EATON, Charles "Moth" (1895-1979) OBE(Mil). AFC. MID follow up

Hello All I wish to share with you our researching of Charles "Moth" Eaton (1895-1979) OBE(Mil). AFC. MID. Knight Commander-Cross of the Orange Nassau with Swords WW I RAF flying career especially his 29th June 1918 crash/shootdown. Previously on this forum. Here are 'Moth' Eaton's own words: 'My work was chiefly long range reconnaissance and bombing. This went on until June, 1918, until the 29th, a Saturday morning, when, after carrying out a special reconnaissance of Tournay aerodrome in France, I had engine failure and immediately turned for home. The day stands out in particular. It was clear over the target and as I approached the lines the cloud base obscured the ground at 3,000 feet. On entering the clouds, still making west, they were about 1,500 feet thick and on coming out I found that I was right on top of the end trench lines. (I don't understand 'end trench' - Mitch Note) Whether I was on the German or British side I did not know until I found the aeroplane surrounded by bursting ack-ack, (so any damage could have gone unnoticed - Mitch Note) and in front of me could see the forest of Nieppe which I knew was on the British side. The aeroplane was headed west until it crashed into a shell hole. The plane turned over and I was thrown out. My Observer was under the wreckage and while attempting to get him out some men came running towards the crash. Immediately they were called upon to assist and did so, (I like the way he put that -wait and see...he did not see WHO they were) and it was not until we dragged the Observer from the wreckage that I had another shock in finding that my helpers were Germans. (sorry LOL here) The Observer was not badly injured and we were then taken into the trenches, when it was found that we had come down 800 yards from the British front line and just behind the German first line of trenches.' I'll add this verbal note. He told Charles Junior that the British had the height in their trenches to witness the whole event, and that, once they were safely in the German trenches the British artillery completely demolished the wreckage of the DH9A. Hope you enjoyed that little story. Regards Mitch Thanks Mitch Really fascinated story...! Further on I can perhaps find some German documents with more complete information(If a remember). There exists(for sure) some documents which could give additional information. Perhaps one of our German Forumites already has some sort of German version..? With the knowledge I have at moment(mostly NB) the DH 9 was probably claimed and confirmed to a Flak unit... VBR Gunnar We have had an answer, Gunnar, via Dr. Fritz Marktscheffel via Dr. Hubert Stoltz via finally Dr. Fuchs, Archivdirecktor of Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv. Continued next posting...

Firstly, I am sorry about the lack of paragraphing format in the above posting. I put them in but could not get them to stick. I may have put Use HTML on by mistake.

Any way here is our answer from Dr. Fuchs.

Snip

" Large gaps make it almost impossible to give pieces of information about your father. What his captivity was affected by could have been contained in the flight report book of the "Flyer-news and pursue Donai"^ (stands so under the AOK 6); a crucial hint or information. In this book it stands under the news report of 29.6.1918, a report that was recieved at 5.30 from the Flakgruppe 49. It sounded "5.17 1 D.H. (=Havilland) 4: Bailleu - Estaire - La Gorgue - Lestrem, (shot) through Flak, lies in Pl.Qu. (plansquare) 3118 (by Lestrem)".

At 5.40 Estaire, the following report went in: "5.12 - 5.15 1 D.H. 4 Laventie - Estaires, 500 h, Flak and Erd - M.G. would have been forced into landing by the Church in Lestrem (AOK 6 pp.319). Confusion between a De Havilland 4 and the new De Havilland 9 would have been a possiblity.

On this day in this region, no other English aircraft landed or plunged. Strangely enough, mentions the 'Newspage of the air force'* in its compilation of the shooting down of hostile flyer while the June 1918 under 29.6 without Havilland (Nr. 24 of the 8.8. 1918).'

Snip

This is only part of the letter. It was translated by a non-aviation-historian German speaker and if people think it would be helpful, I will type the original German letter for you.

What is the word 'Urd' mean? "Urd-M.G."
"In diesem Buch steht unter dem 29.6.1918 eine Meldung, die um 5.30 Uhr von der Flakgruppe 49 eingegangen war...Um 5.40 Uhr ging aus Estaires folgende Meldung ein: "5.12 - 5.15 1 D.H. 4 Lavente - Estaires, 500 h, wurde durch Flak u. Erd-M.G. dicht bei der Kirche von Lestrem zur Landung gezwungen".
^ "Flugmeldebuch" der "Flieger-Nachtrichten-und-Verfol-gungsstelle Douai"
* Nachtrichtenblatt der Luftstreitkräfte".

Thanks for all your help and any comments.

Best Wishes
Mitch

Repost with format (I hope)

Hello All I wish to share with you our researching of Charles "Moth" Eaton (1895-1979) OBE(Mil). AFC. MID. Knight Commander-Cross of the Orange Nassau with Swords WW I RAF flying career especially his 29th June 1918 crash/shootdown.

Previously on this forum. Here are 'Moth' Eaton's own words: 'My work was chiefly long range reconnaissance and bombing. This went on until June, 1918, until the 29th, a Saturday morning, when, after carrying out a special reconnaissance of Tournay aerodrome in France, I had engine failure and immediately turned for home. The day stands out in particular. It was clear over the target and as I approached the lines the cloud base obscured the ground at 3,000 feet. On entering the clouds, still making west, they were about 1,500 feet thick and on coming out I found that I was right on top of the end trench lines. (I don't understand 'end trench' - Mitch Note) Whether I was on the German or British side I did not know until I found the aeroplane surrounded by bursting ack-ack, (so any damage could have gone unnoticed - Mitch Note) and in front of me could see the forest of Nieppe which I knew was on the British side. The aeroplane was headed west until it crashed into a shell hole. The plane turned over and I was thrown out. My Observer was under the wreckage and while attempting to get him out some men came running towards the crash. Immediately they were called upon to assist and did so, (I like the way he put that -wait and see...he did not see WHO they were) and it was not until we dragged the Observer from the wreckage that I had another shock in finding that my helpers were Germans. (sorry LOL here) The Observer was not badly injured and we were then taken into the trenches, when it was found that we had come down 800 yards from the British front line and just behind the German first line of trenches.' I'll add this verbal note. He told Charles Junior that the British had the height in their trenches to witness the whole event, and that, once they were safely in the German trenches the British artillery completely demolished the wreckage of the DH9A. Hope you enjoyed that little story. Regards Mitch

Thanks Mitch Really fascinated story...! Further on I can perhaps find some German documents with more complete information(If a remember). There exists(for sure) some documents which could give additional information. Perhaps one of our German Forumites already has some sort of German version..? With the knowledge I have at moment(mostly NB) the DH 9 was probably claimed and confirmed to a Flak unit... VBR Gunnar


We have had an answer, Gunnar, via Dr. Fritz Marktscheffel via Dr. Hubert Stoltz via finally Dr. Fuchs, Archivdirecktor of Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv.

Dear ALL

For your information.

Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv - Kriegsarchiv -
Postfach 22 11 52
80501 München

TeleFax (0 89) 2 86 38-29 54

E-mail: [email protected]

Website

http://www.gda.bayern.de

I hope this is helpful.

Best Wishes
Mitch