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By: - 27th June 2005 at 10:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Good thread, Mark,
There is also a statue of Ball in the Nottingham Castle park. Certainly not a forgotten son of Nottingham - good for them.
I found the following film clip on the Pathe website. Though uncredited, it is clearly the Austin AFB-1 scout; designed by Austin to Capt Ball's somewhat individual requirement. AFAIK only one was built - so film footage of it is amazing. However, to bring back the story to the beguinning, Ball didn't live to see the AFB-1 fly - nor to enjoy the freedom of the City.
By: - 27th June 2005 at 10:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Interesting topic.
VC10 XV105 is named in honour of Captain Albert Ball VC, and still flies with 10 Sqn, soon to be 101 Sqn.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/846843/L/
VC citation is on my site here: http://www.vc10.net/History/VictoriaCross.html#ball
By: - 27th June 2005 at 10:59 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Blimey, he looks about 14 in that photo!!
By: - 27th June 2005 at 13:46 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Many years ago I came across his grave in a small Wargraves Commission cemetery somewhere in France. It must have been some 30 years ago. Does anyone know where this would have been? I did take a photo at the time but don't know where that might be now.
CM
By: - 27th June 2005 at 13:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Many years ago I came across his grave in a small Wargraves Commission cemetery somewhere in France. It must have been some 30 years ago. Does anyone know where this would have been? I did take a photo at the time but don't know where that might be now.CM
Google 'Captain Albert Ball'.
I found this within the the first six hits yesterday. His father bought the land where his son died and bequeathed it to the locals to farm and maintain the memorial stone.
Mark
By: - 27th June 2005 at 14:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Capt Ball rests here.
Cemetery: ANNOEULLIN COMMUNAL CEMETERY AND GERMAN EXTENSION
Country: France
Locality: Nord
Location Information: Annoeullin is a village in the Department of the Nord, approximately 10 kilometres east of La Bassee and 4 kilometres north of Carvin on the D41. The Communal Cemetery is in the south-east part of the village. The three Commonwealth war graves will be found on the extreme right of the Calvaire. The German Extension is adjacent to the Communal Cemetery.
Historical Information: The German Extension on the South-East side of the Communal Cemetery was begun in October, 1915, and enlarged by the French after the Armistice, when 23 British graves were removed to Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez. It now contains 1,600 German graves. There is now 1, 1914-1918 war grave in this site, that of Capt. Albert Ball, VC. There are also 3, 1939-1945 Commonwealth war casualties commemorated in this site.
No. of Identified Casualties: 4
By: - 27th June 2005 at 14:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here is the memorial stone at the crash site.
Mark
Image courtesy of:-
http://www.westernfront.co.uk/thegreatwar/articles/individuals/albertball.htm
Posts: 10,029
By: Mark12 - 27th June 2005 at 09:00
For someone who 'sees' the First World War principally in sepia images, I was delighted to stumble on a little treasure of WWI yesterday.
On a family visit to Nottingham, we lunched at the Castle Museum, one wing of which houses the artifacts of the local regiment - 'The Sherwood Foresters'.
One cabinet was dedicated to local Nottinghamshire 'son', Captain Albert Ball VC, Britain's highest scoring fighter pilot of WWI with 44 victories.
Ball had been commissioned into the 7th (Robin Hood) Battalion of The Sherwood Foresters before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps.
Although difficult to photograph without flare, here are a few shots.
An Avro windscreen removed from Ball's aircraft and thought to be from an experimental S.E.5 in use with 56 Squadron RFC.
A carburation intake tube from Nieuport Scout 6173, 11 Squadron, damaged in combat 25 June 1916. Removed from Ball's aircraft.
...and finally the 'Freedom of the City of Nottingham Casket' together with Ball's Medals.
For more information on Captain Albert Ball VC see:- http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/ball.htm
Mark