Falklands donated three aircraft to WW1 effort, and the five Spitfires in WW2
A discovery by the Museum and National Trust has revealed that not only did the Falkland Islands donate Spitfires to the British war effort in World War II but also three aircraft to the Royal Flying Corps in 1914.
Curator Leona Roberts told Penguin News: “Those aircraft were one FE2d and two FE Bristol Fighters.
“The photograph is of the FE2d aircraft named Falkland. The Royal Aircraft Factory FE2 was a two-seat Pusher aircraft operated as a day and night bomber and as a fighter by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and was instrumental in ending the 'Fokker scourge' that had seen the German Air Service establish a measure of air superiority on the Western Front from the late summer of 1915 to the following spring.”
The FE2 was a two-seater with the observer sitting in the nose of the nacelle and the pilot sitting above and behind.
The observer was armed with one .303 Lewis Machine Gun firing forward. Later, another Lewis was added, mounted to fire backwards.
This arrangement was described by Frederick Libby, the first American ace of World War I as follows:
When you stood up to shoot, all of you from the knees up was exposed to the elements. There was no belt to hold you. Only your grip on the gun and the sides of the nacelle stood between you and eternity.
“Toward the front of the nacelle was a hollow steel rod with a swivel mount to which the gun was anchored.
“This gun covered a huge field of fire forward. Between the observer and the pilot a second gun was mounted, for firing over the FE2d's upper wing to protect the aircraft from rear attack ... Adjusting and shooting this gun required that you stand right up out of the nacelle with your feet on the nacelle coaming.
“You had nothing to worry about except being blown out of the aircraft by the blast of air or tossed out bodily if the pilot made a wrong move. There were no parachutes and no belts.
The Falklands’ Museum intends to add a display featuring this donation to the Royal Flying Corps when the new Dockyard site is opened. If anybody has any further information of this donation the Museum and National Trust would be pleased to hear of it. (PN).







49 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
They had enough left in the kitty to donate a machine gun......
Geeeze it hurts when you bite your tongue....
www.clarin.com/mundo/Alicia-Castro-Bretana-Assange-Malvinas_0_763723792.html
Hundreds of volunteers, most of English descent ('Anglos') signed to help the British forces in WWII. I met and was friends with many of them, e.g. Edgar Robinson Bradley. They're all dead now...
Edgar Robinson, a railways' engineer born in Lomas de Zamora (Prov. Bs- Ayres), joined the Royal Engineers and was sent to Burma, as Captain (and CO), to direct three Sikh battalions and one of the R.E.'s for the construction - with elephants as sole source of power - of a new railway line across the jungle. The officer commanding the Sikh was Prince Kapurtala (the Maharaja himself!) whom I also had the opportunity to meet in London (1970). Every night, three miles of rails duly nailed to sleepers were laid and every morning two of these miles were rendered useless by the Jap bombers. When the sun set, elephants unloaded new material from a train and loaded the debris which was sent back to rails' end. The elephants took the sleepers and rails to the places they were led to and, alas, they laid both in perfect parallel lines! At an approx. rate of one mile/day these people built the new line in 155 days. One evening, a big piece of shrapnel hit Edgar's ribcage and pierced his thorax, so he had to be rushed to a hospital ship... from which he was back in two weeks!
Other stories, about other Argentine volunteers including a few war heroes, were published in a book edited here 3 or 4 years ago. I can't remember the book's name, but if any is interested, he can ask Libreria L.O.L.A. at www.lola-online.com/ for they surely know and have it.
That's a part of our past.
Our present is not good but we imagine that one day it may be rebuilt from scratch, just as Edgar Robinson and the troops under his command managed to rebuild every inch of destroyed tracks, despite the 'slings and arrows of an outrageous fortune'
And hopefully before those of us that remember and pass the information down, kick the bucket...
