{"id":4998,"date":"2020-10-28T19:19:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T19:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newearthvillage.com\/spriggs\/?p=4998"},"modified":"2021-08-01T06:38:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T06:38:15","slug":"spriggs-will-wwi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newearthvillage.com\/spriggs\/spriggs-will-wwi\/","title":{"rendered":"Spriggs Will WWI"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.10″ hover_enabled=”0″ z_index_tablet=”500″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” sticky_enabled=”0″]\n
Hi Peter,<\/div>\n
A few observances on Part III<\/div>\n
The aircraft:<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The FK8 AW160 had double Lewis machine guns for the observer and a Vickers rigid mounted machine gun for the pilot.<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The pilot did all the photography and the observer was to make sure the pilot could do his job and keep Hun aircraft at bay.\u00a0 If any strafing was to\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 be done it would have been by the pilot.<\/div>\n
The mission:<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dad\u2019s log book show him on \u201cLine Patrol and going to a new airdrome at Malincourt\u201d on the 17th of October.\u00a0 Later that day his log book shows<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 him on \u201cCounter Attack\u201d so I would think the mission was an afternoon sortie.\u00a0 The first Sortie was for two hours and the second was two and a<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 quarter hours.\u00a0 From Dad\u2019s description in his letter to Arthur Wright, his aircraft was the only one on the mission.<\/div>\n
Dad\u2019s Military life:<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He signed up on 22 Feb 1916 and spent that summer in training before sailing in September for England.\u00a0 Between arrival in the UK and and August<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (or so) in 1917 he completed his basic training and joined a signal corps where he learned his morse code.\u00a0 He applied for officer training and<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 aircraft schooling which was granted.\u00a0 He was successful and discharged from the Canadian Armed Forces and joined the Imperial Army on 20 Feb\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1918.\u00a0 On April 1 1918 the RAF was formed with 2nd Lieutenant William Spriggs a part of it.\u00a0 He then continued his flight training, photgraphy<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 courses, gunnery school, ground signals, cross country, formation flying, bombing, buzzing and a few others until 20 July 1918.\u00a0 He then went<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Winchester for Artillery and Infantry CO-OP school until the 10th of August 1918\u00a0 He then was transferred to France and joined 8th Squadron on<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 18th of August.\u00a0 I remember Dad telling me his observer, Oscar Berridge as a \u2018crack shot\u2019.\u00a0 Good thing, they may not have made it with a lesser<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 man.<\/div>\n
Miscellaneous:<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 During the summer of 1915 Dad got home on weekends occasionally while on military training and photos seem to indicate this judging by his<\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 army uniform, kilt and all.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To answer Randi\u2019s question, Mum & Dab travelled at least once to check out farming in Canada.\u00a0 Land was very cheap in Canada so their \u2018bang for<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the buck\u2019 would go much further in Canada.\u00a0 The farm and house had been empty for sometime when they bought it which might also have meant\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a\u00a0<\/span>lower price and it was out of the way which would mean a possible further price reduction as well.\u00a0 Schooling was not a problem.\u00a0 Wolfeville had<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Acadia\u00a0<\/span>University, where Dad was enrolled, Kings College School (private) where Bob was enrolled (and where he met Hazel Warneford, his wife to<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 be, and<\/span>\u00a0Edgehill School for Girls (private) where Alison and Hester went (and also met a young lass known as Agnes Elizabeth Mary Lickfold) who<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 as<\/span>\u00a0eventually introduced to a youngish RAF veteran.\u00a0 The rest is, as they say, history.\u00a0 So you can see that moving to Nova Scotia was a place\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 offering<\/span>\u00a0possibilities.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eleanor might be right about other reasons for leaving good old blighty but we will never know for sure.<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The pictures of Dad in his uniform were all taken in 1919 after his return to Canada as noted by the uniform itself but also the \u2018wings\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0 I guess<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 he\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t have any clothes that would fit him (I know that I grew until I was 21) or they had been thrown out earlier.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I hope you don\u2019t mind all the knitpicking Peter, but there you are.\u00a0 This project is really a large task and you are doing a great job.\u00a0 Good on ya!<\/span><\/div>\n
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love to you and Randi and the rest of the family<\/span><\/div>\n
John<\/span><\/div>\n
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From:<\/b>\u00a0Peter Bruce<\/a><\/div>\n
Sent:<\/b>\u00a0Sunday, October 18, 2020 10:18 PM<\/div>\n
To:<\/b>\u00a0John & Phyllis Spriggs<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Hilary Hellum<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Spriggs David & Marilyn<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Timothy Hellum<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Gillian Roach<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Harrison Bruce<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Robin Bruce<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Randi Mjolsness<\/a>\u00a0;\u00a0Peter Bruce<\/a><\/div>\n
Subject:<\/b>\u00a0Your thoughts on England: Tales of a Time Traveler<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Hi folks,<\/p>\n

Attached is Part 3 of a 6 part digital book on the extended Spriggs family. Part 3 has a piece on William Spriggs b. 1898. In a spare moment, I would much appreciate any feedback (errors, omissions, over the top silliness, you name it) that you come across in the Spriggs piece or throughout. If time does not permit, not a problem. I shall feed it to the cat and seek a real life.<\/div>\n
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The plan is to put the end result on my website as an easy way for all to access and if for those who wish, download it. Remaining parts should not be far behind. Note: Because of the 2 column layout this will likely not display well on personal devices.<\/div>\n
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Much love, Peter<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Peter Bruce<\/span><\/span><<\/span>pkbruce@gmail.com><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n

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\"Attachments\"Sun, Oct 18, 10:51 AM (10 days ago)<\/span><\/p>\n

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to\u00a0David<\/span><\/b>,\u00a0John<\/span>,\u00a0Hilary<\/span>,\u00a0me<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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Hi John,<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This is brilliant. Many thanks for digging it up. Very helpful to know the model of plane, details of signalling skills, the one-way technology and the photography techniques. Re. Morse code, I’m reminded of his interest in this back at the farm when we built a morse signalling station. I recall mum saying he’d erected an antenna on a high pole with much effort, only to have it come done in a blow. But back up it went. So he was well-versed in Morse before\u00a0he joined up. That would have made him a valuable asset indeed. Particularly interesting is this: “Counter Attack.\u00a0 Hun down in flames at Le Cateau” That confirms what I yesterday surmised:<\/div>\n
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