Short presentation

[Cba]

Hello everyone.
Let me introduce myself, my name is Sébastien. I'm leaving on my 56 spring. I am Belgian, originally from the small town of Sivry-Rance, in the south of Hainaut. Passionate about History, and not particularly History relating to major conflicts, I nevertheless arrived there a little by chance, through another of my passions, metal detecting. Passion which regularly complements that for historical literary research. Thus, after visiting an RCAF crash site, dating from the Second World War, I discovered, in addition to fragments of Halifax, a personal object of an Allied aviator. During my research on the object, a gasoline lighter made in Toronto and numbered with two initials. These initials “R G” belong to Off-aviator. GIROLAMI Adriano Richard (Op.wireless) on the Halifax MK.III of the 431st Sqn of the RCAF, which fell in my village of Rance (Sivry-Rance - Hainaut). From this small object began my research on the plane, its crew, its mission. Living in a small municipal entity of 4,500 inhabitants, for 5 villages. Very quickly, news of my research reached the ears of the president of the veterans association in my town, who came to see me to learn more about my research. From there, he encouraged me to expand my research to other Allied planes that had fallen in my village of RANCE. What followed, a year later, was the writing of a book, dealing with 3 aircraft losses (English, Canadian, American). And with immense pride in the end for me and my determination, the construction of a memorial in June 2023, by the authorities of my Municipality. Since this first writing, I have started a second work, more modest, dealing with the last allied airmen lost during the First World War, in my Municipality (village of MONTBLIART). One of them was the very last Canadian airman lost during the First World War, he was 2nd Lt DOWLER G.E, who collided with 2nd Lt COULTHURST W.G, both flying with 46th Sqn RFC- RAF, died on 10 November 1918, the day before the armistice.

Your servant in front (to the left) of the RANCE (village) memorial, during its inauguration in June 2023


Hoping I haven't created a mess with my post. And hoping that you can help me with my current research, as well as if I can help another member, it will be with great pleasure.

Thanks. Sébastien

[Guntruck]

Hi Sebastien, welcome to the Aerodrome.

[Cba]

Hi Sebastien, welcome to the Aerodrome.

Thank you Steve (y)

[Hedeby]

Welcome aboard Sebastian, good luck with your search.

[camel crew]

Welcome Sebastian. Thank you for your research

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Again welcome to the Drome Sebastian. As I mentioned on your other post I am sure you will get help in this project from any of the chaps who have information.
Rob.

[flash]

Welcome to the 'drome Sébastien, great work getting the memorial put in place, you should be rightly proud of the achievement.
My cousin was killed in France along with the crew (bar the pilot) when their Short Stirling was felled by flak after a raid on L'Orient U boat pens in Jan '43, so this strikes a chord with me.
Fortunately the good people of Saint-Thégonnec maintain their graves and erected a memorial at the location they fell which my sister was able to visit this year on her travels through France; hopefully I'll get there myself one day.






As it looked in 2023 - a couple of bits of aircraft debris are alongside the memorial now too.

[Stumptonian]

Welcome to the 'drome, Sebastien.
Thank you for your efforts.

[monse]

Bienvenue Sébastien
Félicitations pour tes recherches, réalisations et publication.
N’hésite pas à également les présenter sur Le Cirque Volant, forum francophone de jeu WOG, qui regroupe également les joueurs de Belgique :
https://wingsofwar.1fr1.net/

[Cba]

Welcome aboard Sebastian, good luck with your search.

Thank Chris

[Cba]

Welcome to the 'drome Sébastien, great work getting the memorial put in place, you should be rightly proud of the achievement.
My cousin was killed in France along with the crew (bar the pilot) when their Short Stirling was felled by flak after a raid on L'Orient U boat pens in Jan '43, so this strikes a chord with me.
Fortunately the good people of Saint-Thégonnec maintain their graves and erected a memorial at the location they fell which my sister was able to visit this year on her travels through France; hopefully I'll get there myself one day.






As it looked in 2023 - a couple of bits of aircraft debris are alongside the memorial now too.

Great to find these places of memory and remembrance.
Very beautiful memorial site. We must never forget the few passionate researchers, the historians who also work to highlight the heroes and their sacrifice, because the work of all these volunteers who still find fragments of stories and contribute to ensuring that we never forget and that the duty to honor two sacrificed generations continues.

[Cba]

Thank to you Pete

[Cba]

Merci pour ces infos Simon

[Cba]

Thank you all, to those I forgot to thank, for welcoming me.

[Cba]

My research is progressing with difficulty, but it is progressing... My lack of knowledge of the English language is certainly a handicap. I contacted various official military and memorial authorities, university professors, aviation specialists in the countries of Shakespaere's beautiful language. And unfortunately, I have no feedback. Concerning the Canadian DOWLER George Emerson, I know that he was enlisted in September 1917 as a cadet aviator at the University of Toronto. But I haven't received any response from them yet. As for COULTHURST William Gordon, he enlisted, as soldier 252498, in the 2nd Regiment/6th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment (British Infantry) on June 5, 1916 as a reserve soldier in the 6th Manchester Battalion, while working as a clerk with J.H. Morris & Co. of New Brown Street, Manchester. He will be recruited as a volunteer among the combatants on the ground on May 25, 1918, after the withdrawal from the fighting of the 6th and 7th Battalions in April 1918 and their dissolution in August 1918. Certainly because of the importance of the losses in men of both battalions of the Manchester Regiment first on the French Western Front. Then afterwards in the vicinity of Niewport in Belgium and on the Peolkapelle and Passchendaele fronts during the 3rd Ypres Offensive.

Sadly, I still can't find any photographs of the two men, nor of their 46th Squadron in the autumn of 1918. Nor any of their Sopwith Camel aircraft. And this is especially what I am missing in order to illustrate the document.

[Flying Helmut]

Welcome to the 'Drome, Sébastien!

Superb job of research, and well done on organizing the Memorial.

I wish you luck with all your ongoing (and future) research.

[tikkifriend]

Bienvenue to the Drome Sebastian.

[milcoll73]

welcome to the drome Sébastien !!! excellent work bringing to light these mens journeys!

[mikeemagnus]

Welcome to the Drome, Sebastien and thanks for the work you are doing. The memorial you have, there in Rance, is quite something and I'm sure very much appreciated by everyone here