One Hundred Years Ago

[Walks_At_Night]

From the February 5, 1916 flight record of Captain J. A. Cunningham, flying a DH2 (#5916) for Squadron 18.  "10:35 am  at 11,000 feet, over SALOME near LA BASSEE.  Combat with "new Albatros" +? (+? means he's not quite sure if he can claim the enemy aircraft as being shot down) tracers hit nose then black smoke & nosedive.  Landing east of Carvin, but OK?"

Then a second combat at 10:45:  "Combat with Aviatik over LOOS at 10,000 feet.  Flying (he means the enemy aircraft) downhill and moving very fast." 

And a third: "Inconclusive, third combat with Aviatik over PONT A VENDIN @ 11:00 am."

Here is a link to a photo of Cunningham.  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c5/22/85/c52285e06f41dbb0305b2086a07c69d0.jpg

And here is the type of plane he flew.  (Wikimedia)







   

Brave dude if he slugged it out with an Albatross in that crate.   The Albatross' were mean machines:

http://www.wwiaviation.com/albatros.html

[Uncle Duke]

On February 4th, 1916 Henry Kenyon, Jr. was born in Mount Vernon, New York.  He would join the United States Navy on November 5th, 1940 - he would be commissioned as an Ensign on August 4th, 1941.   He would undergo advanced flight training and would soon joined the ill-fated Torpedo Squadron 8 flying off of the USS Hornet [CV-12]. 

Torpedo Squadron 8 [VT-8] would fly the Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber which were equipped with the problematic Mark 13 torpedo.   By their very nature torpedo bomber were dangerous to fly - in order to release the torpedo properly they would have to fly at about 100 foot over the water on a long straight course.  The Devastator was especially cumbersome and would soon be shown to be a death trap.

The Hornet and VT-8 would soon be involved in the Battle of Midway in June, 1942.  The Battle of Midway would pit three US aircraft carriers - Hornet, Yorktown and Enterprise versus four Japanese carriers - Akagi, Hiryu, Soryu and Kaga.   Due to some nice code breaking by Joseph Rochefort the US Navy knew the Japanese were going to attack Midway Island, so while the US Navy was outnumbered it had the advantage of surprise as the Imperial Japanese Navy did not know the US Navy lay waiting for them.

The commander of VT-8,  John C. Waldron would lead the 15 TBD's off the deck of the Hornet in search of the four Japanese aircraft carriers that had launched strikes against the island of Midway.   VT-8 would become separated from the Douglas SBD dive bombers and Grumman F4F fighters that also launched from the Hornet.   Waldron would press on anyway and did find the Japanese aircraft carriers.   VT-8 would attack and all 15 Devastators would be shot down.  29 of the 30 members of VT-8 would be killed in the attack - including Ensign Kenyon.   Only Ensign George Gay would survive the attack - he would go on to fly for TWA after the war and would ultimately die in 1994.  VT-8 would score no torpedo hits on the Japanese fleet.

VT-8's sacrifice would not be totally futile.   The Japanese fighter cover swooped down to attack VT-8 which left no fighters up high at the time US dive bombers arrived.  The dive bombers would pound the Japanese aircraft carriers.  By the end of the battle Japan would lose all 4 carriers where the US would lose the Yorktown.


Ensign Kenyon would be awarded the  Navy Cross posthumously and would have the destroyer escort USS Henry R. Kenyon (DE-683) named after him.


Squadron photo of VT-8 [Kenyon - front row, 2nd from left]:


Jonathon Waldron - Commander of VT8


Ensign George Gay - the only survivor


Douglas TBD Devastator:



USS Hornet  CV-12


USS Kenyon DE-683

I met George Gay and bought an autographed copy of his book at the Chico Air Show in the late 80s.  That was the same morning I saw a very drunk Greg Boyington go berserk in the tent set up for him to sell his books, photographs, etc.

[Walks_At_Night]

I met George Gay and bought an autographed copy of his book at the Chico Air Show in the late 80s.  That was the same morning I saw a very drunk Greg Boyington go berserk in the tent set up for him to sell his books, photographs, etc.

