"Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. 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 But Brown would have been firing from behind and above left. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. 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. Cedric enlisted in the AIF on 6 May 1916 and did not see his family again for three long hard years. They remained at Tyalgum for about ten years and then moved further north to run the post office at Cudgen. Von Richthofen was given the name Red Baron due to his blood-coloured plane, and was one of the most feared aviators of World War One. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. 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 rounds per minute) used by the infantry, and Popkin was the only machine gunner known to have fired at Richthofen from the right, and from a long distance, immediately before he landed. On 5 January 1919 Cedric was invalided back to Australia on the H.T. "Given the evidence and the claimants, we can say that it was a long-range shot, that is, over 600 yards," says Peter Franks. You can contact the owner of the tree to get more information. Template Design Joomla Templates GavickPro. WebCedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. 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. They disembarked at Devonport, England on 20 December 1916 and were transferred to the Australian training camp at Perham Downs on Salisbury Plains on 29 December 1916. At about 10.35am on 21 April, Baron von Richthofen, flying his red Fokker DR-1, engaged Sopwith Camels from 209 Squadron, RAF. 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 Nova sought the opinion of Norman Franks, author and aviation historian who when asked 'What do we need to look at?' On 9 August 1917, Private Popkin was appointed Lance Corporal with 17th Machine Gun Company at Parkhouse Training Camp. Cedric's company was based at Camiers in France, the base depot for the Machine Gun Corps where he attended training school. Therefore it is impossible to conduct ballisctics tests. Norman Franks, an author and aviation historian, told NOVA. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. 21 Apr 2023 14:27:06 One witness, Gunner George Ridgway, stated that when he and other Australian soldiers reached the plane, Richthofen was still alive but died moments later. "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. 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. So therefore, it is possible the pursuing plane could have fired from any angle. In terms of his 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. On 2 March 1918 Cedric was promoted to Training Sergeant, shortly before the company photograph was taken . Cedric eventually returned to carpentry and aged 59 he and Nellie were living at Fingal Head. You can contact the owner of the tree to get more information. 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. We said 'yes.' Many have claimed credit since that fateful day and all have their detractors and supporters. On 20 June 1890 Cedric Bassett Popkin was born , followed by Dorothy in 1892 (in Queanbeyan NSW) and another boy Roland G in 1894 at Marrickville in Sydney. Kanowna, arriving in Australia on 7 March 191914. 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. AWM E01716 Group portrait of officers and NCOs of 24th Machine Gun Company date 8 March 1918 in France. 20 Jun 1890 - St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, Jan 1968 - Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia. Within a few years the family had moved to Grafton in the northern rivers district of NSW. It was reported that a spent .303 bullet was found inside Richthofens clothing. Nellie Popkin (nee Bull) died in 1965 at Murwillumbah. We encourage you to research and examine these records to determine their accuracy. I did not feel like a victor. The next day Cedric was at the 47th Casualty Clearing Station before being moved to the 3rd Australian General Hospital. 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 rounds per minute) used by the infantry, and Popkin was the only machine gunner known to have fired at Richthofen from the right, and from a long distance, immediately before he landed. This page was last modified 23:46, 29 March 2019. [3] He is known for his gangster films.[4]. Born in St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia on 20 Jun 1890 to Dan William Bassett POPKIN and lillian m unknown. "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. ", "So we asked our gun expert, what do we need to look at?" Arthur Roy Brown, D.S.C., R.A.F. Cedric Popkin. On 30 August Cedric was assigned to the 24th Machine Gun Company as Acting Corporal, then Corporal, and shipped out to France on 7 September with his unit. ", Palmwoods and District Roll of Honour, Palmwoods Memorial Hall, Margaret Street, Palmwoods, Photo: Group portrait of officers and NCOs of the 24th Machine Gun Company in March 1918. The machine swerved attempted to bank and make for the ground and immediately crashed. and Bar, Royal Air Force, The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of Bars to the Distinguished Service Cross to the undermentioned Officers late of the Royal Naval Air Service:. M.G.Coy for April 1918, AWM4 24/24/8. 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. That man was Australian gunnery sergeant WebThe bridegroom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Moe Popkin, this city. 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. ", In an email to ScienCentral, Franks went into more detail. 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. 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.). Nellie remained with the children at Palmwoods until Cedric returned, quite a different man from the one who left. By the time of his death he had 80 kills to his name although it is thought the figure could have been even higher. WebCedric Bassett Popkin was born in Sydney in 1890 to William (Dan) Bassett and Lilian Martha Popkin (nee Gilbert) 1. He passed away on Jan 1968 in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia. By 7 April, when his company commander Sgt Phee was declared missing in action, Cedric was promoted to Sergeant. "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. WebLeo C. Popkin (19142011) was a film director and producer in the United States. He said, 'There's your man'.". 