Also hv Mike IIb tm l'

A Histor y of No. IO Squadron Royal Naval Air Service in World War I

A HISTORY OF No.6 SQlJADRON
ROYAL NAVAL AIR SERVICE
IN WORLD WAR I

Mike Westrop

Schiffer Military History

Atg len. PA
 \~

A cknowl ed /.:CIII en ts
T hi s book would not ha ve been pos sib le wit hout the sup po rt and en co ura gement o f my wife and
chi ldr en and th e enthu si asm and assista nce of many fr iends a nd co ntac ts around th e wor ld . I w ould
parti cu larl y lik e to menti on the foll ow ing wh o hav e pro vided he lp and researc h materi a ls and spurred
me on : Le s Roge rs. Fra n k C hees ma n. Stuart Le sl ie . C o lin Hust o n. St ewart Tayl or. J ustin Youn g.
Rick Duivcn. Gre g VanWyn gard en . Ton y Me llo r- Ellis. Norman Frank s. Johan Ryheul. Erro l Mar-
tin . Nick Ford cr, Hal Gib lin . T revor He nsha w. Frank Ol yn yk . A nd rew and Donn a Smith. Pete Wood .
E rn ie J u pe . Mr & M rs W ill ia m Ro the ra . Ton y Tiark s . the m any m embers o f th e forum a t
www.th ca erodrom c .com . Jan Keo ha ne at the Flee t A ir Arm Mu seum, Th e R Ae C Trust. the RA F
l use um . the New Ze al and A ir For ce Mu seum . T he Ne w Zeal a nd Na vy M use u m. The Royal Ne th-
erl a nds A ir For ce History Unit. The Jo hn Ox ley Libr ar y. C orpus C h risti Co llege - Oxford . 'o tting ham
H igh Sch ool. a nd mo st es pe cia lly the three " M"s. M a rk Miller fo r his s upe rb co lo ur a rtwo rk. Mi ke
O ' C onn or fo r h is aerodro me layou ts. a nd Mi ck Da v is for hi s sca le drawi ngs .

On th e fro nt cover
O n th e 29 th A pril 191 7 th ree Nie upo rts fro m I 0 .6 Sq uadron' s C Flig ht w e re j u mp ed by tw el ve
A lbatro s D ill s of Jasta 26 . Flig ht Co m ma nde r EW No rto n findin g h im sel f un abl e to e sca pe .
turn ed and (l ew through th e A lbatro s form at ion. A t c los e ra nge No rto n fir ed at th e D i ll of Ltn
Her mann Gi iring . s hooting away the m achine 's rudde r co ntro ls . No rto n wa s cred ite d w ith a n
"o ut o f co ntro l" c la im and wh ilst Goring may not ha ve cr as he d he wa s placed in se rio us d iffic ulty
ha vi ng to put hi s machine do w n ra pi d ly w ithout la ter a l co ntro l. COI'er Artwork hy M ar k Miller

O n the rea r cove r

No .6 Sq uadro n's lon ge st se rving o ffic e r. Co lin Temp le M acL arcn . M ac La ren wa s a Fli gh t
Co m ma nde r w ith the sq ua dro n from Jan ua ry to A ug us t 19 17 and afte r a peri od as C o m ma nd ing
Offi ce r of th e Walm e r Defe nce Fli gh t he re turn ed to c o m ma nd the new ly refo rmed No .6
Squad ron in January 191 S. W he n the sq uad ro n be c ame '0 .20 6 Sq uadron RA F o n th e I st April
19 18. Macl. aren co nti nue d to co m ma nd the sq ua d ro n wi th th e ra nk o f Maj or until May 191 9 .

Bo ok de sign by Rob ert Biondi.

Co py rig ht © 20 06 by i\like West rop .

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 CO NTE NT S

Introduction 6
Glossary 9

Chapter 1 Expansion of the R AS at Dunkerqu e II

Chapter 2 Formation 15
Chapter 3 Worki ng for the RFC - 13 Wing, 3 Brigade 36
Chapter 4 Working for the RFC - 14 Wing, 4 Brigade 44
Chap ter 5 A Demoralising Influence 84
Chapter 6 The Coa st and Ca mels 87
Chapter 7 Disbandment 11 5
Chapter 8 A New Role 118
Chapter 9 Raids Over Belgium 132
Chapter 10 The Royal Air Force 144

Appendices
A ppendix A : Aircra ft Types Used by No.6 Squadro n 151
Appendix 13 : Color Profiles and Squadro n Markings 166
Appendix C: Roster Of Pilots 178
Appendix f): Roster Of on-fl ying Officers 20 I
Appendix E: Part ial Roster of Other Ranks 203
Appendix F: Squad ron Claims 205
App endix G: Casualties, Crashes, and Incidents 206
Appendix H: History Of Aircraft Used by No.6 Squadro n 209
Appendix I: Cro ss Reference - Aircraft to Pilot 2 14
AppendixJ: Cro ss Reference - Pilot to Allocated Aircraft 2 17
Appendix K: The ieuport Sesquiplanes Design Flaw 22 1
Appendix L : War Graves and Memoria ls 223

Bibliography 224
 I N T RO D UCT IO N
T
h is wo rk . the seco nd vo lume in the author' s se rie s of
hist or ie s o f Royal l aval A ir Servic e squadrons. deal s
with No .6 Sq uadro n. ntil rece ntly. a rel a tive ly ob -
sc ure sq uadro n tha t bri e fly served o n the We ste rn Fro nt in the
sco ut rol e untiI di sb and ed in A ug us t 191 7 and was then re-
formed as a d ay bomber sq uadro n in 191 8 .
The Naval prese nce at Dunke rqu e d uri ng the ea rly years
o f Wo rld War I ha s a somewhat co nf usi ng hi story. no t made
a ny eas ie r to co mpre hend by the am big uou s Flig ht a nd Sq uad-
ro n naming co n ve ntio ns e m ployed by the Roya l Nava l A ir
Se rv ice at dif fere nt times . Fo rt una te ly. 1'01' the re ade r and the
author. the history o f No .6 Sq uad ro n Ro ya l la va l A ir Ser-
vic e . or "Nava l 6". correspon d s to the period whe n the R ' A S
ado pted the more co nve nt io nal sq uad ro n-na ming regi me n used
by the Roya l Fly ing Co rps .
No .6 Sq uadro n bri efl y ca me to prominen ce as a scout
sq uad ro n d uring the spring and s um me r months or 191 7. at a
time or fur iou s expa ns io n 1'01' the Roya l Na va l A ir Se rv ice .
Eq uippe d wi th the first p rodu ctio n tw in g un sco ut to se e Brit-
ish fro nt line se rv ice . the sq uad ro n's pilots se rved o n the West-
e rn Front under RFC con tro l. Due to a lac k of train ed pilots
a nd slo w sup ply or airc ra ft. the sq uadro n was pull ed out or
the inten se a ir righ tin g e nc o unte red d urin g the ba tt le o r Arras
in A pri I 191 7 a nd rel ocat ed to a qui et er fro nt. Enc u mbe red by
aircru ft that did no t perform to ex pe ctatio ns and two Flight
Co m ma nde rs w ho were no t pulli ng their wei gh t. the sq uad ro n
strugg led to make its prese nce fe lt.
T he poor pcrformun cc o r t he ir tw in-g u n rig ht er. th e
N ieupor t 17 Bis. prompted a rapid re-eq uipping w ith the new ly
intro d uc ed So pwi th Camel in Jun e 191 7. Th e sq uad ro n' s per-
Io rma ncc sta rted to pick up bu t the hea vy losses experienced
6
by the R ' AS sq uad ro ns th at we re o n loan to the R. F e. o n the
Western Front were unsustainab le and the de cisio n was take n
to red uce the numb er o f sc o ut sq uad ro ns. To get he r wi th No . 11
Sq uadro n. No .6 Squ ad ron wa s di sb an ded at the e nd or A ug ust
191 7. wi th its a irc ra ft a nd pilo ts be ing used to rei nfor ce o the r
sq uadro ns .
RNA S req ui reme nts for 191 8 included ne w da y bo m bing
squadrons flyi ng the D.H.9. the firs t of these ne w un its was
No .6 Sq uadro n. reforme d at Do ver o n the Ist Ja nu a ry 19 18
aro und a sma ll core of ex pe rie nce d personnel. New offi ce rs
and ne w aircra ft we re fo rmed into a co hes ive unit dur ing Ja nu-
ary and Fe brua ry. with o pe ra tio ns over Bel gi um co m me nc ing
in Ma rch . Th e dr eadful reli abil ity an d poo r pe rfo rmance o f
the Sidde ley Puma e ngine fitted to the D.H. 9 seri ou s ly af-
tcc tcd the sq ua dron' s early effec tiveness. mi rror ing the pro b-
le ms e xpe rie nced by the sq uad ro n in the spr ing o f 191 7.
T he sq uad ro n became 0.206 Squadron o n 1st A pri1 191 8
wh en the Ro yal Nava l A ir Se rv ice a nd the Royal Fly ing C or ps
were amalgamated to for m the Roya l Air Force . No .206 Sq uad -
ron RA F wa s still in existe nc e at the beg in n ing o f the 2 1st
Ce ntu ry. fly ing the N imrod maritime reconn a issa nce aircra ft .
Sa d ly. the sq uad ro n was di sba nd ed in A pril 200 5 .
M y a im in th is work ha s been to de tai l the hist o ry of No .6
Sq uadro n R NAS. sta rting with a di scu ssion o r wh y the RNAS
had to e xpa nd its sc o ut c apability at the e nd o f 19 16 and work-
ing th rou gh to inco rpo rati on int o the RA F o n Ist April 19 18.
T he boo k dea ls with the peopl e. the machin es. the pla ces. the
inc ide nts and the day-to -d ay vic to ries and losses .
Re ad e rs s ho uld be awa re that the aut hor tak es a sce ptica l
v ie w o f co m bat cla ims . es pec ia lly w he re the or ig ina l docu -
me ntati on does no t sup port the m . T he mo re o utra geo us cl a im s
 Int roduct ion

II .u a later date by. or on behalf of. certain pilots. have

II discounted. The reference to original docum entati on is
00 BrutJn
· tJa rs~ n n ,u rt
nr hcant. the co ntent of this wor k being base d upon original o (iliisttffu

u.ulrun documents. R AS Wing docum ent s and RFC Wing o '11iourout

.~ 1 O<Dit !"u./t qlirflto

I I Brigade doc uments. backed up by pilot' s log books and ........;.... • N_1n.4t
'5 '. f~.a 0 1(j)u(trs
.-s;.
->... •
II .• , written by the Se nior R lAS Officer at Dunkcrqu c HQ.
O }rT(~f . ~~

I h . author doe s not wish to be dragge d into disput es ove r St. :\f.JrU(oJpfV{ • •.: rJ ,{ o(oul1'<1;
. ~ 6~ ~\lt" in
,?:l/tssuu.> 0 '1ourcointJ
.. , many victories a ce rtain pilot did or did not score. For o' o /ij1u6.Ji t
jlnniR t iufS
hi reason the following notes may cla rify the criteria used in • 'L ifTt'
L8t' t liu nt 0 :0' (a lltuSl'
hI presentation of this aspect of the work .
-0 Lens
Henin LiefJrJ
Combat claim s were ge nerally regard ed as either "deci- " 0

o C'!'my oDoua i
ivc" or " indecisive". A dec ision that was initially made by O't ,'try

th . Squadron's Commanding Off icer after rev iewin g the co m-

• L I IRd Tn11t 0 Cam6ra.
h. 11 and assoc iated reports. The ultimate decision of whether a
laim was granted wou ld not be made until the cla im and all
• Cf"l'ifTy
.1 vociatcd evidence had bee n considered by Wing HQ and • 'F{ez 0 S t. Q!u ntin

R AS HQ. or in the situa tion where a Naval squadron was

work ing for the RFC. by Wing. Brigade and the n RFC HQ.
I \ idcnce migh t well be obt ained from sources such as bal-
loon observers. infantry and artillery unit s. intelli gence age n-
cies and other flying unit s.
Dec isive
A dec isive claim ge nerally fell into one of two ca mps:
" Destroyed" : where an enemy machin e was see n to break
up in the air. fell in flames. or was see n to crash.
"Out Of Co ntrol": where an opponent's machine was con-
sidered to fall in an uncontrolled manner with little chance
of recovery.
or course. the "out of control" ca tegory was ope n to signifi-
cant personal interpr etation and abus e. It must be rem em bered
however. that whe ther an opponent left the bail ie zone in an
inverted spin and after a frigh t recovered at a much lowe r alti-
tude or simply stalled his machi ne and spun away to fight an-
other day. he ceded the bail ie zo ne to the victor. An import ant
objective of a sco ut machin e was to make the sky safe to en-
able the observa tion. spotting and bombing machin es to go
about their norm al business . An "Out or Co ntro l" ac hieved
this objective.
In decis ive
An indecisive claim ge nerally fell into the following catego-
ries:
• ; Iem fromf s .USOCi.Jtf d u 1t li ~Vo 6 Squadron ft; \ :l1S
. • - - q (je ll 1stI'm F ront
Sketch map showing the area of operation of No.6 Squadron during 1916,
19 I7 and 19 18
"Apparently Out of Co ntro l": where an opponent' s ma-
chine was considere d 10 fall in an uncontroll ed manner
with lillie ch ance of recovery but there was no ev ide nce
to support the claim.
"Driven Down" : Where an opponent declined co mbat and
dived away.
"Drive n Dow n and FTL" : Where an opponent declin ed
combat. escaped and blatantly landed to wa it for the op-
ponent to go away.
When discussing victory claims. it help s to re member a few
trut hs:
• Most enco unters took place over enemy terr itory mak-
ing verification difficult. if not impossible.
• We now know that gro ss ove r-c lai ming on the part of
the Allies was a reg ular occurrence.
• When trying to match Allied claim s with Ge rman losses.
unless the Ger man machin e was destroyed co mpletely.
or the Germ an pilot was unabl e to return to his unit. no
loss was record ed in the German record s.

7
 A History of No,6 Squa d ron Royal Na val Ai r Service ill lVor ld lVar I

In the heat o f ba ttle. eve n the most ex perie nce d pilot so me -
times made mi stak es in observatio n.
T hc clai ms pre sen ted in this book arc pilot s' dec lara tions,
lIotnccessarily co rro bora ted victo ries . T he cl aim s arc all sup-
port ed by primar y docu me ntatio n sources, squadro n record
book s and Co mbat In Th e Air Rep orts (C ITA RS ). Thi s wo rk
d o e s not p lace a s tro ng e m p hasis o n R AS a nd R FC
Co m muniques which we re basica lly mor ale boost ing sum ma -
rics prod uced by clerica l staff and were ofte n unre liab le. It
doc s not place any emphas is at all upo n sec ondary pub lish ed
sources , many o f whic h have fed off their predecessors.

8
 GLOSSARY

AA Anti-A ircra ft FA .U. Friends Ambulance Unit

AAP Aircr aft Accep tance Park FCdr Flight Commander
AD Ae rop lane Depo t FlgOb ll/ Fl ugmaat (flying Mute)
DD Aircraft Depot Dunkerquc (situated at SI. Pol) FIS Flying Instructors School
AFC Air Force Cross FLt Flight Lieutena nt
AM Air Mechani c FSgt Flight Sergeant
AI' Aeroplane Park FSL Flight Sub-Lieutenant
ASD Aeroplane Suppl y Depot FfL Forced to Land
1"11' Feldll'ebel (Se rge a nt)
Bdc Brigade FII'LI Feldwebell.eutnant (Master Sergeant )

Capt Ca ptain GHQ General Headquarters

C BE Comma nder of the British Empire
Cdr Co m mander HA Hostile Aircraft
CFS Central Flying School H aupt Hauptmann (Captain)
COL Crashed on landin g HOP High Offe nsive Patrol
CPO Chief Pett y Officer Hp Hor sep o wer
Cpl Corporal HQ Headquart ers
CSD Central Supply Depot Hrs Hours

DD Driven Down Jasta Jagdstaff el (scout unit)

DFC Distinguished Flying Cross
DFM Distinguished Flying Mcdal KB Kitc Balloon
DFIV Deutsche FIII gzellg -lVerk e
DSC Disting uished Service Cross LAM Lead ing Air Mechani c
DSM Distinguished Service Meda l LFG Luftfahr z eug Gescllsc haft
DSO Distinguished Ser vice Order LM Leadin g Mechanic
Lt Lieutenant
EA Enemy Aircraft 2Lt Second Lieutena nt
Eng Lt Engineer ing Lieutenant LI // Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant)
L VG Luft- verkehrs Gesellschaft

9
 II llistorv Id'No.6 Squadron NO."111 NII\'II I Ai r Sen -ice ill \l'or ld \l'lI r l

MBE Memb er Of the British Empire RN Royal Navy

M Military Cross R AS Royal Naval Air Ser vice/Roya l Nava l Air Station
A1F/ J'vla rinefcldjasta RNR Royal Nava l Reserve
ivlM ivl iiitary Meda l RNVR Royal Nava l Volunteer Reserve
RzT Radio Telep hony
NAD Nava l Aero plane Depot
NADD Naval Aerop lane Depot Dunkcrq ue SCdr Squadron Co mmander
NAP 1 ava l Aerop lane Park SD Stores Depot
SDF Sea plane Defence Flight
OB E Order Of The British Empire
OM Ohcrleutnant ( I st Lieutenant) TDS Training Depot Stati on
O.!TI"1/,-/r o.m ~ ierS/e ll rer/ re/ er (Warrant Of ficer ) TPFO Tem porary Probationary Flying Officer
OOC Out Of Co ntrol TP FSL Temporary Probationary Flight Sub- Lieutenant
0 1' Offensive Patrol TS Trainin g Squadro n

PFO Probati onary Flying Officer U.f/'z. Unteroffizier (Corporal)

PFSL Probationary Flight Sub-Lie utenant USAS nited States Air Service
PO Petty officer
POW Prisoner of war V;/III \Ii zef lugmeist er
PRO Public Records Office (National Arch ive) V;/Il' vizefeldw ebel (Acting Sergeant)

RAE Royal Aircra ft Establishment WCapt Wing Captain

RAF Royal Air Force WCdr Wing Co mmander
RFA Royal Fleet Auxi liary
RFC Royal Flying Co rps (Military Wing) WIT Wireless Telegraphy
Rittm Rittmeister (Cavalry Captain)

10
 C H A PTE R ON E

EXPANS IO N OF T H E RNAS AT DUN KERQ!JE

T
he hist ory of the Roya l Naval Air Servi ce 's prese nce The Wings we re struc ture d as s ho w n:
at Dunkcrque is beyond the sc o pe o f this bo ok . how
e ve r. in or de r to understa nd w hy ne w sco ut sq ua dro ns I W ing A Sq uadro n No . 1 Flig ht
we re int rodu ced durin g 191 6 and 19 17. we need to briefl y No.2 Flig ht
lo ok a t th e po lici e s and re -organ isa t io n o f th e Dover - B Squadron No .3 Flig ht
D un ke rq ue command . No.4 Flight
By the la te sum me r of 191 5 . W ing Captain C L Lambe C Squad ron No . 14 Flight
was in c ha rge o f tw o reconn ai ssa nce sq ua d ro ns at Do ver and
s ix sq ua d ro ns at Dunk erq uc. T he Dun ke rqu c sq uad ro ns COI11- Rc sp o nsi biIitie s inc lud cd photo reco nna issa nc e. an i Iler y
prise d two spo tt ing a nd reco n na issance sq uad ro ns . two bomb- spo tt ing (by d ay and nig ht ) a nd fighter patro ls o ve r fron t
ing sq uad ro ns a nd two figh ter sq uadro ns. Lambe had a m bi- and fleet.
tio us plan s fo r hi s co m mand a nd by Decembe r 19 15 had ob -
tained Ad mira lty approva l to form tw o mor e Wings. Eac h Win g 4 Win g A Sq uadro n No.9 Flig ht
was co m prise d of four sq uad ro ns to con cen trat e o n o ffe ns ive o. 10 fl ight
o peratio ns . It is import ant to reali se that at thi s stage an RNAS B Squ adron 10 . II Flight
Sq uadro n wa s the eq uivale nt o f a more co nvent iona l Flig ht o. 12 f lig ht
a nd was co m p rised of s ix ai rcr a ft.
Duri ng 1916 the Do ve r - Dunk crq ue command ex pa nded Res pon sibilit ies inc luded bo mbi ng a nd fig hte r pat rol s.
ra pid ly under Lambe 's d irec tio n. Its three main o bjectives
be ing: 5 Wing A Sq uadro n No.5 fli g ht
No.6 F lig ht
• To prot ec t the cro ss-c han ne l s up p ly rout es of the Britis h B Sq ua dro n 0 .7 F lig ht
Exped itio na ry Fo rce . No .8 Fl ight

• To ha rass e ne m y sub ma rines usin g Be lgi an port s .
• To tak e o ffen si ve actio n aga ins t the channe l e nd o f the
Ge rma n line s.
By m id 191 6. Win g Ca pta in La m be had established I Win g at
Du nke rqu e. 4 Wi ng at Petite Synth c and 5 Wing at C o udc kc rkc ,
Re spon sibiliti es were pri maril y bo mbin g but incl uded
so me fig hte r pat ro ls and reco nna issa nce .
In June 19 16. the tw o flights of A Squadron I Win g mo ved
nea rer to the front at Fum es aerodrome in Bel gium . the sq uad-
ro n qui ck ly becomi ng know n as the " De tac hed Sq ua d ro n" .
The Det ach ed Sq uadro n wa s eq uip ped so le ly w ith icupo rt

/I
 A His!OI:1' olNo.a Sq uadro n Royal Naval Air Service ill lI'o rlt!lI'ar /
single seat sco uts and was the first uniformly equipped squad-
ron in the RNAS. Duc to the close r proximity to the front. the
Detached Squad ron took on new duties of pro viding Frenc h
reco nnaissance and artille ry spotters with fighte r esc ort.
By the autum n of 19 In. the RFC was ex periencing ditfi -
culi ic s on the Sommc. In Oc tober. Wing Captain Lambe agreed
to provide a sq uad ron to assist the RFC. In orde r to ac hieve
this. eac h o f the Dunkerquc Wings co ntributed a Flight of pi-
lots and aircra ft. So pwith Pups from I Wing. Nieuport Scouts
from 4 Wing and Sopwit h 1/2 Strutte rs from 5 Wing. The
A Squad ro n Wing becam e 10 . 1 Sq uadro n
B Squad ron Wing became No.2 Sq uadro n
C Sq uad ron Wing becam e 10 .] Sq uad ro n
A Sq uadro n 5 Wing became No.4 Sq uadro n
B Sq uad ron 5 Wing became 10 .5 Squadron
A Sq uadro n 4 Wing became No.n Sq uadron
B Squ adron 4 Wing became No.7 Squadron
Squa dron o n loan to RFC became No.S Squad ron
These rc-dcs ignations took place from the wee k co mme ncing
20th I ovcmbcr 19 16. although in most cases. no change was
see n at Squadro n level for a number o f weeks.
By the autumn of 1916. the Ge rmans had introd uced the
Albatros DI and Dll tw in gun sco uts. preci pitating a cr isis for
the RFC. Maj o r-Ge ner al Tre nchard reques ted a subs ta ntia l
strengthening of the figh ter squad rons attached to eac h Brit-
ish army. Nothing was done until Decem ber 19 16. when it
rapidly beca me obvio us that any realistic ac tion wou ld be too
late. The Detached Squ adron had proved its value to the RFC
and Trenchard informally approac hed Lambe to discuss the
possibi lity of borrowing fou r more scout squadrons. he re-
qu ired a Triplanc squadron. a Nicuport scout sq uad ron. plus
two more sco ut squadrons. In Decem be r. the War Ofrice made
a formal request to the Ad miralty for the loa n o f fo ur addi-
tiona l fighter squadro ns to ass ist the RFC and mater ial he lp in
thc form of e ngines and ai rcraft.' T he Ad miralty was not in
any real posit io n to refuse, being in the "ove rk i ll" situation o f
having Lam be' s newl y rest ructured sq uadro ns attac hed to
Dunkcrquc, exace rbated by the politica l e mbarrass me nt o f
having been recently " caug ht-out" circumve nting the ag reed
protocols for obtai ning fundi ng for aircr aft.
At the e nd of 19 16. the RNAS Dunkerq ue "Or der of
Buttlc' for landplanc sco ut/fighting squadro ns was as show n
below :
/2
ne wly formed "de tac hed" squadron was act ivated o n the 25th
Oc tobe r 19 16 and was eve ntua lly designated No.8 Squadron
RNAS o r more familiarly " Naval S··. Thi s designat io n did not
co me into effect. howe ve r. until February 1917.
Also in the autu mn. possibly prompted by Maj or-Gen-
eral Tren cha rd' s request to bor row a sco ut sq uad ro n. Lambe
e mbarked upo n another ses sio n otvra tio na lisa tio n" , rearr ang-
ing his ex isting sq uadrons into specialist units and re-labe l-
ling them with sequentia l un ique num bers:
Sco uts
Spotting/ Reco nnaissance
S CO Ul S
Scouts
Bom bers
Scou ts
Bomb ers
Scout s
No. 1 Sq uad ro n: Eq uipped with a mix of Nieuport s and
So pw ith Tri planes at FUrJ1es . In the process or re-equip-
ping with Sopwith Triplancs. Carrying out coa stal pro-
tectio n.
No.3 Sq uad ro n : Initially equipped with Sopw ith I 1/2
St rut ters. to be re-equipped with So pwit h Pups.
No.4 Sq uad ron: Initially eq uipped with Sop with I 1/2
Strut ters . to be re-eq uipped with Sopwi th Pups.
No.6 Sq uad ron : Equipped with a variety of Nieuport 2-
seaters and scouts. To be re-eq uipped with Nieuport 17bis
sco uts.
Det ach ed Sq uad ro n : On secondmc nt to the RFC at Vert
Galant. Equipped with Sopwith Pups. To be renamed No.8
Squadron and re-eq uipped with Sopwith Tri plancs.
From the I aval poi nt of view, five fighter sq uad ro ns. e ven
when fully equipped wo uld not be adeq uate to meet the co m-
mitmen t to the RFC and to provide coastal and fleet protec-
tio n. Lambe therefore e mbarked upon another round of ex-
pansion in 19 17:
 Expansio n o] the RNAS at Dunkerque

No.9 Squadron: No.9 Sq uadro n was form ed at SI. Pol on

Ist February 1917. Initial ly equipped with So pwith Pups
and Nieuports. No.9 Squadron perform ed coastal defence
duties until seco nded to the RFC in Jun e.

No. III Squadron : No. 10 Sq uadron was form ed at SI. Pol

on 12t h February 191 7. Core personn el were taken from
Cranwc ll and Easichurch but late r hea vily reinforced with
ex perienced personn el from the disbanding No.3 Wing.
Initia lly eq uipped with So pwith Tripl ancs, Pe rform ed
coastal defence duti es from Furncs until seco nded to the
RFC at Droglandt on 15th May 19 17.

No. 11 Sq uad ron: Forme d at Petit e Sy nthc on 8th Marc h

19 17 and equipped with ieup ort sc outs. Sop with Pups
and Triplancs. Evidence indicates that No. 11 Squadron
was inte nded to be a scout Squadro n but due to shortage
of pilots and aircraft effe cti vely becam e an Opcrational
Training Unit and Pilots Pool for the other sco ut Squad-
rons. The Sq uadron was eve ntua lly ac tivated in Jul y and
ca lled upon to provide fleet and port protection duti es.

