Lionel Cherry Gilmour World War I Collection

The Lionel Cherry Gilmour World War I Collection is comprised of a small photograph album, loose photographs, a prisoner-of-war diary, and assorted research documents pertaining to the World War I service and prisoner-of-war (POW) experience of Lieutenant Lionel Cherry Gilmour (1891-1973) of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and its predecessor, the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The collection has been arranged into two series: personal materials of Lionel Cherry Gilmour and research materials.

Series I, Personal Materials, includes Gilmour's personal handwritten diary describing how he was shot down on July 31, 1918. It continues describing his first few weeks as a POW at various German camps, including Karlsruhe, Germany. Additional materials include a small black leather photograph album, which holds approximately 40 photographs depicting military personnel in both posed and casual settings; military buildings and the interior of a church; and military aircraft. Many of the photographs have faded and are difficult to see clearly. Pages typically have one to four photographs that have been affixed with photo corners and/or glue. However, many photographs are loose or have been removed/fallen out. Images often include very brief captions. People are generally identified only by rank and last name (ex. "Lt. McDonald").

Two photographic postcards were found on the top of the album. One features Wantage Hall in Reading, England, where Gilmour was in training, and the other depicts Lionel Cherry Gilmour in his training uniform. Both have handwritten captions on the reverse that provide contextual information, including date, location, and names. The photograph album also has a front pocket, which held a small envelope with one photograph. The photograph has faded but a man with a motorcycle is vaguely discernible. On the back of the photograph is "Lieut. Botterell and motorcycle." The front pocket also included two additional loose photographs, one which depicts an Avro crash and one which depicts a hand-colored image of a pilot, likely Gilmour, in the cockpit of an airplane.

Additional materials include 36 loose photographs and photographic postcards that were originally housed within three different envelopes. All are black-and-white and most often include captions on reverse, with some having contextual information on the front of the image.

• Envelope 1: "Kamstigal bei Pillau" - a postcard and seven photographic postcards depicting a waterfront scene and group portraits of military personnel in uniform.
• Envelope 2: "Karlsruhe photographs, Fritz Albrecht, photographer - twelve photographic postcards depicting captured military personnel in both casual and posed settings.
• Envelope 3: Sixteen photographs and photographic postcards depicting military personnel, aircraft, and one scenic image. One image depicts two bare-chested men, likely POWs, with arms upright standing before a soldier with a gun. These images were likely removed from Gilmour's photograph album.

Also included is a 1915 commission certificate for Lionel Cherry Gilmour signed by King George V.

Series II, Research Materials, consists of assorted original and photocopied documents from British and Canadian records offices obtained by Jay Gilmour in researching his father's service. These documents include personnel and military records related to Gilmour's service, such as pay records, medical reports, military orders and flight records and other documents related to his time as a POW. A map of France with locations highlighted by Jay depict the flight paths of Gilmour and Josef Müller, the German pilot who likely shot Gilmour down. There is also a color lithograph of a BAE Systems Hawk T1, an aircraft flown by the No. 208 Squadron, with two inscriptions. On the upper left corner is "To Jay Gilmour With Very Best Wishes From the Pilots of 208 Squadron Royal Air Force Valley March 2003." On the right upper corner is "In Honour of Our Former Comrade Lieutenant L.C. Gilmour, Canadian Infantry Attached to the 208 Squadron Western Front 1918." The print is signed by the 2003 pilots of the No. 208 Squadron. Also included are two publications, Flight Journal and Over the Front, which include articles related to Gilmour.

Digitized Materials: Original materials related to Gilmour's military service have been digitized from this collection. Several artifacts have also been digitized.

Please note that materials on TMOF: Digital Collections are presented as historical objects and are unaltered and uncensored. See our Disclaimers and Policies page for more information.