Just wondering…
I’m currently completing a book for a client and we discussed a Canadian DFC winning pilot from the Great War who happened to have lived in my little piece of the world (coincidentally tied to Canadian Industry history) Lt. Robert A Caldwell – survived the war and died in a parachuting accident in Dayton OH in 1919. (I finally found his plot marker 3 weeks ago here in town and there is no mention of his DFC on the stone.)
For some strange reason there seems to be no available photo of the man. I would assume that there were induction photos taken of all air crew at the time (he was twice wounded as an infantryman prior to joining the RFC).
Is there a gap in archives due to damage at some point over the years or have we been looking in the wrong place?
Any info greatly appreciated although any new photo may not make it into the book as we go to print in 3 weeks.
James
By: contrailjj - 31st August 2008 at 04:14
thanks everyone for your input. It would certainly be great to put a face to the name – specially since the folks I’ve spoken to at the local Royal Canadian Legion Branch would love to acknowledge his deeds. Unfortunately due to our press deadlines, further research is cost and time prohibitive, but I have managed to get a shot of his marker included in the book.
For general interest sake, I’ve attached pics of the plaque dedicated by his brother in 1935, the family marker and one of R.A.’s stone after I did some cutting/digging and cleaning (all here in Iroquois). It is certainly a shame that no further information regarding him is preserved around the area, as so much of the local industry and population was disturbed/relocated/erased during the St. Lawrence Seaway project in the during the late ’50s.
James
By: kev35 - 30th August 2008 at 22:01
He doesn’t appear on the RAC Certificates or licenses on Ancestry.
Regards,
kev35
By: Rlangham - 30th August 2008 at 21:54
Have you tried the National Archives? Easy to get yourself lost, but chances are they may have it there – I believe they have copies of all the RAC Licences online
By: Arabella-Cox - 25th August 2008 at 08:59
2nd Lt Robert Alan Caldwell DFC
Robert Caldwell received his DFC for conspicuous daring attacks on on ground targets. DFC Gazetted: 8/2/1919: 2036. Regarding photos there may have been some taken localy but nothing official at the time of induction so its unlikely to find photos. It was not until after WW2 that photos started to appear on RAF ID cards. After 1915 the RFC took over flying schools and so you may not be RAC licence for him. N King
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August 25, 2008 at 4:16 am