100 years ago today

[Erickn]

Great thread

Hello Wilhelm,
Splendid thread!
E.

[Wilhelm]

Thanks much Erick! This is not just for the Baron. Anyone can post any WWI history here. Would love more details on the Great War. Any help welcome Lads. Prost!

[Coburg]

I see that the Baron`s 47th victims British War medal and Victory medal are up for sale. 2/Lt E A Welch was shot down a killed on 24th April 1917.

The pair is extremely expensive and can be found on London Medals.

Jim

[Coburg]

As Wilhelms post states to post anything WW1 related I post this.

A pair of British medals to Private Horace Victor Perkins killed in action 99 years ago today, the opening day of the 1918 Spring Offensive whilst serving with the 2/6 North Staffordshire Regiment. His battalion held the railway embankment at Ecoust which is still there and the land over which the Imperial German Army advanced on that morning unchanged.

Horace has no known grave. His Division, 59th, suffered the most severe casualties of any British unit on 21st March and were taken out of the line to rest and refit only to get another mauling In April 1918 during operation Georgette.

Horace lived locally to me. Out of interest, 59th Division were involved in putting down the Easter uprising in 1916

Jim

[Coburg]

The German advance and Ecoust cemetery which lies at the rear of the railway embankment the 2/6 NSR defended 99 years ago

[Wilhelm]

Bloody March continued 100 years ago today. The flying Uhlan was by now a true Expert.

Kill # 29 Mar 21, 1917, N. of Neuville; B. E. 2; Pilot Sergeant S. H. Quicke, pilot, and Second Lieutenant W. S. Lindsay, observer, both killed.

[Wilhelm]

The Baron was back at it 100 years ago today.

Kill # 30 Mar. 24, 1917, Givenchy; Spad 1; Lieutenant R. P. Baker, wounded and made prisoner.

[Wilhelm]

100 years and 1 day ago Manfred scored his 31st. victory.

Mar. 25, 1917, Tilley; Nieuport 1; Second Lieutenant C. G. Gilbert, made prisoner.

[Wilhelm]

The Baron was to have an even better month in April, with no less than 20 air victories in a 30 day month. Bloody April started 100 years ago today.

Kill # 32 April 2, 1917, Farbus; B. E. 2; Lieutenant J. C. Powell, pilot, and Air Gunner P. Bunner, both killed.


Kill # 33 April 2, 1917, Givenchy; Sopwith 2; Lieutenant Peter Warren, pilot, made prisoner, and Sergeant R. Dunn, observer, killed.

[Wilhelm]

Kill # 34 April 3, 1917, between Lens and Lievin; Vickers 2; Second Lieutenant D. P. McDonald, pilot, made prisoner, and Second Lieutenant J. I. M. O'Beirne, observer, killed.

[Wilhelm]

100 years ago today Manfred shot yet another double.


Kill # 35 April 5, 1917, Lewards, S. W. of Douai; Bristol 2; Lieutenant A. M. Leckler, pilot, made prisoner, and Lieutenant H. D. K. George, gunner, killed.


Kill # 36 April 5, 1917, Quincy; Bristol 2; Lieutenant H. T. Adams, pilot, and observer Lieutenant D. J. Stewart, gunner, both made prisoner.

[Wilhelm]

A critical event occurred 100 years ago today. April 6, 1917, the United States of America declared war on Germany. And that, as they say, was that.

[Gary Symonds]

A critical event occurred 100 years ago today. April 6, 1917, the United States of America declared war on Germany. And that, as they say, was that.

Wilhelm, you beat me to the punch. I was going to post the same "news" that today 100 years ago, the US to "make the world safe for democracy" declared war on Gerrmany. To this day we are still paying for the consequencees of that decision.

Why? Think about it fellow Ameicans, what vital interests of the USA were at stake in April 1917? Answer, none. Includng the ostensible reason, unrestricked sub warfare, as the main reason. How the US could believe that as a neutral we could provide massive aid to England, while Germany was suppossed to ignore this was absurd.

