Patrick’s eldest son, William, served on 142 Squadron in the first five months of 1942. In that period, the Squadron launched 256 sorties and lost 10 aircraft, a loss rate of 4%. This loss rate gives a crew a 50% chance of surviving beyond their 17th mission. From accounts that I have read, the majority…
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More heartbreak for Patrick
I have already made a brief reference to Patrick’s son-in-law Ernest Leslie Dunn. (see VE Day: Patrick’s perspective) The days leading up to Remembrance Sunday made me investigate his story in more detail. The service records always refer to him as Leslie Dunn. There is no one left that can tell me whether he was…
What to believe (2)
In the first article titled “What to believe” I looked at the difficulty in verifying some of the facts of history. The claims made during the Battle of Britain were a useful vehicle for making the point. The theme began development somewhat earlier when I picked up a second-hand book. “Dambusters Away” written by Jack…
What to believe
What do you believe? I am not talking about whether the earth is flat, or if the moon is made of green cheese, or do fairies exist. (For reference, my answer to all three questions is a firm ‘no’.) I am concerned with versions of history. It is said that history is written by the…
Just out of the picture
In ‘Lessons in Geography’, I compared the entries in the Regimental War Diary in 1918 with the content of Lyn Macdonald’s book ‘To the Last Man’. Whilst the 2nd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment was present during the actions described, they are not explicitly mentioned. This is quite understandable. If an author attempts to namecheck…
Medical treatment
Patrick’s time in hospital in Brighton (1914) and Kent (1918) has already been covered. I have very little detail on the nature of his treatment. The experience of being transported from the battlefield to the hospital can only be covered by referring to more general texts. Patrick would have been carried from the battlefield on…
At full stretch
In ‘Lessons in geography’, I questioned the extent to which the rank and file troops had much understanding of the geography of the land. I also wonder about their perception of the overall state of the war. Rumours circulate in most organisations. There were many mechanisms for information, and misinformation, to flow in the Army.…
Lessons in Geography
In ‘Bogs in Belgium’, I recommended a book by Lyn Macdonald. I am currently reading another one of her books. This one is called ‘To the last man’. It deals with the German Spring Offensive of 1918. In one of the maps, I noticed a place (Ayette) that is mentioned in the War Diary of…
Simple twist of fate
In the blog ‘Medal Ribbons’ I briefly examined the question of how many soldiers survived the entire war in their original unit. Fate played a part. Being in the right, or wrong, place could make a massive difference to the chances of survival. Examination of three seminal battles helps to prove the point. 1914: In…
Medal Ribbons
The War Diary for the 2nd battalion, Manchester Regiment, contains entries on a great range of subject matter. Sometimes it provides information on casualties. On other days, it informs the reader that the men were able to take baths. On 5th February 1918, the General Officer Commanding 14th Infantry Brigade presented the medal ribbon of…