WW1 Mystery Solved (2 of 3)
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understandinguncertainty.org was produced by the Winton programme for the public understanding of risk based in the Statistical Laboratory in the University of Cambridge. The aim was to help improve the way that uncertainty and risk are discussed in society, and show how probability and statistics can be both useful and entertaining.
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Having helped someone in finding out how a photographer was killed in WW1 just before Christmas, I was sent a copy of a New Year's Eve Menu for the Sergeants Dinner 1917 of 6 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, in case I might be interested. As my grandfather also served in 6 squadron, I was intrigued and enlarged the photo. All of the sergeants had signed the reverse of the menu and though it was faint, I thought I could see the signature of my grandfather. The name was right but the initial was wrong, and my grandfather was a corporal, not a sergeant. I checked my grandfather's diary for that year and sure enough, he attended the sergeant's dinner. I then re-listened to a tape recording of my grandmother reminiscing (I made the recording back in 1965 and put the tape away for posterity without ever listening to it. I had the recording restored two weeks ago and listened to it for the first time) and she mentioned that his nickname in the squadron was 'Johnnie' and not 'Fred', so that explained why the initial was wrong. So, resulting from the cooincidence in 'WW1 Mystery Solved (1 of 3)', I now have a copy of my grandfather's signed menu from 1917.
Date submitted:Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:23:00 +0000Coincidence ID:4936
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