Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
rabu

Excellent French WWI site

Recommended Posts

It takes a few minutes to dl this site, (they used bmp images instead of JPG!) but well worth the wait. About 4/5 of the way down are air oriented photos, etc.

I wish my French was better :blush:

 

http://bleuhorizon.canalblog.com/

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What a great find! It takes a while to build up, but it's worth the waiting.

So many detailed things - a medic's bag's content, a shock-proof watch, Uniform badges and stickers,

and a German MP from late 1918 I had never seen anywhere before; and and and...

Worth to return to many times.

 

Thanks for posting, Rabu!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Can you imagine having to wear this in cold weather?

 

ColdweatherGear.jpg

 

or this?

 

face%20mask.jpg

 

No one has modeled this in any WWI sims I've seen so far..

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have never seen such face mask before.

But I once had a long motorbike ride in February, with an open jet helmet.

I tell you - I can understand the guy who invented this mask!

Oh, how I wish they made a really good WW1 movie; where they'd introduce such details.

And now that Mayrhofer builds three Albatros, they wouldn't even have to do it all on their

computers - they could have closeups with real fighter craft! One of these days, perhaps...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

rabu,

 

An Australian who flew for the RNAS by the name of Frederick Sidney Cotton was out tinkering with his aircraft engine when he was either taken by surprise (not paying attention to the time) or was sent on a scramble mission. I think it must have been to intercept Gothas or a Zeppelin, as his flight had to attain a great altitude before returning. He didn't have time to change into his flight gear.

 

All other pilots on that mission suffered horribly for some time afterwatrds from the effects of flying so high with little protection. Sidney Cotton in his grease-stained overalls felt little or no effects at all.

 

The Sidcot flying suit was invented that day. Merely impregnating the fabric with grease had remarkable effect keeping the wind and cold out. A few modifications, furry collar etc... and it was done.

 

It was said that MvR was wearing a British Sidcot suit on his last flight, and that the suits were in high demand from pilots of both sides of the lines.

 

Frederick Sidney Cotton later was a pioneer in many aerial photography innovations and ideas, and fought long and hard with authority all the rest of his days. A very stubborn genius indeed.

 

He gained fame by being the last civilian aircraft to take off from Berlin's Templehoff Airport before the declaration of war in WW2. Just a short time before, he was asked by Field Marshal "Smiling Albert" Kesselring if he could fly Cotton's Lockheed Electra (I think that was the type he was in). Albert went for an aerial reconnaissance over the Ruhr Valley to check from the air his defences he had painstaking been setting up. Little did he know.

 

When he asked Cotton what the flashing light was on the instrument panel, Cotton made up some story about a fuel system that had been playing up, but assured him all was well, just a faulty warning light. In fact, Smiling Albert was flying a spy mission over his own defences, and the light was to alert the pilot that the very cleverly hidden panel (it passed INTENSE scrutiny) in the aircraft's belly was open and taking photographs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

What a great site! Too bad I'm not much of a French speaker, but fortunately good pictures need no words to describe them.

 

Rabu, I'd stay away from animal activists when wearing that huge fur coat. :biggrin:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Olham: Not only did it apparently keep him warm, it probably scared the bejebbers out of any one he encountered, giving him the upper hand!

 

Steve: Thanks for that fascinating bit of history, really interesting stuff, please add more!

 

HW: I'll bet at the time a pilot wearing that coat was really considered spectacular to the women. Ya, wish my French as better too.. or even comprehensible.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thick fur coats don't seem to be the exception in WW1.

This picture shows a soldier on a watch post on the island of Norderney (see my thread about

Zeppelins over Ostfriesland).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Thick fur coats don't seem to be the exception in WW1.

This picture shows a soldier on a watch post on the island of Norderney (see my thread about

Zeppelins over Ostfriesland).

 

I'd love to sneak-up behind that guy and flick him on the ear, then see if he could chase me in that thing. LOL!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Haha - yes, would be difficult to run in that thing.

But they didn't really expect a landing so far away from the front. They just where a watch out post,

to prevent an English air ship raid on the 4 Zeppelin hangars in Hage.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..