Most excellent!   I would guess that Mr. Gay was a perfect Texas gentleman......    I would imagine that Pappy would be a handful in any setting

[Uncle Duke]

Brave dude if he slugged it out with an Albatross in that crate.   The Albatross' were mean machines:

The Brits developed the "pusher" fighters like the DH2 and FE2B as something of a stopgap to combat German "tractor" fighters that employed forward firing machine gun synchronized to fire through a spinning propeller.  By mounting the engine/propeller behind the pilot, the Brits were able to fire forward without fear of hitting the prop.

[Walks_At_Night]

On February 6, 1916 Patrol Officer Robert Beasley of the Petersburg Police Department, Virginia was killed.

Patrol Officer Robert Beasley was assaulted while using a police call box at the corner of Halifax Street and Mistletoe Street.

He was reporting a suspicious incident at about 3:45 am when the line suddenly went dead. Other officers found his body approximately 15 minutes later.

Officer Beasley had served with the Petersburg Police Department for only seven months.

[Walks_At_Night]

Came across an interesting web page that discusses the formation of the Australian Camel Corps in 1916.   Looks like several of the Aussie's Light Horse regiments turned in their steeds for camels in Palestine and Egypt.

Rising Sun badge for the Camel Corps

Imperial Camel Corps

The Imperial Camel Corps (ICC) was formed in January 1916 in order to deal with the revolt of pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen in Egypt’s Western Desert. The first four companies were recruited from Australian infantry battalions recuperating after Gallipoli. Four battalions were eventually formed. The 1st and 3rd were entirely Australian, the 2nd was British, and the 4th was a mix of Australians and New Zealanders. The ICC also had its own machine gun unit, and a battery of light artillery recruited in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The operations of the ICC in the Western Desert in 1916 were characterised by long patrols and brief skirmishes with the Senussi. British commanders in Egypt appreciated the fighting qualities of the ICC and in late 1916 the ICC was transferred to the Sinai desert to take part in operations against the Turkish army. Here the battalions of the ICC fought alongside Australian light horse units at Romani, Magdhaba and Rafa.

The ICC remained an integral part of the British and dominion force that advanced north through Palestine in 1917 and 1918. It suffered particularly heavily during the Second Battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917, and in the operations conducted in November to destroy the Turkish defensive line between Gaza and Beersheba. As the ICC moved into the more fertile country of northern Palestine, its practicality declined. The camels needed more fodder and water than equivalent numbers of horses, and, unimpeded by the desert, horses could move much faster. The bulk of the ICC was disbanded in June 1918 and the Australians were used to form the 14th and 15th Light Horse Regiments.

The men of the ICC had a rough reputation, largely because when the Corps was originally formed Australian battalion commanders had seized upon it as an opportunity to offload some of their more difficult characters. In 1917 a British supply dump at Rafa was warned to double their guards as the ICC was going to be camped nearby. The men of the ICC were, however, resourceful and effective. While defending a hill called Musallabeh in April 1918, some Australians of the ICC ran out of hand grenades. They resorted to heaving boulders down upon the attacking Turks and eventually fought them off. The hill became known as the “Camel’s Hump”. Text from AWM

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

I met George Gay and bought an autographed copy of his book at the Chico Air Show in the late 80s.  That was the same morning I saw a very drunk Greg Boyington go berserk in the tent set up for him to sell his books, photographs, etc.

I remember reading an interview with Robert Conrad whil he was doing that gawd awful Blacksheep Squadron series, in which he told about meeting Pappy Boyington for the first time.  He said Pappy told him how much he liked the show, and after Conrad puffed with pride, he added something like, Yeah, because you're you're the kind of cocky little SOB whose ass we would have had a lot of fun kicking back then. 

[Meister_000]

Came across an interesting web page that discusses the formation of the Australian Camel Corps in 1916.   Looks like several of the Aussie's Light Horse regiments turned in their steeds for camels in Palestine and Egypt.

