British Airmen - Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery

Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, CWGC. The church tower at Wytschaete is in the back ground Authors image

There are six Royal Flying Corps airmen buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, CWGC, all brought here after the Armistice.

Lieutenant Thomas Frederick Preston, 53rd Squadron, Norfolk Yeomanry attached Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 24 January 1917, age 27. Grave I.H.13. Son of Sir Jacob Henry and Mary Hope Preston, Beeston Hall, Beeston St Lawrence, Norfolk. They had five children. Thomas trained as a pilot and joined 53rd Squadron. Lieutenant Charles

Lieutenant Charles Melvill Buck. Authors image

Melvill Buck, 53rd Squadron, Indian Army Reserve of Officers, attached Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 24 January 1917, age 22. Grave I.H.12. Only son of Sir Edward J. and Lady Buck, of Simla and Delhi, India. He was educated at boarding school in the United Kingdom, first at Twyford School and later at Winchester College. After leaving school, Charles went first to Argentina and later Australia, to learn ranching. He was in Australia upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, and immediately enlisted in the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery.   He appears to have served with them on Thursday Island, which guarded the Torres Straight between Australia and Papua New Guinea. On 15th January 1915 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Indian Army Reserve of Officers and he joined the 31st Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers (a Cavalry Regiment) at Kohat, India. In June 1915, Charles was ordered to France and at the end of August he was attached to the 2nd Lancers (Gardner Horse) and Indian Cavalry Regiment. In February 1916 he was hospitalised in the UK with pneumonia and on being discharged from hospital in May 1916 he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and trained as an Observer.

They were shot down with by Vizefeldwebel Alfred Ulmer from Jasta 8, whilst on a photographic mission flying in BE2e (6308). The aircraft crashed near Warneton, both were killed. They were the first airmen from 53rd Squadron to be killed in action. Originally buried at Houthem German Cemetery and concentrated here in November 1923. Vizefeldwebel Alfred Ulmer was severely wounded in action on 5 February 1917 over Dranoutre, and on his return to Jasta 8 was shot down and killed on 29 June when in combat with aircraft of 20 Squadron his aircraft, an Albatross DV, was set on fire over Hollebeke.

Nieuport Tri-plane

Lieutenant Maxwell Gerrard Cole, 1st Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 18 May 1917, age 18. Grave I.H.19. Son of Mr. W. H. and Mrs. C. M. Cole, of Bourne House, Bromscombe, Gloucestershire. He was commissioned in August 1916 while still at Marlborough College and joined the Royal Flying Corps. He went to France in early February 1917. He was flying a Nieuport 17 (B1555) on a Kite Balloon Patrol when he was killed in action. His commanding officer wrote to his parents: ‘I deeply regret to have to inform you that your son has been reported missing. He was engaged in a balloon attack and failed to return. Second-Lieutenant Cole was a very gallant officer and popular with his brother officers, who deeply deplore his loss, and beg you to accept their deep sympathy.’ His was one of four aircraft from the Squadron shot down that day. Observation balloons were nearly always protected by a substantial anti-aircraft defence and were dangerous targets. The attacking aircraft had to get in close to shoot them down and the balloons were quickly hauled down when attacking aircraft were spotted. This meant that the attacking aircraft had to fly very low. Originally buried at Houthem German Cemetery and concentrated here in November 1923. His brother Lieutenant Clifford Cole, 5th Battalion Gloucester Regiment, was killed in action on 19 June 1916, age 20, and is buried in the Royal Irish Rifles Cemetery, Laventie.

RE8 reconnaissance aircraft

Second Lieutenant Frederick Adams, 53rd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Killed in action 12 May 1917, age 28. Grave I.H.20. Son of W. H. and E. Adams of Coventry. He trained as a pilot. Second Lieutenant Oscar Ralph Kelley, 53rd Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, Killed in action 12 May 1917, age 28. Grave I.H.21. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers and later transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and trained as an Observer. They were flying in an RE8 (A3243) on photographic reconnaissance near Messines when they were shot down over Hollebeke by Leutnant Max Ritter von Muller of Jasta 28, this was his tenth victory. Both men were originally buried at Houthem German Cemetery and concentrated here in November 1923. Muller was an ace and had accumulated many decorations only surpassed by Manfred von Richthofen. He was killed in action on 9 January 1918 when he jumped from his blazing aircraft following combat with two British aircraft above Moorslede. He was Bavaria’s highest scoring ace with 38 victories. After the war he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Military Max-Joseph Order, effectively a posthumous Knighthood. He was 31 years old when he was killed in action.

Second Lieutenant Paul Charles Stacpoole O'Longan

Second Lieutenant Paul Charles Stacpoole O’Longan, Royal Irish Regiment attached 41st Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Killed in action 1 June 1917, age 19. Grave I.H.8. He was the son of Paul O’Longain and Elizabeth O’Longan, Blackrock Co. Cork. He transferred from the Royal Irish Rifles to the Royal Flying Corps and trained as a pilot. He was flying an FE8 (A4887) on an offensive patrol over Houthem when he was shot down by Oberleutnant Hans Bethge of Jasta 30. Hans Bethge was an ace with twenty victories to his name. This was his seventh victory. He was nominated for the Pour le Merite on his twentieth kill but it had not been approved when he was killed in action over Passchendaele on 17 March 1918. He was buried in his native Berlin. Paul O’Longan was a promising poet with a small booklet produced in Cork in 1917 that featured some of his works written when only 16. The last poem he wrote is prophetic:

Sleep  on ! Sleep on, beneath the deepest wave.

Unmeasured e’en as thine own genius ; swayed

Not by a careless breath. Thou wert obeyed

Within thy span by us ; but naught could save

‘ E’en thee, our firmest rock : thou hadst to slide

Also into the sea of death. Have rest

Within thy ghostly sphere, for we are blest

By thine example. Thy virtues still abide

With us, stern warrior : they must always last

Until the very stars fall from the sky.

I heard our guns afar (and held my breath),

Smiting the foe upon the Danish waste. . b

The loud victorious echoes rolled by

And formed fit wreath for thy brow Wrapt in death.

Originally buried at Houthem German Cemetery and concentrated here in November 1923.