Aage I Petersen, went missing with Royal Air Force 1919?

[Argus]

Hello,

In a Danish vicarage garden, we find in a corner a small memorial stone bearing the name Aage.

Aage I Petersen was the son of the vicar. Since a small boy, he had the dream to fly.

The dream came true and he went to England.

We do not know much about him, his life and death. Few told details about a joining into Royal Air Force, and he was reported lost in a plane crash over the sea. That's all.

I can start with details from his birth:

Aage I Petersen, born 30/4 1889 in Ærøskøbing, Denmark.

From the FreeBMD Database, I have found a death supposed to be in March 1919, could be him.

Petersen, Aage I. - Age 29 - District Edmonton - Vol. 3a - Page 822.

Anybody who can help me with more details about his fate and the aircraft?

Best regards

Finn Buch

[Don Clark]

Finn,
Aage I Petersen is not mentioned in Malcolm's fine Air of Authority www.rafweb.org RAF Casualties lists for either 1918, 1919 or 1920.
Nor (if you've not checked yet) does he appear in the CWGC War Dead db.

As far as I can see, there is no AI Petersen in either the May 1918 nor Aug 1919 Air Force List - CDs again courtesy of Air of Authority.
However, there is an A Petersen in the March 1919 Air Force List which might be him:
p205 Col 725a, Observer 2nd Lt A Petersen 22 Jul 1918
(National Library of Scotland Military Lists archive)

Perhaps one of the WW I forums might help?

The Aerodome - eg People under http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/
Cross and Cockade https://www.crossandcockade.com/cciforum/
or
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum, say https://www.greatwarforum.org/forum/...ar-in-the-air/

You may recall that a number of WW I airmen survived the war, only to die in RAF service during the 1919 Influenza epidemic...

best wishes with this one

[RecklessRat]

p205 Col 725a, Observer 2nd Lt A Petersen 22 Jul 1918

Hi Don,

After some twiddling in the Gazette, I think your man in the AFL above is 2/Lt Aaron Petersen, ex 3Bn East Yorks Regt, later 18 Sqn RAF, KIA 03 Sep 18

So we can rule him out

Would a death certificate for Aage Petersen contain any unit information? That might be one route forward.

ETA: didn't see him in AIR 76, AIR 78, or the newspaper archives either.

Regards,

Jeff

[PeteS]

I'm with Jeff on that one,
Aaron Petersen from Goole was born 22 Jan 1894, he served with 18 Sqdn in France from 9 Aug 1918, posted missing 3 Sep 1918, CWGC show him as killed on that date. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.

[Argus]

Many thanks to Don, Jeff and Pete for the inputs with details.

I have uploaded a page from the Danish parish register (birth 1889). There you will find his name, parents too.

https://i.ibb.co/RGFZyTc/Kirkebog-r-...0-4-1889-a.jpg

So we can now omit Aaron Petersen from the research.

Don, he mentioned that Aage I Pedersen could be a victim of the 1919 Influenza epidemic. This lead could be correct.

This is what I know from from the FreeBMD March 1919:

Petersen, Aage I. - Age 29 - District Edmonton - Vol. 3a - Page 822.

Can we find more details in the England & Wales, Death Index? I do not have access to this from here.

Could be that I am in a blind alley, and he never joined Royal Air Force, as told and written in Denmark!

Best regards,

Finn

[Don Clark]

Finn, most welcome. So: Aage Ingomar Petersen it is.

I only checked the three Air Force Lists May 1918, March 1919, Aug 1919 for Aage I Petersen/ AI Petersen.

As you noted he appeared from FreeBMD to have deceased Mar qtr 1919, have now checked Feb 1919 too - not there either.

It might be that he appears in an 1918 AFL after May 1918. I don't have a note of such a collection source.
However, the IWM RAF help page, led to National Archives AIR 76 rolls here, again only 4 Petersens and no Petersen, Aage Ingomar.

Another collection of WW I RAF etc records at the Imperial War Museum https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/t...sualty-records
led to a page of RAF Museum Vault casualties, for the Petersens, but again no Aage I Petersen/ AI Petersen.

In combination with the lack of entry in Malcolm's Air Of Authority 1918, 1919, 1920 RAF casualties, does suggest that his reported RAF service might not be so.

If you - or another member here - can access 1918 Air Force Lists, that might still be worth following up, although now quite unlikely.
Someone else may be able to help with England & Wales, Death Index.
Or take all that you now have to the WW I forums noted above (The Great War RAF is at the edge of my area of knowledge)

Of course all this goes out the window if it turns out that for some reason he enlisted for Air Force service under another name...I don't know how hard that was to do in 1918...

[paulmcmillan]

Petersen, Aage I. - Age 29 - District Edmonton - Vol. 3a - Page 822.

I found him on GRO INDEX with full name as PETERSON


PETERSON, AAGE INGOMAR 29
GRO Reference: 1919 M Quarter in EDMONTON Volume 03A Page 822

[Argus]

Hello Paul,

This is the correct person with last name spelled Peterson, death in 1919. Thank you so much!

A distance relative of Aage Ingomar Petersen or Peterson, had read the story on a Danish website.

He asked me to check and verify the mentioned details, if possible find more about the fate of this person.

Via Google Translate you will find the English version:

https://folkebladet-net.translate.go..._x_tr_pto=wapp

Now I will begin to read the Royal Air Force Muster Rolls 1918.

Many thanks again to Don.

Best regards

Finn

[Don Clark]

Jeff/RR apologies - I see I missed your #3 check of AIR 76...

Finn,
Thanks for the link to the story. It does show more of the uncertainty of the existing account, eg the 1920 or 1921 death hint vs the known recorded date of death registration of Mar Qtr 1919 at age 29 for Aage I Petersen (which might incl late 1918 deaths reg'd after an interval) - consistent with Aage Ingomar Petersen's known birthdate 1889.

Just for completeness, checked the Dec 1914 and Dec 1918 Army List and Navy List in the NLS Archive
And the last four (Dec 1918) Casualty Lists there - all three show no matching result.

I didn't check the Casualty Lists from Jan 1919 to Mar 1919.

An exact date of death might further assist general search.

Then again, recorded details of his death can certainly be found, albeit for a fee, by requesting a copy of his Death Certificate., from the UK General Register Office.
The certificate would at least resolve exact date and cause of death, and occupation at death (and may thus resolve the RAF suggestion).

As explained on the GRO Ref page:
https://www.gov.uk/research-family-history
and Order page
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-...ge-certificate
Note, fees apply.

[Argus]

Hi to all,

After searching through old newspapers from 1919, finally I have been able to retract the story written i Folkebladet on February 8, 2022.

https://folkebladet-net.translate.go..._x_tr_pto=wapp

The story is not true.

This is my upload from Fyens Stiftstidende, March 4, 1919:

https://i.ibb.co/qLHP9Nr/Aage-death-in-London-1919.jpg

Translation:

According to a telegram, our dear eldest son, Aage, 29 years old, died after a few days of illness in London.

Tommerup Parsonage on March 2, 1919

Th. I. Petersen and wife

Thank you so much for taking your time in this research.

Best regards

Finn