Further ex pansion o f sco ut squadrons too k place in Jun e 191 7

to strengthe n the coas tal defence and trainin g pro vision :

No. 12 Squadron: Formed at Hond sch oot o n 8th Jun e

19 17. se rved prim ari ly as an Operational Trai ning Unit
and Pilots Pool. with so me port de fe nce du ties.
No. 13 Sq uadro n: Formed at SI. Pol o n 30th Jun e 1917 as
the Seaplane Defence Flight with coastal and fl ee t pro-
tccti on duties . Bccn mc the Seaplane Defe nce Squadron
on 23rd Se pte mber 19 17 and No. 13 Squadron o n 15th
Janu ary 19 18. Initially equipped with So pwith Pups.
As stated abo ve, a Detached Sq uad ron had been seco nded to
the RFC s ince the e nd of October 19 16. Th e squadron was
withdraw n back to Dunkerqu c co ntrol early in February 191 7
for re-equippi ng and rea llocat ion o f so me office rs and rat ings
to new squadrons. On the same day. No.3 Sq uadro n came un-
de r RFC co ntrol and too k responsibilit y for both the Detached
Squadron's duties and their aircraft. Sccond mcnt of ava l sco ut
squadrons to the RFC du ring 19 17 took place as shown be-
lo w:
Senior Officer at D unkerque and arch itect of t he RNAS expansion at
Du nkerque,Wing Captain CL Lambe .This photograph was taken during 1918,
Lambe is wearing RAF uniform and hasthe rank of Brigadier General.Courtesy
John Oxley Library
No. 1 Sq uadron : Sec onded to thc RFC o n 15th February
191 7. initia lly bascd at Chipilly. Returned to RNAS co n-
trol on 2nd Nove mber 19 17.
No.3 Squad ron: Seco nded to the RFC and took ove r 0.8
Squadro n's So pw iih Pup aircraft at Vert Ga lant on 3rd
February 19 17. returned to RNAS co ntrol on 18th Jun e
19 17.
0.6 Squadron: Sec onded to the RFC on II th March
191 7. based at La Bell evu e , Disband ed on the 27th Au-
gust 19 17 with the pilots dispersed to other squadro ns
a nd the ai rcraft tran sferred to No . 10 Sq uad ron. No.6
Squad ron would be revived in 19 18 but as a bom bing
squadron.

13
 A Ilistorv o] No.6 Squadron Royal Naval Air Se rvice in World \Var I
No.NSquadron : Brought back unde r RNAS contro l and
retu rned to Dunkcrquc on 3rd February 1917 for rest and
re-equipping with So pwith Triplanes. Seco nded to RFC
on the 29 th March 1917. initiall y based at Auchcl, Re-
turned to RNAS co ntrol on Ist March 1918.
No.9 Squadron : Seconded to RFC on 15th Jun e 1917.
initially based at Flez. Return ed to RNAS co ntrol on 28 th
Se ptember 1917.
No. III Squadron : Seco nded to RFC on 15th May 1917.
initially based at Droglandt. Return ed to RNAS co ntro l
on 27th November 1917.
i'\ OTE
1 Di sc ussio ns betwee n Tr enc hard a nd La mbe, late r for mally ra ised at the
30lh meeting o ft he Ai r Board . o n I l th Decembe r 1'!1 6 . rcf A Di\t I /X44'! .
When the new RNAS sco ut squadrons started to form in late
19 16. Lambe's intenti on was to maintain a squadron strength
o f 20 pilots. Howe ver. losses sustained by the squadrons se rv-
ing on the Western Front were co nside rably higher than the
RNAS had previously ex perienced. With a much lowe r re-
cr uiting intake than the RFC. the RNAS found it impossib le
to keep their squadro ns staffed at their optimum level. On
numerous occ asions new recr uits were thrown into the fray
with no time allowed for adj ustment. the inevitable outco me
depleti ng num bers e ve n further. For much of 1917. squadron
strength hovered around a core of 15 pilots. so metimes drop-
ping as low as 10 01' II .
By August 1917. it had become apparent that the R lAS
co uld not support five sco ut squadrons on the Weste rn Front
and on 27th August 19 17. No.6 Squadro n and No. 11 Squad-
ron were disbanded. their pilots and So pwith Ca mel airc raft
dispersed to rei nforce other squadrons.
 C HAPTER rwo

FORMAT IO N

o.4 Wing was for med du ring the week e nding 11th O fficers o f the Royal laval Air Service" record s the change

N Oc to ber 19 15 fro m the Eas tc hurc h based No.4

Squadron as part o f Wing Ca ptain Lam be's initial
expansion of the R lAS prese nce at Dunkc rquc. The new Wing
in the issue dated 27 th I ovc mbcr 19 16. Th ere was no imme-
diate change to the squadro n structure ho we ver. during De-
ce mber 1916 and most of January 19 17. the squadron still of-
set up its headqu arters at Petite Sy nthe in April 19 16 under ficially co mprised a flight of scout pilots and a flight of bomb er
the co mmand of Sq uadron Co mmande r C L Courtney. Add i- pilots. New pilo ts and ad mini strat ive officers were drafted in
tiona l pilots and aircraft we re d rafted in and by mid Jun e 19 16 to the sq uadron tow ard s the e nd o f Janu ar y 191 7 but it was
the Wing co mprised 10 . 1 Squadro n and No.2 Squadron These not until the 5t h February 191 7 issue of the Disposit ion List
names were changed to A Squadro n and B Squadro n duri ng that the sq uadro n structure was offi cia lly re ported as bei ng
Ju ly. co mposed o f two flights o f scout pilots.
Both A and B Sq uad rons were. in effec t. multi-ro le squad- The date of the 5th/6 th Feb ruar y 191 7 is significa nt as
rons. A Squad ro n comprised 1 0.9 and No. 10 Flights equipped the 6th is the first day that a Daily Oper ations Report was
with scout and bombin g machines respec tive ly and B Sq uad-
ron co mprised No. 11 and No. 12 Fligh ts which were similarly
equipped. To add to the confusio n. the re were a lso A and B
Squadrons attached to both 0. 1 Wing and No.5 Wing at the
same time . As discussed in C hapter I. towards the e nd of 19 16
Wing Captain Lambe instigated a final rationali sation of the
squadrons in the Dunkerqu c Co mmand. aim ed at enabling eac h
squadron to function independe ntly. ta ilor ing eac h sq uadro n
to a spec ific funct ion and employ ing the structure of un iquely
numb ered sq uadrons used by the Royal Flying Cor ps. Whilst
the ch angeo ve r da te for most of the squad rons can be deter-
mined with a fair degree of co nfide nce . the acti vatio n date for
No.6 Squadron is more diffi cult to determine.
It is know n that the squadron name officially changed from
A Squ adro n to No.6 Squad ron du ring the week precedi ng the
Petite Synthe Aerodrome. situated on the eastern outskirts of Dunkerque. the
27 th love mber 19 16. the wee kly publicatio n " Dispositio n o f headquarters and base of 0.4 Wing RNAS. Courtesy)MBIGSL ColleGian

15
 A llisto rv of No .6 Squadro n Roval Naval A ir Se rvice ill World \\1Ir /

re lea sed in the nam e of '0 .6 Squadron and sig ned by the Thi s ba la nce of o ffic ia l a llocatio n of pi lot s did not c ha nge s ig-
sq uad ro n's ne w commandi ng office r. SCd r II Petre. A ll Op- ni ficantl y throu gh ou t December 19 16 and Ja nuar y 191 7 a l-
e ra tio ns Reports pr ior to the 6t h Fe b rua ry we re re leased by tho ugh man y of the pilot s wer e swa ppe d a bo ut be tw een the
'0 04 Wing and sig ned by Win g Capta in Court ney. tw o sq uadrons from week to week . Sev e ra l ne w pi lot s were
Fo r the purpose s o f this wo rk . it has bee n dec ided to re - trans ferred to 004 Wing at the e nd o f Ja nua ry suc h tha t o n
ga rd the 2 7th Nove m be r 191 6 as the da te thai A Sq uad ro n was 5th Fe brua ry No .6 Sq uad ro n had the fo llo w ing co m pos itio n:
ren am ed No .6 Sq uadro n and the 6t h February 19 17 as the da te
that No. 6 Squadro n was ac tiva ted as a fun ctiona l and ind e- SC d r JJ Petre. C o m ma nd ing Offi cer
pendent sco ut sq uadro n. Th e in terim period be tw een the se SL ( RI V R) W To dd. Armam ent s O fficer
dates was mo stly de vot ed to prac tice fly in g an d pil ot eva lua-
tion . a ltho ug h ve ry oc cas io na l so lo fig hti ng pa tro ls we re ca r- A Fli gh t
ried o ut. Win g Co m ma nde r Court ney exc ha nge d pilo ts be- FCd r CT M acLare n. Fli ght Com ma nde r
twee n No .6 and No .7 Sq uad ron s on a week ly basi s d urin g FLt B HP De Ro e per
Dece m ber 191 6 and J anu ar y 19 17. th is occ urred so o fte n tha t FLt LC Keebl e
it' s prob abl y bett e r to say th at ce rta in pilo ts we re attac hed to FS L GL Ha rtgi ll
0 04 W ing ra ther tha n try ing to pin the m do wn to a ny pa rtic u- FSL ldeC Pay nte r
lar sq ua d ro n. FSL GP Po wle s
Th e struc ture o f No A Win g' s two sq ua d ro ns on the 27 th
j ovc mbcr 19 16 was a s fo llows : B Flight
FCdr ADW A lle n. Flig ht Com ma nde r
No.6 Sq uad ron FLt C L Ba ile y
A Flig h t FSL G C W D ingwa ll
FLt AD W A lle n. Flig ht Co m ma nde r FSL RR Winte r
FSL C Pe rrett FS L R K S la te r
FS L C L Ba iley ) - scout p ilo ts FSL VR Gi bbs
FS L WHR Brown
It is the autho r 's imp ressi on th at d urin g December a nd Ja nu-
C Flig h t ar y. Win g Comm a nde r Court ney d id not regard his pilo ts as
FLt FT Digb y. Fli ght Co m ma nde r be lo ng in g spec if ica lly to No .6 o r to No .7 Squadron s but to
FSL RE Darnton the 004 Win g sco ut pi lot re source a nd bomber pil ot resource .
FSL A HV Flet c her ) - bo mbe r pilots The sudde n fo rma l ration a lisat ion o f sco ut pilots in to 1 0.6
FSL VE Sievek ing Sq uad ro n and bombe r pi lot s into No .7 Sq ua d ro n at the begi n-
FSL LW O rmerod ning of February 19 17 g ives adde d we igh t to the sugg es tio n
tha t No .6 Squadron was ac tiv ated o n the 6th Febru ary 191 7.
No.7 S q ua d ro n T he Squ adro n's initi a l scout pro visi on com p rise d fo ur
A Fligh t Nie uport 12s. tw o Iic upo rt lOs a nd a lic upo rt II s ing le-se at
FLt CT Macl.ar cn . Flig ht Com ma nder scout. Severa l of the N ie uport 10 a nd Nie upo rt 12 mac hin es
FSL G L Hart g ill wer e sing le-seat con ver sion s. A furth er five Nieu port I I sco uts
FSL J A Shaw ) - scout pil o ts s low ly fi lte red in from the d epot at Dunk crque duri ng Ja nuar y
FS L G C W D ingwa ll a nd th e ea rly pa rt o f February 19 17 .
Whi lst No .6 Sq ua d ro n wa s in its fo rma tiv e stage d uring
C F lig h t Dec e mbe r 191 6 an d Jan uary 191 7 se ve ra l Caud ro n G. IV 2-
FLt HG Brackley. Flig ht Co m ma nde r se ate rs wer e attac he d to the sq ua d ro n.
FSL C H Darl ey It was intended that wh en No.6 Sq uad ro n was o pe rat io na l
FSL A L T ho rne ) - bo mb er pi lot s it would be eq uip ped wi th the Nie upo rt 17Bi s. powe red by a
FSL G P Po wle s C te rgc t 13 0 h p e ngi ne a nd a r m a me n t co nsist ing o f a
FS L A Frau en feld er sy nc h ro n ise d Vick e rs g un firing throu gh the propel ler a rc .

/6
 Fo rmat ion

combined with a Lewis gun mounted on the top wing. The FSL WH R Brow n N ic uport 10 scrial3 185
first 17Bis was del ive red on the 1st Feb ruary 1917 and whilst 63 min ute prac tice fligh t
o ne mo re was de liv ered on the 24th Feb rua ry, it was not until FLt ADW A lle n Nic uport 12 se ria l 87 12
March that the new model began to arri ve in significant nurn - 15 minute tcst flight
hers. FLt ADW Alle n Nicuport 12 sc rial 8734
20 minute tcst flight
overnber 1916 with LM Wchb
As related abo ve. the ass umption ha s bee n mad e that the train - FLt CT Macl. arcn Nicuport 10 scrial 3 185
i ll g and slaj}illg of No.6 Sq uadro n com me nced Oil the 271h 30 minute practice flight
No vember / 9/ 6. By this da le. both A and B Squ ad rons had FSL .JA Shaw Nicu port 10 serial 3965
II I II/ OSI completc lv ceased ca rryi ng out wa rjligltt» and started 15 minut e practice flight
to co nce ntrate UI W Il p racti ce and testflight », FSL WHR Brown 1 icuport 10 serial 3 185
20 minute practi ce flight
27t h Novem ber FSL LW O mcro d Caudron se rial 9 119
FLt Allcn with FSL Hartgil l as passcn gc r flew 1 icup ort 12 2- 30 minute pract ice flight
se ate r X74 1 to 0.5 Wing at C o udc kc rkc and re turned with FSL RE Darnton Caudron se rial 9 119
two singlc-scurc r Nicuport 12s. n os and X7 12, 15 minute practice flight
nf uvou rabl c weather co nditions prev ented any other fl y- FSL A 1-1 V Fle tcher Caudron serial 9 120
ing du ring the day. 36 minut e tcst flight
with A1\1 Morgan
2Nt h Novem ber
FLt Allen ca rried out a fightin g patro l to Zccbruggc at 13.15 29th Novem be r
in Nieuport II serial 8746 . Allen pat rol led around Zccb ruggc nfavourab lc weather conditions prevented any flying dur-
for 40 minutes but no e nemy aircra ft were enco untered. I-I c ing the day.
re ported that a train was observed e ntering Ostcnd e at 13.40.
T hree Nicuport 12s were co llec ted from the Depot at BELOW: Nieuport 10 serial 3185 was on the squadron strength from the 27th
Dunkcrq uc, Hartgill co llected 8726. Perret co llected 85 12 and November 1916 0 the 3rd February 1917 on which date it was crashed and
written off by FSLVR Gibbs.This machine was converted to single seat configu-
Shaw co llected 920 6. ration by sheeting over the forward cockpit. There does not appear to have
been a standardised method of carrying out the conversron, 3185 being some-
The rcst of the day was given ove r to tcst and practice
what unusual in having the cladding taper up from the firewall to the pilot's
flight s: cockpit. Author's collection

/7
 A Histo ry o!No.6 Squadron Royal Na\'{/I Air Service ill \\'orld \\'ar I

30th Novem be r FLl ADW Allen ' ieuport 12 serial 87 12

nfavourable weather co nditions prev ented any flying dur- 15 minute test flight
ing the day. FSL CL Bailey l ic upn rt 10 serial 3962
15 minute test flight
FSL LW Omerod Caudro n se rial 9 119
10 minute practice flight
December 1916
Bad weath er durin g Decem ber se riously int erfered with 5th Decemb er
Courtney's training and pi/Of asse ssme nt programm e. Unfavourable wea ther conditions prevented any flying dur-
ing the day.
1st to 3rd December
Unfavo urable weather co nditions prevented any flyi ng activ- 6th Dec emb er
ity. FLl Allen ca rried out a fighting patrol at 10.00 in Nieuport I I
8746. He patro lled to Ostende in search of a host ile kite bal-
4th Dece mber loon. which was reported to have broke n loose but failed to
Twelve test and practice flight s were ca rried out: find it.
Later in the day. Allen trave lled to the Dep ot where he
FSL JA Shaw ieup ort 10 serial 3965 ca rried out a 35 min ute test flight in a SPAD V I I serial 96 11
I I minute prac tice fligh t on beh alf of loA Wing.
FSL GL Hartgill Nie uport 10 serial 3962 Four test and practice flights were carried out during the
15 minute practice fligh t day:
FSL CL Bailey Nicuport 12 serial 87 12
15 minute practice flight FSL C Perrett 1 icup ort 12 serial 85 12
FSL GC W Dingwa ll N ieuport 12 serial 8712 20 minute test flight
20 minute practice flight FSL W HR Brown Nieupo rt 10 serial 3 185
FLt CT Macl. arcn Nieupo rt 10 serial 3 185 35 minute practice flight
25 minu te practice flight FLl CT Macl.arcn Nieuport 10 seria 13 185
FSL W HR Brow n icup ort 10 serial 3 185 20 minute pract ice flight
20 minute practice flight FLt ADW Allen Nieuport II serial 8746
FSL C Perrett ieuport 12 serial 85 12 10 minute practice fligh t
12 minute test flight
FLl ADW Allen Nieuport II serial 8746
20 minute test flight BELOW:The Caudron G IV bomber SIX of t hese aircra ft were inheri ted from
A Squadro n and remained on No.6 Squadro n's charge unti l Januar y 19I 7.Th is
FLt ADW Allen Nieuport 10 serial 3962
particular machine was photogra phed with N o.5 Wing at Coudekerke. Cour-
13 minute test flight tesyJMBIGSL Collection

18
 Format ion
7th Decem be r
I IV C tes t and practice n igh ts were carried out:
I I.t CT Mac Laren N icuport 10 se rial 3 185
15 minute test n igh t
I'SL G L Hartgill Nicuport 10 se rial 3962
15 m i nut e test n igh t
"S L C L Bailey licuport 10 se rial 3962
35 m in ut e practi ce n igh t
"S L JA Shaw Nicuport 10 se ria l 3965
5 minute pract ice !ligh t
I L t CT Macl. arcn Iieuport 10 se rial 3 185
15 min ute tcst n igh t
Ht h to 10th December
Unfavourable wea the r co nditions preve nted a ll fl yin g.
I Ith De ce m ber
Four pilots ca rried o ut a 30 minute form ation practice:
FS L G L I-I artgill Nicupon 12 se rial 9206
FS L GC W Dingwall Nicupo rt 12 se rial 87 12
FS L JA Shaw Nicupor t 10 se rial 3 185
FS L C L Bailcy Nieupor t 10 se rial 3962
Ele vcn tcst and practice ni ghts we re carrie d out:
FLt Allen lic uport 12 se rial 8734
15 minute practice ni gh t
and CPO Gott
FS L GCW Dingw all lic uport 10 se rial 3962
35 minute practice ni gh t
FS L .f A Shaw Nicupo rt 10 se rial 3 185
40 minute practice n igh t
FLt CT MacL arcn Nicuport 12 se rial 872 6
35 minute tcst ni ght
FS L C L Bailey Nicuport 12 seria l 87 12
40 min ute test fli ght
FS L C Perre n Nieuport 12 se ria l 85 12
36 minute test n ight
FS L C Perret t Nicuport 12 se rial 872 6
10 minute practice n ight
FS L RE Darlton Ca udron se rial 9 130
42 minute prac tice n ight
with PO C larkc
/9
FS L VE Sicvck ing Ca udron serial 9 113
30 minute pract ice n ight
FS L LW O rmero d Ca udron se ria l 9 119
25 m in ute pra ct ice ni gh t
FLt FT Digb y Ca udron seria l 9 121
35 m in ute tcst n ight
12th Dec ember
Unfavourable weat her co nditions preven ted a ll fl yin g.
13th De cember
Eight test and pract ice n ights were carried o ut during the day:
FS L C Perrett Nicupo rt 12 se ria l 872 6
6 mi nute practice n ig ht
FLt A DW Allen Nicupo rt 12 serial 8734
20 minute tcst ni ght
and FLt CT MacL arcn
FS L G L Harigill Nicupo rt 12 serial 87 12
15 minute pract ice n ig ht
FLt CT Mac Larcn Nicupo rt 10 serial 3 185
20 minute tcst ni ght
FS L C L Bailcy Nieupo rt 12 serial 9206
50 minute tcst n ight
FS L GC W Dingwall Nieupo rt 10 se rial 3962
15 minute practice n ight
FLt A DW Allen Nieupo rt I I se rial 8746
40 minute test ni ght
FS L .fA Shaw Nicupo rt 10 seria l 3 185
25 min ute practice ni ght
14th December
Four tcst n igh ts were carried out:
FLt AD W Allen Nicuport 12 serial 8726
20 minute test n ight
FLt A DW Allen lieuport II seria l 8746
35 minut e speed test
FS L GL !'!arlgill Nicupo rt 12 serial 87 12
35 minu te speed test
FLt ADW Allen Nicupo rt II se rial 8746
15 minute test n ight
15th December
Unfavo urable weather co nditions prevented all fl y ing.
 II History of No .6 Squadron Royal Na\'(/I A ir Servi ce in lVorld mlr I

16th December FSL GL Hartg ill 1 ieuport I() se ria l 39 62

Three tes t and pract ice fli gh ts wer e carried o ut: 25 minute pract ice fli ght
FSlJA Shaw 1 ie upo rt I() se ria l 3965
FSl Gl Hartg ill N ie upo rt I() se ria l 3962 30 minute prac tice fli ght
15 minute pr actice flight FLt ADW All en Nie upo rt II se ria l 8746
FLt A D\\' A lle n Nie upo rt I() se ria l 396 5 30 minute pr acti ce fli g ht
15 minute test flig ht FLt ADW A lle n SPAD V II se ria l 96 11
FLt A D\\' Al len Nie upo rt 12 se ria l 8734 25 minu te test fli g ht
35 minute test flight
with AM Bentley 19th Decemb er
Two tes t an d pra ctice fligh ts wer e ca rried o ut:
17th December
At 13 .3 5 . S haw c a r r ie d o ut a fi g h ti ng patrol betw e e n Flt AD\\' A llen S PA D V II se ria l 9 6 11
Dunk e rquc and Nie upo rt in Nie up o rt 10 3965 , T he pat rol was 55 mi nute test flight
une ve ntful and S haw had no th ing to repo rt. FSL VE S iev ek ing C a ud ro n se ria l 9 113
Two test and pra ctice flig hts wer e carried o ut: 15 m inute practi ce flight

FLt CT Ma claren lic upo rt I I se ria l 874 6 20t h December

FLt A D\\' All en
I Sth Dece m ber
Si x te st an d pr acti ce fli gh ts we re c arried o ut:
FLt A D\\' All en
FLt CT M aclaren
20 minute pra ctice flig ht
SPAD V II se ria l 96 11
25 minute te st fli ght
Sopwi th se ria l 93 43 '
20 minute practi ce fli ght
Nieuport I I se ria l 8746
35 m inute pra cti ce flight
Fo urt een test a nd pra ctice fl ight s wer e car ried o ut:
FLt C T Maclar en 1 ie up ort I I se ria l 87 46
50 minute total practi ce
F Lt CT Maclar en N ieupo rt II seri a l 87 46
BELO W : SPA D S7,serial 961 I underw ent Type Trials with 0.4 Wing during
Dece mber 191 7 and whilst at Petite Synthe was flow n exclusively by FLt ADW
A llen. For reasons unknown, the SPAD was supplied to the RNAS wi th the
incor rect serial N 3399 as depicted here, thrs was changed at the SI. Pol depo t
to the correct serial.FLt Alle n flew 961 I to Eastchurch on the 24th Decem ber
19 16 w here it underw ent further evaluation by the D esign Flight under the
superv ision o f Squadron Commander Harr y Busteed. Courtesy C&CJ Archive

20
 Forma tion

FS L .lA Shaw Nie uport 10 seria l 3 185 Seve n practice flight s were carried out:
14 minute pract ice flight
FLt ADW Allen Nicuport II se rial 8746 FSL G L Harigill Nieupo rt 10 serial 3962
20 minute pract ice flight 15 minut e pract ice flight
FSL .lA Shaw Nie upo rt 10 se rial 39 65 FSL .lA Shaw Nieuport 10 serial 3965
25 minut e practi ce flight 20 minute pract ice flight
S PAD VII serial 96 11 FSL .lE Ruth ven Ca ud ro n se rial 9 120
160 minut e total test flight s 64 minute total pract ice flight s
FLt A DW Alle n S PAD VII se rial 96 11 FSL .lE Ruth ven Ca ud ro n ser ial 9 120
FS L RE D arnton Caudron se rial 9 130 FSL RE Darnton Ca ud ro n seria l 9 130
35 minute practice flight 38 minute pract ice flight
with FSL .lE Ruth ven with FS L RB Frame
FS L LW O mcro d Caudron se ria l 9 119 FSL LW O mcrod Caudro n serial 9 119
55 minute total practice flights 20 minu te practice flight
FS L LW O mcrod Caudro n seria l 9 119
FS L RE Darn to n Caudron seria l 9 130 25t h December
40 minute practice flight Unfavourable wea ther co nditio ns prevented all flying ac tiv-
with LM Scotcher ity.
FSL VE Sievek ing Caudro n se ria l 9 113
75 minut e practi ce flig ht 26t h December
with A M Wal ker Five practi ce flight s were carried out:
FS L .lE Ruth ven Ca udro n serial 9 120
120 minut e total test flights FS L CL Bai ley Nicuport 10 se rial 3962
FS L .I E Ruthven Caudron se ria l 9 120 40 minute practice flight
FS L .lE Ruth ven Caud ron se rial 9 120
2 1st December 42 minute practi ce flight
Unfavourable weather conditions prevent ed a ll flying activ- FSL VE Sievek ing Caud ro n se rial 9 123
it y, 40 minute practice flight
FS L RE Damron Caudron se rial 9 130
22nd December 80 minute practice flight
Two practice flights we re carried out: FS L LW Ornerod Caudron se rial 9 119
35 minut e practice flight
FLt CT Macl.a re n Nieuport II se rial 874 6
30 minut e practice flight 27t h Dece m her
FS L G L Hart gill Nieupo rt 10 se rial 3965 Six conventional test and pract ice flight s were carried out:
10 minu tes practi ce flig ht
FLt CT Macl. arc n Nieuport II se rial 87 46
23 r d Dece m her 35 minute practice flight
Unfavourable weather conditio ns prevent ed all flying activ- FS L GCW Dingw all ieup ort 12 se rial 872 6
ity. 30 minut e pract ice flight
FS L GC W Dingw all Nicuport 12 se rial 9206
24t h Dece m her 45 mi nute practice flight
FLt Al len delivered the S PAD VII to Eastchurch at 10.50 . FS L RE Darnton Caud ron se rial 9 130
FSL Bailey was perfo rming duties at the Depot and fer- 35 minute practi ce flight
rie d Sopw i i h T rip la ne 154 25 fro m Sopwi tb's faci lit y at with LiVI Blank sby
Brooklands back to Dover.

2/
 II History {if No .6 Sq uadron Royal Nava l A ir Service ill Worltl ll'l/r /

FSL VE Sicvcki ng Caudron serial 9 123 ca rried 0 11I ill the Nic upott 10 an d Ni cu po n 12 machines.
35 minute pract ice fligh t building up 10 [li ght s ill the Nieupo rt II sco uts. Thi s su rmi se
with LM Dell is suppo rted hy the logbook o] N ell' Ze aland pil ot FSL GL
FSL RE Dam ron Caudron serial 9 130 I-Ia rtg ill. Mu ch o] Geo rge Hart g ill's previo us experience 1\'(/.1'

15 min ute test flight after repair
with A~v1 Marsha ll
Two formation practice flights were carried out:
30 minute formation practice
FSL C L Bailey Nieuport 10 se rial 3962
FSL C Pe rrett Nieuport 10 se rial 3 185
FSL JA Shaw Nieuport 10 serial 3965
FSL GL I-I artgill Nieuport 12 serial 8734
with LM Stonebridge
ga ined ill Caudron bombers and the Ni eupo rt Iypes 10 and
12. H is co ntinuing progres s with the small er sco ut typ e o]
mach ine call he [o 1101 Fed below.
2nd .lunuury
Local practice fligh t at )3,45 in ieuport 10 serial 3962 . Air-
borne for 30 minutes at 3000 feet.
5t h J a nuary
Local practice flight in I ieuport 10 se rial 3962. Airborne for
20 minutes at 2000 feet.

40 minute formation practice 7th J anu a r y

FSL GL Hartgill Nieu port 10 serial 396 2 Local practice flight in Nieupo rt 10 serial 3962. Airborne for
FSL JA Shaw Nie uport 10 serial 3965 45 minutes at 4000 feet.
FSL C L Bailey Nicuport 12 serial 8734
FSL C Perrett Nicuport 10 serial 3 185 11 th J anuary
Local pract ice fligh t in ' ie uport I I serial 8746 . Airborne for
FSL Bailey led the first formation a nd I-I artgilil ed the seco nd. 20 minutes at 3000 feet. I-I artgill recorded that this was his
I-I artgill reported that as a leader he fle w too fast. first time in a Bebc and that he thought it was a " fine bus" .

