Tracking down the WWI owner of a violincase (7th Balloon Co.)

Chambersaviator · 29 October 2008, 11:32 AM

Hello,

A few years ago I bought a violin on Ebay. It arrived, and on it's old battered wooden case was the painted writing:

SGT. James Burke
7th Balloon Co.
Kiner E.F.

I was excited as I was fairly sure that James Burke would have had to have been in WWI if he was in a Balloon Co. Does anyone have any ideas on how to find any information on this SGT. Burke or the 7th Balloon Co.?

Thanks!
Chambersaviator

Jim · 29 October 2008, 01:59 PM

Hard to tell as I do not have a full history on the unit and many of these units that were involved in WW I continued to operate for many years afterwards so unless someone has more information I do not know if it would be possible to say whether this person was wartime, peacetime, or some of both service.

The 7th Balloon Company was part of the Army Air Service's Corps Observation Wing, attached to the 1st Army, Vth Corps Balloon Group. They did see some action at the end of the war in the Meuse-Argonne campaign.

The troubling thing about the inscription is the "Kiner E.F." at the end. The wartime designation for units serving in the theater was A.E.F which stands for American Expeditionary Force. The inscription you mention makes me wonder if it is a non-war time designation of some kind.

Wilks · 29 October 2008, 03:45 PM

Hi guys
Just an idea, but do you think it is possible that Sgt Burke and his company servedin the Boer war? I am unsure whether or not the Americans (assuming he was American) fought in that war but I know that near the end of the second part of it the British were using observation balloons to track the Boers' movements.

Chambersaviator · 29 October 2008, 06:51 PM

The US wasn't in the Boer war. SGT Burke would probably have to be American if he was a part of the Expeditionary Force I would think.

There is some more information on the case I have been trying to decipher, but it is almost impossible. If I come up with anything more maybe it will help.

Epee · 30 October 2008, 01:46 PM

Americans served in the A.E.F. while British troops served in the B.E.F. (unless that was a purely WW2 term). This fellow only using E.F. isn't being helpful.