An Airman's Lost Letters

On the 10th of September 1917 two young pilots met over the Flanders battlefield. One was nineteen year old 2nd Lt Oliver Charles Pearson, the other was  twenty year old Leutnant Werner Voss , flying a prototype of one of the brand new Fokker Triplanes ... Oliver had left the 70 Sqn airfield near Poperinge at 4.45pm in Sopwith Camel B3787, on an offensive patrol to nearby Houlhulst Wood.  Lt Werner Voss was by then commander of 10 Jasta. One of Germanys top fighter aces, he was a natural pilot and aggressive fighter with 43 kills to his credit so far, second only to his friend and competitor Baron Manfred Von Richthofen.  Werner had been chosen to test fly Anthony Fokkers prototype only a few days before at the end of August. With aero engines in short supply his was fitted with a 110 hp  LeRhône engine  engine from a captured RFC Nieuport 17 fighter. Voss with Anthony Fokker Voss and his Triplane with his distinctive Japanese kite face p...

I made a long overdue visit to the Shuttleworth Collection recently, for their Shuttleworth Uncovered display. The Shuttleworth Collection has been on my radar for many years now, especially since we started this blog of Olivers letters. For this event there was a special Sopwith line up, and although none were flying, we were treated to several engine runs of the Brooklands Camels 130hp Cleget motor. To finally see this stubby little aeroplane close up was an amazing experience, but to smell the castor oil and hear the throaty roar of the motor was even better, and will stay with me for a very long time. And this is one of the last 10 Pup's built by the Sopwith Factory in 1919. They converted them into a two seaters and called them 'Doves'. Richard Shuttleworth acquired it in 1936 and converted it back into a single seat Pup. We had a fantastic afternoon at Old Warden, can't recommend a visit highly enough. Now planning my next visit ... Click here for t...

An artwork by Mark W Miller, depicting Sopwith Camels of Olivers 70 Squadron. There are many more images of Camels on his website, including internals and cutaways. Check out his website - the aerodrome , it is well worth a look.

A note from the Editors: When we first read these letters, this one was the only clue we had to Olivers fate... Missing, presumed a Prisoner of War? It is written by Oliver's Headmaster from his old school in Nottingham, The Rev. Kirsopp. Grosvenor School was a small independant and some history can be found here . The link is well worth a look and mentions both Charles Kirsopp and C.B. Brookes, who is mentioned in this letter. We have been in contact with the school who were extremely interested in these lost letters from one of their Old Boys. Not only because of their obvious historical importance, but also their potential as teaching aids for the students. What better way to bring the Great War alive to their students? Headmaster Charles Oldershaw has supplied some interesting information from the school, to help fill in the some of the missing pieces of the jigsaw of Oliver Charles Pearsons life. Aubrey is Oliver's younger brother, (We think Oliver calls him 'Jim' ...

A note from the Editors: The last letter home we have from Oliver, who appears to be very much enjoying squadron life Franked 11 SP 17 O.A.S. Mrs Chas. E. Pearson, Hillcrest, Lowdham, Notts. Letter 16 70 Squadron RFC BEF France Sunday 9.9.17 Letter 16 My dear people I received “the dear enemy” yesterday & thank you very much for it. I haven’t yet finished Pickwick so I shall not start it just yet but I can see its going to be like Daddy Long legs. I haven’t again been over the lines – yet but it is my turn next & we are to be very busy now. We have been having very cloudy days so have hardly been able to fly at all. I had rather a go the other night as 19 others formed a party got a tender & went into the ancient city. We had a most jovial little dinner & a good rag afterwards & I for one came home feeling much better for the rag & the good time. Last night the whole squadron was invited to have dinner with a neighbouring one. They gave ...

A note from the Editors: We are missing a letter which is a pain, as things have moved on a pace since Olivers last letter! He has now been posted back to 70 Squadron and straight back in the saddle, with a description of his first eventful flight over enemy lines - 'Hunland'. It has been just 3 weeks since his crash. Franked 8 SP 17 O.A.S. Mrs Chas. E. Pearson, Hillcrest, Lowdham, Notts. Letter No. 15 II 70 Squadron RFC BEF France 6.9.17 Letter no 15 Dear Mother & Dad. I have just received two letters from you dated 2 Sept so that they have only taken 4 days to come. I am again with my Squadron. I played my last card and won. I slung my weight about till I must have made everyone fed up with me & so they got a hustle on. I came back yesterday morning & flew in the afternoon for about an hour & a half. This morning at 5.30 I was wakened up to say I was for patrol at six. I was a bit surprised you bet but I have had my first trip over hunland. It was very cloudy ...

A note from the Editors: Oliver gets passed as fit, but is still waiting to be posted back to a Squadron. Also very difficult to read his review of the concert party without 'Blackadder' in the back of my mind. Franked 3 SP 17 Mrs Chas. E. Pearson, Hillcrest, Lowdham, Notts. Letter No. 13 70 Squadron RFC BEF France 1 Sept 1917 Letter no 13 Dear Mother Isn’t it rotten I haven’t been posted back yet but live in hope as other fellows are being posted to other squadrons flying the same machines but none go to 70. I had a jolly fine time last night. I was mooning around in ----------- when I was hailed in a loud voice from a tender & there was my pal Smith Grant & lots of other 70 fellows all going to a concert so of course away I went with them. We went to see the “Crumps” concert party. They are jolly good & very famous. They have a chap who dresses as a girl who is simply fine. His (her) picture apeared in the Tatler or the Sketch for last week. Her n...

A note from the Editors: A short BBC news clip of a Sopwith Camel.

A note from the Editors: Still recovering in hospital. Also interesting to note, in our modern lifestyles where so much is disposable, especially if broken, that Oliver's goggles that were smashed in his crash have been sent away to be repaired! Franked 1 SP 17 Mrs Chas. E. Pearson, Hillcrest, Lowdham, Notts. Letter No. 12 70 Squadron RFC BEF France 29.8.17 Dear Mother I have just had a letter from you dated 19.8.17 & as it’s the first I have had for a fortnight you bet I was pleased. I have also had the first instalment of papers which are very welcome indeed as I am very short of literature. I have just finished the Tale of Two Cities & am now reading Pickwick which I have often tried to read befor but never got beyond the first chapter. I am enjoying it immensely. I don’t know how Jim would recognise a Camel as I more than suspect he has never seen one as there is only one aerodrome in England where there are any. What you saw was most probably a DH5...

For an insight into the aircraft being flown by the RFC at the time the excellent Vintage Aviator website is well worth a look. They haven't recreated a Sopwith Camel yet, but you really get a feel for the machines that took to the air back then. Click here to visit the site:  Vintage Aviator