2Xt h December 14th January

Two test and practice flights were carried out: Local practice flight in Nieuport I I se rial 399 1. Airborne for
35 minutes at 5000 feet.
FLt CT i\lacLare n and Nicuport 12 serial 8734 Squadro n for mation practice carried out at 3000 feet for
25 minute test fligh t 20 min utes. Hartgill aga in fle w Nieuport II serial 399 1.
FSL C L Bailey
FSL RE Darn ton Caudron serial 9 130 29th J a nu a r y
25 minute practice flight Loca l practice flight in Nie uport I I se rial 3988. Airborne for
65 minutes at 6000 feet. Harrgill recor ded that he made two
29t h to 31st Decem ber bad land ings. bendi ng the ax le the first time and hittin g the
Unfavourable wea ther conditions pre vented all flying acti v- road on his seco nd landi ng.
iiy.
Towa rds the end of Jan uary. AFCdr JJ Petre. a high ly experi-
e nced office r from I Wing was transferred to 4 Wing to take
command of No.6 Squadron.
.J a nuary 1917
There are 110 surviving dai ly reco rds [ro m Janu ary 19 17 fo r
No. "; Willg/ No.6 Sq uadro n, ho wever. it is su rmised that they
[o llowrd a simi ia rpatt crnto tha! see n durin g December 19 16 Fe brua ry 1917
and illdee d the /)(1 II em [a llowed by other lIel\' sco ut squad - Februa ry sa \l' the pace o] activity accelerating , act iva tion of
rons whilst working up 10 readiness. Th is would invo lve the No .6 Squ ad ron. 111'\1' p ilots bro ugh t O il stre ng th and exp ans ion
less experienced pilots II/ akillg local practice fl ig hts. initi ally to th ree [ lig hts, contact with enemy aircraft, the comme nce -
 Forma tion

m cnt ojre-cquipp ing with ne w a irc raft and the sq ua d ron 'sfirst 2nd February
Iti S S i' S . FLt Allen Icd Dingwall, Paynter and Bai ley o n an offens ive
Tlie jlig ht stru cture at th e beg inn ing ofFebruury is shown patrol at IOAO. The patrol was flown from Poperi nghe to Ypres,
be lo w: east to Roul ers, then Tho urout and returning to thc north of
Dixmu dc. Paynter o bserved severa l hostil e machine s in the
fI Fli ght vicinity of Moors lede.
fI /·-Cd r C T Macl.aren, Flight COII/II/a nde r ASCdr Pet re ca rrie d out a height tcst and fighting patrol
FLt IJ/-fP De Roep er to Dixmude and Pc rv yse in N icu po rt 1713i s N3 184 . When re-
FLt LC Keebl e turnin g he observ ed antiaircraft fire over Nieuport. before he
FS L G L Ha rtgill co uld investigate. N3 184 ran out of fue l and Pe tre mad e a
FS L .I .t«: Paynter forced landin g on the beach at La Pan ne. The Nieupo rt was
FS L G P Pm \' 11'.1' refuelled by NO. 1 Squadron.
FS L C L Tho m e Petr e recorded the following test resul ts:

n Flight C limb 1000 feet in 45 seconds

FLt fl D \I' A llen , Fl igh t COII/ II/ {///{Ier 40 00 feet in 3 minut es
FLt C L Ba iley 10000 feet in 8 minutes
FS L GC\I' D ing wall 15000 feet in 15 minut es
FS L RR \l'illl er 20000 feet in 50 minutes
FS L RK Sla ter
FS L vs Gibbs Ce iling 23000 feet

1st Feb r ua ry FCd r Ma cLa rc n del iver ed N ic uport 10 396 5 to the newl y
T he squadron' s first N icu po rt 1713 is. se ria l num ber N3 184. form ed No.9 Squadron at St.Po l.
arrived o n the l st, together with a co uple of old N ieuport II Se ve n pract ice and tcst fligh ts were carrie d out during the
machines. Nicupo rt II serial num ber 399 1 was returned to day:
thc depot for rep air.
A fightin g patrol was ca rried out by Mac Lare n and Win- FSL AL T hornc Nicuport II se rial 3988
ter, both pilots flyin g Nieuport II sco uts. T he route flown was 20 min ute practice flight
from Nicuport to Dixmudc and Yprcs. Heavy anti-aircraft fire FS L AL T ho rne Nicuport II serial 3988
was ex pe rie nce d ove r Yprcs and two e ne my ai rcraft we re e n- 25 minute practi ce flight
countered. Th ese retreated in the dire ction of Roulc rs when FSL AL T hornc Nieuport 10 se rial 3962
app roac hed . 30 minute practi ce flight
Allen co llected Nieuport II se rial 3987 from the depot, FSL AL T hor ne Nieu po rt 12 se rial 9206
whilst there he carried ou t a num ber o f test flight s on Sopw ith 10 minut e practice flight
Pups and Tri plancs. FSL LW O rm e rod Nicuport 12 se rial 9205
Thr ee prac tice flight s were carried out: 15 minut e pract ice flight
FSL VR G ibbs Nicuport 10 se rial 3962
FS L VR G ibbs Nicuport 10 se ria l 3962 25 minute practi ce flight
95 minute practi ce flight FS L VR Gibbs Nicuport 10 serial 3962
FSL C L Th orn e Nicuport 10 se ria l 3 185 30 minute practice flight
II minut e prac tice flight
ASCd r .1.1 Petre Nieuport II se ria l 3689 3rd February
55 minut e practi ce flight. shooting at fire balloon s. He de- Bailey ca rrie d out a patro l at 07.20 to search for missin g air-
stroycd two balloo ns and collided with a thir d. c ra ft. He wa s ab le to locat e a So pw ith 5 mil es west of
Dunkerquc, 10 yards out from the shore , a Caudron on thc

23
 A llisto rv of No.6 Squadron Royal Na\'(/I A ir Service ill \\'orld 1I'llr I

sands at Malo and an unattended Sopwith fl oating in the sca

betwe en Mal o and La Pann c . T he Ca ud ro n be lo nge d to
Sic vcki ng o r No.7 Squadron who had part icipated in a bomb-
ing raid to Brugcs o n the night o r the 2nd/3 rd Fe bruary but
had mad e a forc ed land ing on the beach at Malo upon his re-
turn .
Dingwall and Payn ter carried out a righting patrol at 10.10
in resp on se to repo rts of an ene my ma ch ine o ve r Hondschootc.
Heavy she lling was obse rved but the pilots were unab le to
rind the hostil e mach ine. Th e pa tro l wa s co ntinued o ve r
A lvcrin g hc m . Nic uport. Ostcnd c. Zccbru ggc . Bru gcs and
Dixmude. I 0 e nemy aircraft were enco untered but obse rva-
tions of train mo vem ent s and shi pping wer e ca rried o ut.
FLt Norto n ca rried out a righ ting patro l at 11 .00 and re-
port ed tha t the coast was c lear o r shipping as l ur as Ostc ndc.
FCd r Petre carried out a rightin g pat rol at 14500 ft in thc
Nicuport 17Bis du ring the mornin g. 10 enemy aircraft or ship-
ping were obse rved. On his retu rn, Pet re carri ed out a spced
tcst along the beac h.
Six pract ice and test flights we re carri ed out:

FSL A L Th orn e Nicuport I I serial 8746

40 minute pra c tic e n ig ht
FSL C L Bailcy j ie uport II scria l 398 1
40 minute pra ctice ni ght
FSL RR Winter Nieuport II se rial 8746
65 minu te practice ni gh t N o.6 Squadro n's Com manding O fficer; Acti ng Squadro n Com mander John
Joseph Petre.jack Pet re was a very expe rienced and capable officer;broug ht in
FS L RR Wintc r Nicuport I I serial 3987
from N o.1 Wing 0 lead N o,6 Squadron. Courtesy Les Rogers
30 minute practi ce n ight.
firing at fire ba lloo ns A practice form atio n patrol was ca rried out :
FSL VR Gibbs Nicuport 10 serial 3 185
30 minu te pract ice fligh t 20 minute lo rmatiou
FSL VR Gibbs Nic uport 10 serial 3 185 FCdr CT 1\1acL arcn Nicuport I I serial 3989
30 minute practice n ig ht. cras hed . FCd r EW Nort on Nieuport II se rial 3994
FS L RR Winter Nicuport II sc rial 3987
G ibbs cras hed and wrecked Nieuport 10 se rial 3 185. He was
subseque ntly " was hed out" o n sco uts and transferred to No.7 5t h Fe brua ry
Squadron. Unfavourable weather co nditions restrictcd act i vity to test and
practice flight s:
-lth Fe bruary
Dingwall and Bailey carried o ut a rig hting patro l at 15.30 in FCd r AD W Allen I ieuport 17Bis serial j 3 184
respo nse to an ene my machine repo rted to bc ove r Calais. 40 minut e tcst ni ght
Din gw all c lim bed to 10.500 It a nd pat ro lled betw een FCdr A DW Allen I icuport I I serial 3989

Dunkc rquc and Gra vc lincs. visibil ity was very bad and no 15 minute tcst flig ht
hostilc mach ines were ob served . Bailey round that mist roil- FCdr A DW Allen Nicuport I I serial 3989
ing in from the sea obsc ured the ground and he was forced to FS L JdcC Paynter Nicupo rt I I serial 398 1
cut his patrol sho rt.

24
 Formation

20 minute form ation practice ity of Dun kcrqu c. Allied anti-a ircra ft fire was obse rved but
FSL G P Po wles 1 icuport II se rial 3987 the enemy mach ines were not encounte red.
FSL RR Winter Nieuport I I se rial 3994 Petre and Bailey carried out another hostile aircra ft pa-
FS L AL Thorn e Nieuport I I se rial 8746 trol at 12.45 upon report s of hostil e aircraft at Cala is and
G ravelines. Th e two ieuports patrolled in the vicinity of
6t h Feh r ua r y D unk crq uc but failed to sec any ene my mach ines.
ASCdr Pet re filed 0.6 Squadro n' s first Dail y Operations Petre ca rried out further tests with the icuport 17 Bis at
Report o n the 6th and it is assumed that Wing Co mmander Fumes when he reported that the Tripl anc. flown by FLt Alle n
Courtney finally regarded the squadron as bein g activated . and the 1 icu port were found to have an iden tica l cl imb rate to
Nieupo rt II serial 3994 arrived from the de pot . 15.00 0 feet but the trip lane was 4 knots faste r in le vel flight at
In the afte rnoon. FLt Norton led Th orne. Winter and Slater. that altitude. In a dive. the N ieuport was fou nd to be sig nifi-
all flying Nieuport II s, on a fig hting patrol bet ween Ypres. ca ntly better than the trip lane but in manoeu vrabil ity. neither
Dixmude and Nieuport . Th e patrol reported a train leaving machine showed any adva ntage.
Osic ndc at 14 .50. another train leaving Ghistc lles at 14.57 and
the coast [0 be clear of enemy shipping as far as Blankcnbcrghc. Slh February
FLt Allen travelled to the depot at St. Pol where he car- Six fighting pat rols were flown in the Yprcs, Dixrnudc and
ried out test flight s on two So pwith Pups and two Nieupo rt 12 Nieuport area :
2-seater machines.
SCd r Petr e fle w the Iicuport 17Bi s to No. 1 Sq uadron at FLt EW lorton Nicuport 17B is seria l I 3 184
Fumes for a series o f co mparative tests with Sopw ith Tri plane FLt 13 1-11' Dc Roepe r Nieuport I I se rial 8747
I 54 26. He initially found that the Nieuport had a significantly FLt LC Keeble Nic uport II se rial 3989
better climb. reachin g 10.000 feet by the time that the triplane FSL GC W Dingw all Nieuport II se rial 8746
had ascended to 8.200 feet. Unfo rtunately. the test co nditio ns FSL RK Slater N ic uport 12 se rial 9205
we re not recorded . so we do not know whether the aircraft FS L RR Winter N ic uport II seria l 3tJ tJo4
we re arm ed .
FLt EW Norton. whilst patrollin g ove r Houthulst Forest at
7th Feb r ua ry 18000 feel. e ncountered an Aviatic 2-sea ter flying 4000 feet
At the reques t of '0. 1 Squadron. offens ive patro ls betw een belo w his patr ol height. Norto n dived on the 2-sea ter and fired
Nic upo rt. Dixmude and Ghistc llcs were co ntinuously main- a dozen rounds at very close range. he the n made a rig ht turn
tained during the morni ng: and came up undern eath the e nemy machin e and fired a burst
of 25 rounds from 50 yards . Tracers were see n to hit the e n-
FCdr .l.l Petre ieup ort 17Bi s serial 3 184 em y machi ne. which fell awa y out of co ntrol e mitting clouds
FLt BHP Dc Roeper ieup ort I I seria l 3989 of black smo ke from the front o f the fuse lage. Norto n fol-
FS L GP Powles Nieupo rt I I ser ia l 3987 lo wed the Aviatic down 10 10.00 0 feet whereupon the anti-
FSL AL Tho rne Nieuport I I se rial 8746 aircr aft fire became inten se. When last see n the machin e was
FSL C L Bai ley Nieuport I I se rial 398 1 falling e rratically and e mitting smoke. No rto n reported that at
FSL GC W Dingwall Nieuport II se rial 398 1 no stage in the enco unter did the enemy pilot atte mpt to ma-
FSL RK Slater Nieuport II se ria l 8746 noeuvre. or the observe r re turn fire. The gun-s ight fitted to
FS L .ldeC Payn ter Nieuport II se rial 398 1 Norto n's Nieuport 17B is was a Co llimateur Chretien sing le
point telescope and Norton was ve ry enthusiastic regardin g
T he patrols were relati vel y unevent ful and report ed a train in its ease o f use when compared to a standard doub le point tele-
Esse n statio n. two tra ins in Ostende harbou r station. a train sco pe.
approac hing Bce rst and o ne e ne my ae ro plane lan d ing at At 12.20. a report was rccci ved o f a hostile machin e head-
G h is tc lles . ing northeast from Calais. Paynter was dispatched in a Nieuport
Petre and De Roeper carried o ut a hostile aircraft patrol II 3tJ81 to intercept the intruder but was unab le to locate it.
at 11040 when enemy aircraft were reported to be in the vicin- Two local test flights were ca rried out:

25
 II Histo ry oj'No.6 Squadro n Roya ! Nava l Air Se rvice ill II'tJlM \Va r !

FLt A DW A llen Nicupon II scrial 8747

FLt A DW Allcn Nieuport II se rial 8746

9t h Feh r ua rv
At 07.40 . hostil e aircraft were repo rted over Dunk crqu c, Petre
and Bai ley attempted to intercept thc intrud ers. Th e eng ines
proved diffi cult to stan du e to the intense co ld and thc result-
ing delay pre vent ed the defend e rs from catching the ene my
aircraft.
Eight fighti ng pat rol s wer e flown along the Nieuport-
Dixmudc line duri ng the cours e of the day :

FCdr JJ Petre Nicuport 17 Bis N3 184

FLt LC Keebl e Nieuport II seria l 3989
FSL C L Baile y Nicuport I I se rial 8746
FSL GC W Dingw all Nieuport I I sc rial 398 1
FSL RR Winter Nicuport II seria l 8746 and 8747

No ene my aircraft were obse rved but the patrol s reponed a

numb er of train movement s and two enemy ships to the nort h
of O stcndc Pier.
De Roeper and Bai ley were both give n thc op portuni ty to
made sho rt practice flight s in the Iicuport 17B is.

10th February
At 06.40 Bailey and Th orn e were "sc rambled" to interc ept a
reponed incurs ion ove r Dunkcrqu c. Bai ley flying the 17Bis FCdr EW N or ton. one of only three pilots to become an "ace" whilst a mem-
c limbed rapid ly to 3000 feet and sighted the e nemy aircra ft ber of No.6 Squadron (although a fair number of the squadron's pilo ts went
on to become aces with other squadrons). N or ton. anot her pilot recruited
head ing seaward s and gave chase. he was catc hing the intr uder from N o. 1 Wi ng, was easily N o.6 Squadron's most aggressive and accom-
plished N ,euport pilot. CourtesyJohn Oxley Library
when his engi ne stopped and he was forc ed to gl ide back. T he
Nieuporr's eng ine picked up aga in and Bailey res umed the
pursuit. he c hased thc enemy machin e to Westen de where- FSL RR Wintc r Nicuport II serial 3994
upon it d ived away towards Midd lckcrkc, Bot h pilots repon ed 90 minut es tot a l
being heavi ly she lled by the Allied anti-ai rcraft defe nces in FSL RK Slatcr Nicuport I I serial 3987
thc vicinity o f Nieuport . 75 minutes tota l
T he squad ron flew nine fig hting patrols from Fumes to
Nicuport. keepi ng two sco uts in the a ir contin uou sly bet ween T he pat rols prove d uneven tfu l. the o nly report bein g a smo ke
11.00 and 15.00: sc ree n observed at Lan gcm arck .

FCdr JJ Petre ' icuport 17Bi s serial N3184 II th Fe bruary

65 minut es total Visibility was poor for most o f the day. the heavy overc ast not
FLt BHP Dc Roeper Nieup on II sc ria l 398 1 c learing until late aftern oon .
120 minut es total New pilots FSL H Law son and FS L FC Walk cr ar rived at
FS L AL Thorne Nicuport II se rial 3989 thc sq uadro n.
180 minut es tot al FLt De Roeper led Bailey. Paynter. Slater and Thorn e on
FSL C L Bai ley Nicuport 17Bi s se ria l N3184 a practic e form ation patrol. all of thc pilot s flyin g Nicuport II
180 mi nutes tota l scouts:

26
 Forma tion

50 minute formation practice 13th Feb r uary

FLl BHP Dc Roeper ' icupo rt I I ser ial 3989 The weather was initially cloudy but cleared by 10.30. Five
FS L CL Bai ley licupo rt II se ria l 8746 une vent ful fig hti ng pa trol s wer e flown betwee n Ypres.
FS L .I deC Paynte r licuport I I se rial 398 1 Ho uthu lst and Slype:
FS L RK Slater licuport I I ser ial 3987
FS L AL T horne ' icuport II ser ial 8747 SCdr .1 .1 Petr e Nicupo rt 17Bi s se rial I 3 184
FLt LC Keeble Nieupor! I I se rial 398 1
Slate r dro pped out after 15 minutes. Paynter after 30 minut es FSL G P Powles Nieuporl II se rial 8747
and Bailey after 35 minutes. FSL RR Winter 1 icuport II se rial 3987

FS L RK Slater Nieupo rt II se rial 3994

12th Februa ry
Heavy ove rcas t throughout the day and rain in the afternoo n Eight practi ce and familiarisatio n flight s were carried out:
again pre vent ed any war flying.
Nine practice and test ni ghts were carried out. including FSL 1-1 Lawson icup ort 10 se rial 3962
first ni ghts by Lawson . Plaisiowc a nd Wal ker: FS L 1-1 Lawson 1 icuport 12 se rial 9206
FS L D Plaistowe Nicuport 10 se rial 3962
FCd r .1 .1 Petr e Nicuport 12 seria l 8734 FS L D Plaistowe l ic uport 12 se rial 9206
20 minute ni ght FS L FC Wa lker N icuport 10 se rial 3962
FSL .I deC Paynte r Nicuport II se rial 398 1 FS L FC Wal ker Nicuport 12 se rial 87 12
15 minute ni g ht FS L FC Wal ker N ic uport 12 se rial 9206
FSL RR Winter Nicuport II se rial 3994 FSL .I deC Paynter N ic uport I I se rial 398 1
20 minute ni g ht
FS L AL Thorn e Nicuport I I ser ial 8735 14th Februnry
15 minute flig ht Activi ty was more inte nse on the 14th Febru ary.
FSL (I I' Powles Nieupo rt I I se ria l 3987 Th orn e and Dingwa ll took off at daybr ea k and pat rol led
15 minute fligh t in the vicinity of Dunke rque. no e nemy ai rcra ft were enco un-
FSL D Plaistowe Nieupo rt 12 se rial 87 12 tered.
15 minut e ni ght
FSL HA Lawso n Nicuport 10 se rial 3962 BELOW: N ieuport 12 serial 8734, depicted here after suffering an accident
wi th N O.1I Squadro n on the 9th May 19 I 7. FCdr A DW Allen w as flying this
40 minute ni g ht machine on the 26th N ovember 1916 when he lost a whe el at take off. he
landed safely and was comme nded for his flying skills.The N ieuport 12s were
FSL FC Walker Nicuport 10 se rial 3962
generally used for pract ice flights but we re occasionally pressed into service to
20 minute ni g ht carry out line patro ls. CourtesyjMB/GSL Collection

27
 II History 4No.6 Sq uadron Ro val Nava l A ir Ser vice ill \l'o r/dlll /r /

No. 1 Squadro n aga in req ues ted that fig hting patrols bc
carried out. T horne patro lled alo ng the Nicuport Dixmudc line
and Bailey co ve red th e a rea bet we e n Yprc s , G h isic llcs and
Ostc nde.
From 11.00 to 15.00. the sq uadron maintained continu-
ous do ub le patrols bet w een Dunkerquc and Furnes:
Allen and Norton had previously been scnt to the Nicuport
factory at Paris and they returned on the 15th wit h two new
Nicuport 17 Bis mac hines. se ria ls N3 186 and N3 187 respec-
tively. Both of these aircra ft were de live red to the depot at
Dunkc rquc.
Four practice n ight s we re carried out:

FLt BHP De Roeper Nicuport II se rial 8747 FSL 1-1 Lawso n Nieuport II serial 3987
FLl LC Kceb le Nieupor t I I se rial 398 9 FS L D Plaistowe Nieupo rt 12 serial 872C)
FSL G P Powles Nicuport I I se rial 874 6 FSL D Plaistowc Nieupo rt I I se rial 398 7
FSL RK Slatcr Nieuport I I se rial 8747 FSL FC Walker N ic upo rt 10 serial 3902
FSL .I deC Payn ter Nieuport I I se rial 8746
FSL AL T horne Nieuport 12 seria l 87 12. 16th February
Nieuport I I se rial 3987 Nine fig hting patrols were carried out during the day:
and ieu port I I scr ial 8747
FLt BI-IP Dc Roe pe r Nieupo rt II se ria l 398 1
At 11 .30. Paynt er enco untered four hostil e machi nes near FLt A DW A l len Nicuport 17B is serial N3 184
Houi hulst at 15000 feet. he gave chase but was unable to catch FSL A L Thorne Nicuport II se rial 8747
the m. FSL GCW Dingwa ll Nicuport I I serial 3989
At 17.20 three enemy aircra ft appea red o ver Dunkerquc. FS L RR Winte r Nieuport II seria l 398 1
Petre. Keeb le, Powles. Bailey. Tho rne and Winter too k oil FSL G P Powles Nicuport II se rial 398 9
immed iate ly to give chase but lost the intrude rs in the haze. FSL RK Slater Nieuport II seria l 8746
Four test and fami liarisat ion n igh ts were ca rried out du r- FSL 1-1 Lawso n Nicuport I I sc rial 8747
ing the day:
The e nemy activity. which had been intcnn ittcnt . increased
FSL GCW Dingwall Nicuport I I se rial 398 1 co nsidera bly on the l oth. At 06.25. Powles observed an LVG
FSL 1-1 Lawson Nicuport 10 seria l 3962 2-se atcr 3 miles out to sca from Dunkcrquc and heading east-
FSL 1-1 Pluistowc Nicuport 12 seria l 920 6 wards. Pow les pursued and overhauled the enemy ai rc raft off
FSL FC Walkcr Nicuport 12 se ria l 87 12 Coxy dc and opened fire at the rather optimistic range of I SO
ya rds. he reported that tracers hit the enemy aircraft . which
15th February dived away towards Weste nde. Po wles followed . c hanged his
The squadron maintained co ntinuous three machin e patrols ammunitio n tray and fired aga in. T he e nemy 2-sc ater was last
fro m da ybre ak until dusk to protect Dunkcrq uc : see n [ 0 Hatt en out at 2000 teet ncar Wcstc ndc. at whic h point
Powles carne under heavy fire from Allied ami-aircraft de-
SCdr .1.1 Pet re Nicuport 17B is se rial N3 184 fences.
FLt BHP De Roeper Nie uport I I se rial 3982 Allen carried out a patro l at 16000 feet to Ghistelles at
FLt A DW Allen Nicuport 12 se rial 8734 06.40. no e nemy aircra ft were enco untere d but Allen carne
FSL G P Po wles Nicuport II se rial 3987 un der hea vy defensi ve anti-a irc ra rt fire in the vic inity o f
FSL AL Th orne Nicuport II scria l 8747 G histelles.
FSL C L Bailcy Nicupo rt 17Bi s se rial N3 184 T horne was patro lling ncar Dunkcrq uc at 17. 10 when an
and Iicuport II serial 8746 Aviatic desce nded th rough the c louds ab o ve him . T ho rne
FSL RK Slater. Nicupo rt II se rial 3989 c losed to 100 yards and fired a who le dru m. tracers being see n
to hit the e nemy mach ine which cl imbed steeply and was lost
Petre. De Roepe r and Powles left at daybreak o n the first pa- in the cloud s.
trol. T hic k fog blew in from the cast whilst ih c patrol was in Se veral other enemy airc raft were enco untered by patrols
the a ir. two of the pilots were unable to find the aerod rome d uring the day but co uld not be brought to acti on.
and eventually landed on the beach ncar Gravclines. Six test and prac tice n ight s were carried o ut:

28
 Forma tion

FLt A DW Allen Nicuport II sc rial 8746 New pilot FS L 0 .1 Gagnie r arrived at the squadro n.
FSl .IdcC Paynter Nicuport II seria l 398 I
FS L I-I lawson Nicuport I I se ria l 3987 25t h Fe b r ua ry
FS L D Pl a isto wc Nicuport I I se ria l 8747 The weat her was overcas t o n th e 25th but Thorne and Paynt e r
FSl FC Wa lker Nicuport II sc rial 3962 were ab le ge t more pra ctice with Lc Prie ur rock e ts :
FS L FC Walkc r I ieuport I I sc rial 8747
FS L A t, Th orn e Nie uport II se ria l 8746
17t h to Brei Fe brua ry FSL .I dcC Paynter Nicuport II serial 8746
A period of bad weather set in from the 17th to the 23 rd of
February. curtai ling all flying activities. Se vera l local practi ce fli ghts were carri ed out:

24th Fe br ua ry FSL 0 .1 Gag nier Nicupo rt 10 serial 3962

licuport 17B is se rial N3 187 was collected trom the depot . 30 minu tes tota l
Th e wea ther clea red e nough on the 24 th to allow twent y FSL 0 .1 Gag nier Nieupo rt I I se rial 3994
local test and practi ce flight s to be carried o ut: FLt CT Ma cl.a rcn Nicupo rt 12 seria l 8734
30 min utes
SC d r .1.1 Pet re Nicupo rt 17 Bis se ria l N3 187 FSL RK Slater icupon II se rial 3994
70 minutes total 8 minutes
FCd r CT Macl. a rcn Nicu port 17 Bis se ria l N3 184 FS L GCW Dingwa ll Nieuport 12 serial 920 6
35 minutes total crashed and inj ured his back .
FCd r CT Mac l. arcn Nicuport II se rial 3989
FLt EW Nort on Nicupori 17B is se rial N3187 26 t h Fe bruary
15 minut es total Six righting pat rols were 110wn betw een Ypres. Nicuport and
FLt BHP De Roeper Nicup ort II se rial 3989 O stc ndc :
35 minut es total
FSL .IdeC Paynt er Nieuport I I se ria l 398 1 FLt EW No rto n Nicupo rt 17 Bis serial N3 187
FSL .I dcC Paynt er Nicupo rt II se ria l 3987 FSL .I deC Paynte r Nieupo rt II se ria l 398 1
FSL .I deC Paynt er Nic upo rt 17B is N3 184 FSL RK Slatcr Nieu port II se ria l 3989
FS L G P Powles Nicuport 17Bi s serial N3 184 FS L G P Po wles Nieupo rt I I se rial 3987
10 min utes FS L I-I Lawson Nieuport I I se rial 3994
FS L RK Slater Nicupo rt 10 sc ria l 3962 FS L 0 .1 Gagnie r Iicup ort II serial 8747
35 minutes tota l
FS L RK Slater Nicuport II se rial 399 4 Slater. flying at 13000 feet ncar Houthulst. observed a hosti le
FS L FC Walker Nicuport I I sc rial 874 7 machin e at his own he ight. He pursued the enemy aircra ft dow n
30 min utes to 900 0 lcc t and 7 miles behind the e ne my lines. 50 rounds
r:S L H Lawso n Nic uport II se rial 398 1 were fired at lon g range without effec t. Paynter reported ob-
60 min utes total serving heavy anti-uir cra ft fire over Osicndc at 09 .40 and what
FS L H Lawso n Nicuport I I se rial 3994 appea red to be a machine railing in flames. Norton repo rted
obse rving an enemy machine at low a ltitude over Ostend e at
Thorn e ferried Nieuport 12. serial 9205. across to No. 10 Squ ad- 10.50.
ron at St. Pol. At 11.45. Keeble. Th orne a nd Po wles were despat ched to
Two pilots practiced firing at a gro und target usin g Le No .1 Wing to provid e an esc ort to a photoreconn aissance mis-
Prie ur incendiary rockets. they report ed that success ful results s ion to Zeebru gge. Th orn e obse rved two e nemy sea pla nes
were obta ined: " shadowing" the patrol but he was unable to clim b up to the ir
a ltitude . Powles fl yin g Nicuport II . se rial 398 1. became the
FS L Al Tho rne Nicuport I I se ria l 8746 sq uad ron's first loss in actio n aft er his fuel tank was damaged
FSL .I deC Paynter Nic upo rt I I sc ria l 8746 by ground fire and he made a forc ed landin g at Cadz and.

