On 3 March 1918 he was promoted to Training Sergeant and in April to Sergeant when Sergeant McPhee went missing in action7. It came down a few hundred yards away." Edith, 15, and Marjory, 14, took over the caring of the younger children as Dan travelled with his work as an insurance agent. ", When a human body is hit, there's an explosive effect called hydrostatic shock, which can be revealed by ballistics tests. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. Cedric enlisted in the AIF on 6 May 1916 and did not see his family again for three long hard years. Taping rights: can be used up to one year after the program is taped off the air. Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. WebCedric Popkin left Australia on 20 October 1916 with the 6th Reinforcements, 7th Machine Gun Company on HMAT Port Lincoln. Cedric eventually returned to carpentry and aged 59 he and Nellie were living at Fingal Head. The young couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist. Leo C. Popkin (19142011) was a film director and producer in the United States. This article is in three parts, depicting the personal and military histories of Cedric Popkin, and the story of the shooting down of the Red Baron. Cedric and his wife Nellie were then living with their two children at Palmwoods in Queensland and he was working as a carpenter. Evans left Australia with his unit on HMAT Persic, which sailed from Sydney on 21 December 1914. At about 10.35am on 21 April, Baron von Richthofen, flying his red Fokker DR-1, engaged Sopwith Camels from 209 Squadron, RAF. 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. Supplied: Popkin family archive. He looked so friendly. With all due respect to the service of Cedirc Popkin, I have to disagree with the He pursued a Camel piloted by a Canadian, Lieutenant Wilfrid May. We cannot, of course, discount a random shot from a long range, but it seems unlikely.". Cedric received a severe gunshot wound to his right leg on 19 June and was moved to 4th Field Ambulance. He was just 25 years old. The Principal claimants are: Captain A Roy Brown, Australian Gunners (Lewis Gun) Robert Buie #3801 and William John "Snowy" Evans #598 Australian 53rd battery and Gunner Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin #424 (Vickers gun) with the Australian 24th Machine Gun Company. With his father away most of the time, controlling young Cedric was not an easy task and he was soon in trouble with the law. It is based solely on the 'trajectory' of the bullet. It came down a few hundred yards away." Cedric's company was based at Camiers in France, the base depot for the Machine Gun Corps where he attended training school. He pursued a Camel piloted by a Canadian, Lieutenant Wilfrid May. The Baron was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest. WebCedric Bassett Popkin (1891January 1968) is considered the person most likely to have killed German ace Manfred von Richthofen also known as the "Red Baron" on 21 April 1918. Running to the wreckage, Fowler saw bullet wounds in Richthofen's chest, and was convinced he had been killed by the gunners. WebHis father was Major Albrecht Phillip Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen and his mother was Kunigunde von Schickfuss und Neudorff. His troubled youth behind him, by 1908 Cedric was working as a builder at Mullumbimby in northern NSW. See Paulina Porizkova and Ric Ocasek's Two Sons All Grown Up It was in this airplane that he scored most of his victories, and earned his nickname. Cedric, Service No 424, was originally assigned to the 6th Machine Gun Reinforcements as a private on 20 June, then to the 7th Machine Gun Company on 4 August 1916 when he embarked in Melbourne on the Port Lincoln. Another eye witness, Sergeant Ted Smout, reported that Richthofens last word was kaput (finished) immediately before he died. Cedric wasn't discharged from hospital until 6 January 1919 when he embarked on HT Kanowna for the voyage back to Australia. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. "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. "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. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. 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. (Chronicle 23 Aug 1918 p2), William Bassett (known as Dan) Popkin m. Lillian Martha Gilbert, 11 October 1884 Queensland, (Regn B009200 p5350), http://blogs.ancestry.com/au/2011/03/03/entrance-books-for-the-vernon-and-the-sobraon-1867-1911/. Nellie Popkin (nee Bull) died in 1965 at Murwillumbah. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8. It was reported that a spent .303 bullet was found inside Richthofens clothing. 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. . sucesos de las islas filipinas was written by He recalled that everyone was scrambling for souvenirs, with one officer claiming the Barons gold wrist watch. Analysis by many specialists, including historians, doctors and ballistics experts, has concluded that the shot came from an Anti-Aircraft (AA) machine gunner firing from the ground. Popkin 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. 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. Von Richtofen's success as a flying ace earned him the nicknames der rote Kampfflieger (the Red Battle-Flyer) by the Germans, petit rouge (the little Red) or le Diable Rouge (the Red Devil) by the French, and the Red Knight or, most famously, the Red Baron, by the British. "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 only claimant at that range is Popkin. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. AWM No. Live Healthy !!! Flying his Fokker Dr.I Dreidecker (tri-plane), serial number 425/17, von Richthofen was in pursuit of a Sopwith Camel F.1, D3326, flown by Lieutenant Wilfred Reid May, No. Another eye witness, Sergeant Ted Smout, reported that Richthofen's last word was "kaput" ("finished") immediately before he died. chimney spark arrestor requirements Cedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself moved in my thoughts, that I had forced him to lay there. This message is updated dynamically through the template {{source check}} (last update: 18 January 2022). WebWe found 4 dictionaries with English definitions that include the word Popkin: Click on the first link on a line below to go directly to a page where "Popkin" is defined. I went away. 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. Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. He said, 'There's your man'.". 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. During the battle, the Red Baron was wounded in the chest and crash-landed near Vaux-sur-Somme, France. WebCedric Bassett Popkin was the eldest son of Dan William Bassett Popkin and Lilian Gilbert Popkin of Sydney, New South Wales. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. 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. He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital, Southall on 3 September 1918. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. Despite his enemy status, von Richthofen was so highly respected that the Allies buried him with full military honors alongside their own dead. Blond, silk-soft hair, like that of a child, fell from the broad high forehead. The fatal bullet passed clean through the Red Baron and of course could never be recovered. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. the sight of Richthofen as I walked closer gave me a start. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. However, I am strongly of the opinion that he was first hit by Sergeant Popkins shooting as he was unsteady from the moment of the first burst of fire.. Cedric Popkin Who shot him was one of the great puzzles of the War and the subject of decades of controversy. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. She served in Greece and returned to Australia in 1918. Another eye witness, Sergeant Ted Smout, reported that Richthofen's last word was "kaput" ("finished") immediately before he died. On 21 April 1918 whilst at his post as a gunner with his Vickers Machine Gun, at Corbie in the Somme Valley, Sergeant Cedric Popkin encountered the Red Baron. His Fokker was not damaged by the landing. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. Captain Brown had attacked from the left rear and above. His brother Harry M. Popkin was the executive producer of Million Dollar Productions, a partnership that included Ralph Cooper. 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. PBS TV NOVA aired a documentary on Oct 7 2003 entitled Who Killed the Red Baron? 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. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. With one single test, you can discover your genetic origins and find family you never know you had. He recalls delivering a message to a gunner at the 11th Battalion, who opened fire on Richthofen's plane and claims to have seen the bullets pierce the cockpit. "If the bullet had struck von Richthofen at close range, I would have expected a more explosive type wound," Peter Franks, a ballistics expert, told NOVA . 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. . Home; About; Products; sucesos de las islas filipinas was written by The Red Baron broke away to the right. 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. Description: The Australian website dedicated to researching WW1 Diggers and nurses who came from or were associated Capt.) Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Tuesday, the 18th of June, 1918, Numb. Cedric's enlistment papers describe him as 5ft 6 in tall, 150 lbs, brown eyes and black hair. He appeared so small to me, so delicate. WebEat Healthy !!!! We said 'yes.' 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. 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. An older sister Gladys Lilian also served in WW1, as an Australian army nurse. AWM E01716 Group portrait of officers and NCOs of 24th Machine Gun Company date 8 March 1918 in France. E01716, Casualty List 417 of 16 August stated Cpl Cedric Bassett Popkin of Palmwoods was wounded. "Fragments flew from the plane and it lessened speed. The Person Who Shot Down The Famed Red Baron Remains A WebSon of Major Albrecht Philipp Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen, his education was in a succession of military schools and academies. After February 2018, "External links modified" talk page sections are no longer generated or monitored by InternetArchiveBot. Cedric Popkins Service Record notes that he was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in 1919. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" 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.These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each persons profile. . 0 comment 2 Obits previous He bled freely after he hit the ground from the wounds in his chest.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.I am quite satisfied that the Plane was brought down as the result of the fire from my gun."