12552: Tails Up 1918 on the Western Front

Carol is the granddaughter of Herbert Arthur Stone. He survived the war and was demobbed 27th May 1919.

He was a member of the ground crew for the Royal Flying Corps. His service number was 58477 reg no AM3. One of the photos brought in was of him on the back row far right, of a group with a name board of 'Tails Up'. It is not known what this was i.e. maybe a football or rugby team or maybe an entertainment group.

Herbert was born in 1898. Before the war he was a carpenter and so thoughts are that he repaired the frameworks etc of the wooden framed aircrafts. On his identity papers it states that he was a Rigger (Aero) in France.

A tin of medals was brought in and although Herbert was reluctant to talk about the war to family and friends it was said in the family that he had helped to pull a pilot from a burning aircraft.

He was demobbed at no 1 dispersal unit at Favant Saisbury on 27th May 1919 and died in November 1973 having lived in Brislington.