up giving a a good kill ratio to our own pilots. In January, 1918 the 22nd, 27th and 28th Aero Squadrons left Hicks. A month later, the 139th, 147th and 148th left to amass our fighting forces. Arriving in France, many Americans found to their surprise that were their squadrons were attached to RAF units! Many found Canadian friends they had known in Texas. In April of 1918, the Canadians' job was done, and packed up to return to Canada. They had accumulated over 67,000 flying hours, trained 1,960 pilots, 69 ground officers and 4,150 men in various ground skills. To the whine of their own bagpipe land, a sound foreign in the land of cowboys and cattle, they marched past many of their cheering Texas friends and took their departure at the T&P Railroad Station in downtown Fort Worth. On November 11, 1918 came news of peace. World War I was over. The men at Hicks rejoiced. One cadet, Mr. Jack Jaynes, was both elated and frustrated. He would not be able to prove his newfound training to Uncle Sam - his chance had vanished. But all was not lost! He and some fellow aviators felt that something spectacular was in order. They decided to honor the occasion with a never-to-be-forgotten air show directly into the downtown area of Fort Worth. They simulated street strafing down the avenues and between the buildings. The width of their wings often caused them to turn or bank sharply to avoid hitting the buildings. Everyone who witnessed this talent of flying skills would never forget it! (No buildings were harmed in the course of this exhibition). http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txtarran/places/hicksfield.htm
In Memory of Cadet CLAUDE FOLLET BOVILL 152607, Royal Flying Corps who died on 27 February 1918 Remembered with honour FORT WORTH (GREENWOOD) MEMORIAL PARK http://www.cwgc.org/search/certificate.aspx?casualty=4010478
In Memory of Cadet CYRIL ALBERT BAKER 74644, Royal Flying Corps who died on 21 December 1917 Son of Mrs. B. Baker, of 23, River Street West, Moose Jaw, Sask. Remembered with honour FORT WORTH (GREENWOOD) MEMORIAL PARK