Very cool, Walks. Turns out this ts a much larger and historied story beginning  way back in the 1870's:

http://mojonews.com.au/special-report-the-king-of-the-cameleers-the-rebellious-patriotism-of-abdul-wade/

"Special report: The King of the Cameleers â€" the rebellious patriotism of Abdul Wade -- plus Ghan town, and finally the Imperial Camel Corps

The Australian-dominated Imperial Camel Corps was a strange legacy of the Afghan cameleers who were brought to Australia in the 1870s, who opened up the Outback with the aid of a sturdy flock that could cope with the tough conditions.

The camels flourished, but relations between the Afghans and the local community were tense, escalating to widespread discrimination and violent attacks. Out of the melee emerged Abdul Wade, a successful Afghan camel merchant who wanted to give Australia’s military a gift of 500 camels for service in Egypt in WWI.

It was an extraordinary offer that came from deep patriotism, but feeling against Afghans was high. ARON LEWIN has compiled this special report on a little-known slice of Australian history.

A difficult relationship
In the 1870s, Australia wanted and needed camels, and they brought in Afghans along with them to keep the difficult charges in order.

Camels, though these days classified as a pest, were once a valuable commodity that made exploration and economic development possible in arid and previously impenetrable regions of Australia.

Coming about 50 years before the development of roads in the 1920s, they superseded horses and mules as the preferred mode of transport in the Outback. They could run further, carry significantly more, were cheaper and more able to adapt to the dry conditions in Western Australia.

The Victorian Exploration Expedition determined that the camels would be useless without their native drivers, so cameleers were brought in too.

Between 1870 and 1920,  2000 cameleers and 20,000 camels were imported predominately from western Asia to Australia. Although they were recruited from a number of regions and identified with a variety of different cultures, the cameleers were collectively labelled as "Afghans"."

Almost exclusively Muslim, most of the Afghans segregated themselves in “Ghan towns” across Australia â€" settlements on the fringe of town primarily comprising huts and small houses. They were reputedly hard workers who, as a community, strived to raise funds so they could build small mosques, Islamic schools and halal butcheries.

Although they arrived in Australia as cameleers, the Afghans quickly made their mark as hawkers, miners and herbalists. They worked closely and formed a kinship with Indigenous Australians. And they left a lasting legacy â€" according to the 2011 census there are 1140 people who identify as Aboriginal Muslims.

Despite the important services provided by the Afghans, the local population perceived them as a threat.

Gathering in pubs across Australia, the locals would talk about these dark and mysterious men who wore turbans and dressed in “coloured pantaloons and tunics” (Hanifa Deen, Ali Abdul v the King). Widespread fear began to circulate that these immigrants would marry local women, spread diseases and dominate the commercial market by employing cheap labour.

There was also concern over the establishment of mosques and halal butcheries in the townships and fear over the proselytising of Islam.

An “anti-Afghan” movement began to emerge at the beginning of the 20th century. The disquiet  of the local population was being voiced in editorials and letters to the editor across the country. . . ."

===============================
[Note: he above is only about 25% of the text and story, which even involves our old freind "Muhammad V" and ultimately arrives at the 1916 incarnation of the Camel Corps and beyond.]

http://mojonews.com.au/special-report-the-king-of-the-cameleers-the-rebellious-patriotism-of-abdul-wade/

There are gads more images of the Camel Corp at Google too:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Australian+Camel+Corps&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwk4iou-LKAhURx2MKHcjdBzUQsAQINg&biw=539&bih=850&dpr=4

[Meister_000]

And one more for the road . . .

Two officers of The Imperial Camel Corp awarded the Military Cross.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Love the Camel Corps info, Meister!  The U.S. had one that was formed in 1856, due in large part to the support of then Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, who authorized the funding for it, and disbanded in 1866 for reasons that included its connection to Davis just because he was president of the Confederacy. That seems unnecessarily spiteful, because it sounds like the camels outperformed mules and horses as pack animals while they were used.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Camel_Corps

[Jackstar]

[Rix Gins]

Pickens, Pyle and Elam!  Definitely gonna have to check this flick out.  Thx, Jackstar.