(Sgd.) When he was four years old, Manfred moved with his family to nearby Schweidnitz (now widnica ). POPKIN Cedric Bassett - Diggers Database - Search for a Nellie Popkin (nee Bull) died in 1965 at Murwillumbah. Popkin was an anti-aircraft (AA) machine gunner with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during the First World War. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. E01716, Casualty List 417 of 16 August stated Cpl Cedric Bassett Popkin of Palmwoods was wounded. Email: trm@tweed.nsw.gov.au, Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, Cedric Popkin, c.1914. Life story: Cedric Bassett Popkin | Lives of the First World War The Baron was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest. Born in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia on 20 Jun 1890 to Dan William Bassett POPKIN and lillian m unknown. C.B. WebApril 21, 1918: Manfred Von Richthofen, the famous Red Baron, was shot down and killed by Australian antiaircraft gunner Sgt. Cedric Bassett Popkin, Service No 424, from Palmwoods, Queensland, is now considered the person most likely to have killed German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the "Red Baron" on 21 April 1918. He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. Here according to a reliable witness he was fired at by an A.A. gun of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company. Cedric Bassett Popkin, Service No 424, from Palmwoods, Queensland, is now considered the person most likely to have killed German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the "Red Baron" on 21 April 1918. If I could I would gladly have brought him back to life, but that is somewhat different than shooting a gun. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. These facts, and the angle at which the bullet passed through Richthofen's body, suggest that he was killed by a long-distance, low velocity shot from a ground-based weapon. Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. Just before his 26th birthday, on 6 May 1916, Cedric Bassett Popkin travelled to Brisbane to enlist in the AIF. But Brown would have been firing from behind and above left. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. Suddenly I felt miserable, desperately unhappy, as if I had committed an injustice. Discover the meaning and history behind your last name and get a sense of identity and discover who you are and where you come from. On 21st April, 1918, while leading a patrol of 6 scouts he attacked a formation of 20 hostile scouts. The story is told in the following section. Cedric Popkin. Sgt Popkin 2nd from right middle row. An account by Lieut. Provides a biography of Top Stories. There has been speculation that the Barons wound was actually caused by a .303-caliber (7.756mmR) rifle or machine gun bullet fired from the ground, rather than from Browns Sopwith Camel. A student at the same school, Cedric was reported as having a "bad" character who had been before the Bench of Magistrates previously. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. 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 died in France, aged 24, on 27 Sept 1918. Because of the type of weapons that where involved, we can say that it was probably a Vickers MG that fired the shot. The Foker Tri-plane was rolling, pitching, yawing, climbing, and diving. WebCedric Bassett POPKINmarried Nellie Ellen BULLandhad 1child. With his father away most of the time, controlling young Cedric was not an easy task and he was soon in trouble with the law. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. Running to the wreckage, Fowler saw bullet wounds in Richthofen's chest, and was convinced he had been killed by the gunners. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. "SCVHistory.com CP3908 | Val Verde | History of Million Dollar Productions; Written for Cornerstone Time Capsule, 4-16-1939", "My dear secretary - Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Leo_C._Popkin&oldid=1145330822, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 March 2023, at 15:32. Roland G Popkin, 762984, a law student, enlisted in 1916 in 28th Battalion, Artists' Rifles. 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. Cedric Popkin died in 1968 at Tweed Heads NSW. One witness, Gunner George Ridgway, stated that when he and other Australian soldiers reached the plane, Richthofen was still alive but died moments later. Richthofens machine seemed to move unsteadily for a moment, but still continued in pursuit of the British plane8. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. He recalls delivering a message to a gunner at the 11th Battalion, who opened fire on Richthofen's plane and claims to have seen the bullets pierce the cockpit. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. Research genealogy for Cedric Bassett POPKIN of St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, as well as other members of the These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. There was a lump in my throat. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. Manfred von Richthofen 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 As to pinpointing without doubt the man who fired the fatal shot, the controversy will never actually be resolved., (i) Cedric Popkins bio on http://www.adoptadigger.org/search-for-a-ww1-digger/search-for-a-ww1-digger/item/3-diggers-database/1230-popkin-cedric(ii) Baron von Richthofen: The Red Baron http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/1918/people/rbaron.asp(iii) NOVAs Who killed the Red Baron, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/redbaron/(iv) AIF War Diary of 24th Aust. The story is told in the following section. