Tony

Don, It says Give this to Tony Looks like an abbreviation (rank maybe) Vogler MG ? 19 The third letter looks like a D but I don't know what MGD19 would be. A very very nice set indeed. Tony

Hello Matt, I think that could be a tough one. Don't know where to look on the internet and I'm not sure if those records have been released yet. Have you tried the MoD or is that the Navy Records Centre? Tony

Paul, I have an EKI with the same set up which is non magnetic. I was told it was more than likely made in the 20s. That EKII looks great, it's different so I'd leave it as it is. I'd convince myself that the original owner painted the frame making it appear brighter on those old black & white photos. Tony

Rick, No idea really as I can't afford RFC items but I think the cloth wings go for upwards of ?250. That's just an educated guess, I could be wrong. It could also be a case of asking what you want as they are thin on the ground. Is there any reason why the left wing has 11 feathers and the right wing only 10? Tony

Hello Les, I've tried electrolysis which works very well but I did find it messy and I needed quite a bit of space. I only have the balcony to use for my derusting projects, I find it too risky/too open using the garden. I do get good results using sodium hydroxide pellets in water but this method takes much longer than the above method. Tony

Michael, Great site and mid 1916 onwards has narrowed down the year a bit. Must be pre Nov. 1918 and no 14-15 Star ribbon (issued in 1917?) so they either came out in 1916 at the earliest or it's no later than 1917/early 18. Only guessing though so please take no notice. Rick, I thought they all packed a Luger. Can you tell who owned before the Canadian or at least his rank? Tony

I've just realised they're wearing British tunics, that no way means they aren't Canadian as British tunics were made in Canada, those belts look Canadian issue. Tony

The one on the left looks like he has the Military Medal. The patch on the arm of the man on the right looks to confirm him being Canadian but as we can't tell the colour I can't say which division (the large oblong denotes the division). The colour of the smaller oblong would show the brigade but again, we need to know the colour. The shape of the smaller patch (four possibilities) denoted the battalion. In the booklet I have, it does say that Engineers had the initials CE on the patch whereas machine gunners had the patch surmounted by an arrow. Divisional troops e.g. signallers wore the patch only. Has the man on the right only the patch? Here are some Canadian patches http://www.militarybadges.info/colourpatch...dmin/canada.htm Hope that's ome help. Tony

That's what I was think too Chris and hoping someone else would think the same. He was from a village called Sta?furt which is to the north east of Aschersleben. I think that's Sachsen Anhalt. I noticed yesterday that the same thing was happening in London with telegrams, the one I saw was in pencil and dated Nov. 1918. Thanks for your opinion! Tony

This one has my favourite spoon and some other bits. Ooops, forgot to attach the picture Tony

I thought I'd give the wife's camera a go, she said it was a freebie or something The first pic is my favourite tie pin.

Nice and noble rescue act Micha. I haven't seen an EK at a flea market up this way (in OWL) for ages, well not at flea market prices. Tony

Rick, The story gets worse (I have his full file), they needed several years to sort out his estate, there are letters saying the next of kin can apply to visit him in hospital in France and after the application was made, the refusal was sent. There's also a letter from home asking what has happened to his kit which was handed in to the QMS in France on 21.10.18. Spelling mistakes in his name but as you say, one of the millions.

Nathanial Dobson arrived in Boulogne as a reinforcement officer on 15th Oct. 1918 and joined his unit on the 21st October. On 23rd October 1918 after just two days service with his new unit and only 19 days before the end of the war, he was wounded in action; gunshot wounds to the left leg and both arms, the right arm being amputated above the elbow. Telegraph from 2.11.18 states shrapnel wounds to leg, arms and face, still very ill. Was in No. 45 CCS which was in Bihecourt (near St. Quentin) I believe before being moved to No. 8 General Hospital, Rouen. Post office telegraph from M.O. Rouen hospital says Lt. Dobson Royal Air Force, died of his wounds at 0815 on 17.11.18 He had flying instruction in a N.F.S.H. Does anyone know what sort of aeroplane that is? Tony

RFC discharge report dated 22nd September 1917 states he was medically examined on 17th August and found to be unfit for service as a pilot or observer due to nervous instability and should relinquish his commission. As he was an engineer in civilian life, it was later suggested he joined the RE as a temp. 2nd Lieutenant. Somehow he ended up in the Border Regt attached to the 1st Cameronians, He was transferred back to the infantry on 3rd November 1917. Below is a report from August.

