
10/05/2025
My grandfather
Those of you who have been following my posts for some time will recall that I published my grandfather's letters from the WW1 trenches to his mother and also his diary entries when he was a POW in 1918.
Yesterday, I received the following email:
James,
My name is David Ulke (retired sqn ldr RAF) and I work as a volunteer with the RAF Museum Reserve Collection here near Stafford. We are in the process of condition-assessing, cleaning, and packing the 75,000+ items ready for their move to Cosford when a new-build facility becomes ready.
The reason I am getting in touch is because I did a small piece to camera the other day about one of my favourite artefacts (so far!). It is a battered old suitcase lid that once belonged to a young RFC/RAF officer who was made a POW. On release, he had all his chums sign the case as a memento.
I have just started research on those names (sadly some are illegible) and one that stood out today was this one, your Grandfather: See picture
As you can see, he gives his name, and the place/ date of capture.
So, Reginald Brie and your Grandfather were incarcerated at some point towards the end of the war together.
I’ll close for now in the hope that you find this of interest. I am looking to do more work on the names on the case and am minded that your Grandfather’s history is in the public domain, so I look forward to reading more about him.
Best wishes
David
The date is indeed the date of his capture at Givenchy on Thursday, 18th April 1918, which is on the suitcase lid.
They were together in a camp at Pillau. There are many references to Pillau in his diary, but sadly, nothing under Lt R Brie.
James Stewart-Smith
Classic Battlefield Tours