The First World War

[rustler]

I must admit, but I never knew of the existence of genuine colour pictures from the First World War. However, on a news site where I live a few days ago, they showed these and a few other images from the Getty Collection.




Amazing images from the otherwise black and white First World War......

According to the Norwegian site, the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumìere took out a patent on colour film in 1903. The first colour film being patented in 1907! Therefore, as they were French the pictures are of French and French colonial troops at this time.....
The site also mentioned the existence of German colour pictures as well from WWI.


Hope this is of interest.

[rustler]

This might be of interest:

The Memorial Plaque commemorating the death of Major Edward Mannock VC, DSO, MC, 85 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, and associated photographs, are to be sold at the Dix Noonan Webb auction on the 18th September 2014 in London.
The estimated sale price is between £8,000 and £10,000. Edward Mannock's Victoria Cross, Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross are held by the Lord Ashcroft VC Collection in The Imperial war Museum, London. The whereabouts of Mannock's trio of WWI campaign medals is not known.

[ConstantOgler]

Interesting article abt a lone man who is obsessed, fair to say, with photographing the sub-terrainian tunnels & "cities" under Western Front trenches. Something no one else has given a sheet abt, basically, since 1918. It seems the lesson or education was more than people wanted to know; they wanted to "move on." We know how that turned out.

PS further thought, blaming France & and UK for "forgetting" isn't right. Maybe it was others who forgot.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...world-war-one/

[charlie6]

if i look at today's germany i can only advise every other country to lose as many wars as possible

[knobby109]

Originally Posted by charlie6

if i look at today's germany i can only advise every other country to lose as many wars as possible

It depends upon who you lose it to!

A country devastated like Germany, when rebuilding took place , gets the most up to date equipment and tools. Britain in 1945 had the only major intact industry in Europe so its order books were full but its machinery was generally older and well worn.Eventually she ended up competing with a newly equipped Europe (and Japan) and not doing well at it.

[rustler]

The so called 'death plaque' commemorating the death of Major Edward 'Mick' Mannock VC.DSO**.MC*, was sold this afternoon at a London auction house.

The estimate for the lot which included photographs as well as the plaque, was £8.000 - £10.000. The final knock down price was £22.000.

It went to an, as yet, anonymous buyer. Hopefully it went to Lord Ashcroft or The RAF Museum Hendon......... if not.......


Mal, was it you??

[Mal Hombre]

Sadly not,That's a very good bargain someone got.A timely reminder though,amidst all the lachrymatory "Futilty of War"bilge,that the men and women who fought the Great War,Were as heroic as those of the Second war and not sacrificial victims.

[rustler]

While researching Victoria Cross recipients for the Second World War thread, I stumbled across an interesting similarity regarding at least three First World War VC recipients of the RFC/RAF.

That Major's Lanoe G.Hawker, Edward Mannock and James T.B McCudden had all served initially in the Royal Engineers before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps.

I didn't know that, or maybe I did but had forgotten it. But it is an interesting coincidence I think.

[Mal Hombre]

Maj Hawker was a skilled engineer,Before the advent of interuptor gear He invented a clamp to hold a stripped down Lewis gun at an angle to fire around the propeller of His aircraft and managed to score kills with His makeshift contrivance.His lasting contributions were thigh length,fleece-lined "Fug Boots" and a double capacity(97 instead of 47 rounds) drum for the Lewis gun.

[rustler]

Major James McCudden was by accounts an exceptional mechanic. He transferred from the Royal Engineers to the RFC as a mechanic with, IIRC. No 3 Squadron.
He evidently knew every nut and bolt in every aircraft he flew, and would often be found in overalls with his ground crew tinkering with his aircraft. He mentions in his excellent book 'Flying Fury; Five years with the RFC', some of the adjustments he made to try a squeeze a couple of extra precious miles an hour out of his aircraft.

Eddie Rickenbacker was of a similar nature, but his knowledge came from racing cars.