Roland G Popkin, 762984, a law student, enlisted in 1916 in 28th Battalion, Artists' Rifles. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8. The story is told in the following section. An older sister Gladys Lilian also served in WW1, as an Australian army nurse. 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. Cedric received a severe gunshot wound to his right leg on 19 June and was moved to 4th Field Ambulance. His father Dan, or William as he was known in Wales, Cedric Popkin enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March, 1916. The next day Cedric was at the 47th Casualty Clearing Station before being moved to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 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. We cannot, of course, discount a random shot from a long range, but it seems unlikely.". the sight of Richthofen as I walked closer gave me a start. 23A memorial to Sergeant Cedric Popkin is planned for the hinterland town of Palmwoods. I went away. His Fokker was not damaged by the landing. And in my heart I cursed the force that is devoted to death. Cedric Popkin hit the enemy flying ace from the ground. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each persons profile. POPKIN Cedric Bassett - Diggers Database - Search for a WW1 Despite his enemy status, von Richthofen was so highly respected that the Allies buried him with full military honors alongside their own dead. The Australians always felt Sgt. "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. WebSon of Major Albrecht Philipp Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen, his education was in a succession of military schools and academies. 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. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself moved in my thoughts, that I had forced him to lay there. I gnashed my teeth, I cursed the war. This page was last modified 23:46, 29 March 2019. Lorna Wells, WebEat Healthy !!! Page contents not supported in other languages. He then returned to his previous trade of carpentry, and aged 59 Cedric and Nellie were living Fingal Head. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years before moving north to run the Cudgen post office. Richthofens machine seemed to move unsteadily for a moment, but still continued in pursuit of the British plane8. His Fokker was not damaged by the landing. AWM E01716 Group portrait of officers and NCOs of 24th Machine Gun Company date 8 March 1918 in France. 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 He pursued a Camel piloted by a Canadian, Lieutenant Wilfrid May. Cedric Bassett Popkin (Born 20 June 1890, died 26 January 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. He pursued a Camel piloted by a Canadian, Lieutenant Wilfrid May. However, most sources attribute . 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. In turn, the Baron was chased by another Canadian pilot, Captain Roy Brown. 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 am quite satisfied that the Plane was brought down as the result of the fire from my gun.9, Von Richtofens success as a flying ace earned him a number of nicknames but most famously, The Red Baron and although an enemy he was considered a great adversary10 . Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. 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. "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. Cedric the Entertainer Shares Rare Snap Posing With His Son A student at the same school, Cedric was reported as having a "bad" character who had been before the Bench of Magistrates previously. Cedric Popkin ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" Many have claimed credit since that fateful day and all have their detractors and supporters. DannyC. on Twitter: "April 21, 1918: Manfred Von Richthofen, the A student at the same school, Cedric was reported as having a "bad" character who had been before the Bench of Magistrates previously. While recognizing that for "propoganda reason" Capt Brown was awarded credit for the "kill", of course realistically, we could never know who fired the fatal bullet that day=claffey-27. His face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement. He looked so friendly. We said 'yes.' 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. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" 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 came down a few hundred yards away." 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. 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. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. He appeared so small to me, so delicate. "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?' 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.) Research genealogy for Cedric Bassett POPKIN of St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, as well as other members of the 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 Home; About; Products; chimney spark arrestor requirements An account by Lieut. Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. An older sister Gladys Lilian also served in WW1, as an Australian army nurse. Virtual War Memorial | Cedric Bassett POPKIN Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. On 5 January 1919 Cedric was invalided back to Australia on the H.T. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was born in 1892 in the Breslau. 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. Taping rights: can be used up to one year after the program is taped off the air. He was initially taken to the 4th Australian Field Ambulance located at The Chateau, Les Alencons, France. By 7 April, when his company commander Sgt Phee was declared missing in action, Cedric was promoted to Sergeant. Nellie remained with the children at Palmwoods until Cedric returned, quite a different man from the one who left. C.B. that recounts the conventional version of the downing of the Red Baron by Canadian RAF pilot Captain Roy Brown and reviews alternative theories and claims about who was responsible, including several Australian soldiers shooting from the ground12. Cedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. 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. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. 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. Cedric Popkin AWM No. the sight of Richthofen as I walked closer gave me a start. Private Alfred Fowler, with the 40th Australian Battalion, witnessed the Red Baron's death. About 10.45am on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. 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. In terms of his This message was posted before February 2018. When he was shot down at the age of 26, he had already been resposible for shooting down at least 80 allied aircraft. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. 20 Jun 1890 - St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, Jan 1968 - Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia. She served in Greece and returned to Australia in 1918. This database contains family trees submitted to Ancestry by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by all Ancestry subscribers.These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. 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. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. E01716, Casualty List 417 of 16 August stated Cpl Cedric Bassett Popkin of Palmwoods was wounded. He looked so friendly. I handed my gun over to the No. On arriving at Sierra Leone, Cedric and his company were transferred to the Ulysses which carried the troops to England. