Photo Nieuport

[Stig Jarlevik]

Clint

Doesn't the post card date look like 15 April? (Yes I have the Bailey/Cony book)

And how long took it to make a postcard from a negative?

Perhaps our 'hero' put the wrong date on the flip-side?

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


I was basing my info on Albin Denis' page on N 81. But no doubt his source is also Bailey/Cony. So yes, 15 April it is and I should have read the rear of the card.Of course, the hand writing can be hard to decipher and it may be the 75th of April.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well....

All sources I have says Sgt Xavier Boiteux-Levret of N 81 was lost on 24.04.1917, hence my confusion.

Either the French docs are wrong, or the date on the flip side is.

But hey, on the other hand, if our 'hero' actually says 75th of April, all our problems are indeed solved!!!

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


It would be interesting to know if all sources have a single common origin. I very much expect so. Unknowable of course but I wouldn't be surprised if the date Boiteux-Levret's death was recorded in the official records or squadron records was 24 th April, but the actual event sometime earlier, though as you point out, how likely is the photo to have been developed and posted the same day?


To be honest, this is leading me to all kinds of fruitless speculation. As an example N.2937 is recorded as being in use with N 85 at : http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escad...adrille085.htm in April 1917. Perhaps it was not Boiteux-Levret's aircraft at all?? In fact I am inclined to regard this as a more plausible explanation than a significantly earlier date of death. But who knows??


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Clint

I think Denis is just as confused as everyone else.

If you look at his type summaries and what he says regarding No 2937 he only lists it with N81 but says it was in use all the way to 11 June 1917.

Getting better and better doesn't it?

Trying to be serious I would say that French aviation and their aircraft have so many huge gaps that we may never know for sure what is correct or not. An educated guess in the past gets overruled by new research and so on.

Denis (hats off to him any day), as an example, is doing a very good job, but just the shear size of it makes it almost impossible for him to change a former error at every point it may occur.

Cheers
Stig

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well known photo Clint

Personally I think it was an official photo taken at Beardmore around July -
August 1916. It was one of two small batches transferred to RFC from the RNAS.
All of them went No 46 Sq in the end.

Presumably (with all the background retouched away) it was taken to circulate among RFC personal for ID purposes.

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


Thanks. I feared it might already be known given the seller. More caution required I think.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hey Clint

Just because it is well known to me, doesn't mean it is for anyone else.
I happen to have the pretty complete Cross & Cockade book and some other articles, meaning I am good....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


Hopefully you're right. I shall do an image search in any event, as I should have done before posting. Yep, its there, curses. Well I shall be deleting that post as I don't like to post photos that can easily be found on the net.


Regards,


Clint

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on Delcampe is a photo of Nieuport 10 N.328 flown by Georges Guynemer:


https://www.delcampe.net/fr/collecti...170165383.html


Regards,


Clint