Hello Jon, Took your advice and ended up asking REME Technician (Kevin) if he?d do some research for me. His work was fast, brilliant and very cheap. Now, here?s a quick run down on Nathanial George Dobson RFC who was residing in the Strand Palace hotel, London while in training with the RFC. Attested 2nd December 1915 (Artist Rifles) Army reserve 3rd December 1915 Mobilised 5th February 1917 Posted 5th February 1917 Discharged to commission 2nd Lieutenant RFC 9th June 1917 Joined RFC as a 2nd Lieutenant 12.6.17 After 8 ? hours training it was reported that he isn?t fit to fly. Hope the scans come out clear enough

I have a couple of questions about a telegram I have from 1915, reporting a soldier?s death to his wife. Was it usual to have such telegrams handwritten or were they typed? The soldier in question was named Casp(a)r and was a member of FAR 4, the telegram says he was killed on 15.5.15. According to the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgr?berf?rsorge, Kanonier Casp(e)r was killed on 20.5.15. Do you think this be the same person? Thanks for any help! Tony

I like them Tom, please show more. I don't usually see much on the Somme, once at the fair in Sailly Sallisel my wife got bored and went for a walk. She came back 15 minutes later with a Lebel rifle, twisted and bent from the plough. Tony

Barney, That was a very interesting read! Tony

I like the address; North Wales, England .

I have a square marked EKI and 2 CD800 EKIIs, the crowns are totally different in size and shape. The year 1914 being different sizes, but apart from that, to me, they look the same on the CD800 and square (the "1" in 14 touching the "9"). Or am I just confused? Nice cross by the way Joe! Tony

I'm with David on this one. And Chris. Tony

Hello, While I was back home in London a few weeks ago I managed to have a look at some of the local archives in the Southwark History Library and stumbled across a nice photo of a B17 at its naming ceremony. The name it was given was Rotherhithe's Revenge and although I've found some info on the net which is below, does anyone actually know what happened to this aeroplane? Ridgewell, Essex and the 381st Bomb Group Ridgewell was built as a satellite for Stradishall and on December 30th 1942 the newly formed 90 Squadron (RAF) flew in Stirling bombers from Bottesford. The RAF used the Stirlings for minelaying and bombing of targets such as Hamburg, Essen and Duisburg but in May 1943, 90 Squadron moved to West Wickham. The 381st Bomb Group arrived at Ridgewell in June 1943 in its B17 Flying Fortresses. The 381st was part of the First Air Division and received two Distinguished Unit Citations. It had two planes which successfully completed over 100 missions, "Rotherhithe's Revenge" and "Stage Door Canteen". The tail fins of 381st planes carried an L within a triangle, the triangle denoting the 1st Air Division which was mainly located in Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. The 381st had its worst losses (11 aircraft) on the raid on Schweinfurt on 17th August 1943. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for Bremen on 8th October 1943, and its second for the 1st Air Division operations on 11th January 1944. The 381st ran several parties for children from nearby Haverhill and other villages around. 297 missions were flown up to 25th April 1945 and 131 B17's were lost in action. The 381st returned to the USA in June 1945, leaving Ridgewell to RAF Maintenance Command. Number 94 MU was here from September 1946 to March 1957, and now it is largely farmland. Thanks Tony

Jason, I think you did the right thing passing on the single decal, complete Austrian helmets are quite rare or at least they are in Germany. My Austrian lid has a P on the dome. I believe the letter stamp has something to do with the steel manufacturer's batch or press shop batch number. Tony

I like things that go bang. What's the blue one?