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. Suddenly I felt miserable, desperately unhappy, as if I had committed an injustice. Richthofen had allied plane kills to his credit and was only 25 when he died. This message was posted before February 2018. 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. In 1964 Cedric 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 responsible15. Cedric wasn't discharged from hospital until 6 January 1919 when he embarked on HT Kanowna for the voyage back to Australia. Cedric and his wife Nellie were then living with their two children at Palmwoods in Queensland and he was working as a carpenter. He appeared so small to me, so delicate. Websergeant cedric Popkin killed the red Baron? 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. 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.) It was in this airplane that he scored most of his victories, and earned his nickname. Perhaps he had forgotten his statement (see above) that was recorded in the 24th Australian Machine Gun Companys War Diary for April 1918. Autopsies revealed that the wound which killed the Baron was caused by a bullet moving in an upward motion. His Fokker was not damaged by the landing. Together they have two kids; Croix, born in 2000, and Lucky Rose, born in 2003. Cedric Popkin enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in March, 1916. "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. By 1904 the family was living in Grafton and Cedrics two 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. 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. Sgt Popkin 2nd from right middle row. (ii)As shown on PBS's NOVA (iii), the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. WebAustralian gunner sergeant Cedric Popkin (second left), behind a Vickers machine gun, with crew that manned the four machine guns in his battery. 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. 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. The Courier - Mail, Feb 15, 2015, pp. Edith, 15, and Marjory, 14, took over the caring of the younger children as Dan travelled with his work as an insurance agent. He had followed the fight and now swung his Vickers gun through 180 degrees in Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980Name: Cedric Bassett PopkinGender: MaleElectoral Year: 1943Subdistrict: Tweed HeadsState: New South WalesDistrict: RichmondCountry: Australia, https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1959589/ accessed 6 Apr 2018FIRST WORLD WAR EMBARKATION ROLLCedric Bassett PopkinService number 424Rank PrivateRoll title 7 Machine Gun Company - 2 to 9 Reinforcements (May-December 1916)Conflict/Operation First World War, 1914-1918Date of Embarkation 20 October 1917Place of embarkation MelbourneShip Embarked On HMAT Port Lincoln A17age 26occupation: carpentermarriedof Palmwood, North Coast Line, Queenslandnext of kin wife Mrs. Nelly Popkin, Palmwood, North Coast Line, QueenslandChurch of Englanddate of joining 6 May 1916. Other machine gunners and riflemen also fired at von Richthofens Fokker tri-plane. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. 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. Research genealogy for Cedric Bassett POPKIN of St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia, as well as other members of the He remained in hospital for two months before being discharged to the 2nd Auxiliary Hospital at Southall. He passed awayon Jan 1968in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia. Despite some rest and treatment, Cedric's wound was not healing so he was transported to England on 4 July on HSS Andrew. 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. The story is told in the following section. In his Official History, war historian Charles Bean suggests that it was probably Cedric Popkin who killed the Red Baron. There was evidence of only one hit on the triplane, which would fit with the cone of fire from a Vickers at long range. 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. The couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist and had two sons, Roland and Michael. 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. Cedric Popkin died in 1968 at Tweed Heads NSW. "The only claimant at that range is Popkin. 'Red Baron' Photos courtesy of John Nichols. The Red Baron broke away to the right. The Planes came from an Easterly direction and when within range of my gun, were flying very low, just above the tree tops. (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/. In his official report he wrote: . 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. Two postmortem examinations determined that the fatal bullet entered von Richthofens chest from low on the right side, struck his spine and exited to the left. Top Stories. 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. Researched and written by Christine Stratigos for Tweed Regional Museum. 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. Who are the mothers of Cedric the Entertainer's kids? Phone: 02 6670 2493 On 3 March 1918 he was promoted to Training Sergeant and in April to Sergeant when Sergeant McPhee went missing in action7. Baron von Richthofen, was flying a single seater triplane painted red and reported to be of a new pattern. The closer the bullet's range, the greater the wound damage. Richthofens machine seemed to move unsteadily for a moment, but still continued in pursuit of the British plane8. had also fired at this plane when it was directly over my head, but the noise of the engine prevented my hearing the shooting. As soon as this risk was over, I opened fire a second time and observed at once that my fire took effect. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980Name: Cedric Bassett PopkinGender: MaleElectoral Year: 1937Subdistrict: MurwillumbahState: New South WalesDistrict: RichmondCountry: AustraliaSource InformationAncestry.com. 