Sergeant Popkins Statement recorded in the AIF War Diary of the 24th Australian Machine Gun Company for April 1918 is as follows: About 10.45 a.m. on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. (ii)As shown on PBS's NOVA (iii), the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. 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. Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. Websergeant cedric Popkin killed the red Baron? ", When a human body is hit, there's an explosive effect called hydrostatic shock, which can be revealed by ballistics tests. 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. Cedric's sister Edith Sophia lived with them for a short time around 1958 and they remained at Fingal Head until at least 1963. Supplied: Popkin family archive. 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. ", In an email to ScienCentral, Franks went into more detail. On 19 June 1918, Sergeant Popkin was wounded in action, suffering a severe shrapnel wound to his right leg. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. To receive a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. I could no longer look him in the face. said, 'Have you got somebody who knows what they're doing, 600 yards away, and he's firing at Richthofen's right side?' Sgt Popkin 2nd from right middle row. . 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. WebCedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself moved in my thoughts, that I had forced him to lay there. 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. 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. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years before moving north to run the Cudgen post office. There was a lump in my throat. 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. It is based on a single documentary made by "revisionist Sergeant Cedric Popkin is second from right in middle row.In the foreground are two Vickers machine guns on tripods. AWM E01716 Group portrait of officers and NCOs of 24th Machine Gun Company date 8 March 1918 in France. Live Healthy !!!! Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. Life story: Cedric Bassett Popkin | Lives of the First World War Popkin direction. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Despite treatment and rest Cedric had to be evacuated to England, so on 5th July 1918 he was transported on the H.S. 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. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the plane fell. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. "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?' 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. NOVA's program focuses on the two best-known claims attributing Richthofen's death to machine gun fire from the ground. WebTitle: Adopt a Digger:POPKIN AND THE RED BARON. Lieutenant Donald L. Fraser, Brigade Intelligence Officer, 11th Australian Infantry Brigade, A.I.F., witnessed the incident and was one of the first to reach Rittmeister von Richthofen. By the time of his death he had 80 kills to his name although it is thought the figure could have been even higher. "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. Cedric claimed a piece of fuselage but said he was mainly interested in the 50 and months leave that everyone was saying I would get but never did. 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 Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. 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. Popkin, Sgt. Private Alfred Fowler, with the 40th Australian Battalion, witnessed the Red Baron's death. 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. 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. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" The 53rd. I went away. Description: The Australian website dedicated to researching WW1 Diggers and nurses who came from or were associated On admission to the Queen Victoria Hospital at Netley, Cedric's right leg was amputated. Research genealogy for Cedric Bassett POPKIN of St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, as well as other members of the 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. ", Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. 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. "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 . Cedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. "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. Who shot him was one of the great puzzles of the War and the subject of decades of controversy. The couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist and had two sons, Roland and Michael. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. Leo C. Popkin (19142011) was a film director and producer in the United States. Researched and written by Christine Stratigos for Tweed Regional Museum. who is the highest paid worker in sierra leone The closer the bullet's range, the greater the wound damage. But Brown would have been firing from behind and above left. One witness, Gunner George Ridgway, stated that when he and other Australian soldiers reached the plane, Richthofen was still alive but died moments later. AWM E01716 Group portrait of officers and NCOs of 24th Machine Gun Company date 8 March 1918 in France. Sgt Popkin 2nd from right middle row. So a low damage, low velocity hit tends to indicate a long-range shot. E01716, Casualty List 417 of 16 August stated Cpl Cedric Bassett Popkin of Palmwoods was wounded. Top Stories. Cedric Bassett POPKIN 1890-1968 - Ancestry That documentary assumed the angle of impact must mean that it was fired from the ground. He was still alivewhenhe wasreachedby Australian infantry, but died almost immediately. The Baron was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest. An account by Lieut. He had followed the fight and now swung his Vickers gun through 180 degrees in Popkin and the Red Baron - Adopt a Digger 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. "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. 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 Despite some rest and treatment, Cedric's wound was not healing so he was transported to England on 4 July on HSS Andrew. His mother is the former Mitzi Jurkowitz, formerly of this city. 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. He said, 'There's your man'.". In terms of his "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. On arriving in Sierra Leone, Cedric and his Company were transferred to the Ulysses for the forward passage to England. had also fired at this plane when it was directly over my head, but the noise of the engine prevented my hearing the shooting. The Baron was hit by a 0.303 calibre bullet which passed diagonally from right to left through his chest. ", In an email to ScienCentral, Franks went into more detail. I am quite satisfied that the Plane was brought down as the result of the fire from my gun. I did not feel like a victor. Email: trm@tweed.nsw.gov.au, Supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, Cedric Popkin, c.1914. Gathered from those who lived during the same time period, were born in the same place, or who have a family name in common. He recalled that everyone was scrambling for souvenirs, with one officer claiming the Barons gold wrist watch. The machine swerved, attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. By 7 April, when his company commander Sgt Phee was declared missing in action, Cedric was promoted to Sergeant. We said 'yes.' WebThe bridegroom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Moe Popkin, this city. He then returned to his previous trade of carpentry, and aged 59 Cedric and Nellie were living Fingal Head. 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 WebHe was born at Monton or Monkton, now known as Monnington-upon-Wye, in the parish of Llanwarne, Herefordshire, an estate of which his family had long possessed the leasehold WebCedric Bassett Popkin was born in Sydney in 1890 to William (Dan) Bassett and Lilian Martha Popkin (nee Gilbert) 1. 209 Squadron, Royal Air Force, when he was attacked by a second Sopwith Camel BR, number B 7270, piloted by Captain Arthur Roy Brown, D.S.C., Mays commanding officer. 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, fired the burst of gunfire that struck the Baron. 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. The distance from the spot where the Plane crashed and my gun was about 600 yards. Lieut. "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.