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. Cedric and his wife Nellie were then living with their two children at Palmwoods in Queensland and he was working as a carpenter. He bled freely after he hit the ground from the wounds in his chest. Because von Richthofens airplane could rotate in three axes, and the pilot could move and turn his body somewhat within the cockpit, it is unlikely that it would be possible to determine with certainty what direction the fatal bullet came from. 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. Popkin and the Red Baron - Adopt a Digger 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. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. His brother Harry M. Popkin was the executive producer of Million Dollar Productions, a partnership that included Ralph Cooper. conclusions in this article. The machine swerved, attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. Despite some rest and treatment, Cedric's wound was not healing so he was transported to England on 4 July on HSS Andrew. His brother Harry M. Popkin was the executive producer of Million Dollar Productions, a I handed my gun over to the No. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. Cedric's sister Edith Sophia lived with them for a short time around 1958 and they remained at Fingal Head until at least 1963. As to pinpointing without doubt the man who fired the fatal shot, the controversy will never actually be resolved. Top Stories. AWM No. Many Australian riflemen were also shooting at the Baron at the time, so one of them may have fired the fatal shot. 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. Despite his enemy status, von Richthofen was so highly respected that the Allies buried him with full military honors alongside their own dead. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. We said 'yes.' 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. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. 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. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. WebEat Healthy !!! 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. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. Sgt Popkin 2nd from right middle row. The Foker Tri-plane was rolling, pitching, yawing, climbing, and diving. He had an elder sister (Ilse) and two younger brothers. In turn, the Baron was chased by another Canadian pilot, Captain Roy Brown. 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. 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. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. NARRATOR: Perched on the slope was the Australian gunnery sergeant, Cedric Popkin. Richthofen's early education saw him attending military schools, and he quickly asserted himself as a talented athlete and a solid horseman. 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. There Lilian Popkin, Cedric's mother, died in 1902 when Cedric was 12 years old . The Courier - Mail, Feb 15, 2015, pp. He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital, Southall on 3 September 1918. Popkin Because of the type of weapons that where involved, we can say that it was probably a Vickers MG that fired the shot. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. The closer the bullet's range, the greater the wound damage. On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. 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. Manfred von Richthofen I am quite satisfied that the Plane was brought down as the result of the fire from my gun. Cedric's sister Edith Sophia lived with them for a short time around 1958 and they remained at Fingal Head until at least 1963. The couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist and had two sons, Roland and Michael. He had followed the fight and now swung his Vickers gun through 180 degrees in Many researchers have come to the conclusion that Sergeant Cedric Bassett Popkin, 24th Australian Machine Gun Company, 4th Division, Australian Imperial Force, Email: trm@tweed.nsw.gov.au, Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, Cedric Popkin, c.1914. Topics: world-war-1, history, air-force, lismore-2480, france, fingal-head-2487, tyalgum-2484. "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 closer the bullet's range, the greater the wound damage. Who Killed the red Baron? BeFOre WATchiNG - PBS 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 . ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. Cedric has been married to his wife, Lorna Wells, for over 20 years. "Fragments flew from the plane and it lessened speed. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years and then moved further north to run the post office at Cudgen. 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. It is based solely on the 'trajectory' of the bullet. The Person Who Shot Down The Famed Red Baron Remains A He bled freely after he hit the ground from the wounds in his chest. Kanowna, arriving in Australia on 7 March 191914. See Paulina Porizkova and Ric Ocasek's Two Sons All Grown Up On 8 December 1914, as Trooper Evans (Service Number 598), he was assigned to "C" Squadron of the 5th Light Horse Regiment (5th LHR). His face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement. 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. 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. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. (Sgd.) If he had been my dearest friend, I could not have felt greater sorrow., National Museum of the United States Air Force, Test & Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers, National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Cedric's enlistment papers describe him as 5ft 6 in tall, 150 lbs, brown eyes and black hair. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8. 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. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. Despite some rest and treatment, Cedric's wound was not healing so he was transported to England on 4 July on HSS Andrew. He and his brother Harry M. Popkin (1906 October 7, 1991)[5] worked on movies together. All rights reserved. "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. 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. E01716, Casualty List 417 of 16 August stated Cpl Cedric Bassett Popkin of Palmwoods was wounded. 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. Cedric enlisted in the AIF on 6 May 1916 and did not see his family again for three long hard years. 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 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. The Tribune from Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 23, 1985 12 Home; About; Products; who is the highest paid worker in sierra leone After February 2018, "External links modified" talk page sections are no longer generated or monitored by InternetArchiveBot. 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. St. Andrew and admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley where his right leg was amputated. When he was four years old, Manfred moved with his family to nearby Schweidnitz (now widnica ). 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 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. Medical examination of the body revealed that the wound that killed the Baron was caused by a low velocity, long distance shot moving in an upward direction from the right and delivered by a ground-based weapon. Another eye witness, Sergeant Ted Smout, reported that Richthofen's last word was "kaput" ("finished") immediately before he died. The machine swerved attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. ", In an email to ScienCentral, Franks went into more detail. . Five years later Cedric was living alone at Irving Street, Torwood in Brisbane and working as a carpenter when he met and married Nellie Ellen Bull on 10 March 1913. 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.