The Royal Flying Corps Today in 1915

This week in May 1915

The advance on Aubers Ridge was still in progress this week but crucially hesitated on the 17th as understanding of the true position was unclear. Additionally a persistent mist fell upon the field of battle at this time.

Air actions of note  for the week were:

10th May 

2 Sqn Lt J L Jackson  wounded in face

Morane L  of 3 Sqn shot down by AA fire over Fournes
crew Lt D Corbett-Wilson and 2nd Lt I N Woodiwiss both KIA

Voisin LA of 4 Sqn on reconn damaged by shrapnel 
Crew Capt E F Unwin and Lt H Lygon

Vickers FB5 of 5 Sqn on reconn entered combat with and shot down Albatros over Lille
Crew Lt W H W Acland and 1AM Rogers (Rogers Awarded DCM for this action)

Vickers FB5 of 5 Sqn in combat with two Albatros over Staden 
Crew 2nd Lt R Maxwell-Pike and 2nd Lt Andrews

Martinsyde S1 of 6 Sqn combat with an Otto over Polygon wood
Crew Capt L A Strange  ( pilot was thrown out of a/c after combat but managed to crawl back in. see recollections of an Airman.)

11th May

BE2a of 4 Sqn on reconn was shot up but returned to base
Crew Capt R M Vaughan and Lt Hankin

12th May

BE2c of 4 Sqn was shot up creating a fuel leak but returned OK
crew Lt G W G Lywood and 2nd Lt Benett

Voisin LA of 4 Sqn on a photo reconn mission over Courtrai involved in combat over Warneton
but returned OK
Crew Capt Murphy and Lt H Lygon

Voisin of 1 Sqn RNAS  Came down taken prisoner following  Attack on  a Zeppelin
Crew Flight Lt J O Groves and Lt Cdr H Dobell  both made POWs

14th May

the first FE2b aeroplanes arrived in France assigned to 6 Sqn at Abeele

15th May

Voisin LA of 4 Sqn on reconn was shot up and crashed into tree close to aerodrome
Capt E F Unwin  injured  Lt H Lygon shaken both taken to hospital

BE2c of 8 Sqn hit by shrapnel  
Crew  Capt A D Gaye and Lt G Graham both wounded (the first WIA casualties for 8 Sqn)


The Aeroplanes 



Vickers FB5



Martinsyde S1



Morane L



RAF FE2B Pusher

Royal Flying Corps today in 1915

May 9th 1915

The Battle of Aubers Ridge commenced this day, the purpose for the allies to advance onto an earlier objective of the battle of Neuve Chapelle. This day would prove to be the busiest day of the air war to date. The plan was to use aerial bombing prior to the general bombardment with the intention of disrupting enemy communications, results were limited due to the lack of effective bomb aiming techniques at that time.
Additionally 16 sqn provided reconnaissance for army headquarters, as troops arrived at various key positions they were to deploy white signal sheets. The aeroplanes were able to send some 42 messages to special ground wireless receiving stations.
Nos 2 , 3, 4, 5 & 6 sqns were also fully deployed.

As one might expect the day was not without loss as the following illustrates.

                Aeroplane              Crew          

4 Sqn   Voisin LA         Capt E F Unwin                                              Hit through boot   OK

5 Sqn   Vickers FB5     Lt W H D Ackland / Lt Andrews                    Reconnaissance 

5 Sqn   Vickers FB5     Lt S Graham-Gilmour / 1AM Sutcliffe          Shot down Albatros   

6 Sqn    BE2a                Lt Hargrave / Capt Bovill                               Shot up but OK 

6 Sqn    BE2b                Capt Macdonnell / Capt B T James             Combat 

16 Sqn  Voisin               Lt H F Glanville                                                Wounded in leg

16 Sqn  Voisin               Lt F H Eberli / Lt S A Sanford                        Shot down  became POWs 

16 Sqn  Voisin               2ndLt  Hon F W Rodney / Lt C B Spence     Killed in action

16 Sqn  Voisin LA         Capt A G Fox                                                   Killed in action


Our aeroplanes of the day

BE2a

Vickers FB5

Voisin 

So Little changes in 100 years

Our recent activities in Afghanistan are far from new to the area as I discovered when researching the early history of R.F.C later R.A.F No 31 squadron . I found this little snippet of information .

In 1919, after quelling riots by Sikhs around Amritsar, the squadron was employed in Afghanistan where tribesmen had declared a new Jihad against the British. The squadron carried out almost daily bombing attacks, including one raid on the Afghani Amirs palace in his capital Kabul. The bombing helped to demoralise the Afghanis who sued for peace. "Peacekeeping" operations with new Bristol aircraft continued sporadically in the troubled north-west region where tribesmen continued their resistance to British rule.
The aircraft used at this time were the BE2C

And later the Bristol Fighter F2B

Tornado GR4 as used by No 31Sqn today

How sad that in 100 years life in this part of the world seems to have changed so little.