2CJ
 A Histo ry ofNo.t) Sq uadron Royal Naval Air Service ill \\'orld lVar l
Zee land. Powles was interned in 1-I01l and .2 T horne reported
three ene my destroyers seen bet ween Ostende and Zcc brugge
and se ven enemy seaplanes parked on the Zebrugge Mole with
several more in the wate r.
When Powles fai led to return . SCdr Petre in 1 3 1R7 flew
along the coa st and surrounding country to try to locate the
missing machine.
27th February
No war flying took place on the 27 th February due 10 ove rcast
conditions and mist. Se veral local practice and test flights we re
carried out by Norton. T horn and Fletcher.
SCdr Petre travelled 10 the depot at Dunkcrquc to test the
Sop with Camel prototype N5 17. Th e Camel was re ferred to
as " F?" at this time and Petre recorde d the following perfor-
mance figu res:
Climb to 10.000 feet R 1/2 minut es
Speed at ground level 103 knots
Speed at 5.000 feet 95 knots
zsu. February
T he bad wea ther persisted through [0 the 2Rth of the month.
closing down all war flying activities.
30
ABOVE: N ieuport I I serial 3981, depicted here wi th an opt imistic twin gun
armament w hilst serving wi t h N o. 1W ing. FSL GP Powles w as nying 3981 w ith
a single gun on an escort mission on t he 26t h February 1917. anti-aircraft fire
damaged the machine's fuel tank and Powl es made a for ced landing in Holland.
Both pilot and machine were inte rned, the N ether lands autho rities purchased
t he N ieupor t and used it as a patt ern machine for a batch of N ieupor t I I s
built under licence by Trompenb urg. Courtesy JMBIGSL Collection
Petre. Norton and Plaistowe ca rried out test flights and
Norton led Thorne. Fletche r. Paynter and Lawson on a 30
minute practice formation patrol. the first occasion that the
me mbe rs of C Flight flew togeth er.
March 1917
Th e squadron \I 'O S tra ns ferred to R FC co ntrol O il th e 171h
March, re-equipp ing with the Nieupo rt 17/Jis scout wo s no -
ticcably acce lerat ed as the transf er dal e app roache d. Wilh
tnorc emphasis Oil pra ctice (!!j ill'lllalion/7yin g when wea the r
p ermitted, the Sq uadron \' Flig ht co mpo sition beco m es easy
10 discern .
At thisjunctu re the sq uadron st ructure Ivas asfollo ws:
II Flighl . A FCdr cr Macl.a ren
II FCdr /JHP De Roeper
FU LC Keeb le
 Fonnation

FSL GL Ha rtg ill 2nd March

FS L ./ .uc Payn te r Th e da y was misty and overcast with rain in the aftern oon. the
FS L 0 ./ Ga gnie r condi tions restr icted flying to ju st one pract ice fligh t and a
del ivery flight whe n Thorne co llec ted licuport 17B is serial
B Fli ght. A FCdr A D II' Allen ' 3 186 from the depot.
FLt C L Ba iley
FS L D Pla ist o we Jrd March
FS L FC \\'a lk er The bad weat her co ntinued. with all war flying activitics aban -
FS L RK SImer doned.

C Flight. Arca- E ll' No rto n 4th March

FSL RR lI'illt e r
FSL II L{/\\'SOIl
FSLtlL'l/lOl'II e
FSL A IIV Fletch er
1st Ma rch
The squadron mounted eight fight ing pat rol s to Ostc ndc,
Ghistcllcs and Dixmud e and several patrols to Dunkerqu c in
response to rep orts of ene my incursions, SC dr Pet re. Keeble.
Thorne. Paynter. Fletcher. Slater and Gagnier were involved
in these ope ration s. Five hostile aircraft were pursued. two of
which were dri ve n down by Paynte r. When in the vicinity of
Osic nde. Paynter. flyi ng Tieuport 17Bis N3184. fired at a
hostile seaplane which dived away before he could clo se with
it. Paynter then observed three enemy machi nes over Ghistelles
and dived to attack . Two of the mach ines dived towards the
aerodro me and the third. a sco ut. climbed away and wasn' t
see n aga in. Paynter attacked the nearest enemy mach ine. a 2-
seater. at very close range and followed it down to 7.000 feet
firing all the time. Tracers were seen to hit the aircraft which
was still diving vertically when Paynter broke o ff the attack.
Paynter was subjected to heavy unti-aircrnl t fire as he returned
to the lines.
At 12.30. Slater obse rved a hostil e mach ine low over
Os tende .
SCd r Petre performed some tests on N3 1R7. the squadron's
seco nd Nieuport 17Bis mac hine. Petre was trying to deter-
mine the "pe rforma nce hit" incurr ed by using two mach ine
guns:
Arma me nt Climb to 12.000 fee t
Fixed Vickers + Lewis + double tray 16 minutes
Fixed Vickers only 14 minutes
Speed at 12.000 feet was red uced by 2 knots ca rrying both
guns.
Fletcher. Slater and Gagnier ca rried out a sweep of the lines
betw een Dixmud c and Nieupo rt. an ene my machine was ob-
served but the old Nicuport scouts were unab le to ove rhaul it.
Thorne and Paynte r flew the ieup ort 17Bis mach ines
on fighting patrols between Ypres. Bruges and Nicuport. one
enemy machine was seen ove r I-I outhulst at 14.45.
Petre and De Roeper ferried two new Nieuports. N3 193
and N3 194. from Paris. later taking them on to the de pot.
Hartgi ll. newly return ed from a period of sick leave ca r-
ried out a pract ice flight in one of the Nicuport I I s. Obviously
co nsciou s of his last landin g at the end of Janu ary he repo rted
that he made a good landing. A second flight in another " Baby"
Nieuport rated a "fair landin g" .
FCdr Allen had pre viously travelled to England and re-
turned with Sopwit h Tr iplane N545 9. He later del ivered the
triplane to the Depot and whilst there was able to make a test
flight in the prototype Sopwi th Camel. F2.
5 th Murch
It was ove rcas t and foggy on the 5th. howe ver. Hartgill car-
ried out a short practice flight to Bc rgucs and back in Nieuport
II 399 1.
6th March
The weather was ove rcas t throu ghout most of the day. restrict-
ing the squadron to test and practice flights:
FCdr CT Mac Laren So pwi th Ca mel serial F2
FSL GL Hartgill Nieu port II se rial 399 1
FSL AHV Fletcher Nieu port 17Bis serial N3 184
FSL RK Slater Nieu port 17Bis se rial N3 184
FSL FC Walker Nieupo rt 17Bis serial N3 184
FSL FC Walker Nieuport II seria l 8747
FS L OJ Gagnier Nieuport 17Bis serial N3 184

3/
 II History of No .6 Squadron Royal No \'(/1 Air Service ill World mlr I

35 minute formation practice FSL FC Walker Nieuport II seria l 3989

FCdr CT Macl. aren I ieuport II serial 3989 FSL D Plaistowc ' ieuport 17Bis seria l ' 3 184
FLt BHP Dc Roeper I ieup ort I I serial 8746
FLt LC Keeble 1 icuport II serial 8747 The re-equi pping of the squadron started to gather momen -
FSL GL lI artgill j ic uport I I serial 399 1 tum when three ne w ic uport s, N3 190. N3 195 and N3 198
FSL 0 .1 Gagnie r Nic uport II serial 3994 were collec ted from the depot by De Roep er. Paynter and
Winter respecti vely.
At the end of Macl. arcns A Flight form ation practice. lIartgill A number o f test and practice flights were ca rried out:
flying ' icuport I I serial 399 1 made another bad landing COI11 -
ing down on his wing tip. FSL GL Hartgill ' ieuport 17Bis serial ' 3 184
FCdr Allen fl ew Nieuport 17B is N3 186 to NO . 1AD at St. FSLA IIY Fletcher Nieuport 17Bis seria l N3 184
Orner. FSL RK Slater ' ieuport 17Bis serial ' 3 184
FSL .IdeC Payn ter Nieuport I I serial 399 1
7th M a rc h FSL C L Bailey Nieupor t II serial 8747
No flying due to unsuitable weath er co nditions. FSL 1-1 Lawso n Nieuport I I serial 3994
FSL )) Plaistowe Nieuport II serial 398 9
Nt h Ma rc h FSLA E Hall Nieuport 10 serial 3962
No war flying was carried ou t due to unsuitab le weath er co n-
ditions. Hartgill recorded his first flight in a ' ieuport 17B is. notin g
New pilot FSL AE I-I all arrived at the squadro n. that he was having troub le understandin g the C lerget e ngine.
Nicuport 17Bis N3189 was co llecte d from the depot at
St.Pol. 10th March
Low cloud and mist prevented all war fl ying on the lOth, how-
9th Ma rch ever SCdr Petre was able to carry out a five minut e test flight.
FCdr Allen returned from St. Orner on the 9th. Later in the
day he led B Flight on a practic e formation pat rol:

BELOW: N ieupor t 17Bis. N 3 195. collected fro m the depot at 5t Pol on the
FCdr ADW Allen Nicuport I I ser ial 8747 9 h March 1917 by F5L JdeC Paynter. N3195 later became F5L RR Winter 's
regular machine and earned the C Flight identification number "16". A new
FSL RK Slater lieuport II serial 399 1
pilot. F5L RW Berridge. was killed whe n he stalled N 3 195 at take off from
FSL C L Bailey Nieuport II serial 8746 Citadel Aero drome on the 3rd May 19 17. Courtesy EFCheesman

32
 "'0muttion
Allen. Paynter. Winter and Fletcher made the short trip to 12th March
the dep ot. to co llec t a nother four ne w Nieupo rts. N3 196. T he wea ther prove d difficult . bein g overcast with occasio na l
N3 194. 1 3 192 and N320 1. rai n. J ust fou r local practice ni ght s were carried out
New pilo t FSL P Wood arrived at the squadron.
FLt Ree ves 1ieuport 17B is serial N3 193
II th i\ larch FSL P Wood Nieu port 17 Bis se rial N3184
A further rive Nieuports were co llected from the depot. I 3202- FSLAE Hall Iieu port II seria l 399 1
j 3 19 1. N3 197. N3 189 and N3200 by De Roeper. Kee ble. FS L AE Hall Nieu port 10 se ria l 3962
Fletc her. Paynter and Gagnier respect ively.
The re-equ ipping was marred by an incident at 12.00 whe n SC dr Petre co llecte d Nieupo rt 17Bi s N3 193 from the de pot.
Bailey was despatched in N3 186 in respo nse to a report of an
enemy machin e at G ravc lincs, Bailey choked the engine at 13th March
take-o ff and c ras hed in a nearby field. Ilartgill took o rr imme- T he wea ther was ove rcas t for the greater part o r the day.
diately after the accid ent in N3 184 but failed to mak e contact Fletcher collec ted Iieuport 17B is 3202 from the depot
with the intrud er. but c ras hed and dam aged the aircra ft whe n landin g. The ma-
A nu mber o r test n igh ts were ca rried out durin g the day. chine was returned to the depot 1'0 1' re pair.
chec king ou t the New Nieupo rts: Two local test ni ght s were carried o ut:

SCdr .1 .1 Petre
SCdr .1 .1 Petre
FCdr A DW Allen
FCdr A DW Allen
FCdr A DW Allen
FCdr A DW Allen
FSL A HV Fletc her
FSL G L Hartgill
FSL .I deC Paynter
FS L RK Slate r
FS L D Plaistowc
Nieuport 17Bi s se ria l N3 195
Nie uport 17Bi s se ria l N3 196
Nie uport 17B is se ria l N3186
Nieuport 17B is seria l N3 196
Nie uport 17 Bis se rial N3200
Nie uport 17B is seri al N3201
Nieuport 17B is seri al N3 184
licuport 17Bi s se rial N3 190
Nic uport 17Bi s se rial N3 189
Nie uport 17 Bis se rial 13 190
Nicuport 17 Bis se rial N3 189
FS L AE Ha ll Nieupo rt 17B is se rial N3 184
FS L AE Hall Nieupo rt I I se rial 399 1
14th March
Reeves and Paynter co llected Nie uports N3204 and 3206 from
the depo t.
As previ ous ly menti oned . the Admiralty had agreed to
assist the Royal Flying Corps on the Weste rn Front and No.6
Sq uadron wo uld sho rt ly follow No. 1 Sq uadron an d No .3
Squadro n to the so uth. To this end . the squad ron's personne l.
stores and motor transport left Petite Synthe on the 14th 1'01'

FSL H Lawson Nieuport 17 Bis se rial N3 184 the new Ae rodro me at La Bell evue o n the Arras Front.
FSL H Lawson Nieupo rt 17B is serial N 3 191
FSL P Wood Nieupo rt 17B is se rial N3 19 1 15th March
FSL Thorn e co llected Nieuport N3205 from the depot.
Practice n igh ts were also ca rrie d out by se vera l pilots: Two local test ni gh ts were carried o ut:

FS L FC Walker Nicuport II serial 8747 FCd r EW No rto n Nieupo rt 17Bi s se rial N3 184
FSL AE Hall ' ieuport 10 se rial 3962 FS L AL Tho rne Nieupo rt 17B is se rial N3205
FSL P Wood ' ieuport 10 serial 396 2
SCdr Petre ne w N3 184 seve ral miles to the so uth or St. O rner
FSL Wood 's first nig ht with the squad ron followed the nor- to check weather co nditions whic h proved cloud y.
mal pattern of a practic e ni ght in a Nieuport 10. he was obv i-
ously co nside red co mpetent as he was later trusted to take one l tith M arch
o r the new Nieu port 17 Bis machi nes up 1'0 1' a test !light. With the weat her still pro ving difficult just two local test night s
New Pilot FLt FP Reeves arrived at the squadron. were carried out:

SCd r .1.1 Petr e Nieupo rt 17B is se rial N3 195

FS L AL Th orn e Nieupo rt 17Bi s se rial N3 184

33
 A l l isto rv of No.6 Squadron Royal Na \'(/I A ir Service in World 1I'tlr I

ABOVE: An unidentified Nieuport 17Bis is refuelled.The photograph shows BELOW: No.6 Squadron's Nieuports lined up at Petite Synthe just prior to
that refuelling was not an elegant process,one rating to hold a funnel. another departure for La Bellevue and service with the RFC. Courtesy Fleet Air Arm
to pour the gasoline into the funnel and others on hand to pass new tins of Museum
fuel up as necessary. Courtesy SK Taylor

34
 Formati on

17th March port tha t the Perso nn el, Sto res and Mo tor Transpo rt o]
A t 0 8 .30 , the pi lots flew thei r aircraft so uth to La Be llev ue. No .6 Squadron left to jointhe R.F C 0 1/ Wedl/ esday March
C o ntro l o f the sq uad ro n was tran sferred fro m 4 Wi ng RN AS l -lth, arriving at their I/ell' de st ination 0 1/ the sa me day.
to 13 Wi ng 3 Bri g ad e Roya l Flyin g Corps in suppo rt o f the This sq uadro n is commanded by Acting Sq uadro n
3 rd A rmy . Ha rtg ill fle w N3 l9 l fr om Petit e Sy nthe to La Commande r Ll Petre, DS C and is composed of 130h.p.
Be llev ue , ha ving to la nd at Vert Ga llan t to ge t d irect ion s . He Cle rget Si ng le Se ater Nicup ort mach ines.
re po rte d that the a irc ra ft's pressure syste m wa s fault y. Owi ng to unfa vou rable weather conditions the //1(J -

FS L FC Wa lker had the dubi ou s d isti nction o f beco m ing chines and pilots were III/ able 10 p roceed until thi s mo rn-
the sq uad ro n's fir st fata lity. Wa lker was ki lled at Savy w he n ing.
he sta lled N320 I at 400 feet a nd c ras hed. This ma kes the third Sq uadron I/OW atta ched to the
Win g C apta in La mb e was able to re port No.6 Squ adron 's R.F C ' and the date ofd epa rture coi nci des with the orlgi-
move to the Vice Ad m ira l, Dove r Patro l: na l p rogramm e d rawl/up in acco rdance with Major Gen -
eral Trenchard 's wishes.
Headqua rte rs, R.N.A .S
Dunk erqu e I ha ve the honour 10 be,
17th Ma rch 19 17 su.
Y(JIIr obedient serv ant
st«
Sig ned CL Lambe
II/ accordance with Adn iira lt» letter M .0 10 977/ 16 of the Wil/g Captain
20 th December 19 16 an d as agreed with Maj or Ge nera l
Trench a rd. co mmand ing R.F C, I ha ve the honour to re- Vice Admi ra l

NOT ES
I It is no t kno wn wh ic h mac hine A lle n llcw, the se ria l 934 3 doe s not
relate to any kno w S o pwi th se ria l numb er and mu st he as sumed to ha ve he en
incor rec tly tra nscri hed .
2 T he Nethe rla nd s a utho rities sa lvage d Nie upo rt I I se ria l 398 1 a nd even-
tua lly repa ired a nd fl e w it. It wa s subs eq ue ntly give n the Ne the rland s rcg istra-
tion LA40 a nd se nt to the Trompenh urg fac tor y at A ms terdam to he used a s a
patt ern for a hatch o f licen ce bui lt N ic u po rt II s. In Se pte mbe r 19 17 it wa s
purc hased for £ 1700 a nd give n the D utc h se ria l number N2 13.
) No . 1 Sq uadro n and No .3 Sq ua d ro n we re a lready attached to the RF C.
No .8 Sq ua d ro n had hee n reca lled to R N AS co ntro l fo r re st a nd re-eq u ip pi ng .

35
 WORKING FOR THE RFC -
13 WING, 3 BRIGADE

A
lthough the contro l o f No .6 Squad ron had bee n
hand ed ove r to the RFC the squadron was still un-
prepared for the hardship that it would face on a more
active sec tion o f the front. When the wea the r permitted. train-
ing proceeded with more intensity and every effo rt was bein g
made to ensure the new Nicuport 17Bis aircra ft we re in first
cla ss co ndition.
T he weather pro ved dif ficult at first and little co uld be
done other than brief test flights to check out new machines.
CJ U.. u hlr .. ..... I.·o .. lId

It soon became apparent that the Nieuport 17Bi s. of which r .. n- lI lt a1r d I r' ''' 1', "rn u lt t' 1I1
Ita"\.:,,,.
c::r It ''h
much was expected, was not going to produce the per formance
that the authorities had hoped for. La (j3errcl 111c)1 erodrome

18th March
Flying was not possible unt il after 17.00 when four test and 21st March
practice flights were carried out: Weather unfavour able. no flying until 16.05:

FSL AL T horne N3 187 at 17.00 SCdr Petre N3 195 at 16.05

40 minut e practice flight tcst flight. the engine was bad and the mac hine flew with its
FCdr EW Norton N3 195 at 17.00 - local test lett wing down.
FCdr EW Norton N3 1S7 at IS.50 - local tcst
FSL RK Slater N3 19S 22nd March
mach ine crashed and wrecked SCdr Petre ca rried out a climbing test in N3 187 at 13.55. he
regard ed 5000 feet in 5 minut es and 2.0 seco nds as unsatisfac-
19th March tory. He also reported that the engine was not giving its full
Weather unfavoura ble. no flying possible. re vs and that the rudder was very stilT.
At 16.00. AFC dr Allen flew Nieuport 17Bis N3 190 in a
21lth March test against a II Ohp Nieuport and a Bristol F2.A. He reported
Weather unfavou rable. no flying possible. that the 17B is ou t-climbed both .

36
 Wor kin g fo r the NFC - / 3 Wing, J Bri gade

The accommoda t ion huts at La Bellevue A erodro me were situated within an A less photogen ic shot of the accommo dat ion at La Bellevue. CourtesyJustin
orchard belonging to the local farm.This shot taken after a light fall of snow Young
gives the camp a picturesque appearance. Courtesy FleetAir Arm M useum

23rd Mar ch C Flight

T hree tcst flights were carr ied out: FCcl r EW Norto n. Flight Com mande r
FSL RR Winter
FCdr CT MacL arcn N3204 at 09.20 FS L AL T horn e
wea ther test , thc cloud cover sta rted at 1000 fcct. FS L A HV Fletche r
FS L AL T horn e N3 197 at 14 ,25 FS L AE Hall
eng ine tcst. satisfactory FS L H Law so n
AFC dr A ll en N3200 at 14 .30
machi ne test, ok 24th March
MacL arc n and AlIcn had their fligh ts prac tising form at ion fly-
Thc weather improved suffic iently in the eve ning to allow FCdr ing du ring thc day. A Flight at 07. 10. B Flight at 10.00 and A
Norton to lead most ofC flight o n a 30 minut e formation prac- Flight aga in at 15.20. All of thc pilots we re rep o ni ng thc sta-
ri ce at 19.15. W i nter missing the practi ce. tus of thei r aircr aft in a very crit ical manner:

The Flight structure at this j uncture was as follow s: FCdr CT Mac l. a rc n N3204 al 07 . IO
for matio n practice
A Flight FSL .I dcC Paynter N3 190 - for mation practice
FCdr CT Mac Larc n. Flight Co m mander FLt LC Kccb lc N3203 - for mat ion practice
FLt BHP Dc Roeper FS L G L Hart gill 3 191 - formation prac tice
FLt LC Ke eble FS L 0 .1 Gag nier N3 189 - formation pra c tice
FSL .ldcC Paynter FS L A HV Fletcher N3 192 - formation pract ice.
FSL G L Hart gill eng ine tro ub le (s light)
FSL 0 .1 Gag nier FCdr A DW Allen N3206 at 10.00
form atio n practicc
H Flight FS L 0 .1 Gag nier N3 189 - form ation practice
FCdr ADW Alic n . Flight Co mmande r FSL D Plaistowc N3200 - fo rmation practice
FSL P Wood FSL C L Bai ley N3 199 - for mation practice,
FSL RK Slater e ng ine satisfac tory. rev co unter o ut of action
FSL D Plaistowe
FSL C L Bai lcy FCd r Ma c l. arcn N3 196 at 15.20
FLt FP Reeves form ation practi ce

37
 A History of No .6 Sq uadro n Roya ! Nava l A ir Se rvi ce ill \Vor /tllI'llr I

FS L GL Hartg ill N3 191 - form ation practice. A BOV E: N 3 196 and N 3203 are identifiable in this line of immaculate Nieuports.
N 3203 was delivered from Dunkerq ue on the 22nd March 1917 and later
eng ine now satisfactory carried t he A Flight identification number 'T. N 3203 was FLt LC Keeble's
norma l mount until 22nd April 1917, th ereafter being fiow n by FSL A McB
FS L 0 .1 Ga g nie r N3 1R9 - form ation pra c tice,
W alt on who crashed it on t he 20th May 1917.N 3 196 was norm ally flown by
timin g to be checked FLt BHP De Roeper and later- carried t he A Flight identificat ion number ''2''.
Courtesy jMBIGSL Collection
FLt LC Keeble N32 03 - form ation practice,
engine vibrating
FS L .IdeC Paynter N3 190 - form ation pract ice , 25th March
engine satisfactory Fighting practice wa s intr odu ced, pilots pairing up to attack
and defend. Keeb le and Paynter. Hartgill and Gagnier and Allen
M ac l. arcn reported that A Flight kept be tter for matio n during and Bai ley teamed up for the exe rc ises . Most o f the pilots
their mor ning pract ice. As a co unterpo int to M acl.a rc ri's re- re ported problem s with thei r machines.
port, Hartgill felt that his first for mation practice was not very Moc k fight s were a lso ca rrie d o ut with the Bristo l F2As
satisfacto ry and he report ed yet another bad landin g. During of No A8 Sq uadron RFC which shared the aer odro me at La
his seco nd practice he record ed that he was able keep better Be llevu e .'
fo rmation but was not yet accep tab le , A num ber of test and practi ce Ilights were also car ried
De Roeper co llected '3206 fro m the depot at 07.50 . out:
Seve ra l test and pract ice flights we re also carrie d out:
FS L A L T hor ne N3 197 at 09.27
FCdr EW No rto n N3 187 at 07. 10 test. eng. revs 1200. quit e true, best c limbing spee d 40 knots
machin e and e ngine satisfac tory FCd r CT M acl.arc n N3204 at 11 . 15
FSL .IdeC Paynt er N3 190 at 10.00 - prac tice. engi ne revs 11 50 cl imbi ng. compass out of orde r
mach ine and e ngine satisfac tory FCd r ADW A llen N3 199 at 12.00
FSL G L Hartgill N3 19 1 at 10.38 pressure fro m eng ine not working
engine lest. unsatisfactory FLt LC Keeble N3202 at 15.00
e ngine unsatisfactory
FS L D Plaistowe N3200 at 15.00 - practice

38
 Illo rking jill ' tlu: NFC - / 3 lI'ing , 3 ll rigad «

FCdr A DW A llc nN 3203 at 15.00 - every thing O K 27th Ma rch

FCdr A DW A l lcn N 3206 a l 16.00 - every thing O K FCdr Norton led C Flight on a formutio n practice at OlJAO.
FCdr A D W A l lc n N3204 at 17.00 - cngi ne 1200 revs
BELOW: N oA8 Squadron RFC shared La Bellevue Aerodrome, and N o.6
Squadron's pilots occasionally practiced attacking 48 Squadron's Bristol Fight-
ers. Bristo l F2a serial A3322 flown by 2Lt H Davies and 2Lt RSL Worsley was
26th Ma rch
shot down on the 13th Ap ril 1917.Courtesy EFCheesman BOnOM:Another
Bad weather again interru pted thc squadron's preparations. example of a NoA8 Squadron RFC Bristol F2a. Cour1esy EFCheesman

39
 1\ l listo rv (11'No .6 Sq uad ron Ro val NII \'{/! A i r Se rvice i ll \\'Ilr!d lI '1tr I

FLt Ree ves had bee n se nt to Dunk crquc se ve ra l d ays ear-

lie r to pic k up a new Nicuport . Th e de po t fina lly rel eased the
repaired N3202 a nd Ree ves fer ried it back to Bell e vue at 12.55 .

28th March
B a nd C Fl igh ts bo th carried o ut for ma tio n practi ce fli ght s in
the mo rn ing. I-I all fly ing 1\'3 197 damaged his mach ine slig htly
w hen he had to mak e a force d landi ng at S us-St. - Legc r. Ma ny
o f the pilot s w ere sti ll rep ort ing numerou s probl em s w ith their
machines:

FCd r A DW A lle n N32 0 6 at 09. 30

formation pra cti ce. e ng ine rev s bad a nd pressure bad
FLt FP Ree ves 3207 at 09 .30 - forma tion
pr acti ce . sa fety bel t defecti ve
FSL D Plaistowe N32 00 at 09 .30
for ma tio n prac tice. ma chine ok
FSL A E I-I all N3 197 at 09 .30
form ati on pra cti ce. forced la nd ing at Su s St. - Lcg e r. dam aged
machine s lig htly.
FCd r EW lo rto n N3 187 at 0 9.30
forma tion practi ce
FS L A L T horn e N3205 at 0 9.25 - form at ion
pract ice. right wing down
FSL A 1-1 V Fletc he r ' 3 192 at 0 9.26
formati on pr acti ce
FS L RR Wint er N3 195 at 0 9.25
formati on practi ce
FS L 1-1 La wson N3 194 at 0 9.28
Canadian pilot FS L Oliver Joseph Gagnier from Mont real.Gagnier served wit h
formati on practice
N O.6 Squadron until the I I th May 1917,when he was shot down at Villers
O utreaux . He was seriously injured wi th gunshot wounds to arm and chest
and had to have his left arm amputated. OJ Gagnier' claimed one victory wit h
SC d r Pe tre ca rried ou t a test ni gh t in 32 06 a t 15 .10 to cva lu- N o.6 Squadron, an Albatros scout shot down to the northwest of Fresnoy Ie
atc the e ffec tive ness o f a ne w c arb urc uo r adj ustme nt. l ie re - Grande on the l Oth May 19 17. Courtesy Justin Young

po rted the machine to be m uch more satis fac to ry.

