An interesting family group to the Foot / Foote family. The father was 2nd Lieutenant C.H. Foot, Royal Air Force, who flew operationally as an observer in RE8’s with No.13 Squadron over the Western Front during late 1918, whilst the son, Signalman G.P. Foote, Royal Signals, saw service in Palestine during the Jewish Revolt, having originally served on Home Defence duties during the Second World War.
2nd Lieutenant C.H. Foot, Royal Air Force, who flew operationally as an observer in RE8’s with No.13 Squadron over the Western Front during late 1918.
Pair: British War Medal and Victory Medal; (2/LIEUT. C.H. FOOTl. R.A.F.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine.
Together with the following:
Three original photographs of the recipient in the uniform of an officer with the Royal Air Force, all showing him wearing his Observer’s wings.
Early Royal Air Force Officer’s peaked cap badge, this bearing makers plate to reverse for Gaunt & Son.
Great War era brass Aircrew sleeve badge.
Great War used pocket watch, the ’30 Hour Non-Luminous Mark V’ watch, serial no. ‘R.E. 1863’, the reverse of the case bearing War Department Broad Arrow and ‘A’ for Air Ministry mark. Some damage, and no longer in working order. Attached to the watch is an old handwritten label reading: ‘Standard watch as issued and held in clip on instrument panel of RE8’s. This sample taken by 2nd Lt C.H. Foot (RAF) from the last RE8 he flew in 1918 Armistice time. Renowned for their good time keeping - this one unfortunately was subsequently dropped.’
Some handwritten notes of his flying experience. As noted down by his family in the early 1980’s.
Signalman G.P. Foote, Royal Signals, who saw service in Civil Defence during the Second World War when on the Home Front, and then later saw service in Palestine during the Jewish Revolt, he being also a qualified Military Transport Driver.
Pair: Defence Medal 1939-1945; General Service Medal 1918-1962, GVI 1st type bust, 1 Clasp: Palestine 1945-48; (14104297 SIGMN. G.P. FOOTE. R.SIGS.). The first together with Home Secretary issue sole-entitlement forwarding slip, and Home Office card box of issue addressed to: ‘Mr. G.P. Foote, 34 Alexandra Road, Parkstone, Dorset’; the second housed in its named card box of issue, and its outer posting envelope addressed to: ‘Mr. G.P. Foote, 34 Alexandra Road, Parkstone, Dorset’.
Condition: Extremely Fine.
Together with a selection of General Service brass tunic buttons, a pair of printed Royal Signals shoulder titles and also a single cloth battledress version, and a photograph taken of the recipient on service on 5 July 1947 when standing in front of an Austin 3 ton truck.
Identification Card for Motor Transport Drivers, issued to Foote and valid from 3 June to 17 June 1946 when serving with the Driving Company of 5 Trades Training Battalion, Royal Signals.
Award Letter for the General Service Medal for Palestine, dated 27 April 1950
Cecil Herbert Foot was born on 25 February 1899 in Winton, Hampshire, and worked as an aircraft apprentice for Bournemouth Aviation Company Limited at Bournemouth during January to March 1916, working in the shop there as an improver-fitter. Foot was then appointed a Cadet from 30 March 1918 before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the Royal Air Force on 27 July 1918, and as an observer, he flew out on the Western Front in RE8 aircraft with 13 Squadron.
In February 1982 his family got him to recall some of his experiences which they then noted down. They begin with his first combat sortie he made with a pilot by the name of Robert Tucker, whom Foot referred to a Bob Tuck. They were tasked to perform a bombing detail. ‘This bombing was ordered by Higher Command - no doubt to make maximum use of aircraft to cause maximum effect on enemy. Every aircraft down of the line was to carry a bomb an drop them on any suitable target. On the flight Dad had with Tucker doing bombing, Tucker was showing off and was about to make a diving pass on the Mess, when Dad tapped him on the shoulder and shouted and pointed, “Two bombs underneath”. A startled look appeared on Tucker’s face and when he got down, Garrard the commanding officer tore him off a severe dressing down. “You could have killed 50 men had one of those bombs accidentally fallen off.” That event quietened him down.
