C.B. On the following day he was moved to the 47th Casualty Clearing Station at Roziere and then on the 24th moved again to the 3rd Australian General Hospital, Abbeville in the Somme area. On arriving in Sierra Leone, Cedric and his Company were transferred to the Ulysses for the forward passage to England. It is now considered all but certain by historians, doctors, and ballistics experts that von Richthofen was killed by an AA machine gunner firing from the ground, for a number of reasons. Researched and written by Christine Stratigos for Tweed Regional Museum. I could no longer look him in the face. If you would like to view one of these trees in its entirety, you can contact the owner of the tree to request permission to see the tree. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. He looked so friendly. Cedric Popkin hit the enemy flying ace from the ground. The next day Cedric was at the 47th Casualty Clearing Station before being moved to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. He was still alivewhenhe wasreachedby Australian infantry, but died almost immediately. Cedric and his wife Nellie were then living with their two children at Palmwoods in Queensland and he was working as a carpenter. 424 Sgt Popkin, C.B., AIF War Diary of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company for April 1918. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. However, consider the situation. His face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement. Here according to a reliable witness he was fired at by an A.A. gun of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company. He and his brother Harry M. Popkin (1906 October 7, 1991)[5] worked on movies together. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. Private Alfred Fowler, with the 40th Australian Battalion, witnessed the Red Baron's death. And in my heart I cursed the force that is devoted to death. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. Edith, 15, and Marjory, 14, took over the caring of the younger children as Dan travelled with his work as an insurance agent. Home; About; Products; who is the highest paid worker in sierra leone Nova sought the opinion of Norman Franks, author and aviation historian who when asked 'What do we need to look at?' A student at the same school, Cedric was reported as having a "bad" character who had been before the Bench of Magistrates previously. Popkin was an experienced AA gunner, the volume of fire from the Vickers was far greater (at least 450 rounds per minute) than the bolt-action Lee-Enfield rifles (up to 30 rounds per minute) used by the infantry, and Popkin was the only machine gunner known to have fired at Richthofen from the right, and from a long distance, immediately before he landed.Private Alfred Fowler, with the 40th Australian Battalion, witnessed the Red Baron's death. "Fragments flew from the plane and it lessened speed. Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. "The fact that the bullet was found intact inside the clothing of Richthofen is another indicator that it was a long-range shot," Franks told NOVA, "and I would say that would be probably 600 yards plus. The British Plane which was being chased, did not fire at the German Plane when they were both low down and within range of any gun. Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. Nellie remained with the children at Palmwoods until Cedric returned, quite a different man from the one who left. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. The young couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist. He regretted that he had not got the Barons fur lined flying boots, saying they were beautiful16. When he was shot down at the age of 26, he had already been resposible for shooting down at least 80 allied aircraft. Whilst in training camp at Perham Downs on Salisbury Plains, Cedric was reprimanded for insulting language to a NCO, which turned out to be his one and only military offence. St. Andrew and admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley where his right leg was amputated. At about 10.35am on 21 April, Baron von Richthofen, flying his red Fokker DR-1, engaged Sopwith Camels from 209 Squadron, RAF. He said, 'There's your man'.". At about 10:45 am on the 21st April 1918 west of Vaux-Sur-Somme. AWM No. WebCedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. (iv), Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. A cavalry officer turned airplane pilot, Baron von Richthofen is considered to betheleading fighter ace of World War I, officially creditedwith 80 aerialvictories. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. These facts, and the angle at which the bullet passed through Richthofens body, suggest that he was killed by a long-distance, low velocity shot from a ground-based weapon. Lieutenant Donald L. Fraser, Brigade Intelligence Officer, 11th Australian Infantry Brigade, A.I.F., witnessed the incident and was one of the first to reach Rittmeister von Richthofen. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. The young couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. New york: J. Wiley & sons, 994. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 [database on-line]. Private Popkin was appointed Acting Corporal with the 24th Machine Gun Company on 30 August 1917 and proceeded to France with his Unit on 7 September. Since the award of the Distinguished Service Cross he has destroyed several other enemy aircraft and has shown great dash and enterprise in attacking enemy troops from low altitudes despite heavy anti-aircraft fire. Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force, the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force, https://archive.is/20091005212023/http://www.suncoast.com.au/Palmwoods/News/98-04/p5a.html, http://www.suncoast.com.au/Palmwoods/News/98-04/p5a.html, https://web.archive.org/web/20110613145710/http://deepthought.hass.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=243551, http://deepthought.hass.