J i st March
29th Murc h T he weath er co nti nue d to mak e flying d ifficult. All en was able
Th e wea the r c los ed dow n a ll fly ing o n the 29th. to mak e a 17 mi nut e tcst fli gh t o n thc last da y o f thc month .
repo rt ing tha t N ic upo rt N3202 man aged to cli m b to 7000 feet
J Ot h i\ la r ch in 7 1/ 2 m inutes.
T he we a the r conti nued to int e rfe re wi th fl y ing. howe ver FCd r Hart gill wa s ad mitte d to ho spital for treatment to a herni a
A lle n wa s a ble to mak e a 25 m inut e test flight in I 32 06 at a nd w hi lst re mai ni ng o n the sq ua d ro n 's book s fo r severa l
17.00 . Hc repo rted that the ma c h ine cl imb ed to 8700 feet in week s, wo uld not return to thc sq uad ro n.
10 mi nutes .

40
 Workillg [o r the NFC - 13 Willg. 3 Bri gad e

April 1917 FSL .I dcC Paynt er N3 194 at 15.30 - ok

Th is II'lI S •• Bloody Ap ril ", a p eri od (!{ cri sisfo r the RFC when FCd r EW Norto n N3 197 at 18.00 - ok
losses o] 1/11'11 and machines reache d disastro us proportions. SC dr .1.1 Pet re N3 197 at 18.30 - ok
From the perspective (!{ No,6 Squadro n RNAS. the air offcn- FS L AE I-I all N3 197 at 19.00 - ok
sivcfor the Battle Of Arms commenced Oil the -lth April and
th e British Front ran fro m Giveuch v-cn -Gohelle to Croiscllcs. i ew pilot FSL MR Kingsford ar rived at the squadro n.
The key objective \I'as the cap ture (!{ \/illl,l'Ridg e. a task given
to the First A rmy . with the Th ird A 1'11I.1' a ttacking else wh ere 4th A pr il
along th e fro nt. Th e wea ther closed in aga in on the 4th April. the planned start
No.6 Squa dron . along with No .29 Sq ua dro n RFC and or the air offensive o r the Batt le or Arras .
i\'o.60 Squadro n RFC, allflving Nieuport scouts. we re attac he d FCdr Allen was able 10 carry out a test flight in N3206 at
to 13 Willg 3 Brig ade ill suppo rt o ft lte Third A 1'11I.1'. Th e duti es 17.50. reportin g that the machine was O K.
(!I' the RFC Nie upo rt sco w sq uadrons we re offe nsive patrol s FCdr Norton led a C FIight patro l off at 18.50 but rc-
an d at ta cks O il kil l' ba lloons, No.6 Squadron wa s assi gned ported that the weat her was too thick ove r Arras to continue.
offensive patro ls.
Loss es am ongst the Ni euport squad rons of 13 Willg 3 5th A pr il
Bri gade we re heavy. No.6 Sq uadron suffered six crashes he- The squadron was ab le to fly rive patrols o n the 5th. howe ver
1\1'1'1'11 the 4th Ap ril and the sta rt of the infantry attack on the many o r the pilots reported prob lem s with the synchronised
9th.j(mr(!{these result ed in total loss ofthe aircraft. Thesquad- Vickers gun.
ron II'lI S al so p lagu ed wit h engine. f uel and g un problems. Allen led B Flight on a patrol at 09.30. Bailey fired at an
n y the 16 th April the British offe nsive had end ed and enemy mach in e from the extreme range o r 300 to 400 ya rds .
General Nivelle launched the French attack in the so uth, this the e ne my aircraft di ved away unscathed . Allen re po rted that
collapsed disastrously after a p romising start an d the British N3206 's eng ine re vs were very had and the g un wou ld not fire
arn tv wasforced to keep up a point less attack along the irfront at height. Slater' s machin e. ' 3202 suffered from a railed rev
10 relie ve pressure Oil the collaps ing Fren ch a 1'11IiI'S. co unter,
orto n led C Flight o n a pat rol at 11 .20. the pat rol being
1st A p ri l " shado wed " by a hostil e mach ine which kept out or ran ge .
Th e bad weather ex perienced at the e nd or March co ntinued Macl.arcn led A Flight on a 30 minute practice [ormation
into April. restricting flying on the Ist to a coup le oftes t flights: patrol at 13.00. Payn ter damaged the e leva tor and plane o r
N3 190 on landing.
FSL RK S la te r 13202 at 10.20 - test. e ngine o k A Flight carr ied o ut a full patrol at 14.05. Ga gnier in
FSL AL T ho rnc N3205 al 13.35 - Icst. engi ne ok , N3 189 becam e se parated from the fligh t ove r Arras and eve n-
truin g up CO IT CC t tually landed at Bus. Mac l. arcn in N3207 had the eng ine cui
o ut and then suffe red from petro l flooding ou t o r the re lea se
2nd A pr il valve. Paynter and De Roeper were unsure o r the ir positio n
Th e bad weather closed down all flying. and dropped below the clo ud cover betw een Doua i and Arras
and subsequently carne under hea vy anti-aircraft and ground
3 r d A pr il fire. Kingsford flyin g N3 191. surrcrcd rrom an cngine rai lurc
Th c wcathcr clc arcd surricicn tly ror Allcn . Slatcr. Plaisto wc a nd cras hc d rrom 20 0 rcc t. Kings ro rd was injurcd and
and Th orn c to makc a to tal or clcvc n flig hts to Lc Hamm cau hosp ital iscd .
in o rdc r to practi cc riring at a gro und targct. orto n Icd C Flight o ut aga in at 15.08. At 17.00 whcn to
Fivc tcst flight s wcrc ca rricd out durin g thc aftcrnoo n and the wcst o r Douai. l o rto n attac ked hostilc mach incs rrom 20
cvc ning: ya rds ran gc and cla imcd o nc Albatros scout sho t down in
flamcs and anothcr spinning rapidl y out o r control. Thorne
FCdr EW l o rto n j 3 197 at 15,05 - riggin g bad. c nginc vcry c ngagcd an enemy machin c at 50 ya rds rangc which rcll away
goo d o ut o r co ntrol. Aftcr thc co mbat. Norto n flying 3 187 made a

41
 A History of No.6 Sq uadro n Royal Na val Air Service ill \l'orld \l'a r I

for ced la nd ing at Bouque M ai son at 17. 15 . da mag ing the lo wer
plan e. Wi nte r landed beside his Flig ht Com mande r and l o rto n
used Winte r 's N ieuport to ret ur n to La Be lle vue. lea vin g W in-
ter to re turn by ro ad .
A lle n led B Flig ht o n a pat ro l a t 16.50 . Wood had to aba n-
don the patro l wi th g un sto ppages and Gag nie r a lso ex pe ri-
e nce d probl ems with h is Vickers g un. A t 18A5 nc a r A rra s.
A lle n was attac ke d by a n e ne my sco ut. duri ng the e nga ge -
me nt h is g u n suffe red a stoppage but the e ne my sco ut trans-
fe rred its attent io ns to S lat e r. S lat er. flyin g N3202. was sho t
down a nd ma de a pr ison e r o f war.
Ne w pi lots FLt G O Kirkp atric k a nd FSl A J'vIc B Wa lto n
arrive d at the sq uad ro n.
A num be r o f test fli gh ts we re ca rried o ut durin g the d ay :
T he A Flight Co mmander;Co linTemp le Maclaren.sitt ing in front of his trou ble-
some N ieupor t 17Bis. N 3204. N o t really suite d to scout ope rations and an
FCd r CT Maclar e n N3204 at 09 .30 ineffective flight leader; Maclaren w as posted to the W almer De fence Flight in
test. eng ine not satis fac tory. A ld is S ig ht vib ra ting Au gust 1917. He was prom ot ed to Squadro n Commander and became the
Co mmanding Office r of N o.6 Squadron whe n it was refor med asa day bomber
FS l AE Hall N3 197 at 10 .10 squadro n on the 1st january 1918.CourtesyJustin Young
test. tai l sk id bro ke o n la nd ing.
FLt OJ G ag n ier N3 189 at 10. 10 - test. ok rep ort ed that visibility was poor du e to the c lo ud co ve r. l aw son
FS l Jd eC Pay nte r N3 190 at 11.55 fly ing 1 3 194 ran lo w o n fuel a nd lan ded at A ux lc C ha tea u at
g un test. Vic ke rs no t firi ng a bo ve 9000 ft 14 .30 .
FS l Kirk patrick N3 192 at 18 .30 A Fligh t ca rried o ut a pat rol at 14 .00. Mac l. a re ns ma-
pra cti ce. tail hea vy c h ine . N3204. had pre viou sly e x hibited prob lems w ith fuel
pressurisation and he re po rted that the pressure syste m fa iled
6th April aga in d ur ing the pa tro l.
A t 08.40. FCd r Maclar e n led A F lig ht o n a n o ffens ive patro l. Uneve ntful line pat ro ls we re ca rried o ut by Wood and
Macla ren 's mach ine. N3204. suffe red fro m fa ilure o f bo th its Ree ve s a t 15 . 10 a nd by A lle n and Pla isto wc at 15 .30 .
me c hani ca l a nd ha nd prcssu risaiion sys te ms. Payn te r's Vick er s Th orn e co llec ted the rep a ired 1 3 187 fro m Bo uqu e Ma iso n
g un fai led a nd Gag n ie r suffe red a g u n sto ppage and dam aged a nd re turn ed at 15 .25 .
N3 189 up o n landi ng . De Roep e r a nd Paynt er ca rried o ut an o ffe ns ive pa trol
Ree ve s a nd Wood fle w a line pa tro l at 09.40. the pa tro l o ve r l e ns - Do uai - A rras a t 17 .25. T he y reported se ei ng a n
had 10 be aba ndo ne d w he n Ree ves di sco ve red a defect ive w ire ae r ia l batt le b ut were too fa r aw ay to o ffe r ass ista nce.
o n his g un co ntro l. FCd r No rto n led a n offensive patro l ove r l en s - Douai -
A lle n a nd P lai st o we fle w an un e vent ful lin e pa tro l at A rras at 18 . 10 . No rto n was invo lved in an indec is ive e ngage -
10 .35 . me nt w ith a n e ne my mach ine .
T hree test a nd prac tice fl ig hts we re ca rried o ut: lawson ret urned from A ux lc C hatea u at 19 . 15 .
Two test an d practic e fl ig hts we re c arried o ut du ring the
FCd r A D W A lle n N3 194 at 09 .00 - test. o k d ay :
FS l AM c B Wal to n 3207 a t I I AO - prac tice . left
w ing he a vy FSl AJ'vIc B Wa lto n N3 199 a t 15. 15 - prac tice . o k
FSl A Me B Wa lto n '3207 at 15 .0 0 - test. o k SC d r .IJ Pe tre N3206 a t 19.1 5 - e ng ine a nd g un
te st. sa tis fac to ry
7th April
FC d r l o rto n led C Flig ht o n a pa tro l at 12. 15 to the di strict Nth April
around Dou ai . Two host ile aircraft we re see n b ut the pa tro l Three patrols were flow n o n the mo rn ing o f the 8th.

42
 lI'or killg Fi r the R Fe - / 3 lI'illg. 3 Brigade
FCdr A lle n led B Flig ht o n a line patro l a t 06 .00. se ve ra l
o f the pi lot s aga in re portin g trouble with their g uns . Plai st ow
flyin g N3200 suffe red damage to his prop e ller and Ree ve s in
N3207 suffe red a g un sto ppag e.
C Fli ght ca rried ou t an o ffe nsive pa trol at 0 6.20. lo rto n
o bserved a nti-a ircraft fire and up on in ve sti gat ion di scove red
two ho stil e ma chine s b ut was un able to o ve rta ke them .
A Fli g ht carri ed o ut an offensi ve pat rol at 11.30 . the pi-
lo ts were aga in beset by g un pro ble ms. Macl.arcns machine.
N3 204. ag ai n s uffered fr om c om pl et e fa il ur e of its fu e l
pre ssuri satio n syste m.
9th A pril
Th e infa ntry a ttack a t A rra s wa s in itiated o n the 9 th A pril but
the wea the r pre se nted d iffic ult co nd itio ns for Ilying. Ra in a nd
sno w fl urries combi ne d w ith a ga le a t a lt itude ca used mo st
o ffe nsive pa tro ls 10 be ab a ndo ned . ho we ve r. C Flig ht ma n-
age d to pe rform a d ist a nt patrol w hen FCdr No rto n led Dc
Ro ep er, T horne and Pa yn ter to Ca m bra i. No rto n s ho t do w n a
sc o ut at Ca m brai at 11.45 . s uppo rte d by FSL T horn e. lo rto n
di ved o n the e ne m y machi ne at 9000 lc ct a nd fol lowed it down
to 6000 fee t at w h ic h poin t it wa s see n to fa ll o ut of co ntro l
and wa s o bse rve d to crash , Fifte e n minute s lat er. lo rto n a nd
T horne were attac ked by 4 sco uts. No rto n ro lled a nd go t un -
derne ath the ta il of one o f his attac ke rs a nd fircd both g uns
hilling thc fuselage w he re upo n the e ne my machine fell away
;\,OTES
I In h is log bo o k, F5L l Iart g ill d c xc ri bcd Ihi s as a . " huffi ng m at ch wi th
RFC Bristo ls".
43
com ple te ly o ut of con trol. No rto n then turned his atten tion to
the rem ai ni ng e ne my mac hi ne s but the y di ved away and es -
ca pc d . T he two successe s were tem pered by de ath a nd injury
c a use d by th e sto r m. Th orne was kill ed w he n he cr as hed
32 05 . Paynt er was inju red a nd hosp ita lised wh en he c rashe d
13 190 at Hinges a nd lo rto n was injured w he n he c rashed
13 1X7 at ivI ari court .
10th April
Th e 10t h was described as "a day o f wild weather" in HA
Jo ne s "The War in the Air" . co nte m por a ry re port s desc ri bed
the wea ther as a ga le o f wind w ith fr equent sno w a nd ha il
sto rms . Th e weat he r e ffec tive ly g ro unded a ll aircraft o n the
10th .
11th April
R NA S Headqu ar te rs had co me to the co nc lus ion that No. 6
Sq uadron wa s not perfo rm ing 10 ex pec ta tio ns and no t rea dy
fo r ba tt le . A combin ation of to o few pi lo ts. high a ircraft losses
and the s lo w deli ve ry and poor performan ce o f re place me nt
ai rc ra ft Icd to a deci si on to tran sfer the sq uad ro n to a qui et er
front at SI. Qu entin a nd re place them with a more capa b le
baili e hard en ed sq ua d ro n. Thu s. o n the 11th . '0 .6 Squ adron
mo ved to C h ipilly Aerod ro me w ith co m ma nd tran sferring to
14 Win g 4 Bri gad e . Th eir rol e in 13 Wing 3 Bri gade was ta ke n
by thc Sopwith Triplane eq uipped No. 1 Squad ron R I AS .
 WO RKI NG FO R T H E RFC -
14 W ING . 4 BRIGA DE

AS Headquarte rs was less than impressed by No.6

R
FCdr Allen N3206 at 11 .00
Sq uadro n's perfor mance and state of readin ess. On prope ller unsat isfacto ry.'
the 15th Apri l Wing Ca ptain La mbe wro te to the
RNAS Liaison Officer with the RFC. Wing Co mmander Cham- Th ere was co nsiderab le co ncern that the squadron was short
bers. informing him that to get the squadro n back up to strength of both pilo ts and aircra ft. To remedy this probl e m Wing Ca p-
he would be se ndi ng a co mplete n igh t from j 0. 11 Sq uadron tain Lambe wrote to Wing Co mmande r S DA Grey of NO. 5
under ac ting Squadro n Co mmande r Draper. FCdr Allen who Wing:
was suffe ring from nervou s exhaustio n would be remove d. as
would FLt LC Keebl e. another pilot not standi ng up we ll to
sco ut operations.
Cliipi[fy Jlerodrome
The rei nforce men ts from No. 11 Sq uadron were all. with
o ne exce ptio n. expe rie nced pilots that had previ ous ly se rved
with 0.3 Wing. the strateg ic bomb ing gro up based at Luxieu l Cuhivated urw
iJ'oQlray
<1)1
a nd Ochcy.
0 00 000
11th April
\ 1'fo"gfid
T he squadron mo ved to Chipilly ae rodrome and came under \ un,{
the co ntrol o r 14 Wing 4 Brigade o n the 11th. After the rece nt o )1 crodrome
losses. on ly thirt een aircraft were available. e leven of these G 0
co mpleted the trans fe r from Be lle vue to Chi pi l ly withou t G (0
trouble. De Roeper in N3 196 made a forced landi ng at Bailleul. G 0 :Note
J{angan 1, Z aruf J arr farge

the aero drome of No.52 Squ adro n RFC and Ree ves in N3207 o orSUJVT<&sson"talL(

land ed at Mco ul and dam aged a whee l which de layed his ar- o .........
rival at Chipilly by several hours. .<,::<,
". ..... Crowr Crop'
........... ......
..•.
12th Ap r il .•.. . .
.....,··:r,, "gfid /
Th e weath er was initia lly bright with high winds. turning to ......
arta .
graM
snow and rain in the afte rnoo n. Key .....
lPfougfid
One test Ilight was ca rried out: D Hesson nea u han ga r arra

= lIuls
'ToCfiiplffy
 \Vo rking .f!lr the RFC - / 4 lI'ing. 4 Br igade

Front: Senio r O.flicer 'u.. COII/ II/(lJ /(ling Offi cer

R.N.A .S. Dunkerq uc No .5 Wing
12th Ap ril 191 7
[o r e. O. No . 11 Squadro n

Couf identia I
Diving to cas ualties. one co mp le te Fli ght o fp ilo ts an d
one spa re pi lot. makin g a total of'seven in all. will he
requ ired to j oin Na val Squadron No .6 . I propose that
Fli gh t Lieut en an t Macl. ennan \' Flight sho uld he se nt and Th e O fficers Me ss at Chipilly. Courtesy FleetAir Arm M useum

nu ule up to streng th.

A lso . thr ee 130h .J!. Clerget Nieup orts will he required
[rom No . II Squadro n to bring No .6 up to strength.
A ltho ug h I rea lise thi s will serio us ly interfere the
trainin g an d completio n o/No. 11 Sq uadron yet this co urs e
is absolutely necessary in th e best interest ofthe co untry
and th e Squa d ron will eventually ha ve preference {}\ 'er
th e other Squa d rons here, after No . 10 Squadro n ha s been
co mp leted.
The nant es of the seven pi lots to he tran sferred to
Nava l Squadron No .6 are to befo rwa rde d to tnc as soon
as possible.
Wing Cap ta in
13th April
This was Frida y thc 13th. an unluck y day for the Squadro n
Co mmande r. J.J Pet re who was ki lled a t 11 .55 whe n his
Nieuport, N3206. broke up whilst divin g at a practice gro und
target at Derna court.
One of thc squadron offic ers descri bed the eve nt:
" The accident occurred at 11.50 a.m. yes te rday: Ap ri!
l Ith. wh en he went up to pr actis efiring at a target on the
gro und. He did one di ve [ro m ab ou t 1500 f eet to about
200 and ap p ea red to flatt en out rath er quickly. He th en
climbe d up ag ain, did a very st eep hank and th en sta rted
10 dive ag ain. Ajier di ving two or three lutndredjcet th e
m achin e b roke in the a ir and th e resu lt wa sjatal. / do not
thin k there was eve r a e.O. who was adm ired and liked
m o re " .
SCdr Jack Petre was bur ied at Dcrnacourt but late r re- interred
in the French Ce metery at Cerisy Gailly.
Earlier in the mornin g. at 08.15. FCdr Allen led B Flight
on the squadron's first patrol from Chipilly. T he patrol was
co mpletely unevent ful.
A sho t tha t proves decking and a per go la are not new co nce pts.Anoth e r very
po or qu ality phot ograp h shows th is struct ure at the end of the Mess be ing
co nstru cte d by t he squadron's o fficers. Courtesy JUStin Young
At 10.09. De Roeper return ed from his forced landing at
Baillcu l having turned the jo urney into a line patro l. He re-
ported heavy anti-aircraft fire with a piece of shrapnel passing
through his mac hine.
At 12.20. Keeb le co llec ted N3209 from No.2 A D at
Ca ndas.
14th April
No n ights were ca rried out on the 14th.
15th April
SCdr C D Breese arrived al Chipilly to take co mmand o f the
squadron. Up until the 13th April. Breese had been in com-
ma nd of No. 10 Squadron which was in the process o f "work-
ing up" to combat readiness at Fume s in Belgium .
Bailey took the recently delivered N32 09 back to No.2
AD. He co mplained that fuel pressure troub le and mist had
caused him to land seve ral times.
Wing Co mmander Grey rep lied to Wing Ca ptain Lamb e
with a list of pilots to be transferred and this enabled Lamb e
to write to Wing Co mmande r Chambers. the R AS liaison at
RFC I-lead Quarters:

45
 II History ofNo.t) Squadron ROYI/I N({\'(/I Air Se rvice ill World \\fIr I

Front: Se nio r Officer. R,N.A .S. Duukerq uc

u.. Wing COII/ II/(///(Ier Cham bers RN , H.Q . R.F C.
Dal e: 151h April1 9 17, I1Q /'(~r 543

With a FieII' to co mp leting Nav al Sq uad ron No .6. I int end

to se nd a COII/IJlele Flig ht j ;'OI1/ No . 11 Squa dron under
Acting Squadron COII/ II/ (///(Ier Draper wh o will undertake
the duties of Fligh l COII/ II/(//uler of the Flight.
The remaining ojjicers will he :

Fli ght Li eut enant Macl.cnnan

Flighl Suh Li eut enant Redpath
Fligln Su b Lieut enant Masson '
Flight Sub Lieut en ant Edwa rds
Fligh t S ub Li eu tenant Bea sl ey
Flight Sub Li eut enant M acgregor

With Flig lll Suh Lieut enant M acgregor and one (~r th e
exi st ing pi lot s as spare pilot s. Fo r Naval Squa dro n No .6 .
Thi s bein g so , Flight Li eutenant Allen will be with-
dra wn', le a vin g Fli g ht Co m ma nders Ma cl. a ren a nd
No rto n as the other two. Flight Lieut enant Keebl e' is al so
to he retu rned to Duukerque on bein g rep lac ed.
Th ree, o r possibly fo u r o] these p ilot s willfl » down
niach ines and the rema inde r will pro ceed hy roa d.

Wing Ca ptain
Sedr JJ Petre was killed on the 13th A pr il 19 17 w hilst practicing diving at a
ground target at Dernacourt, his machine broke up in the air.probably due to
16th April failure of the low er w ing (see A ppendix K).This photograph shows the re-
mains of t he Clerget engine after it was recovered from t he w reck of N 3206.
Eight tcst and practice ni ghts were ca rried out:
Courtesy Justin Young

SCdr Breese N3 193 at 09.35 - test

FLt Keeb le N3203 at li AS - gun test. both
guns fired well but Vickers gun put a bullct throu gh thc pro-
pcllcr.
FCdr Macl.arcn N3204 at I IAO
Lewi s gun satisfactory
FSL Plaistowc N3200 at 13.50 - engine satisfac-
tory, gun ja mmed wit h cross feed aft er considerable amount
of firing.
FSL Wood N3 193 a1 13.55
gun test, satisfactory
FSL Laws on N3 194 at 14A5
practice. satisfactory
FSL Wintcr N3 195 at 15. 10 - target practice,
Vickers fired well, Lew is jamm ed. A nother view of the engine recovered from Petre's fatal crash.The Clerget's
crankshaft can be seen to be bent. Courtesy Fleet Air Arm Museum

4()
 Wo rking / or the RFC - / 4 Wing. 4 Brigade

FCdr Allen N3207 at 15.45

gun test, g un irregu lar

SCdr CD Brccsc was a very tall man. he must have found the
cra mped coc kpit of thc lieupo rt 17Bis qu ite restrictiv e and
uncom fortab le.
Th e first replace me nt pilot from 10 . 11 Squad ron. FSl
PE Beasley, arri ved at Chipilly.

17th A pril
No flying d ue to unsuitab le weat her,

I Hth A pril
No war flying due to unsuitable wea ther.

19th A pr il
Bailcy carried out a so lo line patrol at 06 .30. he reported that
mist and clo uds forced him to Ily at 800 teet. Hc returne d at
07.45 as co nditio ns were too difficul t to co ntinue the patrol.
Kccblc carrie d out a so lo linc patro l at 09.20. he reported
lig ht anti-aircraft and machi ne gun firc ncar St. Que ntin.
Durin g thc co urse of the mornin g. o ne practice and three
test Ilights were carri ed o ut:

FSL Bailey I 3 199 at 08.55 - cnginc test.

satisfactory
FSL Fletcher I3 192 at 09 .23 - practi ce
FLt Dc Roeper N3 196 at 11. 15 - machi ne and
engine rest, satisfacto ry
AFCd r Allen N3207 at 11.1 7 - gun bad.
e ngi ne good
Gag nier took o lTat 08. 15 in N3 189 to deli vcr despa tches. Th e
mac hi ne deve lo ped c ng inc troub le afte r 30 min utes and
Gagnie r was forced to land at Matigny where the problem was
diagn osed as faulty high te nsion leads.
FSL ST Edwa rds. another of thc promised 3 Wing/No. 1I
Squadro n pilots. arrived at thc Chipi lly. Five of his col leagues.
ASC dr C Draper, FSl RF Red path. FSl NM Macgregor, FLt
GG Ma cl.cnnan and FSl GlE Steven s. ca rried out tcst Ilight s
of 1 3 10 1. 5861. ' 3 100. N5860 and 1 3 186 at the St. Pol
depot. N5860 and I 5861 were manu factured by the British
1 icuport Company at Cricklcwoo d and di ffcred in sma ll de-
tails from the French bui lt machines then in use by No.6 Squad-
ron. Th e British built mach ines were read ily iden tifiabl e by
being finished in PC 10 brown do pe instead o f the French built
machines' aluminium doped finish.
Squadron Commander Charles Dem pster Breese was tra nsferred from N o.10
Squadron, whic h was in t he process of"wo rk ing up". to take over N o.6 Squad-
ro n after the death of Squadron Commander JJ Petre. Breese held a Naval
ngineering rank and had t ransferred to the RNA S in 191 5.After the squad-
ron was disbanded on the 27t h Au gust 1917, Breese held a number of admin-
istrative job s and was granted a permanent commission in the RAF. Breese
achieved the rank of Air Vice Marshal in the RAF and died in 194 I in a Coastal
Command Lockheed Hu dson that crashed on Wick A ero drom e. CourtesyJus-
tin Young
20th A pril
Draper. Redpath. Macgrego r, Macl. cn nan and Stevens, who
we re still attac hed to No. 11 Sq uadro n. fe rr ied the ir new
Nicup ort machin es to Petite Synthc.
Back at Chipilly. four solo line patrol s were ca rried out as
follow s:
FLt Keeble at 06.30 . thc patro l was comp letely un-
eve nt f ul.
FLt Dc Roeper at 09. 30. the patro l was abandon ed
after an hour d ue to eng ine trou ble.
FLt Reeves at 11 .30. thc visibility had deteriorated
and thc patro l was une ventful ,

47
 II Il ist o rv of No .6 Sq uadron Ro va! NII\'(/I Ai r Service ill Wo rld II'lir I

ABOVE: The much photographed ieuport 17Bls N3195 . This photograph
presents a puzzle. being apparently marked with the A Flight Identification
number" I ". Records show that this machine was not flown by A Flight, is it
possible that N3195 was photographed before Its more familiar number"16"
had been finished) Co rtesy SKTaylor
BELOW: Another photograph of N3195 in its more familiar state marked as
"16" of C Fligh with a red cowl and red wheel covers. Flown regularly by FSL
Rupert Randolph Winter between 27th March and 29th April 1917.Winter
claimed an Albatros scout as out of control at Guise on the 29th April 1917.
but was badly shot up by ground fire. Author's collection

48
 Working [orth e Nr C - 14 Wing. -l Brigade

FSL Kirkpatrick at 17.00. the visibi lity was still bad

and no ene my aircraft were see n.