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 young couple moved to South Murwillumbah where Cedric found work as a tobacconist. Live Healthy !!!! 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. 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. The Australians always felt Sgt. 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. These trees can change over time as users edit, remove, or otherwise modify the data in their trees. Nellie remained with the children at Palmwoods until Cedric returned, quite a different man from the one who left. Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. About 10.45am on the 21st April, 1918, one of our Aeroplanes was being engaged by a German Aeroplane and was being driven down. 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 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. Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force, the Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force, https://archive.is/20091005212023/http://www.suncoast.com.au/Palmwoods/News/98-04/p5a.html, http://www.suncoast.com.au/Palmwoods/News/98-04/p5a.html, https://web.archive.org/web/20110613145710/http://deepthought.hass.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=243551, http://deepthought.hass.adfa.edu.au:8080/showPerson?pid=243551, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Cedric_Popkin&oldid=849600504, Start-Class biography (military) articles, Low-importance biography (military) articles, Start-Class Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history task force articles, Low-importance Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles, Military aviation articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military aviation articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Military biography articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military biography articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific military history articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, World War I articles needing attention to referencing and citation, World War I articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Military history articles needing attention to referencing and citation, Military history articles needing attention to coverage and accuracy, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This article has been checked against the following, If you have discovered URLs which were erroneously considered dead by the bot, you can report them with, If you found an error with any archives or the URLs themselves, you can fix them with, This page was last edited on 10 July 2018, at 03:00. "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 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. I am quite satisfied that the Plane was brought down as the result of the fire from my gun. Live Healthy !!! Battery Lewis Gunners probably assisted in sealing the fate of this airman, as he apparently flew right into their line of fire. 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. 1 gunner and proceeded to where the Plane fell. It was reported that a spent .303 bullet was found inside Richthofen's clothing. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. (iv), Nearly fifty years later, Popkin was less sure about events of 21st April and perhaps had forgotten his report to his unit commander. WebCedric Bassett POPKINmarried Nellie Ellen BULLandhad 1child. These were made by two different Australian antiaircraft crews who were stationed on the Morlancourt Ridge. At about 10.35am on 21 April, Baron von Richthofen, flying his red Fokker DR-1, engaged Sopwith Camels from 209 Squadron, RAF. WebHis father was Major Albrecht Phillip Karl Julius Freiherr von Richthofen and his mother was Kunigunde von Schickfuss und Neudorff. He recalled that everyone was scrambling for souvenirs, with one officer claiming the Barons gold wrist watch. He was just 25 years old. 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. We said 'yes.' With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself moved in my thoughts, that I had forced him to lay there. 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. Discover your family history in millions of family trees and more than a billion birth,marriage, death, census, and miltary records. "I started firing at the body of the German pilot directly through my peep sight," Buie wrote. Description: The Australian website dedicated to researching WW1 Diggers and nurses who came from or were associated Just before his 26th birthday, on 6 May 1916, Cedric Bassett Popkin travelled to Brisbane to enlist in the AIF. 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. 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. As shown on PBS's NOVA, the medical reports showed von Richthofen was hit by an upward shot to the right side. 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.. Cedric received a severe gunshot wound to his right leg on 19 June and was moved to 4th Field Ambulance. 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. Many experts believe that the shot came from Popkin. That's something model Paulina Porizkova opened up about on Sunday when she shared on Instagram that her son graduated from college. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. WebEat Healthy !!! said, 'Have you got somebody who knows what they're doing, 600 yards away, and he's firing at Richthofen's right side?' 1 gunner and proceeded to where the plane fell. Topics: world-war-1, history, air-force, lismore-2480, france, fingal-head-2487, tyalgum-2484. . WebCedric and Nellie had two sons, Roland and Michael, and the family moved to Palmwoods in Queensland before the outbreak of WW1. I handed my gun over to the No. On 25 March 1916 Cedric's father Dan died at Cedric's enlistment papers describe him as 5ft 6 in tall, 150 lbs, brown eyes and black hair. 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. He bled freely after he hit the ground from the wounds in his chest. 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 General (3 matching dictionaries) Popkin, popkin: Wordnik [ home, info ] Popkin: Wiktionary [ home, info ] Popkin: Rhymezone [ home, info ] Slang (1 matching dictionary) Please take a moment to review my edit.