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=243551, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Cedric_Popkin&oldid=849600504, Start-Class biography (military) articles, Low-importance biography (military) articles, Start-Class Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force articles, Low-importance Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles, Military aviation articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military aviation articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Military biography articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military biography articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, World War I articles needing attention to referencing and citation, World War I articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Military history articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military history articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This article has been checked against the following, If you have discovered URLs which were erroneously considered dead by the bot, you can report them with, If you found an error with any archives or the URLs themselves, you can fix them with, This page was last edited on 10 July 2018, at 03:00. . C.B. WebCedric Bassett Popkin was the eldest son of Dan William Bassett Popkin and Lilian Gilbert Popkin of Sydney, New South Wales. Cedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin, 24th Australian Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force, Von Richthofen was given the name Red Baron due to his blood-coloured plane, and was one of the most feared aviators of World War One. Entrance books for the "Sabraon", a ship moored in Sydney Harbour serving as a boy's industrial school , reveal that 13 year old Cedric was arrested for "stealing from the Grafton Public School one cadet cap". Popkin was an antiaircraft (AA) machine gunner with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), du Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Tuesday, the 18th of June, 1918, Numb. Richthofen's early education saw him attending military schools, and he quickly asserted himself as a talented athlete and a solid horseman. I congratulated Sergeant Popkin on his successful shoot, but afterwards found out that two A.A. Lewis Guns belonging to the 53rd. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. Kanowna, arriving in Australia on 7 March 191914. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. Armed with a Vickers machine gun, he had fired twice on the plane as it flew overhead, the second time at the same angle as the bullet entered von Richthofens body. "He said, 'Have you got somebody who knows what they're doing, 600 yards away, and he's firing at von Richthofen's right side?' On 30 August Cedric was assigned to the 24th Machine Gun Company as Acting Corporal, then Corporal, and shipped out to France on 7 September with his unit. Two postmortem examinations determined that the fatal bullet entered von Richthofens chest from low on the right side, struck his spine and exited to the left. Cedric Popkins Service Record notes that he was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in 1919. The Red Baron broke away to the right. Most researchers reconstruct Buie and Evans' firing position as facing the oncoming triplane, making it unlikely that either could have fired the side-on shot that killed the Baron. "Because of the nature of the ammunition and how it performs within body tissue, we can determine in these circumstances at what approximate range the shot was fired. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8. Roland G Popkin, 762984, a law student, enlisted in 1916 in 28th Battalion, Artists' Rifles. . "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. That man was Australian gunnery sergeant The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. In 1956, Gunner R. Buie, a Lewis gunner of the 53rd Battery, wrote to Australian newspapers about how he and Gunner W. J. Evans had opened fire on a German plane chasing a British one toward their position. One witness, Gunner George Ridgway, stated that when he and other Australian soldiers reached the plane, Richthofen was still alive but died moments later. 30756, at Page 7304, Column 2. In 1964 he told the Brisbane Courier Mail, "I am fairly certain it was my fire which caused the Baron to crash, but it would be impossible to say definitely that I was responsible. "Now the evidence is that the wounds were actually probed by the medical staff after he had been shot down and they were actually able to follow the bullet path through the body. Deaths Search ResultsName Registration NumberFather's Given Name(s)Mother's Given Name(s)District POPKIN NELLIE ELLEN 22665/1965 MICHAEL MARY JANE MURWILLUMBAH POPKIN CEDRIC BASSETT 17996/1968 WILLIAM MARTHA TWEED HEADS POPKIN VEDA LUCY 108827/1986 HERBERT EDWARDKATEhttps://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search;jsessionid=901E3F03C8A5501C6F0235B74E31FA81?0 accessed 6 Apr 2018, Births Search ResultsName Registration Number Father's Given Name(s)Mother's Given Name(s)DistrictPOPKIN CEDRIC B 32243/1890 DAN W B LILIAN M ST LEONARDS https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/births?1, Categories: Genealogy Challenge | Australian World War I figures, Vickers machine gunner, Australian 24th Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, St Leonards, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1959589/, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search;jsessionid=901E3F03C8A5501C6F0235B74E31FA81?0, https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au/lifelink/familyhistory/search/births?1, https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Cedric_Popkin_%281%29. the sight of Richthofen as I walked closer gave me a start. Richthofen was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest; he also said to have sustained wounds in the knees and abdomen. Many Australian riflemen were also shooting at the Baron at the time, so one of them may have fired the fatal shot. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. With one single test, you can discover your genetic origins and find family you never know you had. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years and then moved further north to run the post office at Cudgen. ", Palmwoods and District Roll of Honour, Palmwoods Memorial Hall, Margaret Street, Palmwoods, Photo: Group portrait of officers and NCOs of the 24th Machine Gun Company in March 1918. With all due respect to the service of Cedirc Popkin, I have to disagree with the Cedric claimed a piece of fuselage but said he was mainly interested in the 50 and months leave that everyone was saying I would get but never did. There was a lump in my throat. From the lower right back towards the front left chest. Cedric Popkin. "He said, 'Have you got somebody who knows what they're doing, 600 yards away, and he's firing at von Richthofen's right side?' Popkin was an experienced AA gunner, the volume of fire from the Vickers was far greater (at least 450 rounds per minute) than the bolt-action Lee-Enfield rifles (up to 30 WebEat Healthy !!! We cannot, of course, discount a random shot from a long range, but it seems