Gag nier ret urned from his forced landing at Matigny at 15.20.
The squadron's pilots spe nt the day ca rrying out test and
practice flights. whilst SCdr Breese and his se nior Flight Com-
mander. EW Norton paid a visit to the aerodro me at Flez which
wo uld shortly become the Squadro n's new base:

FLt Reeves N3207 at 09.25

gun test. satisfactory
FCdr Macl.are n 3204 at 09.25
gun test. Vickers gun satisfactory
SCdr Breese 13 194 at 09.30
practice. engine runn ing well
FSL Walton 13200 at 09.45 Posing for the camera at Chipilly in N avy Blue, Flt BHP De Roeper. FCdr CT
gun test. satisfactory Macl aren, SCdr CD Breese and Flt lC Keeble. Courtesy Fleer Air Arm Museum

FCdr Norton 13208 at 10.00

test. satisfactory Nieuports which had been co llected from the depot on the 19th
AFCdr Allen 13200 at 10. 10 April.
practice, satisfactory Keeb le ca rrie d out an uneve ntful solo line patrol at 06 .35 .
FSL Lawson N3 194 at 10.10 Allen carried out a brief weath er test at 09.25.
practice. satisfactory At 08. 15. Gagnier fe rried di sp atch es to the French aero -
FSL Kirkpa trick N3 197 at 10.40 drome at Ham. retu rning at 11 .30.
practice. satisfactory FCdr Norton Icd C Flight on a line patrol at 08.00 , Vis-
AFCdr Allen N3 199 at 11 .00 - gun test. gea r ibility was poor and thc Flight became d ispe rsed, Wi nter be-
went out of commission ing the only pilot able to keep station with Norton. Bailey
FSL Fletcher N3 192 at 15.10 - practice aband oned the patrol after 8 minutes due to overfilling of his
FSL Wood N3 193 at 15.45 - test. e ngine and fuel tan k. Kirkpatrick patrolled alone but damaged the star-
machine satisfactory board lowe r plane o f N3 197 up on landi ng. Fletc her an d
AFCdr Allen N3 195 at 16.00 Lawson both patrolled on their ow n. Lawson bcing forced to
test. satisfactory land at La Le vie to refuel. Norton and Winter landed at Mcsmil .
Walton ca rried out a solo li ne patrol at 09.40 and landed
SCdr Breese and FCdr Norton flew from Chipilly to Flez at at Bellevu e.
14.00 and retu rned at 15.25. FCdr Mac l.arcn led A Flight on a line patrol between Sav y
and Bcrtin court at midd ay. The visibility had improved but no
2 1st A pril hostile aircraft were scen. howe ver, an observa tion balloon
The visibi lity was very bad on the 2 1st. Winter atte mpted to was seen to fall in flames ncar Bcrtin court .
carry out a line patrol at 06 .05 but was forced to ret urn after Kirkpat rick ca rried out an uneve ntful solo line patro l at
25 min utes. 13.40 and another at 17.00. The visibility had deteriorated and
was dcscri bed as very poor.
2211(1A pril At 17.45. A Flight ca rried out a linc pat rol co vering
Th e re maini ng new pilots fro m No. 1I Squadron. Drap er. Bapau mc, Roiscl and St. Que ntin. The cloud base was at 1000
MacL e nna n. Stev e ns. Macgregor and Redp at h arrive d at feel and the visibility poo r. No e nemy aircraft were see n.
Chipilly havi ng flown down from Peti te Synthe in their new

49
 1\ Histo ry oj'No.6 Sq uad ron Royal Nava l A ir Se rvice ill \\'orld \\'I/r l

Several of the squadron 's N ieupor ts were supplied from Paris w ith French cockades on the wings.These aircraft
were used w ith these markings unt il such t ime as t he national markings could be corrected. In th is photog raph,
N ,euport 17Bis nurnber"?" is clearly marked w it h French Cockades.This 17Bis, N 3 196, was FLt BHP De Roeper's
regular machine fro m the 7th April to 13t h May 1917.Courtesy EFCheesman

O n the 13t h A pri l 1917,N 3196 was damaged by ant i-aircraft fire during a line patrol.A new po r t to p plane was
provided from the RFC depot's stock of standard N ieuport 17 spares, this gave N 3 196 a somewhat bizarre
appearance w ith an overall aluminium dope finish but with the port top plane finished in brown PC I a.The new
wing carried British cockades and in t his phot ograph it can be seen that the starboar d wi ng's French cockade is in
the process of being over-painted w ith the correct Briti sh colours.Th is view shows that the Flight identification
number was repeated on th e to p decking of this particular machine. Courtesy EFCheesman

50
 \\'o rkillg / or /he Nr C - 14 \Villg. 4 lt rigadc

A Morane Saulnier type AC from Escadr ille N .49 visiting N o.6 Squadron at Chipilly. The Escadr ille's emblem of a
golden pennant outli ned in red can be seen on the Mo rane's fuselage. Courtesy EF Cheesman

A nother visito r from Escadri lle N .49, a SPAD 57. It was not uncommo n for neighbour ing squadrons to visit for
aircraft type recognition and familiarisation pur poses.Courtesy Justin Young

51
 A Histo rv of No.6 Squadron Royal Naval Air Se rvice ill World \lilr l

Brd A pril FSL Redpath N5S6 1 at 11.25

Bailey ca rrie d o ut a line patro l at 0 9.30 a nd la nde d at Flcz g un test . Vic kers ja m med
with pressu re trouble . He o bse rve d an e ne my ma ch ine at 1000 0 FSL Ste ve ns N3 1S4 at 13 .40
Ice t w he n he was fly ing at 4000 fee t. g un test. to p g un o ut of pos itio n
Ed wa rds ca rrie d o ut a line patro l in N32 00 a t 10 .25 . the FS L Wo od N3 193 at 19. 20
g un suffe red a sto ppage and the pressu re sys te m was faulty. e ng ine test. satis fac to ry
Ed wa rd s c ra shed a nd o ve rt urne d N3200 o n land ing .
Fle tc he r c arri ed out a n un even tful line pat ro l at 13.35. 24t h April
SCd r Breese fle w de sp a tc hes to G uiza nco urt at 13.35 and M ac g rego r ca rr ied o ut an une ventful so lo line pat rol at 05 .30 .
re turned at 16.25 . FCd r Nor to n led C Flig ht o n a two hour line pat rol at
A t 14 .30. FCdr No rto n Icd Bail cy a nd W int c r o n a pat ro l OS.OO. Re dp ath acco m pa nied the pa tro l in N5S 6 I bu t ag a in
to p ro te c t th e k ite ball o on line betwe e n G e rma ine a nd ex pe rie nce d g un pro b le ms.
Villcvaq ue. Wa lto n carrie d o ut a so lo line patro l at 10 .00 . five e ne my
A SCd r Dr a pe r led S teve ns . Ma cgreg or. Redp at h a nd ai rc raft w e re o bse rve d fl yin g 4000 fe e t h igh er th an th e
Ma cL c n na n o n a line pat ro l at 18 .30 to ga in fa m ilia risatio n N ic upor t.
wi th the local land marks. Man y a irc ra ft we re ob served but Ste ve ns ca rrie d o ut a n u ne ve ntful line pat ro l at 13.35 .
were to o far aw ay to identif y. A t 15 .30. Ed wa rd s co llec ted N3 102 fro m No .2 A D at
Fo ur tcst fl ights were ca rrie d o ut: C a ndas .. Du ring thc s ho rt flig ht to C h ipilly, thc N ie upo rts
e ng ine fa iled and Edw a rds mad e a forc ed la ndi ng o n an R FC
FS L Macg regor N3 100 at 11.10 aerodrom e nc ar Do ullc ns . A faulty magn et o was di agn osed as
pra ct ice , ma chin e le ft w ing down thc so urce o f the pro blem .

52
 \\ {Ir ki l/g [ o r the RFC - 1./ \\IiI/ g . ./ lt rigade

N ieuport 17Bis N 310 I was tested at the St. Pol dep ot by ASCdr Dr ap er o n 19th April 19 17. 3 101 was Dra pe r's
regular B Flight machine and IS seen here prior to being pa inted with the two red ban ds around th e fuselage that
de note d t he B Flight Com mander's mach ine. Dra per claimed one sco ut crashed and another out of co ntrol at
midday on the 6th June 1917. Courtesy EF Cheesman

OPPOSITE: A well known gro up photograp h of t he pilots drafted in from ABOVE: Draper's B Flight. from lef to right. 3101 ma rked w ith two red
NO.1 I Squadr on to bring NO.6 Squ adro n back up to strength: Back Row. l to str ipes on t he fuselage, unknown, N 3 186 marke d " 12" plus a diagona l red
R: FSl ST Edwards. FSl M Macgregor. FSl PE Beasley, FSl Gl EStevens.ASCdr str ipe, N 3200 marked "9" and N 3199 ma rked "8". Courtesy EF Cheesman
C Draper. Middle Row. l to R:FSl RF Red path , FLt GG Macl en nan. Front Row:
"Jo ey" (Draper's dog) Dr ape r. Macl en nan. Edwards. Macgrego r. Beasley and
e dpath were all veterans fro m the Royal Naval Air Service's strategic bo mb-
Ing gro up. o.J Wi ng. Courtesy JM BIGSL Collection

53
 1\ History uJ Nu .6 Squ ad ron Roya l Nava l Air Service ill Wu rld \\'rlr I

A BOVE: A general view across the aerodrome at Chipilly showi ng three ma-
chines from C Flight in the foreground and two from B Flight in th e back-
ground.The red bands on Drape r's aircraft N 31 0 I can be clearly seen.A t this
stage,the C Flight machines do not have red cow ls and wheel covers. Courtesy
Les Rogers
BELOW: FLt ST Edwards, one of the new pilots sourced from N o.1I Squad-
ron, made his first flight from Chipilly in N ieupor t 17Bis N 3200 on the 23rd
Ap ril 19 17. The aircraft's fuel pressure system was faulty resulting in erratic
engine cont ro l. Edwards overtu rned t he machine whe n landing. Courtesy Les
Rogers

Mac Lcn nan carri ed out a line patrol at 18.30. No enemy FSL Wood N3 193 at OX .52
aircraft we re observed. tcst. engi ne unsatisfactory. gun satisfacto ry.
Four test flight s were ca rrie d out: FSL Wallon N3 196 at 09.30
test. engi ne satisfacto ry. gun jammed
FCdr Macl.arc n N3204 at 17.30 FSL Stevens N3 1X6 'II I 1.50
gun test. satisfactory test. engine unsatisfactory
FLt Ree ves N3203 at 18.20 FS L Steve ns 3 186 'I I 14 ,45
g un test. ja mmed in No.3 position gun test . gun j a m med
FSL Walton 3 196 at 18. 10 FSL Redp ath 586 1 - tcst
tes t. engine missing. ex haust valve stuck
FSL Red path 586 1 Th e squadron was in the process o f mov ing further sout h and
gun test follow ing remedi al work nearer the lincs 10 a new ae rodrome at Flcz. Flcz was located
approxi mately 3 1/2 miles due wes t of St. Quentin and was. in
25th April real ity, an ae rodrome co mp lex with severa l flying fie lds. Situ-
Kirkpatrick carried o ut a line patrol at 06. 10. no enemy air- atcd close 10 the ruin s of thc vilIagc of G uiza nco urt. it was a
craft were encountered. co mmon occ urre nce for period documents 10 mak e reference
Five test flights were carried out durin g the day: 10 thc unofficial name of G uiza nco urt Aerodrome, So mew hat

5-1
 Wor king fo r the Nr c - 14 lI'ing, 4 Brigade

ABOV E:N 3 102 was collected from the RFC's N o.2A D at Candas on the 24th
A pri l 1917. Cockades were painted on the fuselage, and appear to have re-
mained wh ilst the machine was in serv ice.There is no evidence t hat N 3 I 02
was ever mar ked wi th a red Flight ident ificat ion number F5L 5T Edwards new
N 3 102 from 24th A pril to 13th June 1917, dur ing th is t ime he experienced
more than his fair share of unreliability. Courtesy JMBIGSL Collection
BELOW: Ni euport 17Bis N 3203 was marked w ith the A Flight ident ifica ion
number ''3'', delivered on t he 22nd March 19 17, it was regular ly used by FLt
LC Keeble from t he 24t h March to the 22nd A pri l 19 17. F5L AM cB Wal ton
took over N 3203 on the 30th A pri l and new it until the 20th May 1917 when
he crashed and wrote it off at Flez.An unidentified British built Ni eupo rt 17Bis
can be seen behind N 3203. Author's collection

55
 A History of No.6 Squat/roll Royal Na vul Air Ser vice ill lVorld lVar l

unusually. the squadron moved its aircraft over a period of FCdr Norton. Fletc her and Winter carried out ano ther rela-
seve ral days. tive ly short patro l at 19.40, no enem y aircraft were encoun-
SCdr Breese flew to ri el. at 13.30 and return ed to Chipilly tcred .
at 15. 10.
C Fligh: transferred to ri el. at 19.30. 29th April
Draper led B Flight on an offensive patrol at 07.40. British
26th April aircraft were observed ove r St. Quentin but no hostile ma-
Ree ves flew despat ches from Chipilly to Flcz at 09 .30. re- chines were encountered.
turnin g to Chipilly at 10.30 . Bailey was aga in assigned the duty fligh t and flew to
Chipilly at 09 .05 retu rning to Flcz at 11.00.
Edwards carr ied out two test flights: Winter co llecte d a new machine. 3209. from No.2 AD
at 12. 15 and returned via Belle vue at 14.35.
FSL Edwa rds N3 102 at09 .00 B Flight car ried out an offensive pat rol at 07 .20 . Edw ards
gun unsati sfactory suffered engine failure and was forced to dro p out after ten
FSL Edw ards N3 102 at 09. 15 minutes.
gun unsatisfactory
OPPOSITE
TO P: An excellent view of N o.6 Squadron's corner of the aerodrome com-
B Flight transferred from Chipilly to r iel. at 15.40. plex at Hez. thought to have been taken by FSL NM Macgregor wh ilst fiying
one of the squadron's ieupo r ts. Courtesy EF Cheesman

BonOM: A second aer ial view of Flez taken a few seconds later, one of the
The refor med B Flight carri ed out their first full patro l from
Squadron's N ieuports can be seen to be in the process of taking off. Courtesy
Flez. this proved to be une ventful. with the exce ption that EFCheesman
Edwards experienced a gun stoppage .
An escort mission set off at 18.30. The mission was a
washout. Redp ath reported that thc pilots had been called too
P[ez Aerodrome
late to make con tact. .:M"tornu.vfro",;f ",irns ~'to ro".n:r)' to SI QJmtt in

:.Alaef,inrgun ratltJt [

27th April
Edwards carried out two further unsatisfac tory gun tcsts in
N3 102. recording the tcsts as" BG" usual ly taken to mean
"No Bloody C oOlf' .

2Sth April
Two tcst and practice flights were ca rried out:

FSL Edward s N3 102 - gun test. satisfactory

FSL Rcdpath N586 1 at 07.30 - practice

Bailey carried out a duty flight to C hipilly at 17.00. return ing

Key
at 19. 15.
FCdr lorton led Fletchcr. Winter and Lawson on a patro l
CJ
at 17. 10. Lawson crashed and dam aged N3194 at Flez. No
e ne my aircraft were enco untered. 6 Squ adron It ' AS
ASCdr Draper led B Flight on an une ventfu l offensive Aero dro m e

patro l at 17.30 . Co nditions were reported as being very cloudy

0 11 both sides of the lines.

56
l\'orU llg! or the Nr C - / 4 Willg. 4 Brigade

57
 II History of No .6 Sq uadron Roya l Na val Air Serv ice ill lVor/d lVar I

At 11.00. B Flight carrie d out an ex hibition patrol over 14.4 5 - 16. 10 Albatros D./ II 2049/ 16
thc aerodrome during an inspection by Genera l Rawlinson. no details
FCdr Norton led C Flight on an o ffen siv e patrol at 12.20 . 1850 - 20.00Alb{/(ms D./I l 204 9/16
FSL Bea sley was forc ed to abando n the patro l w he n his Res ult: su cc essful co mbat at 19.45 ove r Renico urt . Al
mach ine' s rev co unter failed. At 13. 15. orto n observed a lonc 20 .00. an unsucce ssful combat \I'as brok en off becau se
Albatros sco ut at Behcries. seven mi les cast of Honnccou rt. th e rudder cable I I'{IS sho t through.
He watched the e nemy machin e for five minut es before at-
tacki ng and then led Fletcher down in a dive, both licuports Com bat report:
firi ng at very close range. Trac ers were see n ent erin g thc Mi ssi on : Jagdfl ug
Albatros fuselage and the e nemy machine side-s lipped. nose- IVe{/(her Good visibility
dive d and went down out of control.
Th ree of C Flight' s me mbers were in actio n again when About 7.45plII aerialfight over Ramicoun with a Nieuport
Norton Icd Wintcr and Fletcher on an offe nsive patrol 17.45. sing lc- sc ate r: I sho t it do wn . He tried to land S IV (~I'

At 18.55 ove r Guise, the patrol was attacked by a form ation
of 12 Albatros scouts. Norton dived and rolled to gct out of
thc way but round that his Nicuport was being overtake n. He
turned and met his attacker head-on. firing at close range.
whereupon the enemy scou t fell in flames. Winter was attacked
fro m behind by three scouts which took turns to shoot at him.
Winter and thc attacker s were flying in a vertical bank. with
Winter trying to get into a position to be able to turn the tab le
on his opponents. Whcn Wintcr was ablc to fire. his Nieuport
stalled and both the Nicuport and thc Albatros spun down.
Wintcr recov ered at 1000 feet and thought hc saw the ene my
machine cra shed on the ground . this proved op timi stic as it
turned out to be an anti-aircraft gun that started 10 fire at him.
Wintcr flew back at 800 feet under heavy ground fire and
eventua lly landed four miles southeast of Albert . He then flew
back to thc aerod rome . howe ver. his machin e. I 3 199. was
badly shot-up. FCdr orio n had see n Winter and his opponent
spinning down and believed the Albatros to be Out of Contro l.
Norto n then ca rne under attac k from se ve ral more e nemy
mach ines, After endeavo uring to get away. Norton turned and
went through their formation. firing at onc machine which went
down co mpletely out of co ntro l with the pilot thought to be
serio usly woun ded. Norton then tried to disengage but was
still bei ng followed . he landed in ene my territory and as the
enemy machincs sho t past hc took orr again and was pursucd
all thc way to thc lincs at a hcigh t or ! 00 rcct. Flctc her failcd
to rctu rn from thc patrol. bcin g wou ndcd and takcn prisoncr.
An intcrcsting vicw of thc 18.55 combat can bc gai ncd
from thc combat logs of Ltn I-Icrmann Gijring o f ./as((/ 26 .5
Goring flcw threc mission s on thc 29th April:
10.05 - 11.30 Albatms /) ./11 2049/1 6
on e indecisil'e cOlllb{/( with a biplane.
Rainicour t . Turned ove r on lan ding. The p ilot, Znd Lt
Fl eisch er (s ic) was se verely wounde d with a rico che t shot
to his lo wer cal ] .
IVhen lj7 ew at 100111 height to Bohain a seco nd ene my
single-seat er came [ro m above. chased by an Albatros.
Th e British er at ta ck ed m e sho rtly and hit Illy lat eral
co nt rol. He him selfwas then pursu ed by an Albatros and
f orc ed to land. I c o u ld n ot o bse rve an y f u rt he r
de velopments sin ce I had to j7y wii/1011! a lat eral co ntrol
which demanded Ill \' whol e attent ion.
The Ni euport had the No.3 192 Fain : No.2 756 ( 17Bis )
A10wr No.2S13 1)'fJe 9B
Num ber of sho ts : 120 m unds
(Signed) Giiri ug
Leut nan t
Goring's co mbat report co rres ponds remarka bly well with
Norton's report", with thc exce ption that Norton esca ped by
taking orr agai n. Acco rding to Gd ring's statement, it would
see m likely that Norton was flying the Nie uport that sho t his
co ntro ls away .
ASCd r Draper led B Flight on an o ffe nsive patrol at 18.00.
no cn cmy aircraft wcrc obscrvc d but somc anti-airc raft firc
was c nco untcred ncar St. Qucn tin.
30th A pril
Thc squadron 's movc to Flcz was co mplctcd on the 30th whc n
A Fligh t transferred from Chipi lly at 11 .30. No.6 Squadro n
sharcd thc co mplcx with No.n Squadron RFC flyi ng FE2bs
and No,54 Squadron RFC flyin g Sopw ith Pups.

58
 Workillg f o r the R Fe - J.I lI'illg. " Br igade

FSL Fletcher's C Flight N ieuport 17Bis N 3 192 in German hands after Fletcher was wo unded by Ltn H erm ann
Go ring and fo rced to land on the 29th A pril 191 7. Ear lier in the day, Fletcher had submitted his first claim wh ich he
shared w ith FCd r EW N or ton, an Alb atros scout out of control to the east of Harcour t. Courtesy EF Cheesman

Car ry ing thre e red bands to denot e the C Flight Command er's machine, N 3208 w as flown by FCdr EW N orton
bet ween the 22nd and 29th A pril 191 7. N orton submitt ed t hree claims on the 29th Ap ril, an A lbatros scout o ut o f
control to he east of Harcourt. an Alb atro s scout in flames at Gu ise and an A lbat ros scout out of co nt ro l at Guise.
The last claim was against Herm an Go ring of Jasta 26 wh o w as forced to land wit h his r udder controls severed.
N 3208 was also flown by SCdr CD Breese, wh o claimed a 2-seater"apparently out o f control" on the I s June, and
by FSL RR Winter. CourtesyJustinYoung

59
 , \ Histo ry o./ No.6 Sq uadron Royal Nand Air Servi ce ill \\'flrld \l'a r I

ASCd r Draper led B FIight on an offc nsi ve patrol at 07,30, ABOVE: O n t he 29th A pri l 19 17, an element of [asta 26 was in com bat with
N o.6 Squadron 's C Flight. FSL Fletcher was wo unded in t he calf and for ced to
Macgr ego r a ba ndo ned th e patro l whe n th e pipe to hi s land, his opponent. Ltn Her mann Go ring, was fiying th is interestingly marked
Albatros 0111 2049/ 16.Gori ng was subsequently attacked by FCdr EW N orton,
machine's pressure ga uge bro ke. Redpath recorded that the the D ill's rudder controls were severed and Goring was forced to land, Cour-
patrol obser ved the circus but that an engage ment did not take tesy GregVonWyngorden
place. Edwards was more succinct. reporting that the odds were
16 against 4. Draper reported 14 hosti le machines that were May 1917
too far away to engage Hostile activity in the 4 Brigade area during May \l'as report ed
SCdr Breese flew to Chipilly at mU5. returning to Flcz as being no rm al. May p roved 10 be so mething (~f a buffer be-
at 10.00. tween the A rra s offensive ofApri! and the Mess ines offens ive
B Fligh t were scheduled to carry out a balloon strafe at ofJ une.
15.20. the mission proved to be a failure as no balloons were No .6 Sq uadro n \ off ens ive capability su ffe red a set back
in the air and Draper led the Flight back at 16.10. in !'vlay when the squad ron :\. II IOSt aggressi ve and effec tive pi-
FCd r Maclaren led A Flight on a second Balloon patro l lot, FCdr CIV Nort on, lI'as promoted and left to become COII/ -
at 17.30. The Flight patro lled the line bet ween St. Quen tin ntanding Office r oj No. 12 Squadro n.
and Carn brai but no balloo ns were enco untered. FEs were
observ ed working near Le Catelet and comi ng under anti -air- 1st Ma y
craft fire. Gagnier and Wood lost formation and both landed The Squadron structure at the beginning of May was as shown:
at Gurny.
One test flight was car ried out: A Flight
AFCdr CT Maclaren Flight Co mma nde r
FLt Maclenn an N5860 at 11.1 () - e ng ine test. FLt BHP De Roeper
1235 re vs at 2000 feet. FLt FP Ree ves
FSl OJ Gagn ier
FSl A ivlc B Walton
FSL P Wood

60
 1I ~} rk il/ g .r(l rlh l' NrC - J.I Wil/g. -I Itrigad c

B Flight At 06.05. Wood and Gag nier returned to Flez from their un-
ASCdr C Drape r Flight Co mma nder scheduled lading at Gurny on the 30th April. Walton return ed
FLt GG Macl enn an fro m Mont d idicr at 15.00.
FSl RF Redpath Mac l. arcn led A Flight on an offe nsive patrol at 09.40.
FSl ST Edwards Th e Flight atte mpted to engage an enemy mach ine about 3
FSl PE Beasley miles east o f Camb rai but were unable to get within range.
FSl NM l\lacgregor Reeves and Walton were forced to abando n the pat rol with a
gun stoppage and engine troub le respecti ve ly. At 11. 15. the
C Flight weake ned patrol enco untered nine enemy aircraft attack ing a
AFCdr EW Norton Flight Co mmander ni ght of FEs. The e nemy aircraft broke off and headed eas t
FSL H Lawson whe n the ieup ort s approac hed.
FSL RR Winter Drape r led B Flight o n an esc ort pat rol at 13.30 to protect
FSL RW Berridge FEs of No.n sq uad ron RFC. Th e patrol co mbined with the
FS L GD Kirkpatric k So pwith Pups of No.54 squadron RFC and ranged as far as
FSL C L Bai ley Cambrai. Fo ur enemy aircraft were obse rved to the eas t but
were too far awa y to be bro ught to actio n. On re-c rossing the
Spare Pilot FSL GL E Ste ven s lines an ene my machi ne was enco untered. Draper turn ed and
gave chase but it rapidly pulled away o ut o f range.
Four test and pra cti ce ni gh ts were car ried o ut in the
evening:
BELO W : N o.6 Squadron was occasionally required to provi de an escort for
th e FE2bs o f N o.22 Squadron RFC.An unidenti fied FE2b believed to be from
N o.22 Squadro n RFC is shown here. apparently wi th Australian connections.
FCdr MacLa ren 3204 at I R.OO
N ot e that the code "B I" is repeated in a red or black circle under each lower
wing. Courtesy EF Cheesman target practice on aero dro me

6/
 A History of No .6 Sq uadron Royal Nand A ir Se rvi ce ill II'lJrld 11'llr I

N o.6 Squadron ofte n joi ned forces w ith Sopwith Pups belonging to their 14 W ing neighbours, N o.54 Squadron
RFC. This photog raph of Sopwith Pup A73 44 shows the S4 Squadron RFC markings of a whi te hor izontal line
running below the top longeron between the cockpit and t he fin. Courtesy EFCheesman

Ano ther S4 Squadron RFC Sopwith Pup,A6 48. Courtesy EFCheesman

62
 Workin g fo r the NFC - '" Wing, -l Brigade

FSL Wa lton N3203 at 18 .0 0 SCdr Breese ca rried o ut a g un test a t 13 .40 prior to lead -
targe t pr acti ce o n ae rod rom e ing an o ffe ns ive patro l at 16 .00. Th e pat ro l was a co m p lete
FLT Ree ve s 32 07 at 18 .0 0 sham b les with FC dr Mac l. arcn d roppin g o ut wit h a badl y v i-
tar get pr acti ce o n aerodro me bratin g e ng ine and the other pil ot s loo sin g form ati on . Breese
SCd r Bree se I 32 04 at 18 .35 pa troll ed at 15000 fee t and re port ed anti-a irc ra ft ba tteries ac -
test. satis facto ry ti ve ncar Ha vincou rt Wood . Ga g nie r ca rr ied o ut a lin e pa tro l
at 150 00 fee t. he c rossed the Lin e s at St. Qu entin a nd jo ine d
2nd Ma y up w ith a form ati on of Pups fro m 0 .54 Squ adron R Fe.
B Fli ght carried o ut a n offc ns ive patrol at 06 . 10 int ending to Walt on patroll ed at 16000 fee t. no e ne my ai rc ra ft we re o b-
lin k up wit h th e Sop with Pups o f NO.54 Sq uad ron R Fe. Vis- se rve d. Wood patroll ed alon e and was attacked fro m behind
ibi lit y w as described as " very thi ck a nd ha zy" and th e patro l w h ilst he w as o bse rving three o the r e ne my m achine s . Ree ve s
fai led to find the Pu ps . A fli gh t o f e ig ht Fr e nch Pa ul Schmi tt patro lled at 16000 feet witho ut e nco u nte ring an y e ne my ma -
bom bers an d a so litary S PA)) we re observed . A hostile ma- c hines .
c h ine was e nco un te red ncar S I. Q ue nti n but co u ld not be S ix pra ctice a nd test fli gh ts we re ca rried o ut:
brou ght to act io n. Ma cgr egor su ffe red a g un sto ppag e at 06.50
a nd was forced to land in o rde r to ge t it c lear ed . A t 0 7 .00 he FSL Be rridge N3 197 at 0 9 .35 - pra ctice
atte m pted to rej oin th e pa tro l but m ist oo k a n igh t of ene m y FS L Be rridge 13 19 7 at 10 .45 - pra cti ce
a irc ra ft for the N ic upo rts , he was att acked by tw o o f the e n- SCd r Bre ese N3 195 at 13.40 - gun test.
e my aircraft . suffe red an other g un sto ppage and was for ced to satis fac to ry
de scend and land . FSL Beas le y 13 186 at 16. 35 - pr act ice
FSL Beasle y 13 186 at I7.45 - prac tice
BELOW: Nie uport 17Bis N3204 displaying the single red stripe 0 the A Flight SCdr Bree se 13 195 at 18 .35 - gun satis fac tor y
Commander's aeroplane. FCdr Maclaren flew this machine from the 14th
March to the 25th May 1917,it was then taken over by Flt FPReeves from the
5th May to the 6th June 1917. Reeves was killed on the 6th June w hen
3rd Ma y
N3204 broke up in the air during a general engagement to the northwest of
Cambr ai. Courtesy JMBIGSL Conecuon Ree ves fle w N3207 to A lbert at 08 .45 .