Cheers!
heres another case of loyalty for you, how the argtard govt left thousands of scared argtard invaders on The Falklands abandoned by their military to eat Her majestys british steel, hows does that Loyalty taste??
ans as my grandfather once said Argentines trolls are like toilets, full of shit
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
!SELF-DETERMINATION! mmmmmmm....... tastes real good!!!!
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND PUNISH CFK !!!!
Self determination !!!..sounds really good !!!!
Poor Argentines, who on earth in their society do they have to look up to. HM the Queen generates money four our economy, Kirchner drains money from the Argentine economy. For example, I don't think foreign tourists flock to the Casa Rosada for a glimpse of Kirchner like they do for the Queen. The Queen looks radiant for her years, can you even begin to imagine what Kirchner will look like at that age, it makes you want to shudder.
Its a shame you have to result in insults as you cannot win any battle or legal case.
We respect our Queen and all the money she earns our country. CFK seems to use your money to become more and more wealthy.
Just be glad that she will soon be gone and maybe your county will recover and become sane. If she stays in power, you will have no medicines or trains.
Plus, if she tries to invade the peaceful Falkland Islands, she will lose another war, but this time, the job will not stay at sea. We will ensure you never attack again, and Chile and Bolivia have their lands returned to them.
The Southern cone belongs to Chile not Argentina, and Chile know how to act like a mature country, not like a spoilt child full of drugs
Yeah, clearly Argentina is the peoples best friends. That's why they want nothing to do with you, and never did even before the war.
More insults
How is your inflation
How is your international trade
You steal oil companies then realize you need help to get your oil, which will not happen.
Venezuela would rather set their oil alight than let you have any.
Remember 1982, dont start things you cannot finish.
Oh and we like your new air force, we use little planes like that for air displays, we have big planes to carry missiles and bombs, and big ships, and submarines, ROFL
UK says watch the skies, watch the seas. If you continue to hassle and threaten our people, and steal fish and squid, and block ports, then we will take action.
We can get you from London, we can get you from subs in the River Plate, we can get you with stealth planes, drones and everything.
The only defence you have is CFK's lips which seem inflatable.
Good thoughtful posts - hope you are well.
With best wishes
Steve
I havent got a clue what the fuk you are saying something about fuking your auntie,who is also your brother, thanks but not my cup of tea.
seriously, are you seeking help? you are deranged,are you la campora?
seen as you liked it the first time heres a bit more for you JUBA,
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
& SELF DETERMINATION!!!! (for you JUBA)
oh by the way thumbs up for your contribution, priceless.
Port Soledad- Malvinas Islands before of the British Invasion.
objdigital.bn.br/acervo_digital/div_cartografia/cart531998.jpg
objdigital.bn.br/acervo_digital/div_cartografia/cart543215.jpg
objdigital.bn.br/acervo_digital/div_cartografia/cart531983.jpg
objdigital.bn.br/acervo_digital/div_cartografia/cart532556.jpg
Regards.
As always an Argentine refers to 1833. They forget that UK claimed Falklands well before this date and this was recognised by everyone including Spain.
Argentina did not exist as a state.
If you want to refer to old maps, try this one
fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/292025_399484276785515_646365643_n.jpg
Emmanuel-Augustin-Dieudonné-Joseph, comte de Las Cases (21 June 1766 – 15 May 1842) was a French atlas-maker and author, famed for an admiring book on Napoleon.
He was born at the castle of Las Cases near Revel in Languedoc. He was educated at the military schools of Vendôme and Paris; he entered the navy and took part in various engagements of the years 1781–1782. The outbreak of the Revolution in 1789 caused him to emigrate, and he spent some years in Germany and England, sharing in the disastrous Quiberon expedition (1795).
It also shows all the land the Argentinians have taken from Patagonia and other neighbours
Thank you for your interesting story & link.
l will try to get that book. Hope its in English as my Spanish is pretty rudimentry although l am progressing(too many other languages going round inside my head!).
l always find that true stories are far more interesting than fiction.
Especially autobiographies.
Just finished reading about an ltalian ex-soldier who walked from Ethiopia to South Africa in WWII. The Longest Walk, formally called Miles & miles & miles to me, utterly enthralling.