[Jackstar]

Pickens, Pyle and Elam!

Very possibly the funniest motion picture of the century.

Note the quality of the marketing in the poster. This was two years before Star Wars. Here's a tie-in product:



At some point, this is what educated professionals thought would be a good idea. The mind reels.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Very possibly the funniest motion picture of the century.

Note the quality of the marketing in the poster. This was two years before Star Wars. Here's a tie-in product:



At some point, this is what educated professionals thought would be a good idea. The mind reels.

Hater.  How do you live with yourself?

[Jackstar]

Hater.  How do you live with yourself?

I'm driving a 2015 Camaro and there's a cat involved. Beyond that, I really can't say.

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

I'm driving a 2015 Camaro and there's a cat involved. Beyond that, I really can't say.

I understand.

[Walks_At_Night]

Goodness gracious I saw that movie as a kid and forgot all about it.  I've never seen mentioned again!

[Meister_000]

Love the Camel Corps info, Meister!  The U.S. had one that was formed in 1856, due in large part to the support of then Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, who authorized the funding for it, and disbanded in 1866 for reasons that included its connection to Davis just because he was president of the Confederacy. That seems unnecessarily spiteful, because it sounds like the camels outperformed mules and horses as pack animals while they were used.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Camel_Corps

Interesting, and too bad. Looks like it was only about a 10 year experiment here (in the U.S.), pre civil-war, from around 1855-65 with less than 100 animals total at any given time. Says the camels way out-performed mules or hourses as pack-animals -- @ ratio of 4 to 1 -- 600 lbs per animal, requiring little water, having far greater stamina, reliable in tough terrain, etc.
Danka

[Walks_At_Night]

Continuing on w/ Camel Gab

Few more interesting pix

Modern day India uses them on their extreme borders and they are a big hit at parades:


So does the Chinese army:


Rebel Camel:


The Wehrmacht used 'em:


The Imperial Japanese Army was down for some camel action:


and rounding out the main Axis powers - here are the Italians:

[Uncle Duke]

I remember reading an interview with Robert Conrad whil he was doing that gawd awful Blacksheep Squadron series, in which he told about meeting Pappy Boyington for the first time.  He said Pappy told him how much he liked the show, and after Conrad puffed with pride, he added something like, Yeah, because you're you're the kind of cocky little SOB whose ass we would have had a lot of fun kicking back then.

Boyington appeared in a handful of "Blacksheep Squadron" episodes, including a speaking role where he played a Marine general.  I thought that was ironic considering what little use he had for "The Brass".

Many years ago I visited a former US Army fort that had been turned into a tourist attraction that had a small monument honoring the the US Camel Corps. I'm thinking it was in California.

[Meister_000]

Cigarette Advertising   (super-fine quality image)
Date: 1916
Brand: Camel
Manufacturer: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Theme: Early Orientalist
Quote:
"And, as you smoke more and more Camels their enticing taste will so meet your cigarette desires that you will realize your superiority."

[Source, lots more: "Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising"
http://tobacco.stanford.edu/tobacco_main/images.php?token2=fm_st219.php&token1=fm_img6413.php&theme_file=fm_mt027.php&theme_name=Early%20Orientalist&subtheme_name=Other%20Early%20Ads ]

[Mind Flayer Monk]

Cigarette Advertising   (super-fine quality image)
Date: 1916
Brand: Camel

That's a beautiful ad.

[ShayP]

Baby Ruth Candy Bar



Otto Schnering created his Kandy Kake bar soon after founding Curtiss Candy Co. in 1916 in Chicago.  Curtiss Candy did just under $100,000 in sales during its first year. The company grew quickly, and in 1919 it opened a new three-story factory on Briar Place that employed 400 men and women. Annual sales passed $1 million by 1921, when the company was turning out huge quantities of its “Baby Ruth” candy bars; among its other popular bars made were “Butterfinger” and “Polar Bar.”

