"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?' 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. Start a free family tree online and well do the searching for you. Leo C. Popkin (19142011) was a film director and producer in the United States. I immediately got my gun into action and waited for our own plane to pass me, as the planes were close together, and there was a risk of hitting both. It came down a few hundred yards away." However, consider the situation. 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. About 10.45am on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. Home; About; Products; chimney spark arrestor requirements And in my heart I cursed the force that is devoted to death. Most now believe that a Australian sergeant named Cedric Popkin is the most likely to have fired the bullet that downed the Red Baron. Cedric Bassett POPKINfamily tree Parents Dan William Bassett Popkin 1863- 1916 Lillian M Unknown Unknown- Unknown Spouse(s) Nellie Ellen Bull 1892- 1965 Children Michael Cederic Bassett Popkin 1913- 1957 The young couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist. He then returned to his previous trade of carpentry, and aged 59 Cedric and Nellie were living Fingal Head. When first engaged he was pursuing one of our own machines, reported to be a Sopwith Camel, in a W.N.W. On 2 March 1918 Cedric was promoted to Training Sergeant, shortly before the company photograph was taken . His troubled youth behind him, by 1908 Cedric was working as a builder at Mullumbimby in northern NSW. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. He was attached to the Machine Gun Company 7, Reinforcement 6 and embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 20 October 19164. Roland G Popkin, 762984, a law student, enlisted in 1916 in 28th Battalion, Artists' Rifles. I immediately got my gun into action and waited for our own plane to pass me, as the planes were close together, and there was a risk of hitting both. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin, 24th Australian Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force, Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. "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. historians" Cedric wasn't discharged from hospital until 6 January 1919 when he embarked on HT Kanowna for the voyage back to Australia. 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. On admission to the Queen Victoria Hospital at Netley, Cedric's right leg was amputated. His troubled youth behind him, by 1908 Cedric was working as a builder at Mullumbimby in northern NSW. "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 . The three planes flew over Morlancourt Ridge, in the 4th Divisions sector, and Popkin using a Vickers machine gun and other Australian machine gunners and riflemen also fired at Richthofen. Popkin, Sgt. It was reported that a spent .303 bullet was found inside Richthofen's clothing. Many have claimed credit since that fateful day and all have their detractors and supporters. 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. Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" . "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. Nellie Popkin (nee Bull) died in 1965 at Murwillumbah. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. Who are the mothers of Cedric the Entertainer's kids? They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years and then moved further north to run the post office at Cudgen. We said 'yes.' Topics: world-war-1, history, air-force, lismore-2480, france, fingal-head-2487, tyalgum-2484. (Sgd.) Cedric Bassett POPKIN married Nellie Ellen BULL and had 1 child. I could no longer look him in the face. Live Healthy !!! The machine swerved, attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years and then moved further north to run the post office at Cudgen. Cedric Bassett Popkin (20 June 189026 January 1968) was an Australian soldier considered most likely to have killed "The Red Baron" according to original research and forensics done by Dr M Geoffrey Miller The death of Baron Manfred Richthofen: Who fired the fatal shot? in 1998 (Journal and Proceedings of Military History Society of Australia). NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. 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.About 10.45am on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. 30756, at Page 7304, Column 2. 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. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. 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. the sight of Richthofen as I walked closer gave me a start. Fourth Supplement to The London Gazette of Tuesday, the 18th of June, 1918, Numb. Roland G Popkin, 762984, a law student, enlisted in 1916 in 28th Battalion, Artists' Rifles. The police report stated "he keeps company with bad companions and often sleeps out at night". Popkin is believed to have shot down Baron Manfred von Richthofens plane. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. 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. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. 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. Harris "harry" Popkin in MyHeritage family trees (Franzeck Web Site) view all Immediate Family Rose Popkin wife Tessie Davis daughter Herman Popkin son Benjamin Popkin son Lillian Popkin daughter Ruth Boles daughter Jacob Popkin son Sylvia Knight daughter Sarah Lowy daughter view all 11 Harris Popkin's Timeline I went away. In April 1917 Cedric committed his only military offence and was reprimanded for using insulting language to a Non-Commissioned Officer (N.C.O.) Cedric enlisted in the AIF on 6 May 1916 and did not see his family again for three long hard years. Researched and written by Christine Stratigos for Tweed Regional Museum. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. WebApril 21, 1918: Manfred Von Richthofen, the famous Red Baron, was shot down and killed by Australian antiaircraft gunner Sgt. I saw the documentary also. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. 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. Despite his enemy status, von Richthofen was so highly respected that the Allies buried him with full military honors alongside their own dead. 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. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. Blond, silk-soft hair, like that of a child, fell from the broad high forehead. Page contents not supported in other languages. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. He died in France, aged 24, on 27 Sept 1918. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. The Baron was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest. Evans left Australia with his unit on HMAT Persic, which sailed from Sydney on 21 December 1914. Email: trm@tweed.nsw.gov.au, Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, Cedric Popkin, c.1914. I gnashed my teeth, I cursed the war. (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/. The three planes flew over Morlancourt Ridge and Sergeant Popkin, who was in charge of a machine gun detachment, fired at Richthofen using a Vickers machine gun. "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. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. "Fragments flew from the plane and it lessened speed. Here according to a reliable witness he was fired at by an A.A. gun of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company. About 10.45am on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. It is based on a single documentary made by "revisionist C.B. 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. 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. Home; About; Products; who is the highest paid worker in sierra leone WebHis father was Major Albrecht Phillip Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen and his mother was Kunigunde von Schickfuss und Neudorff. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980Name: Cedric Bassett PopkinGender: MaleElectoral Year: 1943Subdistrict: Tweed HeadsState: New South WalesDistrict: RichmondCountry: Australia, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1959589/ accessed 6 Apr 2018FIRST WORLD WAR EMBARKATION ROLLCedric Bassett PopkinService number 424Rank PrivateRoll title 7 Machine Gun Company - 2 to 9 Reinforcements (May-December 1916)Conflict/Operation First World War, 1914-1918Date of Embarkation 20 October 1917Place of embarkation MelbourneShip Embarked On HMAT Port Lincoln A17age 26occupation: carpentermarriedof Palmwood, North Coast Line, Queenslandnext of kin wife Mrs. Nelly Popkin, Palmwood, North Coast Line, QueenslandChurch of Englanddate of joining 6 May 1916. Capt.) Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. I congratulated Sergeant Popkin on his successful shoot, but afterwards found out that two A.A. Lewis Guns belonging to the 53rd. He was initially taken to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance located at The Chateau, Les Alencons, France. This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by all Ancestry subscribers. On 21st April, 1918, while leading a patrol of 6 scouts he attacked a formation of 20 hostile scouts. 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. On his return home Cedric and his family returned to the Tweed area and by 1930 he had taken up the position of Postmaster at Tyalgum, near Murwillumbah. Running to the wreckage, Fowler saw bullet wounds in Richthofen's chest, and was convinced he had been killed by the gunners. Supplied: Popkin family archive. 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. The plane the Baron was pursuing was piloted by Canadian, Lieutenant Wilfrid May and the Baron was in turn being chased by another Canadian pilot, Captain Roy Brown. "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. 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. He then returned to his previous trade of carpentry, and aged 59 Cedric and Nellie were living Fingal Head. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8.
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