Captain Ball's letters

I just finished reading "Lord Riddell's War Diary 1914-1918." The entry for 12 May 1918 says that Riddell dined with Lloyd George (L.G.) who was distressed by the deaths of so many men. He then says, "We spoke of Captain Ball's letters. L.G. said he could hardly bear to read them. Ball had been to breakfast with him. He was a delightful, modest man, and L.G. deplored his loss." My question concerns the availability of Ball's letters. Were they made available to the general public? Or were they privately circulated? If they were published, who was behind it? Thanks for any insights.
DD

Denny,

Albert Ball's correspondence is often seen in some entire letters throughout the several books about him starting with the 1919 biography. All the letters from Albert to his father and to his fiancee are in the Nottingham archives. I have them all on microfiche. But permission to use them still lies with the family. I had to write a letter explaining my purposes before I coud get any copies.

They are very revealing -- very much the thoughts of a typical teenager who comes of age during a crisis such as the First World War was.

Did you want to know something in particular?

Cheers,
Scarlett

Irish41: Lloyd George and Riddell were reading Ball's letter in May of 1918. Where were they getting them to read? Who made them available? What format were they in? Book? I find it curious that something that personal was available that quickly after Ball's death. Would you agree? Thanks for any information you can provide?
DD

I know some of the letters were published in the newspaper during Albert's lifetime -- he was just that famous.

The first biography came out right after his death. The author visited Albert in late 1917 for interviews for the book (which Albert was very embarrassed about) and used some of the letters then for combat details and more letters were made available by his parents after his death. Like I said, the letters are very schoolboyish, there was nothing embarrassing in them. The ones I've read of a more personal nature dealing with girlfriends and other things you wouldn't exactly broadcast are in the archives.

I've been encouraged to write a book because I have turned up some new information, but I still think there is more out there to be discovered. h34r:

Cheers,
Scarlett

Irish41: Do you know if the family was encouraged to provide the letters to the press? Were they passed through a censor? This is all very interesting given that British pilots weren't generally lionized. I realize that Ball was in some way an oddity in that the French press was reporting on him and, by doing so, was creating an interest not generally found in the exploits of British pilots. I also just read that, on August 30, 1916, he wrote to his sister and told her he had been asked to list the actions he had been in. Do you know who asked him to do that and to what end? This is all very interesting when you consider the small amount of propaganda value that we are led to believe was affixed to British pilots. I know the French and Germans used it to maximum effectiveness to bolster the fighting man and the general public. Perhaps the Brits used it more than we are led to believe, and to bolster movers and shakers more than the public, hence the reference to the prime minister.
DD

Well, of course the timing with Albert coincided with a much needed morale boost at home and Trenchard very much used him for propaganda. That's why Albert hated it. But his father lapped it up! You really have to know his father to understand how much was 'pushed'.

Albert was the highest scoring of all Allied pilots in the autumn of 1916. B)

Irish 41: Trenchard? I have always been led to believe that Boom was against propaganda. That lioning the fighter jockeys gave short shrift to the real workers--the two-seater crews; it would create bad feelings and hurt morale. How did Ball senior "push" it?
DD

To try and make a long story kind of short,

RE: Trenchard. Yes, at first he was reluctant. But when attrition meant he needed recruits, what better method than an ace hero at home to be an inspiration? The press and the public also contributed pressure to give England's flyers recognition, so it all came about from various sources. England was the last to publicize its aces, but they were the "stars" of their day.

RE: Mr. Ball. He came from a working class background and through ambition rose in status to a politician and middle class citizen. He had great hopes for his son, and did everything he could to create publicity opportunities. This in no way reflects on Albert's ability or anything else, it is just fact. Albert hated it. He was a true hero in the sense that he did what he did out of pure duty and love. And he was a very talented young man who inspired others in both England and America to join the RFC. But an ambitious parent often gains glory from their child. And there is no doubt that Mr. Ball sought and capitalized on this.

Now, I'd better shut up before I say too much

Cheers,
Scarlett

Irish41: What you said was admirable. Thank you.
DD