Dissatisfied with the treat’s moniker, he introduced a repackaged and rebranded Baby Ruth in 1921 for 5 cents each. While many claimed the name aimed to capitalize on the popularity of baseball star Babe Ruth, Schnering insisted the inspiration was President Grover Cleveland’s daughter, Ruth, and avoided paying royalties. Today, 73 million peanuts are roasted daily, combined with a chewy caramel and nougat center, and covered with chocolate. The candy’s primary factory is in Franklin Park, Illinois.

Nestle now owns all rights to the products.

[pate]

Continuing on w/ Camel Gab

...

I was stationed at Ft. Eustis, VA for my MOS training in the Army.  There they had a small military transportation museum and there was an exhibit about the US Camel Corps.  I am Not Sure that it was from this exhibit or my own research later, after the Camel Corps was disbanded they released the camels in the desert SouthWest, or somewhere in the west.  Apparently, there were enough camels to set up a sort of breeding population, and feral camels were spotted for many years after.  If I was a dedicated Camel Corps researcher I could dig up an article about the last feral camel sighting, which I believe was many decades later, perhaps into the early twentieth century.

Cool story, bro!


EditToAdd:  Checked that museum's website, and indeed:

...For years after the dissolution of the U.S. Camel Corps, camels wandered at will across the American desert. Bactrian camels, who had been bought and later set loose by a mining concern in British Columbia, drifted south to Nevada and Idaho. Many Arabian camels roamed through Texas, California, and Arizona. The last authenticated sightings of camels in the wild occurred in the early 1900s...

Bonus Picture from the website:  Caption "The Camel Bell pictured to the right."  Heh

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

I was stationed at Ft. Eustis, VA for my MOS training in the Army.  There they had a small military transportation museum and there was an exhibit about the US Camel Corps.  I am Not Sure that it was from this exhibit or my own research later, after the Camel Corps was disbanded they released the camels in the desert SouthWest, or somewhere in the west.  Apparently, there were enough camels to set up a sort of breeding population, and feral camels were spotted for many years after.  If I was a dedicated Camel Corps researcher I could dig up an article about the last feral camel sighting, which I believe was many decades later, perhaps into the early twentieth century.

Cool story, bro!


EditToAdd:  Checked that museum's website, and indeed:

Bonus Picture from the website:  Caption "The Camel Bell pictured to the right."  Heh

I read years ago about the wild camels that were seen in the early 20th century.  I'm guessing they were done in by some kind of disease for which they had no resistance.  It could have been predators, but there are still wild donkeys descended from military stock or those that once belonged to miners, and I imagine anything that could kill a camel also could kill a donkey.  It's a shame they didn't make it.

[Walks_At_Night]

Sir George John Younghusband  [ Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, Knight Commander of the Indian Empire, Most Honourable Order of the Bath] was a  major-general in the British Indian Army.  In early 1916 he would be heavily involved in what was known as the Mesopotamian campaign which would pit the British versus the Ottomans in modern day Iraq.  During this time frame the 6th "Poona" Division of the Indian army would be cut off in the city of Kut.  Younghusband, among others would attempt to rescue the trapped 6th Division - while the Brits would win the Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad the rescue would fail - as would all succeeding attempts.  Kut would ultimately surrender in April of 1916.  Looking at this pix it seems like they didn't have much choice:



Younghusband would be then given the 7th (Meerut) Division to command but he was forced to relinquish that position due to wounds received.  That would end his long combat career.   After recovering from his wounds King George V would appoint him as Keeper of the Jewel House where he would be responsible for looking after the Crown Jewels.  He would would hold this position until he died in 1944 at the age of  85.   In his later years he would author 15 books and as he was one of the amazing British soldiers of Victoria's Empire he would have had plenty of material to draw upon.   

Here is a list of the campaigns he served in:
     Second Afghan War 1879â€"1880
     Mahdist War 1885
     North West Frontier 1886
     Third Burmese War 1886â€"1887
     Chitral Relief Force 1895
     Spanishâ€"American War 1898  [not sure what the heck he was doing there - wasn't his fight]
     Second Boer War 1899â€"1902
     Mohmand expedition 1908
     First World War 1914â€"1917

Here is a list of his commands:
     Queen Victoria's Own Corps of Guides
     3rd Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
     26th (Younghusband's Horse) Battalion Imperial Yeomanry
     Fyzabad Brigade
     Derajat Brigade
     Aden Brigade
     28th Indian Brigade

Wouldn't he have some interesting stories to tell?   His brother Francis would  as well as he led the  1904 British expedition to Tibet.   