63
 A llistorv oj No .t: Squa dro n Rova ! Nava l A ir Se rvice ill 1\(" 'ld 1I'0r I

ABOVE: A fron t view of N 3204. A Flight aircraft had blue painted cowls and
Ba ile y co llec ted N5862 from the Dep ot at 0 9 .30 but suf-
wheel covers. Courtesy jMB/GSL Collection
fe red a broke n p ush rod a nd wa s fo rced to land at VilIers
Bc rto nnc ux. A fte r rep airs he returned to Flez at 20 .25 .
Sev e n test a nd prac tice flight s we re ca rried o ut duri ng the Breese led Kir kp atri c k. Lawso n a nd Be rr idge on an of-
co urse of the day : fe ns ive pa tro l at 18 .00 . Be rrid ge lan ded at C itade l Aerod ro me .
M uric ux. He was k ille d at 19 .1 5 w he n he sta lled N3 195 im -
FS L Macg regor N3 100 at 09 .3 5 - local pract ice medi atel y after ta k ing o ff to re turn to Flez
FS L Be rr idge I 3 195 at 10. 10
d iving and g un pr actice 4th Ma y
FSL Mac g rego r 3 100 at 10 040 - g un test. Draper led Red path and Ed wa rd s o n a host ile a ircr aft pa tro l at
ten sion o n recoi l too g rca t 09 040 to sea rc h for a n e ne m y mach ine re po rted from Peronn e.
FSL Be rridge N3 197 at 14 .10 - pra cti ce Th e int rudcr wa s o bse rved at 10000 fee t he adin g so uthea st
FSL Macgr egor N3 100 a t 14 .1 5 to ward s S I. Q ue ntin b ut the Nie upo rts wer e una ble to ge t c lose
ma c hin e sa tis fac to ry e no ug h to attack . Red path no ted in his log boo k th at his rna-
FS L Be rrid ge N3 195 at 15 .15 c h ine , N586 I. cli m bed to 10000 fee t in 14 min ute s a nd that
g un test. g un sa tisfactory the a ircra ft was a rme d with bo th g u ns. Wh ilst d iving . the
FSL Wood N3 193 at 18 .10 N ie uports sta rboard bo tto m pla ne tw is ted but Redpa th was
e ng ine e xce ptio na lly good a ble to ge t down safe ly.
A Flight ca rried o ut a n offen siv e patro l a t 11.30 . no e n-
B F lig ht ca rried o ut a ho stil e a irc ra ft pa tro l a lo ng the So m me e my a irc ra ft we re o bse rved. S tev e ns d rop ped o ut of the patro l
at 16.00 in se arc h o f an e ne my a irc ra ft re po rted to be ov e r w ith a g un s to ppage .
Ab crv illc , Beasley in N3 186 suffe red e ng ine troubl e and made Breese co llec ted N3207 from A lbe rt at l i AS.
a for ced lan din g at Be lle vue . A fte r fai ling to find the e ne my Be asl ey co llec ted N3 196 fro m Be lle vue at 13 .25 .
machi ne. Drap er led the flig ht fro m St. Qu enti n to C a mb ra i SCdr Bree se led Kirkpa tric k. La wson a nd Bailey o n a n
o n an une ve ntful offen si ve pat rol. o ffe ns ive patro l at 15.20 . Breese was force d to dro p o ut wh e n
 lI'orking f or the Nr C - / 4 lI'ing. 4 Brigade

N3 196's pressure system failed . No e nemy aircraft we re ob-

served.
B Flig ht ca rried out an uneven tful o ffensive patro l at
19.05.
A number of test and practice Iligh ts were carried out:

FCd r orto n N320 1 at 09.30 - machine

unsatisfactory
FSL Lawso n 5862 at 10.05 - satisfactory
15862 at 11.25 - satisfacto ry The remains of an unidentified ieuport 17B,s crash. Courresy Fleer Air Arm
FSL Lawso n
Museum
FSL Lawso n 5862 at II AS - gun test.
unsatisfactory
FSL Lawson N528 6 at 13A5 - gun test.
sa tisfactory
FSL Ste vens N3 196 at 14.10 - gun test.
sa tisfac tor y
FS L Steve ns N3 196 at 18. 15 - unsatisfactor y

5th May
C Flight carried o ut an offensive patrol at 08.30. no ene my
ai rcraft were obse rved. Lawson atte mpted to attack an enemy
kite ba lloon to the north of Ho mbiliercs but was drive n off by
heavy anti-a ircraft fire. An oth er view of the unidentified crash.The unusual double telegraph poles
Reeves collected N5S(15 from the depot at 12.00. may eventually lead to the crash site being identified. Courresy Fleer Air Arm
M useum
MacLennan led B Flight o n an esco rt patrol for the FEs
of 0.22 Squadro n RFC at 15.00. MacLe nnan was forced to
return with a broken va lve spring a nd de fec tive magneto . A Flig ht carried out an o ffe nsive patrol ove r SI. Qu ent in at
Redpath. Macgregor and Edwa rds co ntinued the mission which 18.00 . th ic k c lo uds wer e e nco unte red up to 15000 fee t.
pro ved uneventfu l , Mac Laren took the patrol dow n to 7000 feet where the vis-
Sev eral test and pract ice Ilights were ca rried out: ibility was foun d to be wo rse .

FLt Dc Roeper N3 196 at 09.00 6th May

mach ine. eng ine and gun satis factory Th ree test flight s were ca rried out:
FSL Lawson N5862 at 17.55
practice. satisfacto ry FS L Walto n N3203 at 08.00
SCd r Breese N3202 at 17. 15 weather test. cloud from SOOO fee t
mach ine. engine and g un satisfactory FS L Macgregor '3 100 at 10.00
ASC dr Drap er 1 3 101 at 16 A 5 weather test. thick cloud from 8000 fee t
testing engine a nd gun ASC dr Draper N3 186 at 15.05 - satisfac tory
ASCdr Draper N3 10 I at 18A5
tcstin g engine and gun. sat isfactory B Flig ht carried out an offen sive pat rol at IS.OO. Macgregor
FSL Edwards N3 102 at IS.50 repo rted obse rving o ne enemy aero plane.
five minutes into the fligh t the throttle fe ll off and the engine
sto pped, resu lting in a forced landing. 7th May
FSL Edwa rds 1 3 102 at 19. 10 - satisfactory SCd r Breese led De Roeper. Bailey. Kirkpatrick and Lawson
on an offensive patrol at 05.55. De Roeper and Lawson dropped

65
 A History ofNo.t) Squadron Royal Nava l Air Se rvice in Wo rld Wa r I

Believed to be N 3189 of A Flight and flown by FS L OJ Gagnier.number "6 " has not had it s cow l or w heel covers
painted whe n this photograph was taken. Gagnier claimed an Alb atros scout crashed northwest of Fresnoy Ie
Grand on the 10t h May 19 17. ut was seriously wo unded whe n he was shot down at Villers Ou treax on t he
following day. Courtesy EF Cheesman

A line-up of A Flight aircraft. number "6" (third machine from right) now sports a painted cowl and w heel covers. Courtesy JustinYoung

o ut wi th a g un sto ppage a nd e ng ine trou ble re spec tive ly. A n
e ne my k itc ball oo n was o bserved nea r Fra mo nt a nd o the r
g ro und based o bservatio ns were rep ort ed .
G ag nie r a nd Wood to o k o ff at 09 .35 in pursui t o f a n e n-
c my mac hi ne re po rte d to bc ove r St.Q uc ntin. Ne ithe r pil ot
e nco unte red thc hostile a ircr a ft.
B FIig ht c arried o ut a n o lfc ns ivc pat rol a t 10. 00 . Red pat h
e ngaged a n e ne my mac h ine two mi les so uth o f C a m brai b ut
su ffe red a g un sto ppage . Drap e r re po rte d an e ne my kite ba l-
loo n at C rc vccocur.
A Flig ht ca rr ied o ut a line patrol at 18 .00. be tw ee n St.
Q ue ntin a nd Ha vrincourt Wood. T he visibil ity was ve ry poo r
a nd no e ne my a irc ra ft we re obse rve d .
Sth Ma y
o flyin g d ue to bad weathe r.
9th May
A num ber o f test flight s we re carried o ut durin g the day :

66
 \l'o rking f or the RFC - /4 \l'ing. 4 Brigade
FSL Edwards 3 102 at 09.25
e ngine satisfactory
SCdr Drapcr 3 10 1 at 10.00
gun and mach ine satisfactory
F dr Mac l. arcn 13204 at 10.00
engine satisfactory. machin e flying left wing heavy.
Cdr Breese N3209 at 13.45 - gun satisfactory
FSL Walton 13203 at 14.35
engine slightly harsh
FLt Reeves 13207 at 14.35 - satisfactory
Macl. arcn led A Flight on an offe ns ive patrol to Cambrai. St.
Q uentin and eastwards for 10 miles at IS.OO. The visibility
was poor and the patro l carne down from 15000 feet to 10000
fee t and follow ed the lines. 0 e ne my aircraft were c ncoun-
tercel.
SCdr Breese led Bailey and Lawson on a 25 minute for-
mation practice at IS.30.
Illth 1\ lay
SCdr Breese carried out a solo offensive patrol at 04.50. Breese
fl ew at 12000 feet and reported that the visibility was bad.
Macl. aren led A Fligh t on an offe nsive patrol from north
o f Lc Catelct. cast of Bohain to the river Oisc at 13.55. T he
patrol dived on three enemy aircraft which ned away tow ards
Lc Catelet before they co uld be engaged. At 15.15. an Albatros
scout was observ ed head ing for St. Que ntin. Mac l.are n and
De Roeper dived on the Albatros which dived and pulled away
from them. Gagnier. howe ver. di ved at an anglc and caught
the Albatros at 7000 feet. he fired two burs ts and saw tracers
e nter thc wings and fuselage aro und the pilot. He got to within
100 feet and fired another burst into the fuselage. the co mbat
was at 5000 feet by this time and the ene my machine was last
see n go ing down in a spinning nose dive north west of Fresnoy
lc Grand.
Draper. Macgregor, Redpath and Lawson ca rried out a
balloon offensi ve at 14.45 :
ASCdr Draper : N3 10 I - Crossed the lines at 800 feet but
failed to find the balloon in his sec tor. he returned to-
wards St. Quentin but no balloons were enco untered.
FSL Macgregor: N3100 - C rossed the lines at 800 feet
and attacked the balloon in his sector. firing at it until
wit hin 150 ya rds at which point his gun ja mmed.
67
FSL Redpat h: N5S6 1 - Crossed the lines at 1000 feet to-
wards Fresnoy, however. his alloca ted balloon was not
alo ft. After firing 100 rounds into the tre nches Redpath
turned west and observed two kite balloons to the south
of Frcsnoy, he re-crossed the lines at 250 feet but was
unable to locate the balloons belie ving that they had been
winched down during Macgregor 's attack.
FSL Lawson: N5862 - Lawson crosse d the lines at 2000
feet near Horn bi li crcs and attacke d his balloon from the
so uth but his gun jammed after j ust 20 rounds. Lawson
re-crossed the lines and cleared the stoppage then attacked
the balloon from the north west. His gun suffere d another
stoppage after firing 100 rounds.
Breese led Kirkpatrick and Bailey on an offensive pat rol at
18.00 but was forced to return to the aerodrom e a fter 15 min-
utes due to rain and an approa c hing storm.
Three test and practice ni ghts were ca rried out:
FSL Kirkpatrick I 5865 at 09.55
FSL Bailey I3 199 at 09.55
gun worki ng well
FSL Bailey N3 199 at 15.00 - satisfactory
11th 1\ lay
Breese led Bailey. Kirkpatrick and Lawson on an o ffensive
patro l at 05 .00. Thick cloud was encountered at 600 0 feet and
no enemy aircraft were see n. the pat rol was aborted and re-
turned to the ae rodrome at 05.4 5.
Breese was intent upon completing the o ffe nsive patro l
as he had the same pilots up aga in at 06.40. Lawson flying
N5862 was forced to return at 07.00 with engine and propel-
ler trouble. The patrol failed to encounter any ene my aircraft
but returned with a detai led list of train movement s on the
Cambrai - St. Q uentin line.
B Flig ht c a rrie d o ut a n offe ns ive patro l a t 09 . 10.
Macgregor obse rved an e nemy machin e at 12000 feet and
di ved upon it from 14000 feet. the hostile machine was faster
and Macgregor was unable to get within firing range. No other
hosti le mac hines were enco unte red.
At 12.50 a hostile mach ine was reported to be in the vi-
cinity o f Me rville. Breese. Macl. arc n. De Roepe r. Gagnier.
Ree ves. Wood and Walton all took off in an attempt to inter-
ce pt the intrude r. Dc Roepe r patrolled between Pcronnc and
St. Quentin in a large circle. At 13.20 he observed aircraft to
 II History ofNo.o Squadro n Ro val Nava l Air Se rvice ill World lIi lr I
the south of St. Quentin. these turned out to be a formation of
fourteen Albatros scouts. Dc Roeper manoeuvred and go t be-
hind thc formation with thc intenti on of overtak ing one of the
scouts. Th is proved impossible and after following thc form a-
tion as far as Cambrai. De Roeper gave up and patro lled be-
tween St. Quentin and Havrincourt at 18000 feet. At 13.55 he
obse rved an ene my aircraft cross the Iincs at 16000 feet be-
tween Vendhuick and Epehy. The intruder turned on a wide
rad ius towards Poiscl but then spotted the ieup ort and im-
medi ately dived for his ow n lines. De Roeper dived after the
e nemy mach ine and fired 2 bursts of 70 rounds from a range
of about 300 yards. Tracers from the second burst were seen
to enter the planes and fuselage. T he enemy mach ine we nt
down in a very steep dive but ap peared to be under control.
Dc Roepe r gave up the chase due to heavy anti-airc raft fire
and his gogg les mist ing up. None of the other pat rolling pilots
observed any hostile mach ines. Ree ves suffered engine troub le
in N3207 and was forced to return for adjustments before re-
suming his patrol.
Five test ni ghts were ca rried out duri ng the day:
FSl Wood N3 193 at 10.00 - satisfactory
FSl Walton N3203 at 10.05 - satisfactory
FSl Ste vens N3 186 at 10.30 - valve sticking
FSl Ste ve ns N3 186 at 10.50 - valve sticking
FSl Steve ns N3 186 at 15.40 - satisfactory
A Flight carried out an offensive pat rol 17.55. Macl aren was
forced to return to the aerodrome with engine troub le and ex-
cess ive vibration leaving Dc Roeper to take over as pat rol
leader. When at 17000 feet. De Roeper obse rved an enemy
machi ne at 10000 feet. he dived to attack but lost the hosti le
machin e in the haze. Ree ves attacked an enemy machin e. fir-
ing 100 rounds before he lost it in the haze. At 19.30. Gagnier
observed 4 enemy machines 4000 feet ove r Villers Outrcaux.
He climbed above them and tried to attract the attention of his
Flight. Unable to attract his colleagues' attention, he followed
the enemy mach ines. Two aircraft detached the mselves from
the formation and moved north wards. Gagnier circled twice
and then dived on to one of the hostile aircraft when it came
ve ry close to him . I-Ie pulled the trigger control le ver but the
gun failed to fire. a collision was narrowly avoided and Gagnier
was able to later relate that the pilot was weari ng a sweater
and black fl yin g helmet. T he other enemy mach ines immedi-
ately attacked Gagnier's licuport and a machin e gun roun d
shattered his left arm. Gagnier atte mpted to get down and away.
08
losing co nsc iousness on the way down. He saw the ground
approaching and knocked the stick back. Nieuport N3 189 hit
the ground and turned ove r. Gagnier scrambled throu gh in-
tense mach inegun fire and took refu ge in a shell hole. he later
made his way to the British lines where he again lost co n-
sc iousness.
12th 1\ lay
SCdr Breese ca rried out a solo patrol at 05.45 . No e nemy air-
c raft were seen and Breese ret urned with detailed observa-
tions of railway and road traffic.
B Flight ca rried out an une ventful of fe nsive pat rol at
07.00 .
Breese made a local nigh t to Hargicourt and back at 09.00.
A Flight carried out an o lfc nsive patrol at 11 .00. After 45
minut es Macl.a rcns e ngine started to misfire and thc revs
dropped to 1020. he perse vered for another IS minut es the n
returned to the aerodrome. Reeves also suffered with mechani-
cal prob lem s and was unable to keep up with the formation.
De Roeper led the rem ain ing pilots to St. Quentin. Cambra:
and Bohain at 17000 feet. No enemy aircraft we re encoun-
terc el.
B Flight prov ided an esco rt for the FEs of No.n Squad-
ron RFC at 14.00. Redpath reported that enemy aircr aft were
active but the patrol was not attacked .
Four practice and test ni gh ts were carried out:
FSL Beas ley N3 186 at 09.25
aban doned practice afte r 20 min utes whe n a high tension wire
broke.
FLt Ree ves N3207 at 17.00 - satisfactory
FSL Walton N3203 at 17.40 - satisfactory
ASCdr Draper N3 10 1 at 19.45 - satisfactory
13th May
Two test Ilights were carried out:
FCdr Mac l. arcn N3204 at 05.20 . - weath er test.
unsuitabl e for either o ffe nsi ve or line patro l.
ASCdr Draper 3 10 1 at 11.20 - test.
gun satisfactory
Despite Macla ren's find ings at 05 .20. he led A Flight on a
line patro l at 05 .55. Visibility was poor at the start o f the pa-
tro l but improved later. No e nemy airc raft we re e nco untered.
the patrol rep orted three fires burn ing at St. Quentin.
 \\'o rk illg ./fir ' he NrC - / 4 Willg , 4 Brigade

FCdr EW No rton and FSl RRW inte r pose for t he camera in front of Nor t on's FSl RR W inte r and the A Flight Commander, CT Macl are n, pose in front of
N ieu po rt N 3208. Courtesy justinYoung Norton's Nie uport. Courtesy justin Young

B Fl ight ca rried o u t an offensive patro l at 18.00. The pa- conditions. De Roeper in N3209 had to retu rn afte r j ust 20
trol was abando ned after 90 minutes due to low cloud and minutes with c ngine trouble.
hazy conditions. Seve n tcst n ights were car ried out during the day:

14th May FSL Walton N3203 at I 1.15

SCdr Breese led Wood. Kirkpatrick. Reeves and Lawson on suffered gun stoppage
an offensive patro l at 07.00. Lawson 's Nieuport. N5862 suf- FSL Walton N3203 at 11 ,45
fe red engine trouble and he briefly retu rned to the aero dro me su ffe red gun stoppage
for adjustments 10 be made. The patrol d id not encounter any FLl Reeves N3 199 al I 1.55
enemy aircraft but returned with detailed railway observations. suffered gun stoppage
B Flight ca rried out an offensive patrol at 11 .00. Edwa rds FSL Walton N3203 at 12.15 - gun satisfactory
in N3 102 suffered proble ms with the aircraft's pressure sys- FS L Edwa rds N3 102 at 18.00
te m and the fronl lank' readin g empty. Th e wind was rep orted pressure syste m satisfactory
to be very strong at I,WOO feet. No e nemy machines were en- FSL Walton N3203 at 18.30
co untered. suffered gun stoppage
A Flight attempted 10 carry out an offe nsive patrol at 14.00 SCdr Breese N3203 at 18.35
but was forced to return aft er 50 minutes due to the wea ther machi ne out of true. engine vibrating.

69
 A Hist o rv I!I'No.6 Sq ua dro n Royu l Na \'(/I A ir Service ill \l'o rld \l'lIr /

15th May
B Flight attempted to carry out an o ffe nsiv e patro l at 05 .00
but bad wea ther caused it to be abando ncd aft er 20 minutes.
Three test n ights were carried out:

FSL Walton N3203 at 08 .50

wea ther tcst. clouds at 400 feet.
FSL Walton N3203 at 11 .30
su ffe red gun stoppage
FSL Wood 3 193 at 13.30
e ngine unsatisfactory.
A group photograph of five of N o.6 Squadron's pilots, back. L to R: FSL N M
16th May Macgregor. FSL GD Kirkpatrick, FSL FP Reeves. FSL PWood. In front is FSLST
Edwards. Courtesy SK Toylor
o war fl y ing due to unsu itable wea ther, howe ve r, Red path
ca rried out a brief tcst ni ght at 14.00.
FSL Walton N3203 at 10.25 - engine better.
17th May gun good
Low cloud and rain prevented all war [l ying. ASCdr Draper N3 101 at 14.30 - gun satisfactory
ASCdr Draper carried out a brief tcst n ight in N3 10 I at FS L Macgregor N3 100 at 15.00 - satisfactory
16.00. FS L Redp ath N586 1 at 2 1. 10 - satisfactory

18th May 20th May

Redp ath carried out a 20 minute practice n ight in N586 1 at 13 Flight carried out an offensive patrol at 07.00 but aban-
06.00. The night was not a success as the starboard lower wing doned it aft er 75 minutes due to low cloud. 0 ene my aircraft
twisted duri ng a dive and the high te nsion leads on 4 cy linders we re encountered, Edwards was forced to abando n thc patrol
broke. A new wing was fitted to N586 1 and Redpath carried alter 20 minutes with engine trouble.
out a brief test ni ght at 2 1.30. FLt De Roeper led Bailey, Winter. Kirkpatrick and Lawson
FLt De Roeper led C Flight on an o ffe nsiv e patrol at 07.00. on an offensive patrol at 11 .00. Lawson was forced to aban-
T he visibility was reported as fair but no enemy ai rcraft or don the patro l with engine trouble. At 11 040 the patro l en-
ground activity was observed. countered an ene my 2-seatcr and a scout heading southwest
A Flight attempted to carry out an offensive patrol at 11 .00. ove r Elinco urt. De Roeper manoeuvred and got his patrol be-
the wind at 10000 feet held the aircraft stationary and thick tween the 2-seater and the sun and then attacked the machine.
c loud was present at 11 000 feet. The wind inc rea sed and T he 2-scater was 500 feet below the patrol. De Roeper put the
Macl.a rcn reported that the machines were only co ntrolled icuports nose down and got into a favourabl e position for
with di fficul ty. attack. Whe n about to ope n fire. thc ene my mac hine turned
s lo w ly to cas t. a ppa re ntly no t see ing the for mation o f
19th 1\ lay Nieuports. De Roeper manoeuvred aga in and got on the in-
A number of test n ights we re carried out throughout the day: side of the curve and opened fire at 30 yards. traccrs were
obse rved to enter the f usel age and the enemy mach ine went
FLt Reeves N3297 at 04.50 down in a steep nose-d ive. After a few seconds a thick trail of
weather test. unsuitable for offensive patrol black smo kc was observ ed to be co ming from the 2-scater
FSL Walton N3203 at 06.00 which had turned partly over on to its back and continued in
weathe r test. cloud at 3000 feet an inverted dive. Winte r also attacked the e nemy 2-sca ter. De
FCdr Ma cl.arc n N3204 at 06 .05 Roeper noted that the esco rting Albatros scout had divcd away
weathe r tcst. cloud at 3000 feet as soon as the combat comme nced.
FLt Reeves N3207 at 10.20 The patrol then encountered a formation olA lbatros scouts
engine and gun satisfactory to the northeast ofS t. Quentin at 11 .50. Bailey attackcd a scout

70
 \Vorking [o r the RFC - / 4 Wing. 4 Brigade

w hic h was 500 fee t bel ow him . foll o win g it down for 2000
fee t until it flatt en ed o ut. Bail ey fir ed 60 round s and be lie ved
tha t he ob se rve d tracer s e ntered the sco ut's fu sel age be fore he
los t s ig ht o f the machine w h ic h was go ing dow n in a no se
dive . Bail ey was then in turn attacked by tw o more sco uts , his
g un j a m me d but he had e no ug h speed to cl im b ab o ve his at-
ta ck er s . The two e ne my sco uts c hased Ba iley bac k to SI.
Q ue ntin but d id not fire aga in.
A t 14 .30. M aclaren led Walt on , Ree ves. Beasley, Wood
a nd Edwards o n an esc or t patrol for th ree FE2 s o f No .22 Sq uad- FSL AMcS Walton from To ro nto crashed N 3203 just after taking off on a
14.30 escort mission on the 20t h May 19 17.Altho ugh the dam age to N 320 3
ro n RF C. Walt on c ras he d N32 0 3 ju st a fter ta ke -off a nd looks to be supe rfici al,th e machine was written off and de lete d. Courtesy Justin
Young
Mac l are n wa s for ced to re turn afte r 20 minute s du e to exces-
s ive vibra tio n o f h is mach ine.
Fo ur te st fl ight s we re ca rried o ut durin g the co urse o f the Brd May
da y: De Roep er led Kirkp atri ck a nd Stevens o n an o ffen s ive pat rol
at 11 .00. T he pat rol was qui ckl y a ba ndo ne d du e to bad vis-
FLt ST Ed ward s N3 102 a t 08 .30 ibility but not before De Roep er 's e ng ine ga ve trou ble a nd
test. un sati sfactory Kirkpatri ck 's sy nc hro n isatio n gea r fa iled and he s ho t th rou gh
FLt ST Edw ar ds N3 102 a t 09.00 his N ie upo rt's propell er.
test. un sati sfactory Maclaren led Beasl e y. Ree ves . Edwa rd s. Ma cgr e gor and
FLt ST Ed wa rds N3 102 a t 12 .00 Walt on o n a co mb ined o ffensive patrol a nd es cor t for the FE 2s
te st. sa tis fac to ry o r No .22 Sq uadro n R FC. Th e FE s a ba ndo ned thei r ph ot o -
ASCd r C Dr ap e r N3204 a t 15.35 gra phic shoo t du e to poor visib ility ove r the lines and the pa-
test, un sati sfactory trol return ed a fte r j ust 30 minute s .
S ix test and practi c e fli ght s we re c arried o ut:
21 st May
l ow c lo ud and bad vis ib ility resulted in g rea tly reduced e n- FLt F P Ree ves N32 0 7 at I l AS
emy aeri al acti vity. No co mba ts wer e rep ort ed by a ny o f the test, satis facto ry. machin e true
sq ua dro ns attac hed to the 4 th Bri gade. ASCd r C Dr ap er N3 10 1 a t II AO
S teve ns del i vercd de sp at ch e s to Bo rn ou iI C ha tea u a t te st. e ng ine un sat isfact ory
12.00 . returning at 13.00. FS l RF Redpath N586 1 a t l lAO
Fo ur te st fli ght s we re c arried o ut in the e ve ning : te st. e ng ine satis facto ry
FS l NM Macgr e gor N3 100 a t I I.00
FLt F P Ree ves N3207 at 18 .00 practi se. sa tis fac tory
wea the r test, un su itabl e for patrol FLt GG Macl. cnnan N5860 a t 17 ,45
FC d r CT Macl. arcn N3204 at 18 .20 g un a nd e ng ine test, sa tis fac to ry
te st . machine and e ng ine sa tis fac to ry FLt FP Ree ves N32 0 7 a t 17.20
FS l P Wood N3 193 a t 18 ,4 5 g un te st, fi red 700 round s. o ne uncl ca rabl c sto ppage in the
e ng ine te st , un sati sfact ory, re vs poor no .3 po siti on
FS L A Mc B Walt on N3 196 a t 19 .0 5
test , satis fac to ry 24th May
De Roep er and Ed wards c arried o ut a ho stil e aircr aft pat rol a n
22ml May 09 . 10 . Both pil ot s fail ed to locat e the e ne my mach ine.
U nfavo urab le wea the r pre vented a ll wa r flyin g . B Flig ht ca rried o ut a n un e ventful o ffe ns ive pat rol at
06 .35 .
S ix test and practi ce flights wer e ca rried o ut:

