War in the Air

"Brought down in flames", by British artist C.T. Howard.

Postcard no.1749, printed and published by J. Salmon, Sevenoaks, England. 

Whilst many young New Zealand men served in infantry and mounted regiments during the First World War, some saw active service in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).


William and Rainsford Balcombe-Brown are the sons of Edward and Eliza Mary Balcombe-Brown, of Upper Hutt. Lieutenant William Balcombe-Brown of 68th Battery Royal Field Artillery was killed in shell fire in Belgium on 29 June 1915, age 22 years. His brother, Rainsford Balcombe-Brown became an airman and served in the Royal Flying Corps. Rainsford was promoted to Major and given command of 56 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. He was decorated with the Military Cross for shooting down a German observation balloon in 1916.

In 1918 he was last sighted in the air in combat against four German triplanes. Sadly, he was reported missing on 2nd May and declared killed in action in France at the age of 23. Major Balcombe-Brown was the highest ranking New Zealand airman to be killed during the war. He is buried at Carnoy Military Cemetery located at the Somme in France.

Source: Otago Daily Times, 8 June 1918

Armentieres

"Armentieres. - La Rue du Pont de Flandre." published by Louis Levy ("L.L."), Paris.

The New Zealanders arrived in France in April 1916 and by May they were stationed in the Armentieres sector. New Zealand soldiers quickly discovered that the French town of Armentieres was a 'hot spot' for enemy shelling and the town and its outskirts would long be remembered by them as the scene for some of their first experiences of trench warfare and heavy bombardment.

Armentieres is located in northern France very close to the border of Belgium. To the west of the town, 453 New Zealand soldiers' graves lie in the largest New Zealand military cemetery in France, the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery. One of the soldiers buried there is Private Robert John Cook, an 18 year old Wellingtonian who died of wounds in May 1916 and whose name is inscribed on the bell "Armentieres" at the National War Memorial Carillon in Wellington, New Zealand.

The French town is also famously referred to in the popular war song "Mademoiselle from Armentieres". There were many verses and all were sung with such vigour by soldiers on their march to war;

Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres,
  Parley-vous
Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres,
  Parley-vous
Mademoiselle from Armentieres, 
She hasn't been kissed for forty years!
Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?

Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, 
  Parley-vous
Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, 
  Parley-vous
You might forget the gas and shell
But you'll nev'r forget the Mademoiselle!
Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?

Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, 
  Parley-vous
Oh, Mademoiselle from Armentieres, 
  Parley-vous
Where are the girls who used to swarm
About me in my uniform?

Hinky-dinky, parlez-vous?

Saucy and Censored

Postcard by artist Douglas Tempest. Published by Bamforth & Co. Ltd, England; "WITTY" Series no. 329.

Refreshingly saucy and witty, British artist Douglas Tempest does his best to provide some light relief for a population of people worn down and saddened by war. Tempest worked for the prolific postcard publisher Bamforth and Co. from about 1911, and this became a working relationship that lasted for some 40 years.

The risque image and message of a naked young lady in a bathtub to "come just as you are" no doubt helped this postcard to become a popular purchase among the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on leave, in camps and hospitals or on duty away from the front lines.

The jab at censorship is also evident in the postcard message. Postcards, letters, gift cards, telegrams, photographs and newspapers were all scrutinised by censors during the war. Anything that reported the location or movement of shipping and troops was likely to be censored. Items thought to harbour coded messages was censored. And communication with enemy nations, or disloyalty to one's own government were also caught by the censor.