What Europeon power dominated Europe, really was of no concern to the United States. To the British, who held the "balance of power" on the Europeon continent, was of great concern to England. Not America. If Germany dominated, it really was not our business.

By placing our heavy thumb on the Europeon scale, we caused World War 2. Without our intervention, the Europeon powers would have ended the war on their own terms, probably with Germany comming away from the table with some gains.

But, they lost, we had the terrible peace treat, for a Germany that did not beleive it had been beaten, leading to Hitler and you know what.

That 1919 Treaty has to this day caused problems in the Middle East.

We continue to this day to try to export "democracy" to the rest of the world, even though it cannot work in most of the nations on the planet.

Either because of cultural, rfeligious, historical, or other reasons, "human rights", "democracy" cannot work in most nations, and every time we intervene to make "democracy" work, such as in the Middle East nations, that have no hope of ever being participatory democracies such as the US, Germany, France, and the other industrial nations, all America does by spreading democracy is to make things worse.

Fortunetly, the Trump administration appears to be realizes this, and is not demanding foreign nations have "human rights" as we define them, in out foreign policay, as a condition of relations.

[Wilhelm]

Manfred kept to his guns 100 years ago today.

Kill # 37 April 7, 1917; Mercatel; Nieuport 1; Second Lieutenant G. O. Smart, killed.

[Willi Z.]

Wilhelm, you beat me to the punch. I was going to post the same "news" that today 100 years ago, the US to "make the world safe for democracy" declared war on Gerrmany. To this day we are still paying for the consequencees of that decision.

Why? Think about it fellow Ameicans, what vital interests of the USA were at stake in April 1917? Answer, none. Includng the ostensible reason, unrestricked sub warfare, as the main reason. How the US could believe that as a neutral we could provide massive aid to England, while Germany was suppossed to ignore this was absurd.

What Europeon power dominated Europe, really was of no concern to the United States. To the British, who held the "balance of power" on the Europeon continent, was of great concern to England. Not America. If Germany dominated, it really was not our business.

By placing our heavy thumb on the Europeon scale, we caused World War 2. Without our intervention, the Europeon powers would have ended the war on their own terms, probably with Germany comming away from the table with some gains.

But, they lost, we had the terrible peace treat, for a Germany that did not beleive it had been beaten, leading to Hitler and you know what.

That 1919 Treaty has to this day caused problems in the Middle East.

We continue to this day to try to export "democracy" to the rest of the world, even though it cannot work in most of the nations on the planet.

Either because of cultural, rfeligious, historical, or other reasons, "human rights", "democracy" cannot work in most nations, and every time we intervene to make "democracy" work, such as in the Middle East nations, that have no hope of ever being participatory democracies such as the US, Germany, France, and the other industrial nations, all America does by spreading democracy is to make things worse.

Fortunetly, the Trump administration appears to be realizes this, and is not demanding foreign nations have "human rights" as we define them, in out foreign policay, as a condition of relations.

Very interesting thoughts Gary. I agree with most of what you said. We were making the world safe for "liberal democracy", something which is not discussed too often. A relatively new concept created with Wilson's election (some will say with TR, and his break from the Republication Party in 1912) launching the start of "progressive" or modern liberalism. That, if you believe in the "decline of the West" theory, was when the decline really started. This is a concept I study very deeply, but I will not hijack this thread.

What vital interest were at stake? The investments of Wall Street, mainly JP Morgan's. Morgan lobbied the Wilson administration heavily to get the US into the war, as he had made significant loans to England and France, and did not want to loose them. In addition to the creation of the Federal Reserve, which impacted what happened in 1929. Heck, Morgan even owned the millions of rounds of ammunition aboard the Lusitania. A ship listed as an "auxiliary cruiser". As we know, Wilson needed the German-American vote to win re-election in 1916 with his declaration that he kept us out of the war, even though his plan was to maneuver into declaring war on Germany as soon as he could.

Wilson stated on June 14, 1919, "I have always detested Germany. I have never gone there. But I have read many German books on law. They are far from our views that they have inspired in me a feeling of aversion."

Our first president from academia.........