Frank Cheesman

agblume · 13 August 2008, 07:23 AM

Can anyone verify whether aviation historian Frank Cheesman passed away??? I don't remember having seen any mention of it in either C&C Int. or OTF. But perhaps I missed it. Any details would be most welcome. My last correspondence with him indicated that his health was not good. Thank you. Best regards, agblume

dpolglaze · 13 August 2008, 07:34 AM

Augie,

Frank did pass away. I have a note somewhere, but do not know exactly when it was. I'll see if I can find anything more.

Dan

Ira_Silverman · 19 August 2008, 09:00 PM

Frank Cheesman passed away in early 2007. His obituary, by Peter Cooksley, appeared in the Summer 2007 issue of Cross & Cockade International.

VBR,

Ira Silverman

agblume · 20 August 2008, 07:12 AM

Hello Ira Silverman, Thanks very much for your response. Don't know how I missed it in C&C Int. Will check it out. I had contact with Frank over many years. We finally met in 2001 when I made a trip to London. He was always the gentleman and a very kind sharing person. He will be missed. Best regards, agblume

DRCheesman · 27 October 2008, 03:17 PM

Hello Agblume:
Frank Cheesman was born 05 OCT 1929 in Illinois,
and died 29 APR 2007, Tazewell county, Illinois.
All kindest wishes, David Cheesman

StephenLawson · 27 October 2008, 08:43 PM

This would be an excellent place to mention how important his contibutions to our field of study was.

'14-'18aviationcollector · 27 October 2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StephenLawson

This would be an excellent place to mention how important his contibutions to our field of study was.

Well said Stephen. I don't know much about Frank and his research, but I have heard of him, and it seems that he had a huge collection of photographs on the subject of First World War aviation. Does anyone know what happened to his collection? I am sure from the little that I do know that Frank was an outstanding researcher.

My deepest sympathy and all the best of wishes to his family and friends.

agblume · 29 October 2008, 08:49 AM

DR Cheesman, Thank you very much for details. I first made contact with Frank back in the early-mid 1970s. Over the years he offered encouagement and assistanice with my Russia/Allied Intervention projects, including a number of rare photos. We finally met for lunch when Ruth and I visited London in 2001 An absolutely delighteful gentleman. I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. Peease accept my condolences. Sincerely, agblume

alex_revell · 31 October 2008, 03:10 AM

Agb and DR Cheesman
I think somewhere some wires are crossed here. Frank was English and died in Kent. He was also a lot older that he would have been if he had been born in 1929. He was a fine chap and a great help to myself and many others, always willing to help - very promptly - with requests for photographs. He will be greatly missed. Not sure where his fine collection of photos have gone, but I believe Mike O'Connor knows. Incidently, he was a great fan of ragtime. After the war he and a friend travelled extensively in the States looking for old records and piano rolls.

grahamh · 10 November 2008, 03:23 AM

Frank's collection of photographs and negatives are at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, at Yeovilton (Somerset, England).
There are six boxes 20 x 10 x 10 inches, and I reckon there are more than 10,000 photographs!

I have the job of cataloguing them, and its going to take quite a while!

Graham Hughes