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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0872.PDF
AUGUST 23, 1917. Casualties. Captain CECIL DOUGLAS BAKER, Grenadier Guards, whowas killed on July 29th, was the third son of the late Arthur Henry Baker, J.P., of Elderslie, Beckenham, Kent, and ofMrs. Baker, of 68, Prince's Gate, S.W. Born in 1870, he was educated at The Abbey School, Beckenham, at Sherborneand Merton College, Oxford, taking his degree in 1893. A fine all-round athlete, he played in the Abbey School XI,and in both the XI and XV at Sherborne. Proceeding to Oxford, he played in the University XV in. 1891, 1892 and1893, being captain in 1892. On leaving Oxford he entered into City life and became a member of the London StockExchange in 1895. He married Gwendoline, daughter of the late Alexander Peyman. On the outbreak of war he wasgiven a commission in the R.N.V.R. Anti-Aircraft Corps, but wa.i transferred to the Grenadier Guards in September, 1915.He, was wounded in 1916, and was promoted Acting Captain last February. HUBERT VICTOR BENNETTO, R.F.C., whose death in action was announced last week, was the only son of Mr. A. E. Bennetto, manager of the Lewisham branch of the London City and Midland Bank. He was 27 years of age. Lieutenant HARRY DUDLEY BLACKBURN, Royal Berkshire Regiment, attached R.F.C., previously reported missing on April 5th, and now reported shot in the air on that date, was the son of the late Henry Bingham Blackburn and Mrs. Henry Bingham Blackburn, of Danehurst, Easbourne. He was educated at St. Augustine's and Hill Brow, Eastbourne, and at Wellington College. On the outbreak of war he joined the Artists' Rifles, and served with them at home and in" France for over ten months, when he accepted a commission in the Royal Berkshire Regiment, with which he saw a good deal of fighting till he was invalided homfi. He then joined the R.F.C. and went to France again with his squadron as an observer «n January 13th. There he obtained his wings a few weeks before he was killed. Second Lieutenant T. F. P. T. DENNETT, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), attached R.F.C., who died on August 4th of wounds received on the same day, was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dennett, of Croydon, and Pett, Hastings, and was aged 22. He was educated at the Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon, and was a medical student at Guy's Hospital. On the outbreak of the war he enlisted as a trooper in the Yeomanry, and went out with the 29th Division to Egypt and the Dardanelles, proceeding to France in March, 1916, where he served until the following August. After training at Cambridge he was gazetted to a commission on December 19th, and was on active service from January to April with his regiment. He was then attached to the R.F.C. after a short training at Brooklands, and met his death while engaged on a reconnaissance as an observer over the enemy lines. Second Lieutenant HENRY MONTGOMERY SCOTT PILLOW, R.F.C., was killed at August 8th. He was born in March, 1895, and was the second son of Mrs. Pillow, Chief Examiner of the Government Colleges for training teachers in cookery and domestic science and vice-chairman of the Public Service Board, and of the late Edward Pillow, for many years Education Secretary to the Norfolk County Council. He was educated at Norwich Grammar School, and was a student at Guy's Hospital. Within a month of the outbreak of war he joined the Public Schools Brigade, and shortly afterwards went on active service abroad as a private in the Royal Fusiliers. After seven months, of service in the trenches he was sent home to train for a commission, and in due course he was gazetted to the Middlesex Regiment, and later trans- ferred to the R.F.C. After gaining the full qualifications, he went to the Front on July 28th, and met his death within ten days. His elder brother, now the only surviving child of Mrs. Pillow, is also an officer, and is serving abroad. Lieutenant HUBERT PELHAM SWORDER, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment), attached R.F.C., reported missing on April 2nd, and now reported killed on that date, was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Sworder, of Barkway, Herts. He was educated at HaiLeybury, where he was captain of the gymnasium six, and Sandhurst, where he became U.O., though the youngest of his company. He was a keen follower of fox and otter hounds, and hunted with the Puckeridge "Foxhounds and Eastern Counties Otter Hounds, He was made Temporary Captain before he was 19 owing to his being Brigade Signalling Officer, but relinquished this rank on joining the