Sir George John Younghusband

7th (Meerut) Division

[Meister_000]

The 1916 Indian "PowerPlus" motorcycle -- Part Two -- the War Years

[for Part One, see: http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,9331.msg702705.html#msg702705 ]

The 1916 Indian "PowerPlus" motorcycle at War

Until the outbreak of World War I, Indian Motorcycle Co, with it's trademark Red machines, was the most successful motorbike manufacturer in the world. In 1916 Indian introduced the now legendary "PowerPlus" model. Built in Massachusetts by the Hendee Manufacturing Company and designed by Charles Gustafson, the PowerPlus had a 1000 cc  (61 cu. in). V-twin engine, a vanadium steel frame with Cradle Spring rear suspension (unlike the rigid frame "hard-tail" of all other manufacturers), and gas headlights. The PowerPlus was Indian’s top of the line bike selling for around $275, and remained in production (largely unchanged) from 1916 to 1923. The model 1916 PowerPlus was the machine Indian sent to war.

The importance of motorcycles during The Great War is often overlooked. Motorcycles served on the front lines and were used for mounted infantry, scouts, patrol, dispatch and courier duties, ammunition carriers, medical supply carriers and casualty evacuation, sometimes being converted into ambulance type vehicles. They were often outfitted with various sidecar mounted machine guns and placed together in motorized units called "Motor Mobile Infantry". Their versatility explains the very significant role they played in the logistics of the war -- more so than cars. Their most common use, however, was that of messenger or dispatch. Because of the unreliability of communications technology during the war years, the motorcycles's virtues meant that orders, reports and maps could be delivered or exchanged quickly.

When the United States and her forces entered World War I, in April of 1917, they brought motorcycles with them from several US companies.  The majority of them came from Indian and Harley-Davidson, but those produced by Excelsior, Henderson, and a few other US manufacturers also made it to Europe. Indian devoted most of it's production to the war effort, building almost 50,000 motorcycles for the US Military.  Harley-Davidson also increased production, delivering over 20,000 motorcycles to support the war. [The Douglas co. (British made motorcycle) matched Indian's output (with their 20,000 bikes a year,) and then some, ultimately producing over 70,000 motorcycles for British-sphere military use during the war years.]

The Indian military model was (of course) based on their new PowerPlus Big Twin.  Again, it featured the 1000 cc 61 cubic inch side-valve motor, producing uowards of 18 horsepower that could reliably reach speeds of 60 mph.  The engine was mated to a three speed hand shift transmission and the drive train was mounted into a frame with both front and rear suspension, and there was even a rear brake for quick stopping.

Indian devoted virtually its entire production to the war effort from 1917 through 1919. Being a smaller company that Harley Davidson, they could not maintain two markets at once, both the military and civilian. As a result, Indian lost many of it's domestic dealers, a sacrifice they never fully recover from after the war.

Pictured below are war-time Indian PowerPlus motorcycles in the service of several nations (top to bottom):

- Mexico (yes, that's Pancho Villa on an Indian PowePlus!)
- Canada
- United States
- England
- Russia

[Walks_At_Night]

The 1916 Indian "PowerPlus" motorcycle -- Part Two -- the War Years

Wonderful stuff............

Addie and Gussie still look cuter than Pancho!

[Meister_000]

Wonderful stuff............

Addie and Gussie still look cuter than Pancho!

Thanks! I actually like the Russians the most out of this batch, but I agree, the Girls rule! 

[Robert Ghostwolf's Ghost]

Meister and Walks, you guys find some tremendous photos! 

The sidecar stretcher was a brilliant idea, and I really want to know how they taught the little dog to operate a machine gun.