Thursday 12 July 1917 We Lost 493

by greatwarliveslost

The man who wounded the Red Baron a week ago

HMS Patriot depth charges and sinks the German submarine U-69 southwest of Ireland.

The hired trawler George Milburn (Skipper George Lucas) strikes a mine in the same area and sinks killing her crew of eleven including her skipper.

Today’s losses include:

  • A 9-victory ace who is credited with shooting down and wounding the Red Baron on the 6th of this month
  • A 5-victory ace
  • Multiple sons of members of the clergy
  • The grandson of a member of the clergy
  • Multiple families that will lose two sons in the Great War
  • A man whose son was previously killed in the Great War

Today’s highlighted casualties include:

  • Major Addrian Drew (Royal Garrison Artillery) is killed at age 26. He is the grandson of the Reverend George Smith Drew.
  • Major Reginald Carlyon Tweedy (Royal Army Medical Corps) dies on service at Newquay. He is a general practitioner at Kenilworth and his son was killed in action last September.
  • Captain Donald Charles Cunnell (Royal Flying Corps) is killed at age 23. He is a nine victory ace who is known for shooting down and wounding Baron Manfred von Richtofen on the 6th of this month.
  • Lieutenant Alexander Guthrie (Royal Field Artillery) is killed in action at age 23. His brother was killed in the previous July and they are sons of the Reverend W G Guthrie.
  • Second Lieutenant Norman Otto Frederick Gunther MC (East Kent Yeomanry attached East Kent Regiment) is killed at age 19. His brother will be killed in September 1918.
  • Second Lieutenant Montagu Frank Peyton (Northumberland Fusiliers) is killed in action at age 19. His older brother will be killed in a little over one year.
  • Flight Sub Lieutenant Sidney Emerson Ellis (Royal Naval Air Service) is killed in a flying accident while serving on the Western Front at age 21. He is the son of the Reverend John D Ellis and is a 5-victory ace.
  • Private William MacLeod (Seaforth Highlanders) is killed. His brother was killed in May 1915.
  • Private James Towers (Border Regiment) is killed at age 30. His brother was killed last November.