April 13, 1917 RIP Great Uncle
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Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 7:17pm
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Topic: April 13, 1917 RIP Great Uncle
Posted By: Sapper740
Subject: April 13, 1917 RIP Great Uncle
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 4:57am
| On this day in 1917 my Great Uncle Lt. William James Chalk was flying as an observer in an RE8 biplane. He and his pilot were joined by 5 other RE8's who unfortunately never met up with the fighters that were supposed to cover them as they flew over enemy territory. The air cover over the German lines was provided by none other than Baron Manfred von Richtofen's Flying Circus and it's many aces. Sadly, the 6 RE8's had little defense against the cream of the German air force in their newest fighter, the Albatross. Within short order all 6 RE8's were shot down in flames, one by none other than the Red Baron himself. April of 1917 soon became known as 'Bloody April' as the German pilots in their more advanced aircraft dominated the skies. |
Replies:
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 7:15am
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RIP, you are missed. ------------- Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts. |
Posted By: hoadie
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 10:52am
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Was he flying in the RFC? ------------- Loose wimmen tightened here |
Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 11:42am
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A sad fate for many of these brave boys. We will remember them! ------------- It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! |
Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 11:48am
| It was an RFC aircraft, but he wasn't the pilot, only an observer. The RE8's belonged to 59 Sqn and my great Uncle was a member of the 100th Battalion Winnipeg Grenadiers who went up to see the effects of an artillery barrage in the Arras region the day before. The average flying life of a RFC pilot in Arras in April was 18 hours and from 4 to 8 April, the RFC lost 75 aircraft and 105 aircrew. You can imagine the courage it took to go up in a slow, lumbering stringbag of an aircraft especially in light of the losses already suffered that month. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: April 13 2023 at 7:10pm
| its good to remember , sadly so many dont care anymore , i still do , |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 3:06pm
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If you'd like to see a movie that's probably one of the better depictions of WW1 aerial combat, life & death then i suggest "Flyboys". Its far more gritty & probably accurate than "The blue Max" The CGI is needed because there aren't more than a handful of airworthy WW1 fighters around. ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 3:42pm
| I think of the footage of WW1 early bombers and the guy looking over the side and dropping a hand held bomb, probably a few stacked between his feet, then footage of a B52 strike in Vietnam, it amazes me how in a scant 45 or so years how much we progressed in the art of killing. And now drones and smart arial weapons... The next Ace will be some pimply faced geek gamer with a monitor in his parents basement! Putting stickers of downed enemy aircraft on the side of his console! |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 1:35pm
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When they announced the possibility of "Top Gun 2" I had a scenario that combined the worst of Hollywood's Postquels, 'Omages & RE-boots. Grounded for medical reasons, related to age, Pete "Maverick" Mitchel, 54yrs old & STILL a Lt but now "a chairborne warrior" & 75Lbs heavier is flying drones from a converted conex box "somewhere outside of Trenton, NJ"! His "wingman" is a pink-haired sandal & flannel pyjama wearing punk 25 year old female with a degree in "The History of early Victorian Pornography" who constantly munches on vegan snacks while whining in a nasal tone about Mithchel's "Toxic Masculinity" & "Meatasurian diet".  ------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |
Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 3:16pm
| I did hear that movie is pretty good. Anyone see it? |
Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 4:24pm
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You should not drink Hippies when posting. Gives me bad gas and upset gut. ------------- Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts. |
Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 6:54pm
 
------------- Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force) |