Popkin was an anti-aircraft machine gunner in the 24th Machine Gun Company, part of the Australian 4th Division, stationed in the Somme Valley, France. That's something model Paulina Porizkova opened up about on Sunday when she shared on Instagram that her son graduated from college. All rights reserved. Cedric has been married to his wife, Lorna Wells, for over 20 years. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. Another eye witness, Sergeant Ted Smout, reported that Richthofen's last word was "kaput" ("finished") immediately before he died. We cannot, of course, discount a random shot from a long range, but it seems unlikely.". Following their marriage in Queensland and birth of their first daughter Gladys Lilian, Dan William Bassett Popkin and his wife Lilian moved to St Leonards in Sydney where a daughter Sophia Edith was born in 1887 quickly followed by Marjory in 1888 . C.B. An older sister Gladys Lilian also served in WW1, as an Australian army nurse. Blond, silk-soft hair, like that of a child, fell from the broad high forehead. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin, 24th Australian Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force, fired the burst of gunfire that struck the Baron. 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. 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. 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.. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. Other machine gunners and riflemen also fired at von Richthofens Fokker tri-plane. Battery Lewis Gunners probably assisted in sealing the fate of this airman, as he apparently flew right into their line of fire. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. 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. I handed my gun over to the No. (iv), Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. WebSon of Major Albrecht Philipp Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen, his education was in a succession of military schools and academies. As shown on PBS's NOVA, the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. The fatal bullet passed clean through the Red Baron and of course could never be recovered. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. Battery A.F.A. 23A memorial to Sergeant Cedric Popkin is planned for the hinterland town of Palmwoods. WebEat Healthy !!!! "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. You can contact the owner of the tree to get more information. Gathered from those who lived during the same time period, were born in the same place, or who have a family name in common. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin, 24th Australian Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force, had also fired at this plane when it was directly over my head, but the noise of the engine prevented my hearing the shooting. Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. Sonja is survived by her husband, Larry Popkin, sons Michael Vellekamp and Mark Vellekamp (wife Stephanie), stepdaughters Lee Anne McNulty (husband Tim) and Lara Vacca, eight grandchildren: Hannah, Heather, Vincent, Izabelle, Samuel, Zachary, Alexander and Nicholas and two great-grandchildren Steel and Talon. [1][2], He managed African American movie theaters in Los Angeles. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. All rights reserved. His Fokker was not damaged by the landing. The Red Baron broke away to the right. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. We cannot, of course, discount a random shot from a long range, but it seems unlikely.". 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. "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. On arriving in Sierra Leone, Cedric and his Company were transferred to the Ulysses for the forward passage to England. However, most sources attribute Cedric Popkins Service Record notes that he was issued with the British War Medal and the Victory Medal in 1919. (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 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 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. 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. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. Kanowna, arriving in Australia on 7 March 191914. For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. Youll get hints when we find information about your relatives . 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. Popkin, Sgt. "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 . Lorna Wells, 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. Evans left Australia with his unit on HMAT Persic, which sailed from Sydney on 21 December 1914. I went away. Cedric's company was based at Camiers in France, the base depot for the Machine Gun Corps where he attended training school. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. If I could I would gladly have brought him back to life, but that is somewhat different than shooting a gun. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. It is now widely accepted that Cedric Popkin #424 brought down the Red Baron as studies have demonstrated that the locations that the other contenders would have fired from and the timing of the crash means that none could have inflicted the fatal wound. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. 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. New york: J. Wiley & sons, 994. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. Cedric eventually returned to carpentry and aged 59 he and Nellie were living at Fingal Head. 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. He said, 'There's your man.13. "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 . I have just modified 2 external links on Cedric Popkin. Arthur Roy Brown, D.S.C., R.A.F. direction. The closer the bullet's range, the greater the wound damage. If he had been my dearest friend, I could not have felt greater sorrow., Captain Arthur Roy Brown, D.S.C. Born in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia on 20 Jun 1890 to Dan William Bassett POPKIN and lillian m unknown. On 2 March 1918 Cedric was promoted to Training Sergeant, shortly before the company photograph was taken . 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. Nellie remained with the children at Palmwoods until Cedric returned, quite a different man from the one who left. 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. 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. Running to the wreckage, Fowler saw bullet wounds in Richthofen's chest, and was convinced he had been killed by the gunners. Because of the type of weapons that where involved, we can say that it was probably a Vickers MG that fired the shot. 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. . His face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement. Imagine how much manuverability that a 3 wing airplane has!! The most famous flying ace of World War One, Cavalry Captain Baron Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), was shot down and killed on 21 April 1918 near Vaux-sur-Seine in an Australian-held sector of the Allied line. Tweed Regional Museum Collection TH85-31, Cedric Popkin, at right, World War I. Tweed Regional Museum Collection TH85-30, Cedric Popkin, at right, outside the Tyalgum Post Office, C.1931. 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. 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. Richthofens machine seemed to move unsteadily for a moment, but still continued in pursuit of the British plane8. Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was born in 1892 in the Breslau. whilst on active service5. Cedric enlisted in the AIF on 6 May 1916 and did not see his family again for three long hard years. 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. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each persons profile. Search for yourself and well build your family tree together, Welsh and English (London): Anglicized form of, Do not sell or share my personal information. On 25 March 1916 Cedric's father Dan died at Lismore NSW and his younger brother Roland, then living in Wales, enlisted in the British Army. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. AWM No. 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. http://www.adoptadigger.org/search-for-a-ww1-digger/search-for-a-ww1-digger/item/3-diggers-database/1230-popkin-cedric, http://www.awm.gov.au/exhibitions/1918/people/rbaron.asp. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 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. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. (Sgd.) "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. In his official report he wrote: . The police report stated "he keeps company with bad companions and often sleeps out at night". One witness, Gunner George Ridgway, stated that when he and other Australian soldiers reached the plane, Richthofen was still alive but died moments later. All rights reserved. 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. NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. 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. Cedric was working as a builder in Mullumbimby in 1908 and later moved to Brisbane where he married Nellie Ellen Bull on 10 March 1913. Captain Brown was credited bytheRoyal Air Force with the shoot-down and was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Service Cross (a second D.S.C.). That documentary assumed the angle of impact must mean that it was fired from the ground. He died in France, aged 24, on 27 Sept 1918. And in my heart I cursed the force that is devoted to death. 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. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. (Sgd.) Cedric received a severe gunshot wound to his right leg on 19 June and was moved to 4th Field Ambulance. WebLeo C. Popkin (19142011) was a film director and producer in the United States. Just before his 26th birthday, on 6 May 1916, Cedric Bassett Popkin travelled to Brisbane to enlist in the AIF. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. Editors have permission to delete these "External links modified" talk page sections if they want to de-clutter talk pages, but see the RfC before doing mass systematic removals. Cedric Bassett POPKIN married Nellie Ellen BULL and had 1 child. On 5 January 1919 Cedric was invalided back to Australia on the H.T. WebAustralian gunner sergeant Cedric Popkin (second left), behind a Vickers machine gun, with crew that manned the four machine guns in his battery.
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