Christmas Football

Roser · 18 February 2005, 06:37 AM

Hi
On the net I found this: On Christmas Day I9I4 the English pilot L.A. Strange boomed a German base with footballs for a joke.

Is this right.
If right what was the base mentioned?

Thanks

Roser

Regulus · 18 February 2005, 04:56 PM

Hi,

Could very well be areal story, there served later a Lt.Col. LA Strange in the RAF, who had recieved the DSO, MC and DFC. He even published a book in the mid 30's under the name Recollections of an airman.

Will see if I can find more on the man.

Best from Johan

He was co from a Training Wing and then another Wing if I'm not mistaken, including some AFC units, and the brother of Gilbert John Strange, captain with 40 Sqdn. RAF, KIA 24 September 1918

Perhaps he mentioned it in his book ?

Graeme · 19 February 2005, 01:00 PM

Louis Arbon Strange was the CO of the 80th Wing, RAF and flew several ops in Camel D1943, claiming a DFW driven down on 22 July 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross and was twice Mentioned in Despatches.

Graeme

Graeme · 19 February 2005, 01:03 PM

A bit more..

He was assigned to Fort Grange, Gosport, Hampshire on 12 September 1915 to form No 23 Squadron RFC but due to a bout of appendicitis never too the squadron to France.

Gregvan · 19 February 2005, 09:42 PM

Hello,

The story which must have been the origin of this is told in Strange's wonderful book, "Recollections of an Airman." His own No. 5 Sqn was based at Bailleul airfield (I think).One night in mid-November 1914, "a German machine flew over at a very low height and dropped three bombs, one of which hit a small building on the edge of the aerodrome that served as a combination of a bomb store, watch hut, and guard room." The bomb caused quite a blaze but no casualties. In response, Strange and his mates bombed Fives Aerodrome on the opposite side of the lines repeatedly, assuming it to be the home of the German aircraft that had bombed their own aerodrome..."evidently we made things hot for our opposite numbers. One of them who knew English must have had a sense of humour, for one day we saw that other letters had been added to their landing 'T', so that across the ground ran a sentence, 'To Let'. We sought out other targets after that, although I do not think we were deluded into imagining that (they)...had cleared out. Just to show them that we appreciated their humour, we dropped an old boot on the end of a string which was attached to a much patched football bladder filled with gas from a jet in our billet. On this bladder we painted a funny face, with a ribald message underneath it."

Strange further wrote that he went on leave in December, and on the 15th reported to Farnborough. Then "I was sent to Paris with a party of men from the Squadron to learn all there was to be learnt about Voisin machines and Salmson engines at Vincennes aerodrome. I found out our course was to last at least a fortnight, which meant we would be in Paris over Christmas."

Hope that helps.

Greg