unlikely.". WebWilly John "Snowstain" Evans (c. 18911925) was a Lewis machine gunner in the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) during World War I. Unsolved History, produced by Discovery Channel credited him with firing the shot that killed Manfred von Richthofen ("The Red Baron"), near Vaux-sur-Somme, France on 21 April 1918. An excellent athlete and horseman he was By 1904 the family was living in Grafton and Cedrics two older sisters were looking after the family as their mother Gladys had died in 19022. In turn, the Baron was chased by another Canadian pilot, Captain Roy Brown. The machine swerved, attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. He appeared so small to me, so delicate. WebHis father was Major Albrecht Phillip Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen and his mother was Kunigunde von Schickfuss und Neudorff. Top Stories. He personally engaged two Fokker triplanes, which he drove off; then seeing that one of our machines was being attacked and apparently hard pressed, he dived on the hostile scout, firing the while. Tweed Regional Museum Collection TH85-32, Adopt a Digger Project, Cedric Bassett Popkin, http://www.adoptadigger.org/search-for-a-ww1-digger/search-for-a-ww1-digger/item/3-diggers-database/1230-popkin-cedric, AIF Project, Cedric Bassett Popkin, https:/www.aif.adfaedu.au/showPerson?pid=243551; WWI Embarkation Roll, http://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1959589, Report of the death of Captain Baron von Richthofen, Personal Files of General Sir John Monash Book 18, 21 April - 8 May 1918, Australian War Memorial Collection, http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG0000629, Statement by No. He then made a hasty but controlled landing, in a field on a hill near the Bray-Corbie road, just north of Vaux-sur-Somme. "Because of the nature of the ammunition and how it performs within body tissue, we can determine in these circumstances at what approximate range the shot was fired. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. WebCedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. I made the following changes: When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs. After the war Cedric and Nellie returned south to NSW and by 1930 Cedric had taken up the position of Postmaster at Tyalgum, near Murwillumbah. Entrance books for the "Sabraon", a ship moored in Sydney Harbour serving as a boy's industrial school , reveal that 13 year old Cedric was arrested for "stealing from the Grafton Public School one cadet cap". But Brown would have been firing from behind and above left. WebCedric Bassett Popkin was born in Sydney in 1890 to William (Dan) Bassett and Lilian Martha Popkin (nee Gilbert) 1. He came from an aristocratic family, and his father was Major Albrecht Philipp Karl Julius Freiherr. Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was born in 1892 in the Breslau. WebCedric Bassett Popkin (ur. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. Discover your family history in millions of family trees and more than a billion birth,marriage, death, census, and miltary records. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. He was initially taken to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance located at The Chateau, Les Alencons, France. As shown on PBS's NOVA, the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. His mother is the former Mitzi Jurkowitz, formerly of this city. Page contents not supported in other languages. On 5 January 1919 Cedric was invalided back to Australia on the H.T. On arriving at Sierra Leone, Cedric and his company were transferred to the Ulysses which carried the troops to England. WebName: Cedric B Popkin Birth Date: 1890 Birth Place: New South Wales Registration Year: 1890 Registration Place: St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia Father: Dan W B Popkin By Martin Bowman Pen and Sword, Jun 26, 2014, By Peter Kilduff F+W Media, Inc., Apr 1, 2012 ISBN-13: 9780715333815, The Song of the RoseBy Colin Brown May 28, 2014ISBN-13: 978-1783064359, Australia, WWI Service Records, 1914-1920Name: Cedric Bassett PopkinGender: MaleAge: 25Birth Year: abt 1889Birth Place: Sydney, New South WalesDossier Year Range: 1914-1920Enlistment Place: Brisbane, QueenslandService Number: 424Spouse: Nellie PopkinSource CitationNational Archives of Australia; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia; B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920. . Like many young men and women in the British Empire, he felt a call to defend her against what most considered to be German aggression. historians" "In our view and final analysis, the best candidate for bringing down von Richthofen was Cedric Popkin, Australian Sergeant machine gunner," Norman Franks told NOVA. By 1895 the Sands Directory gives Dan's address as the "Derby Hotel" in Regent Street, Sydney and in 1896 he is listed at Terminus Street, Sydney. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. A student at the same school, Cedric was reported as having a "bad" character who had been before the Bench of Magistrates previously. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. Despite his enemy status, von Richthofen was so highly respected that the Allies buried him with full military honors alongside their own dead. The death of the Red Baron on 21 April 1918 has long been the subject of much debate in the history of WWI and clouded by dozens of, often conflicting, eyewitness accounts and has inspired numerous theories. On 25 March 1916 Cedric's father Dan died at In January 1917, he had his airplane, an Albatross D.III, painted bright red. (Sgd.) The Pilot (whom I was subsequently told was Captain Baron Von Richthoven (sic)), I saw had at least three machine gun bullets through his body, one in his ribs at the side, and a couple through his chest, and I consider he died as a result of these wounds from the time he was hit till he hit the ground, a matter of 2 or 3 seconds. He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. It was in this airplane that he scored most of his victories, and earned his nickname. Cedric Popkin near Morlancourt, France. . This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can only be viewed by Ancestry members to whom they have granted permission to see their tree. Lorna Wells, On 2 March 1918 Cedric was promoted to Training Sergeant, shortly before the company photograph was taken . Baron von Richthofen, was flying a single seater triplane painted red and reported to be of a new pattern. Who shot him was one of the great puzzles of the War and the subject of decades of controversy.
