Who shot down my Grandad?

Alexoflewes · 13 June 2013, 03:47 AM

Hi,

I'm hoping one of you might be able to help. I have the combat report for the dogfight in which my Grandfather, 2nd Lt A.M Matheson, was shot down on 1st October 1918.

He was the pilot of a DH9 flying with 108 squadron on a bombing raid on Ingelmunster station, at around 17:25. After dropping their bombs, they were attacked over Roulers by what was described as "33 EA, machines were marked with thin black and white stripes on fuselage and black and white checks on planes". I took notes from the squadron diary which described them as Fokkers, I believe including triplanes, but can't guarantee they all were. I did the research some time ago and my notes weren't very detailed. The combat report says 5 enemy machines were destroyed, one driven down out of control. 108 squadron lost 3 planes, with one "shot down but managed to reach our lines".

Out of the blue this week my mother was contacted by the daughter of 2nd Lt Frederick Eveleigh, who was my father's observer, and learned more about what happened from what Eveleigh told his daughter. Apparently my father, who's right femur was shattered by machine gun fire that also "shot away the rudder and aileron controls", passed out. Eveleigh climbed over from his seat and managed to take some control of the DH9 and both survived the crash landing that destroyed the plane. I'd always thought my grandfather was the one who brought the plane down so this was news to me. Seems my family owes a huge debt of gratitude to Eveleigh.

I'm attaching photos I have of my Grandfather next to his DH9, as well as one of him, on the far left in the back row, with the rest of 'A Flight".

Would be fantastic if someone knew how to find out which squadron the E.A were part of. I found my grandfather's records while doing family research, but know nothing about how to find out about the German side of the combat.

Germanophile-1 · 13 June 2013, 04:09 AM

According to Trevor Henshaw's landmark book on the subject of RFC/RNAS/RAF casualties (The Sky Their Battlefield, London, 1995), Airco D.H.9 serial number D.5847 of No. 108 Squadron, RAF was shot down on 1 October 1918 by Ltn Karl Plauth of Jagdstaffel 51.

Henshaw's book is an exellent reference resource and so I, for one, would accept this analysis.

Peter Kilduff

Alexoflewes · 13 June 2013, 05:42 AM

Wow, that's incredible to actually have a named pilot. Thank you so much for replying.

The combat record lists D.5847 as being on that mission along with the other 8 DH9s, but it doesn't connect the plane numbers to the pilots. And unfortunately my notes from the squadron diary don't mention plane numbers, though whether they were there and I just didn't copy them down I don't know. Do we know if that was my Grandfather's plane, or is it a one in three chance it was his?

Germanophile-1 · 14 June 2013, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexoflewes

Wow, that's incredible to actually have a named pilot. Thank you so much for replying.

The combat record lists D.5847 as being on that mission along with the other 8 DH9s, but it doesn't connect the plane numbers to the pilots. And unfortunately my notes from the squadron diary don't mention plane numbers, though whether they were there and I just didn't copy them down I don't know. Do we know if that was my Grandfather's plane, or is it a one in three chance it was his?

It is reported as his airplane in Henshaw's book, which is based on solid research. I urge you to acquire or borrow a copy of Henshaw's book.

Alexoflewes · 13 June 2013, 05:53 AM

By the way, I looked up Jasta 51 and they flew Fokker D VIIs. Looking at my notes again, the reference to Fokker triplanes came from a dogfight he was involved in on 21/9/1918 involving 9 DH9s, 4 Fokker Triplanes and 11 Fokker biplanes. The triplanes, out of interest, had "white tailplanes and elevator, also white bands across top of the planes. 2 E.A driven down, and one DH9 driven down".

Alexoflewes · 13 June 2013, 02:48 PM

Hi Germanophile,

Your post has sparked loads of reading today for me, as Karl Plauth is written about in Fokker DVII Aces of WW1. Including diary entries where he describes shooting down a DH9 on 21st Sept, and his feelings of remorse when it burst into flames just before landing, as he wanted them to land safely to be captured. On the German Aces section on this website it says he shot down an RE8 on the 21st, not a DH9, but if his diary is right, the only DH9 pilots I could find killed on the 21st were with 108 squadron. Which would make it very likely my grandfather was in a dogfight with the same pilot, flying with two different squadrons in the space of less than two weeks. Remarkable.

Would The Sky Their Battlefield be able to confirm who Plauth shot down on the 21st Sept?

Germanophile-1 · 14 June 2013, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexoflewes

Hi Germanophile,

Would The Sky Their Battlefield be able to confirm who Plauth shot down on the 21st Sept?

That takes a bit more digging than I am able to do right now. Again, I suggest you find a copy of Henshaw's book, which is a gold mine of information.

Alexoflewes · 14 June 2013, 06:06 AM

Again, really appreciate your help with this. I had a look for the book, but it seems to be out of print over here, and not available in my town's library. But I just googled the names of the DH9 pilots who were killed that day, including Daniel Shanks, which led me back here: http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/pe...-airmen-2.html.

So looks like R Gannon and Jos have confirmed for me that my Grandad was in a combat with Plauth twice, and he was shot down by him the second time. There was a disputed claim about whether Plauth or Jacobs shot down one of the planes, but Plauth's diary description is so detailed he must have shot down one of them. The dispute seems to be about whether the other one was hit by flak or shot down by Jacobs (possibly both).

As an interesting footnote (to me at least), looking more into Plauth, he was killed in 1927 while testing a plane he was helping to design for Junkers. A prototype of the Stuka, and a newspaper report said he was killed while diving towards the ground. He was only 31 when he died. I showed a photo of him to my 10 year old daughter last night and said "Guess who this is?" She said, excitedly, "is he the man who saved your Grandad's life?" Hmm, not exactly...