‘Dad referred to an officer called Brown who took over for about a fortnight whilst Garrard was away for some reason. He was not liked, didn’t fly much and made out he had admin jobs to look after. A chap very much like Dennis Knight, all give orders to get other people to do dangerous jobs. He was also stupid, for one morning when there had been recent fog and several RE8’s had been shot down by Jerry, he came diving after Dad and Tuck. Dad knew that Jerry had captured RE8’s, painted them up and flown them in disguise. He therefore took no chance and fired a first of four rounds in front of his nose, that made him clear off.
‘That evening when they were all in the Mess, where they used to related incidents to each other, Dad heard the fellow Brown say: “Do you know I was up over the line having an early look around when an RE8 fired four shots in front of me.” Dad who was sitting on the next table turned round and said: “And if it had been me, I would have done the same.” Brown never gave it a thought that it was Dad who fired at him, presumably since there was another RE8 squadron just down the line, he thought it was once of them. It was this same Brown fellow who tore a strip off Tucker for coming back to Base because he was short of fuel, telling him he should have landed at a forward base. However, he made Tucker go back again and finish off his job. Dad said because there was no means of communication, people on the ground at any forward base would have no means of telling why such a landing was being attempted.
‘Dad said Tucker was good at turning and throwing off attackers but instead of heading back to his own lines to fight another day, he would just go round in circles. Dad recalled the day when 7 Richthofen Fokkers set on them. There were still 4 of them when Dad, down to the last two rounds had got Tuck to head back home. Dad said it was a near thing for he was almost out of ammo when that jam occurred when the 4 very quickly all broke off. Dad said it was a good job that day that he was carrying plenty of ammo. In this same incident Dad had the two Lewis guns pointing, following and above when just taking aim, for some reason Tucker’s scarf (worn to keep out the cold) flew back and hit him in the face. Dad wondered what the hell it was and in grabbing it to full it down, almost pulled Tuck back out of his seat.’
One of the long term effects of Foot’s flying experience was suffering to his hearing, caused by a rapid descent having been made. In April 1983 he would further recall: ‘As regards where your machine gun bullets were going, it was a case of aiming in front of its target and hoping for the best, as you had no idea of your aircraft’s speed not that of the enemy’s. Even when tracer ammo came out you could not follow the tracer all the way.’ He also recollected how good the Aldis site was as an invention and that he had engaged with members of the German squadron nicknamed “Richthofen’s Circus” when over Cambrai, which was their hunting ground. Back in April 1981 he had also reminisced about this engagement: ‘Huns used to take off early morning and take advantage of the sun behind them, flying East to West. The event took place in August’ (1918).
‘He used to wear a pair of dark goggles and minute or so used two open fingers of hand as additional visor to look into sun. When he spotted these 7, he tapped Tucker on his shoulder, mimed and pointed “Fokkers up above.” He acknowledged and they kept on with their spotting role. Presently the 7 spread out in a wide circle above them, then down they came. Tuck did a good job slide slipping their bullets and Dad got through 7 rounds of Lewis ammo with 1 round left. He called to Tucker to fly West. Just before that Tucker’s scarf became undone in the wind and flew round and caught Dad on the neck. It happened in July 1918. There were 2 machine guns firing together. Each feed with special thick 100 round magazines each. Total of 8 rounds or 4 per gun carried. During scrap right hand one failed, turned to find panel position to establish jam. Dad did this and found rip of line round had caught empty case coming out. Only fired 10 rounds of gun at a time, aimed in front of fighter so he flew into the fire. Tracking nine aircraft from East to West (morse) RX only. Guns had RX but used ground signals to instruct spotter aircraft.’
Foot, who retained his aircraft pocket watch timepiece from the last wartime flight he made on Armistice Day, 11 November 1918, would eventually be transferred to the Unemployed List on 28 May 1919, and was discharged on 19 June 1919. In 1924 he got married in Poole, Dorset, and lived there for the rest of his life, passing away on 5 May 1983, he is buried in Upton Old Cemetery, Dorset
His son, saw service in Civil Defence during the Second World War and later with the British Army in Palestine during the Jewish Revolt, when a Signalman (No.14104297) with the Royal Signals. He came from Parkstone, Dorset.
