Sopwith Camel B5193 ?

No mention of him dead in Commonwealth War Graves Commission site.

[Graeme]

In "Offensive Patrol" (Appendix 2, page 218), Norman MacMillan lists Wright's casualty as "Missing. POW. Survived war."

If this is correct, it explains why there is no entry for Wright on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

MacMillan also states that on 22 February 1918, 2nd Lt J H Butler (also No 28 Squadron) went missing in the course of a bomb raid and was subsequently reported dead. Possibly the events were confused with Wright being inadvertantly reported dead instead of Butler?

Graeme

[Immo_Frese]

Originally Posted by Graeme

In "Offensive Patrol" (Appendix 2, page 218), Norman MacMillan lists Wright's casualty as "Missing. POW. Survived war."

If this is correct, it explains why there is no entry for Wright on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

MacMillan also states that on 22 February 1918, 2nd Lt J H Butler (also No 28 Squadron) went missing in the course of a bomb raid and was subsequently reported dead. Possibly the events were confused with Wright being inadvertantly reported dead instead of Butler?

Graeme

Hi Neville and Graeme,

well, this is getting more and more interesting... and confusing too, because Lt. Douglas Christie Wright is listed on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site. At the date of his death he was 22 years old. As a canadian he initially served with the Western Ontario Regiment before joining the RFC. He is buried in Tezze cemetery, 24 km north of Treviso.

Lt.Douglas Christie Wright CWGC

Hm, remains strange...

Immo

[TomVrille]

The following information from The Camel File should either help resolve, or further confuse the issue:

Lt. H. Butler (28sq RFC) 'Failed to Return' from his mission on 22 Feb 1918, having last been seen N. of Montebelluna. On this mission, Lt. Butler was flying Camel B6362, but he had previously flown Camel B5193! Lt. Butler is simply listed as killed, with no mention of when.

Update: A quick check of the CWGC site shows that Lt. Harold Butler was in fact killed on 22 February 1918, and is buried in the cemetery at Tezze.

[TomVrille]

An interesting picture of the relationship between Lts Butler and Wright, and Camel B5193, can be pieced together from The Camel File data.

Camel B5193 was delivered to 28sq on 30 Dec 1917. On 6 Jan 1918, B5193 lost a wheel in flight, and crashed on landing. The pilot, 2/Lt H. Butler was presumably unhurt.

On 20 Feb 1918, B5193 left on a mission at 0635hrs, and was last seen over Conegliano at 1000hrs. The pilot on this date was Lt. D.C. Wright. Lt Wright subsequently declared killed. Engine failure cited as a possible cause of crash.

Also on 20 Feb 1918, 2/Lt H. Butler claimed an Albatros D.III out of control over Conegliano at 1010hrs. 2/Lt Butler was flying Camel B6362.

On 22 Feb 1918, 2/Lt H. Butler, again flying B6362, failed to return from his mission that left at 0625hrs, last seen North of Montebelluna with no time reference given for this sighting. 2/Lt Butler subsequently declared killed.

.................................................. ............

With the aid of the crash photo of B5193, it appears likely that Lt Wright was killed on impact. Given the extensive damage to B5193, more consistent with an uncontrolled crash than a deadstick landing attempt, it is doubtful that engine failure was the only factor in the loss. The presence of enemy fighters in the area at the time B5193 went down suggests that Lt Wright may have been incapacitated, or had his controls damaged by hostile action.

It is likely that 2/Lt Butler was among those who contributed to the last sighting of Lt Wright, and may have been primarily responsible for this report. The suggestion that engine failure may have contributed to the loss of B5193 was probably based on abnormal flight characteristics observed during this final sighting.

There is insufficient data to say whether or not 2/Lt Butler survived the crash of B6362. If he survived long enough to receive treatment at an Austrian field hospital before expiring, this could account for reports of an English prisoner dying of wounds on 22 February. This is, of course, mere speculation.

It would not be surprising if confirmation of the deaths of both Lt Wright and 2/Lt Butler were received at the same time. Some mixing together of the facts of their final missions might easily have taken place.

[Immo_Frese]

Hello TomVrille,

your last posting has a lot of convincing arguments! Thank you very much

Even after 86 years - that's hot stuff!

Immo