R.F.C. in August, 1916. He was only 19 when he was killed. Lieutenant MAX ARTHUR EUGENE CREMETTI, Royal Scots Fusiliers, attached R.F.C., whose death has taken place by accident at Hendon, was one of the pilots who, during the big aeroplane raid on July 7th on London, so fearlessly attacked the raiding squadron. He was 24 years of age, was educated at Harrow, and upon leaviftg school entered the Clement Talbot works, remaining there until the outbreak of war. When the call for despatch riders came he imme- diately enlisted and went to France with our original Expe- ditionary Force. He did very good work during the retreat from Mons, and even better at"the battle of the Marne, where he received the D.C.M. lor " conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." He was also mentioned in despatches for distinguished work at Wytschaete, and came home a few weeks later to a commission in the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Wounds received at Wytschaete prevented him being of use to the infantry, and after serving some time he transferred to the R.F.C., returning to France as a qualified pilot. In France he was shot down by an air raider at a height of 8,000 ft., but managed to save his own life and that of his observer's by throwing out the Lewis gun and landing in No Man's Land. Both officers were badly shaken as the result of the affair, and Lieut. Cremetti, after being in hospital for some time, was detailed for duty at an aeroplane receiving station, where he had to test new machines. It was while stationed here that the young officer, not fully recovered from his injuries, went up on Saturday morning, July 7th, to give battle to the raiding Huns. During this raid he twice flew through the raiders, past the guarding battleplanes and back again, his Lewis gun firing all the time. Crcmetti followed up the raiders on their return journey to the sea and, catching one over the Thames Estuary, shot him clown Major JAMES VALENTINE, R?F.C, is reported as having died after an operation at Kieff, in Russia, where he had been specially employed for some time on Government work, holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He had just received the D.S.O. He was the only child of the late James Valentine, ' managing director of the Northern Assurance Co., Moorgate Street, who married Miss Fanny Roe, a member of an old Norwich family. Shortly after the outbreak of the war Major Valentine was placed in charge of the British aviation depot in Paris, and received from the French Government the Cross of the Legion of Honour. On returning from France he was sent on a special mission to Italy and subsequently to Russia. The Russian Government presented him with the Order of St. Stanislaus, and in the last list of birthday honours the King conferred on him the D.S.O. Major Valentine married a niece of the present Lord Lonsdale. After her husband was sent to Russia Mrs. Valentine resided in Paris, where she has been doing good service in the military hospitals. Major Valentine will be best remembered as one of the British pioneers—his R. Ae. C. certificate was No. 47—and his work is set forth in the pages of " FLIGHT," making it unnecessary to recapitulate it at length here. It will be recalled, however, that he was one of the four which finished in the Circuit of Britain of 1911, and also was the only British competitor to complete the whole course of the European circuit. Married and to be Married. An engagement is announced between Lieutenant JAMES VINCENT BARRY, R.F.C., second son of the late James Hewitt 'Barry, of Calcutta and London, and the late Mrs. Barry, of Hillbrow, Horsham, and Lois VERA, only daughter of the late Harold JONES, M.I.C.E., and Mrs. Harold JONES, of 8A, Longridge Road, Earl's Court. An engagement is announced between Major P. E. L. GETHIN, R.F.C., youngest son of Sir Richard Gethin, Bt., and Lady Gethin, of The Grove, Hythe, Southampton, and NORAH, elder daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. N. STAPLEDON, of Knapp, East Anstey, Devon. The engagement is announced of Captain C. C. HAYNES, Devonshire Regiment, R.F.C., eldest son of Colonel C. E. Haynes, C.B., R.E., and Mrs. Haynes, Kerries, South Brent, South Devon, and SHEELAH, youngest daughter of the late Lieutenant-Colonel G. LEMON WALKER, I.M.S., and of Mrs. WALKER, St. Heliers, Jersey, C.I. • A marriage has been arranged, and will take place in November (leave permitting), between the Hon. WINIFRED SMITH, daughter of Lord and Lady Colwyn, of Colwyn Bay, and Captain T. R. IRONS, R.F.C., son of Mr. and Mrs. T. Irons, of Sydney, Australia. 872
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