U.S. Marines in WWI

[NS13Jarhead 6]

91 years ago, today

Oct 8, 1918 – 2^nd Lieutenant Ralph Talbot received the MEDAL OF HONOR for actions with Squadron "C", First Marine Aviation Force, in France.

 

CITATION: For exceptional service and extraordinary heroism while attached to Squadron "C", First Marine Aviation Force, in France. He participated in numerous air raids into enemy territory, and on October 8th, 1918, while on such a raid, he was attacked by nine enemy scouts, and in the fight that followed shot down an enemy plane. Also, on October 14th, 1918, while on a raid over Pittman, Belgium, Lieutenant Talbot and one other plane became detached from the formation on account of motor trouble, and were attacked by twelve enemy scouts. During the severe fight that followed, his plane shot down one of the enemy scouts. His observer was shot through the elbow and his gun jammed. He cleared the jam with one hand while Talbot maneuvered to gain time, and then returned to the fight. The observer fought until shot twice in the stomach and once in the hip. When he collapsed Lieutenant Talbot attacked the nearest enemy scout with his front guns and shot him down. With his observer unconscious and his motor failing he dived to escape the balance of the enemy and crossed the German trenches at an altitude of fifty feet, landing at the nearest hospital and left his observer and returned to his aerodrome.

 

 

Oct 8, 1918 – Gunnery Sergeant Robert G Robinson received the MEDAL OF HONOR for actions as an observer in the 1st Marine Aviation Force at the front in France.

 

CITATION: For extraordinary heroism as observer in the 1st Marine Aviation Force at the front in France. In company with planes from Squadron 218, Royal Air Force, conducting an air raid on 8 October 1918, Gunnery Sergeant Robinson's plane was attacked by nine enemy scouts. In the fight which followed, he shot down one of the enemy planes. In a later air raid over Pitthan, Belgium, on 14 October 1918, his plane and one other became separated from their formation on account of motor trouble and were attacked by 12 enemy scouts. Acting with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in the fight which ensured, Gunnery Sergeant Robinson, after shooting down one of the enemy planes, was struck by a bullet which carried away most of his elbow. At the same time his gun jammed. While his pilot maneuvered for position, he cleared the jam with one hand and returned to the fight. Although his left arm was useless, he fought off the enemy scouts until he collapsed after receiving two more bullet wounds, one in the stomach and one in the thigh.

 

 

First Lieutenant Robert G. Robinson, who earned the Medal of Honor as a gunnery sergeant in World War I, died 5 October 1974, at his home in St. Ignace, Michigan. Although seriously wounded during aerial action over Belgium, he continued to fight and successfully drove off attacking enemy scout planes before two additional bullet wounds forced his collapse.

 

Gunnery Sergeant Robinson, shot 13 times in the abdomen, chest, and legs, and with his left arm virtually blown off at the elbow, helped bring the plane down in Belgian Territory. His arm, hanging by a single tendon, was grafted back on by the surgeon-general of the Belgian army. The pilot of his plane, Lt Ralph Talbot of Weymouth, Massachusetts, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this same action, was killed in a plane crash a few days later.

 

The Michigan native was born in Wayne, 30 April 1896. In May 1917, he enlisted with the Marines and the action in France followed. He was honorably discharged in 1919 as a gunnery sergeant and was appointed a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. His retirement was effected in May 1923 and his promotion to the rank of first lieutenant, in September, 1936. Upon retirement, he made his home at St. Ignace, Michigan. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Edited October 8, 2009 by NS13Jarhead

[JimAttrill 24]

What aircraft were they flying?

[Olham 164]

It's incredible, what situations some good men have managed to deal with. Respect!

[Bullethead 12]

What aircraft were they flying?

 

If I had to guess, I'd say DH4. I don't think the Marines used any Salmsons or Strutters, which were the other main US 2-seaters.

[Check Six 2]

I LOVE reading the citations for medals awarded for extraordinary acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. Some are just so amazing. Most are very humbling to know that such people exist.

 

Here is the citation for the award of the Victoria Cross to Frank McNamara, the only Australian recipient of the VC of the air services in WW1 (many believed both R A Little and R S Dallas to have deserved to be awarded the VC, but it was a "political thing" that prevented their award).

 

 

Awarded Victoria Cross for "most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during an aerial bomb attack upon a hostile construction train, when one of our pilots was forced to land behind the enemy's lines. Lieutenant McNamara, observing the pilots predicament and the fact that hostile cavalry were approaching, descended to his rescue. He did this under heavy rifle fire and in spite of the fact that he himself had been severely wounded in the thigh. He landed about 200 yards from the damaged machine, the pilot of which climbed on to Lieutenant McNamara's machine, and an attempt was made to rise. Owing, however, to his disabled leg, Lieutenant McNamara was unable to keep his machine straight, and it turned over. The two officers, having extricated themselves, immediately set fire to the machine and made their way across to the damaged machine, which they succeeded in starting. Finally, Lieutenant McNamara, although weak from loss of blood. flew this machine back to the aerodrome, a distance of seventy miles, and thus completed his comrade's rescue."

Edited October 8, 2009 by Check Six

[Wels 2]

Hello,

Ralph Talbot and Robert G. Robinson, 91 years ago. I would have thought that Robinson would have died from all those shots, especially in the stomach, and if not in the air surely in one of those, all but clean hospitals, and regarding the conditions in which surgery took place. But instead he lived and survived the war, while his pilot Ralph Talbot died a few days later. Words even like conspicuous gallantry can not describe what those men did and went through.

Bravery and intrepidity against all odds - hats off, and may they rest in peace.

Thanks for posting

Kai

Edited October 8, 2009 by Wels

[thewoo1 0]

It's incredible, what situations some good men have managed to deal with. Respect!

 

 

I remember a quote: " There are no great men , only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstance to meet"