ssrotterdam

Probably Sir William MCMILLAN (1850 - 1926) adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcmillan-sir-william-1105 www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/d1f... According to records.ancestry.com/helen_rosamond_mcmillan_records.ashx... Rosamond (Helen Rosamond McMillan) was born in Randwick, Australia on 11 Oct 1895 to William McMillan and Helen Maria Gibson. From The Register (Adelaide) Friday 4 April 1924 trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/64203133 "Mr. H. H. Ainsworth, known on the stage as Frank Harvey, and at present leading man to Miss Emelie Polini at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, was on Thursday married to Miss Rosamond McMillan, daughter of Sir William McMillan. The bride, is a member of the Emelie Polini company." records.ancestry.com/marian_jocelyn_mcmillan_records.ashx... indicates that Jocelyn (Marian Jocelyn McMillan) was born in Randwick, Australia on 18 Sep 1894 to William McMillan and Helen Maria Gibson. Marian Jocelyn married Herman Petrus Gunnar and had 2 children. She passed away on 1949 in Riverside, Illinois, USA.

The evening world. (New York, N.Y.), 04 Dec. 1916, page 2, col. 2 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030193/1916-12-04/ed-... reported the arrival of Sir William Mcmillan on the Ryndam, en route from Europe home to Australia.

A short biography of Lady Helen Maria McMillan (1863–1937) is in adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcmillan-lady-helen-maria-11420. (According to records.ancestry.com/helen_maria_gibson_records.ashx?pid=..., she died in 1939)

see also

Thanks swanq, we'll add their full names to our catalog record.

Probably Sir William MCMILLAN (1850 - 1926) adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mcmillan-sir-william-1105 www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/0/d1f...

See him with second wife and their two daughters

His wikipedia entry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_McMillan_%28Australian_poli...

See also:

Thanks swanq, we'll add his full name to our catalog record.

Elliott Cowdin, Norman Prince, William Thaw were among the American aviators who were part of the Lafayette Escadrille, an all-American squadron for the French air service: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Escadrille Thaw: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Thaw_%28aviator%29 Prince (died 1916): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Prince

This is probably taken on their arrival on 12/23/15 in New York aboard the Holland-America liner Rotterdam for a short holiday leave. An account here: select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0B14FE3B5B1773...

Elliott C. Cowdin: ralph.smith.angelfire.com/Flying_Corps/Pilots/ElliottCowd... Art Siegel True, this photo is certainly taken at this occasion, see New-York tribune., December 24, 1915, Page 2 or Omaha daily bee., December 28, 1915, Image 1, with similar photos.

Apparently, the publicity generated by the visit of these 3 American fliers was a major catalyst in forming the Lafayette Escadrille (Escadrille Américaine) and the Lafayette Flying Corps in 1916. Here's an account of Cowdin's life with more information about the importance of the event pictured here:

"In December of 1915 Cowdin and fellow countrymen Norman Prince and William Thaw were granted a month's permission to America. They arrived in New York on 23 December aboard the SS Rotterdam. Their furlough, though intended as "a short rest", furthered the cause for an American squadron when the Government of France realized the interest the three American volunteers had created during their visit to the United States. The pilots became the focus of the eastern press who doggedly pursued them in spite of their reluctance to speak of their duties. Both sides of the European War seized upon the press coverage: the Allied supporters citing the flyers' example in a plea for America's intervention, while German sympathizers condemned their participation as a violation of U.S. neutrality and demanded their internment. Upon their return to France, the three Americans' desire to form an all-American squadron was enhanced as the French Government realized that just such an organization would be useful in galvanizing America's sympathy for their cause."
rdisa.pagesperso-orange.fr/html/Pages/Elliot%20Cowdin%20E...


See also:

Thanks to all of you for your excellent research. We'll straighten out the names in the caption and add some of this information to both records the next time we update.