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself moved in my thoughts, that I had forced him to lay there. Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 [database on-line]. On 20 June 1890 Cedric Bassett Popkin was born , followed by Dorothy in 1892 (in Queanbeyan NSW) and another boy Roland G in 1894 at Marrickville in Sydney. "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. The 24th Machine Gun Company War Diary for April 1918 includes a statement by Sgt Popkin: "I was the Sergeant in charge of a Machine Gun detachment at J 19 d. There was a lump in my throat. NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. 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. An excellent athlete and horseman he was [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Popkin was an anti-aircraft (AA) machine gunner with the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF), during World War I . Popkin, Sgt. 20 Jun 1890 - St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, Jan 1968 - Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia. . 21 Apr 2023 14:27:06 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. Cedric the Entertainer has three children: Tiara Soria Kyles, Croix Kyles and Lucky Rose Kyles. I did not feel like a victor. ", 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. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. He died in France, aged 24, on 27 Sept 1918. "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. "Fragments flew from the plane and it lessened speed. Cedric and his wife Nellie were then living with their two children at Palmwoods in Queensland and he was working as a carpenter. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. Arthur Roy Brown, D.S.C., R.A.F. To receive a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross. On arriving in Sierra Leone, Cedric and his Company were transferred to the Ulysses for the forward passage to England. Because of the type of weapons that where involved, we can say that it was probably a Vickers MG that fired the shot. I saw the documentary also. He said, 'There's your man'.". Cedric's sister Edith Sophia lived with them for a short time around 1958 and they remained at Fingal Head until at least 1963. Despite this, the attending surgeons at Richthofen's autopsy were of the opinion that the angle and nature of the bullet wounds ruled out the possibility that he had been shot from the ground, and that the injuries were due to the efforts of a Canadian pilot Roy Brown. Despite this, the attending surgeons at Richthofen's autopsy were of the opinion that the angle and nature of the bullet wounds ruled out the possibility that he had been shot from the ground, and that the injuries were due to the efforts of a Canadian pilot Roy Brown. But Brown would have been firing from behind and above left. By April 1918, Popkin who had achieved the rank Cedric's sister Edith Sophia lived with them for a short time around 1958 and they remained at Fingal Head until at least 1963. Popkin is believed to have shot down Baron Manfred von Richthofens plane. That man was Australian gunnery sergeant Cedric Popkin, who, according to NOVA, was firing a machine gun at the Baron's right side from the ground, about 600 yards away. ", When a human body is hit, there's an explosive effect called hydrostatic shock, which can be revealed by ballistics tests. 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. Initially, the credit was given to a Canadian pilot, Roy Brown, however it is now accepted that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin was responsible for the demise of the Red Baron. He looked so friendly. As shown on PBS's NOVA, the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. On 5 January 1919 Cedric was invalided back to Australia on the H.T. Together they have two kids; Croix, born in 2000, and Lucky Rose, born in 2003. Cedric Bassett Popkin | This Day in Aviation Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. "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?' With Last Name Popkin From the lower right back towards the front left chest. [1][2], He managed African American movie theaters in Los Angeles. This article is in three parts, depicting the personal and military histories of Cedric Popkin, and the story of the shooting down of the Red Baron. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. Running to the wreckage, Fowler saw bullet wounds in Richthofen's chest, and was convinced he had been killed by the gunners. Extensive examination of the witness statements and position of various allied servicemen shooting at the plane led to the decision that the only man who was in the right position to have fired the fatal bullet was Popkin. He was based at the Machine Gun Corps depot at Camiers, where he attended training school6. 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. (iv), Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. The three planes flew over Morlancourt Ridge, in the 4th Division's sector, and Popkin "using a Vickers machine gun" and other Australian machine gunners and riflemen also fired at Richthofen. About: Cedric Popkin There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range.
Friturier Chef Skills,
Wyatt Homes Wimborne,
Black Photographers Raleigh, Nc,
Echo Show Display Settings,
Articles C