JUBA & slb not having much luck!
Pity l didn't read them before they were removed! Their insults make me laugh.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellowship_of_the_Bellows
www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/692_wwII.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._164_Squadron_RAF
Your post was good-the UK did neglect the Falkland Isanders despite their past loyalty.
Fortunately 1982 woke the UK up, and it now gives the FIs the support they deserve , so they don't have to be held to ransom by Argentina.
#34 The 'old map' has two names for the islands. One is the name we give to the arcipelago and the other is the one which Brits believe as the only possible name, due to...you know. Are you sure this is the map you wanted to produce? With regard to Patagonia, invasions, as you surely are aware of, are the means by which Man expands its blood and societies. The societies upgrow the place where they live, divide in groups and social movements occur until they need more room and ought to go for it. This happened -and will happen - here, and everywhere else, since the very appearance of the first hominids on our planet, and before that by animals, and it is also descripted as 'territorial want'. So please stop this nonsense. We are adults. (Are'nt we?). Thanks.
#35 You're welcome, Isolde. I believe that book is in English or perhaps there are two editions. L.O.L.A. is a specialist in Latin American-related texts in all fields, including history, geography, wildlife, birds, &c., in both English and Spanish. The owner is a kind of 'Anglo'.
#36 Richard Child (R.A.F.) was an Anglo whose daughter Maureen (a late friend of mine) was one of the founding members of the local Fellowship of The Bellows. Another was Mrs. Terry Chapman, OBE (neé... an Italian name I cannot remember) also a friend... They made a great job!
Cheers!
PS: Thanks to Moderator for having knocked off #16 and many other offensive postings here. Keep working! Believe me, you're doing something we've been expecting for long. If you can kick out for good offenders of more than two on the same news, please also do it!
You keep calling, time, timebut you forgot the Gentlemen, please
The most important fact is that UK discovered, claimed and occupied the Falklands well before Argentina was founded and started spreading their blood around and taking neighbours lands.
The UK stopped colonial expansion a long time ago, thats why many UK people find Argentina so funny, claiming Colonial UK when in fact, Argentina is a colonial country both past and continued into present.
Argentina aim to take the Falklands as part of colonial expansion. They oppose the islanders right to remain as a UK territory and believe if they go for independence, they would stand a chance to invade, whereas in real terms, if the Falklands ever did claim independence, they would almost certainly remain in the commonwealth, and have the queen as head of state and therefore have the protection of the UK's Army Navy and airforce, all of which are superior.
CFK has only been interested in boosting her personal wealth and grab the oil that her country cannot mine even inland at Bad Cow let alone at sea and with stealing companies stand no chance of international investment.
No need for rude or crude responses, you know how it stands.
Have you read www.cruising4holidays.com/destinations/americas/ushuaia.html
Cruise ships are better off avoiding argentina now and visiting Falklands and Chile
And along time before The United Provinces of the River Plate tried it and Argentina when it was formed. In fact technically the only time 'Argentina occupied the Falklands was 3 months in 1982,
Thanks for that I just looked it up-yes changing the name makes it invalid.
I say Malvinas looks like 'Bad Vines'
The name Falklands was used long before Malouines.
Interesting that Top Malo is used, and we all know what happened there in 82.
Argtard and Argieland are stupid words from one who forgets that eng-land is the land of anglers, while Argtard means nothing, at least to me.
On the other hand, scorn, as you'd surely know, is the homage that mediocrity renders to genius.
What I and others here are against and ask Mercopress to delete immediately and throw the offenders to the dogs, is those who make use of direct personal insult, four-letter words even disguised, as well as expressions of very bad manners.
We can hold positions of a very different nature or be even enemies at war, but manners are one of the prides of gentlemanship. If you had been born to a well raised family, or educated in an English college, you wouldn't need this to be explained to you.
But it is good you asked for it gave me the opportunity of setting the record straight. Thank you.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!