7/
 A lI is!OI:1' ofNo.t) Sq uadron !<oya/ Nava l Ai r Service in 1I't' r/d lI'a r /
ASCd r C Drap e r 1'1 3 10 1 at 05 .35
weath er te st. ve ry th ick
FSL P Wood 1'1 3 193 at 10.30
e ng ine te st. satis fac to ry
FLT FP Ree ve s 13204 at 17.20 - we a ther test
FS L 1-1 La wso n 5862 at 18 .00
practi ce. satis fac tory
FLt ST Edwa rds 13 102 at 18 .00
test. loca l fl ight to 10 .3 Squ ad ron at Mari cu x
FSLRF Redpat h 1'1 586 1 at 19. 10
pract ice. satis fac tor y
25th May
FCd r Mac l. arcn led an e ig ht machine o ffe ns ive pa tro l a lo ng
the line s betwe e n Ha vrin co urt Wood a nd St. Q ue ntin al 0 6.00 ,
Th e form at ion becam e frag me nted du e to poor v is ibility and
o nly two mac h ines rema ined wi th Mncl. arcn. T he patrol was
ce rta in ly eventf ul and con sid er abl e ene my ac tivity was e n-
co unte red by so me pilo ts. FCdr Macl.arcns eng ine was u n-
sa tisfac to ry ove r 13000 fee t. Beasley was forced to ret urn d ue
to a fau lty e ng ine . Wal to n made no repo rt . Ree ve s lo st for ma -
tio n at the sta rt o f pat rol a nd co ntinued a lo ne. Wood c ras hed
1 3 193 w he n la ndi ng at the e nd o f the patrol. Kirk patri ck in
N5865 e nco unte red a n A lba tros scout ov e r Frc s no y at 06 ,45 .
T he e ne my mach ine was head ing so uth a nd 500 fee t bel o w
Ki rkpatric k. Wh e n a bo ve a nd be h ind the e ne my ma chi ne.
Kirkpatric k d ived and fired 200 ro unds from a ra nge o f 100
yards o bserv ing trace rs passin g bet ween the e ne my ma c hin e 's
wings and in fron t of its e ng ine . The A lba tros was appa re ntly
un dam aged a nd Kirkpatric k was fo rced to break o ff the att ack
w he n he suffe red a g un sto ppag e in the No.3 po sition. Law so n
e nco unte red an e ne my mac hin e at 17000 fee t o ver St. Q ue ntin.
thc e ne my ma c hine used d ive a nd zoo m tac tics to attac k h im
tw ice be fore brea ki ng o ff the e ng ag e me nt. La wso n suffe re d
two g un sto ppages duri ng the e nco unte r. Steve ns suffe red g un
pro blem s a nd re turne d to c ha nge his ma chine. the rest o f his
pat rol was une ventful. Dc Roepe r attacked a sing le seater a t
0 7.00. he d ived and fired 30 ro unds w hereu po n his gun jam med
a nd he wa s for ced to di se ng age to c lea r the sto ppag e . He the n
e nco unte red a 2-s ea te r reco nna issan ce mac hine to the so uth
o f St. Q ue ntin at 0 7,45 . De Roe per d ived ami o pe ned fire a t
60 yards range o bse rv ing trace rs e nte ring the e ne my mach ine 's
fuse lage . T he o bse rve r ret urn ed the fire . De Roe per wa s h it in
the lo we r j a w and a lso had h is g un's Bo wden ca ble seve red .
With no g un an d blood ov e r his gogg les Dc Roe per brok e o ff
the e nga ge me nt and re turne d to thc ae rodrome . Wint er had
noth ing to re po rt.
72
FLt Reev es. led Wood. Bea sl ey and Wa lton o n a n o ffen -
sive patro l to thc nort h o f St. Qu ent in at 08 .00. Ree ves and
Wo od re po rted an e ne my kite ba lloon obse rve d 3 mil es north-
eas t of S t. Q uen tin. Beasl ey sa w o ne e ne my mac h ine ncar St.
Qu ent in and Wa lto n o bse rve d an e ne my mac hin e flyin g 2000
fee t abo ve the pa trol.
13 Flig ht ca rried o ut a rel at ive ly une ve nt ful o ffe nsiv e pa-
trol at 10 .00 . Red path re po rted c has ing an e ne m y ma c hine b ut
was un ab le to bring it to ac tio n.
J ust o ne test flight was ca rrie d o ut:
FCdr GG Macl. cnnan I 5 860 at 17.4 5
e ng ine and g un test. sho t thro ugh pro pe ller fou r ti me s .
26th May
13 Flig ht ca rried out an une ven t ful line patro l at 0 8.00. vis ibil-
ity was rep ort ed as very bad wi th thick mi st up to 1100 0 feet.
FLt Ma c l. e nnan led Stev en s. Kirkpat rick . La wso n a nd
Winte r o n an o ffe ns ive pat ro l at 10.00 . St e ven 's j ie up ort suf-
fe red e ng ine trouble a nd he was fo rced to retu rn a fte r a n ho ur.
Visibil ity wa s bad and no ho sti le machines we re e nco unte red .
At 13.4 5. F Lt Ree ve s led Wa lto n a nd Wood o n a n esco rt
mi ssio n in co nj u nc tio n w ith the FEs of 0 .22 Sq ua d ro n RFC
a nd Pup s o f No .54 sq uad ro n R FC. Wood was un able to kee p
fo rm ati on but the pat ro l was othe rwise u ne ve nt ful.
On e te st !lig ht wa s carri ed o ut in the morn ing :
FSL P Wo od 3207 at 0 9.20 - te st.
e ng ine sa tisfac to ry
27th j\lay
FC d r Mac l. cn na n led Kirkpatri ck . Ma cg re go r. Win te r a nd
S tev e ns o n an o ffe ns ive pat rol a t 0 7.30 . the patro l e nc o un-
te red co ns ide ra ble e ne my acti vi ty. S tev e ns suffe red fro m e n-
g ine trouble a nd returned aft er 20 minu tes . Mac l.c nnan mad e
an in effecti ve att ack o n a pair o f 2-seate rs over Ca m bra i at
08 .50 and d ived o n a no the r 2-sea te r to the cast o f St. Q ue nt in
at 0 9 . 15. aga in witho ut re sult. He repo rte d that man y e ne m y
a ircraft wer e ac tive o n thei r ow n side of the lin es . Kirkpat ric k
report e d the two 2-sea te rs ov e r C a m b ra i. plus two ho sti le
machin es to the so uth o f St. Q ue ntin. o ne o f w h ic h a pp ea red
to fa ll o ut o f co ntro l. Macgr egor d ivcd o n a hosti Ie ma ch ine to
the cas t of S t. Qu ent in at 09 . 15 but suffe red a g u n sto ppage .
he left the !li ght above him and thcn e nco unte red a patro l o f
s ix to e ig ht e ne my ai rcra ft ove r St. Qu en tin. T he se e ne my
mac h ine s d ived away. Winter di ved on a 2-se ate r to the so uth-
east o f S t. Que ntin bu t his attac k wa s ine ffect ive . He late r at-
 II'1 Jrking / or the Nr C - / 4 Wing. -l Brigade

tacked another 2-seater ove r St. Q ue ntin. again without re-

sult.
ASCdr Draper led a nine machin e esco rt 1'01' a ni ght o r
D,HAs at 11.20 . Draper. Macgregor and Redp at h c irc led
aro und 13ellenglise from 12.00 to 12045 at 15000 feet. T hey
Iai led to make contact with the 2-seaters and return ed. Ree ves.
Beasley. Edwards. Walton. Stevens and Wood also railed to
rind the D.HAs ove r Bcl lenglisc, they headed 1'01' Boha in with-
out locatin g the 2-seaters. Upon returning to the Grand Prix
Road at 12.50 they obse rved six machin es flying tow ards
Bellenglise. the Nicuports followed in the direction or Bohai n
but co uld not distinguish the type o r machin e they were 1'0 1-
lowing, Another rive aircraft joined the original six ove r Bohain
but were then lost to sight in the mist.
ASCdr Draper led B Flight on an offensive patrol and
esco rt 1'01' the FEs or No.n Squadron RFC at 16.30. The mis-
s ion was reported as bein g uneventfu l.
Two test flight s were carried out dur ing the day:

FLt Gl E Steve ns N3 186 at OS.30

engi ne test. unsatisfactory
rst, Winter N3208 at 12.10
test. sutisfuctory FLt BH P De Roeper. one of N o.6 Squadron's three aces,and a man t hat sev-
eral of th e squadro n's Canadian pilot s we re convinced was a German spy! De
Roeper was wo unded in th e lowe r jaw duri ng combat on t he 25th May 1917
zsu. May and was discharged fro m t he squadro n for hospital t reatment. H e retu rned to
FLt Reeves led A Flight on an o ffe nsive patro l at m .30, Wood N o.6 in July to lead C Flight. he rapidly adjusted to the Sopwi th Camel, scoring
fou r of his five victories on the type. De Roeper remained in the RAF after t he
ex perienced engine troub le and was unab le to maintain 1'01'- w ar. eventually rising to the rank of Gro up Captain.
marion . No e nemy aircraft were observed.
B Flight ca rried out an offe nsive patro l at 14.00. Edwards
suffered a burst oil pipe in N3 102 and was forced to return to No. r.-:>

the aerodrome, No enemy aircraft were observed but hostile

a nt i-a ircra ft fi re wa s e nco unte red ove r Bateau x a nd SI. ,6. (
T HI S IS T O CER T IF Y tho' ) I r,_ _-,,~,,--.JZ"'--"'c....<....

Q ue ntin. IUL pn~ tl6 .., u ,4U M/'o1' ,,/00 boerd 11.\f. Y.J 9/ S;oa~

Macl.cnn an led C Flight on an escort mission at 16.30.

hea vy cloud was encountered up to 15000 feet and it proved
imp ossible to locate the bombi ng airc raft .
Two test n igh ts were carried out in the afternoo n:

FLt Maclennan N3209 at 14.20

e ngine and machine test. engine ok but left wing low.
FLt Ree ves N3 197 at 17 A S
-If '·r. I I . (' I L" D 10 Hl n In hI' ow n hand""n LUl' t oou.lllCIo of til. lilli, r

test. engine and machin e satisfactory, gun jammed 111 No.3 When an RNAS pilot left a squadron , he was issued with a"flim sy" (part o f his
discharge paperwork) w hich w as effective ly a repo r t th at recorded his Com-
position mand ing Officer's impressions. It can be seen from D e Roeper's flimsy that
SCdr CD Breese tho ugh very highly of him, Courtesy FleetAir Arm Museum

73
 A llis/or.\' ofNo.t) Squadron Roya l Na\'(/I A ir Se rvi ce in World 1I'llrl

29 th Ma y Macl. cnnan led C Flight on an offe nsive patrol at 14 .20. Vis-

A lo w cloud basc throu ghou t the day prevented all war flying ibility was still poor due to heavy cloud and no hosti le ai rcraft
until 18.20 when Beasley. Reeves, Wood and Walton attempted were enco untered.
to carry ou t an offensive patro l. Beasley was forced to return Ree ves led Beasley, Walton . Wood and Redpath o n an
with a badly vib rating eng ine and Walto n also experienced offe nsive patrol at 18.00 . The patrol was abando ned after 75
engine troubl e and was unable to keep formation. Reeves and minutes due to bad weather which was deteriora ting as the
Wood co ntinued the patro l but no hostile machi nes or kite patro l progressed.
balloons were observed.
A number of tcst flights were carried out in the eve ning: 3 1st May
C Fligh t carried out an o ffe nsive patrol at 07.30. heavy haze
FLt Beasley N3 196 at 18.00 affec ted visibility and Macl. cn nan led the patrol back to the
engine and gun satisfactory aero dro me afte r 80 m inu tes.
FSL Winter N3208 at 18.10 - satisfactory Fo ur tcst flights w ere carried out:
FS L Kirkpat ric k N5865 at 18. 15
engine and mach ine satisfactory ASCd r Draper N3 10 I at 10.30 - satisfacto ry
ASCdr Draper N3 10 I at 18.50 SCd r Breese N3209 at 10. 10 - g un test.
engi ne test aft er ov erh aul, sa tisfac tory suffere d stoppage, able to clear
FSL Red path N586 1 at 18.50 - satisfacto ry FLt Reeves N3204 at 13.50 - wea ther test.
FSL Macgregor N3 100 at 19.00 unsuitab le for o ffe nsi ve patrol
m ach in e and eng i ne satisfactory FLt Beasley ' 3207 at \3.50 - engine
FS L Holyman N3 188 at 19.20 satisfac tory
engine test aft er ove rha ul, unsati sfactory
FLt Mac Len nan N3 186 at 19.30 Redpath fl ew N586 1 to Bcrt angles at \4 .35 in o rde r to give a
mach ine and e ngine test. satis facto ry demonst ratio n to Arm y o ffice rs. Red path left Bert anglcs at
16.35 to return to Flez.
30th May B Flight ca rried o ut an offensive patrol at 18.00. thick
Eight tcst flights were carried out durin g the co urse of the cloud resulted in the patro l being abando ned afte r 50 mi nutes.
morn i ng:

ASCdr Drap er N320 I at 07.25

weat her test. unsuitab le for offe nsive pat rol June 1917
FS L Macgregor N3 100 at 07.25 Hostile machines were ac tive during thc first part of the month
engine satisfacto ry decreasi ng co nside rably thereaft er. In the early part of the
FSL Redpath N586 1 at 07.25 month determ ined attacks were made against 14 Wing's rc-
engine satisfac tor y co nnaissancc patrols culminating in two large ge neral engage -
FSL Holyman 3 186 at 09.40 mcnt s
machine satisfactory Tow ards thc end o f the month the 4th Brigade and its con-
FLt Reeves N3204 at 10.30 stitucnt parts moved to the coast where the 4t h Ar my wo uld
eng ine and gun good be taking o ver thc northern part of thc lines from early July.
FSL Wood N3 197 at 10.30 German units wer e also mo ving no rth to oppose the
engine and gun goo d Flanders Offen siv e.
FLt Macl. cnnan N586 0 at 10.50
engine missing. ign itio n 1st .Iu ne
FLt MacLen nan N5860 at 12.50 Squadro n structure at the bcgi nn ing of J une was as shown:
engine and mach ine now satisfac tory
 lI'!lrkill g fo rthe NrC - J.I Wing, ~ Briga de

A Flight ABOVE: N 5860 was one of the squadron's four N ieuport 17Bis machines
built by the British N ieuport Company at Cricklewood. Readily identifiable by
FS L FP Ree ve s, Ac ting Fli g ht Com ma nde r the brown PC I0 finish, N 5860 unusually carried a cockade on the fuselage. FLt
GG MacLennan flew this aircraft from the 24th April to the 5th June 1917 and
FLt PE Beasl ey
claimed an Albatros scout shot down to the east ofTempleux Ie Guerard on
FS L H Lawson the I st June.Courtesy SKTaylor
FS L Ajvlc B Wal ton
FS L P Wood h im w hic h m ad e off to thc so uth. Bree se and Wal ton e nco un-
te red a n e ne my 2-seate r at 0 8 .35 fl yin g a t 14 000 fcct ove r St.
B Flight Q uent in. SCdr Bree se go t be nea th its tail a nd FSL Walt on a t-
AS C d r C Drap e r. Flig ht Co m ma nde r tack ed from above , Walt on fired 150 rou nd s a nd saw trace rs
FLt ST Ed wa rds e nte ri ng the fu se lage , the e ne my ma chine fina lly we nt up o n
FLt G LE S te ve ns o ne wi ng . side -s lippe d a nd nose-di ved a nd Walt o n be lieved it
FS L M Ma cgregor to be o ut o f co ntro l. SCd r Breese o pe ned fir e from a ran ge o f
FS L RF Rcdp ath 5 0 y a rd s a nd fircd 100 to 150 round s bu t wa s h it by th c
ob server' s fire a nd d ri ve n dow n in a s pin. Breese la nded w ith
C Flight a g ra zc o n hi s c heck and h is ic up on . 32 09. very bad ly sho t
F Lt GG Ma cL cn nan. Fli g ht C o m ma nde r a bo ut. Th e tail p lan e wa s b uc k led o n the Ic ft side so that th e
F Lt RR Wint cr mach ine w as j ust sta lling w ith fu ll e le vato r co ntro l an d fu ll
FS L 1-1 La w so n le ft rudd e r. Bree se was not s ure of the fate of the 2-sea te r but
FS L G D Ki rkp atric k fe lt s ure tha t it wa s da ma ged . T he 4 th Brig ad e War Di ar y cred-
FSL VC Hol y man ired Bree ze a nd Walt o n w ith an in deci si ve " appare ntly o ut o f
contro l" . FS L Wo od saw on c e ne my mac h ine at St. Q ue ntin
SC d r Breese Icd Beasle y. Ree ves. Walt on a nd Wood o n an a nd ind ec is ive ly a ttac ke d it fro m abov e .
o ff en si ve patrol at 07. 30. Bea sley suffered a g un jam wh en B Flight ca rri ed o ut a n o ffc ns ivc pa tro l a t 14 .0 0 . lo w
te sting a nd turn ed bac k to c lea r it. alt er lea ving th e for m ation cl o ud s in terfered wi th thc effec tiv eness of the pat rol w hich
he wa s un abl e to find it agai n. Ree ves a lso suffe red a c ross w as c ut sho rt aft er 90 m inut es .
feed a nd returned to ge t it c lea red , nabl e to rejoi n the pat rol FC d r M acL cnnan led C Flig ht o n an o ffe nsi ve pa tro l at
hc e nc o unte re d Beasley a nd th ey pat ro lled thc lin es toge ther. 18 .00 . vis ib ility wa s poor w ith th ic k c lo ud and mi st. A t 18 .55 .
Ree ves enco unte red o ne e ne my machin e fly ing 2000 feet ab o ve w he n a t 14 000 feet a nd to th e cas t of C atc lo t. M acLcnnan

75
 II l l ist o rv (~rNo.6 Sq uat/mil Royal Nava l Air Service ill \I~JI '1d IVa I' !
observed a British RE8 crossing the lines under heavy anti-
a ircraft fire, Shortly afte rwards , an Albatros sco ut appeare d
trom enemy terr itory, whereupon thc RE8 turn ed about and
made bac k for the lines. Mac l. cnnan Icd the patrol into a di ve
towards the Albatros , which turned awa y and di ved 1'01' hom e.
Macl. cnnun was able to fire 150 rounds at the sco ut from a
range of 150 ya rds. The Sco ut turned and then "cart-whee led'
to both left and right before be ing lost in the mist. Mac l. cnna n
was closely followed durin g the co mbat by Winte r. An anti -
aircraft battery report ed that Macl. cnn ans victim Icll to the
cast ofTcmp lcux Lc Guerard. Holyman flyin g 13 186. was hit
by anti-aircra ft fire when ove r Ca telot. shrapne l dama ged the
propel ler whic h resul ted in bad e ngine vibrati on . Holyman left
the formation to return to the aerodro me but the engine stopped
ove r Athies leaving him no option but to land there . The lower
plane was da maged a nd the prop e ller smas hed d urin g the
forced landing.
Th ree test ni ght s were ca rried o ut durin g the day:
FSL Holyman N3185 at 14. 15
very unsa tisfactor y. vibration and low revs
FLt Beasley N5 186 at 15.35
engi ne and gun satisfactory
ASC dr Draper N3 10 I at IlJ.25
2nd .J un e
B Flight carried o ut an offen si ve patrol at 07.30 . Ste ven s and
Macgregor were forced to drop out with pressure trouble and
a gun stoppage respect ively, Draper, Edwards and Redpath
did not enco unter any e nemy machines.
Redp ath report ed in his log book that his e ngine had ac-
cumulated 3lJ hour s and 40 minutes runnin g time and that it
was put in 1'0 1' ove rhaul."
Two test flig hts were carried out:
FLt Ree ves N3204 at OlJ. 10 - gun satisfac tory
FLt Macl.cnn an I 5860 at 14 .00
weather test. patrol ca nce lled due to heavy c loud
3rd .J un e
Kirkpatrick ca rried out a hostile aircraft patro l at 07.05 in pur-
suit o r an enemy mach ine sighted fro m the ae rod rome .
C Flight carried out an o ffens ive patro l at 07.30. At OlJ. 15
Macl ennan obse rved an Albatros sco ut at 13500 tee t and to
thc so uthwcs t o r St.Qu cntin . i\lacLcnn an manocu\Tcd 1'0 1' po-
sition in the sun. divcd on thc cncmy mac hinc and rircd 150
round s rrom closc range. Wintcr and Kirkpatrick a lso rircd at
76
the sco ut but from lon ger range. T he Albatros went down in a
dive. spinning and twisting but finally stabilised into a stee p
nose-d ive a nd ra pid ly pu lled a way from th e pursu in g
Nieuports. Winter report ed that tour pieces or fabri c flew off
o r the e ne my mach ine whilst Macl. cnn nn was firing at it. T he
Albatros was last see n going down o ver the Ge rma n lines,
appare ntly under co ntro l.
A Flight carrie d o ut an o ffe nsive patrol at 14 .00. Beasley
missed the patrol and e lected to car ry out a so lo line patro l.
Walton suffe red eng ine trouble and return ed ea rly. Th e de-
pletcd patro l head ed north of St. Quen tin in the di rection of
Bohain and along the lines. No enemy aircraft were sighted.
B FIight ca rried out an o ffc nsi ve patrol at 17,45. no en-
cm y mach ines were enco untered but the patrol c arne under
ami-a ircra ft fire over St. Q uentin at 18.30.
Ree ves and Wood carried out a hostile aircra ft patro l at
19.30 in an attem pt to interc ept a report ed intrud er. T he pilots
pat rolled the lines at 12000 but failed to rind the enemy rna-
c hine.
Three test ni ght s were carri ed out durin g the day:
FS L Redpath N586 1 at 10.00
post ove rhaul test. sat is fuc to ry
FLt Ree ves N3204 at 18045
eng ine and gun satisfactory
FSL Walto n N3 1lJlJ at 18045
eng ine satis fac tory
4th .J lin e
FLt Ree ves led A FIigh t o n an offc ns ivc patrol at 07.30.
Law so n's aircraft . N3208 . suffe red fro m a fault in the pres-
sure system and Lawso n was forced to return to the aero drome.
At OlJ. OO Walto n observ ed Allied anti -uircra lt fire over St.
Quen tin. he went down to invest igate but was unable to locate
any airc raft .
Ste ven s. Lawson and Edwards curried out a hos tile air-
craft pat rol at OlJ.30 after recei ving a wire less re po rt of a hos-
tile incursio n. Stevens observed ant i-aircraft fire but co uld not
find the enemy machin e. Lawso n round an aircraft in the rc-
ported area and followe d it round to St. Quentin and back to
Ham . fina lly ident if yin g it as a Frcnch 2-scatcr. Edwards ob-
se rved a mach ine bei ng she lled and tollowcd it until it went
down to land at Muiricu x Aerodrome. Edwa rds tentative ly
idcnliri cd thc machin c as a Sopwi th Pup .
Mac Le nnan . Rcdpath and Lawson ca rricd out a hostil c
aircraft pat rol at 11040. MacL enn an and Rcdpath rail cd to rind
the e nemy machinc but Lawson obser vcd Allicd ant i-aircraft
 \\Iorking ji lr 1111' NrC - 14 \\ling. -l Brigad«
fire ncar St. Q uentin. Lawson investigated but was unab le to
find any enemy aircraft.
Breese. Edwa rds and Macgregor ca rried out a hosti le air-
craft patrol at 11 .35 when Allied anti-aircra ft fire was observed
from the aerodro me. Breese failed to find any hostile mach ines
but when to the north of Morecourt obse rved an untethered
ba lloo n at 5000 to 6000 feet. Macgregor observed a n ight of
enemy aircra ft headin g cas t away from the lines. Edwar ds saw
an enemy machin e pass over the aerod rome and set off in pur-
suit. following it north to Arras where it re-crossed the lines.
On his return. Edwa rds saw another enemy mach ine bei ng
shelled ju st north of Havrincourt Wood . Edwa rds go t be neath
the 2-seater. 200 feet below it as the icup ort would not climb
any higher and attempted to usc the Lewis gun on the top plane.
The Lewis gun ja mmed without firing a single shot. Edwa rds
then got in a bur st from the Vicke rs gun by sta lling the
Nieuport. T he e nemy machin e promptl y turned for the lines
and climbed out o f range.
B Flight ca rried out an o ffensive pat rol at 14.00 . An
unescorted Flight of FEs was discovered over Cambrai and
Dra per ke pt the pat rol in co ntact with them . Four hostil e
machines later attacked the FEs but made off to the ca st when
they saw the ieup orts.
Macl.cnn an led C Flight on an o ffensive patrol at 18.00.
No enemy aircraft we re encountered but a blazing fire was
observed in St. Q uentin.
Two test ni ght s were carried out durin g the day:
FLt Ma cl. c nnan N3902 at 09.50 - satisfactory
FLt Stevens N3 188 at 18AO- satisfactory
5th .J une
At 06.00. in conj unction with sixteen So pwith Pups of No.54
Squadro n RFC. ASC dr Draper led te n Nieuports on an esco rt
patro l for two FE' s o f No.22 Squadron RFC. The patrol co m-
prised all ten ava ilable pilots from No.6 Squadro n and sixtee n
pilots from No.54 squadron RFC. Approx imate ly thirty to forty
hostile machin es were encountered and a ge ne ral engage ment
took place. No.54 squadron RFC cla imed three e nemy air-
c raft as out of control with one o f them later seen to be wrecked
on the ground. A Pup from No.54 Squadron and an FE2 from
No.22 Squad ron were lost durin g the engage ment. Although
No.6 Squadron was involved in the dog fight. no claims were
made or C ITARs" submitted. T he pilots' indi vidual reports arc
rep roduced below:
77
SC dr Drape r: N3 10 I - Sev e ra l H.A. I II obse rved nea r
Cambrai, dived to attack but could not get a shot in ow -
ing to too many mac hines.
FLl Mac l. cnn an : N5 869 - Went ov er with a no the r
Nieuport Flight and Pups escorting two FEs. Enco untered
Albatros east of Sohain and di ved on him. H.A. immed i-
ately dived out of range. Four Albatros encounte red over
Cambrai. Dived on one with a Pup but he dived out of
range. I-L A. kept much below us.
FLt Beasley: N3 196 - Obse rved seve ral I-L A. below for-
mation . De veloped a miss-f ire in engine at 07.45 and re-
turned.
FSL Walton : N3 199 - Saw I-L A. about ten in num ber over
Carn brai. Could not ge t close enough for accurate shoot-
ing.
FSL Red path : N586 1 - Spec ial escort to FEs at 14000
feet. Saw a numb er o f I-L A. saw the FEs attacked twice.
Dived on I-L A. twice with other pilots but co uld obse rve
no other result but that I-L A. were driven oil.
FLt Ed wa rds: 13 102 - Sa w eig ht o r ten Hun s o ve r
Cambrai and engaged . Divcd on four but Aldis sight was
oiled and fired blindl y. probably not getting any. Saw H.A.
firing into icuport from behind. Dived on it and it turned
away.
FLt Stevens: N5865 - No I-L A. observed. Nothing to re-
port.
FLt Winter : N3208 - Saw I-L A. cast of Bohain, Was not
near enough to attack . Six Albatro s e ncountered ove r
Cambrai at about 900 0 feet. Dived and fired on one but
he dived awa y out o f range.
FSL Wood: N3 197 - Sa w 2 I-L A. south ofCa mbrai, dived
on one and fired short bursts with no visible effect. L eft
him bein g attac ked by the others from above.
FSL Mac grego r: N3 100 - Saw 4 H.A. 200 0 to 5000 feet
below over Cambrai, Dived on two of the m but without
appare nt effec t.
 II l l istorv I!FNo ,6 SI/I/I/(Imll NOI"III Nil \'(/1Air Sari!"!' ill Wo r ld 1I'tlr /

Lieut enant Co lonel R Lorr aine or the 14th Wing. attached a I therefore SI'II [ the reco nnaissan ce 011 1' ho ur I(/{ I'r
grea t deal or importance to the e ngage ment and wrote the 1'01- than the day before so [hal his force would I/( /I' c hC1'1I
lowin]; confidential memo to the 4t h Brigade GOC: SOll ie tim e i ll [h e air before co mi ng inso a ct i o n : and I .1'1'11 [
1111 escort ill [11"0 g ro ll pS, OIlC I!( e/ C1'1'1I Ni euport SCOII/S
CII/~/idcII/ iat II l1d IIIIC 1!(SiX[1'1'1I So pwith SCOII/S, OIlC g roup [0 stay with
Headquarters the reconnaissance 1I/(/(:hiIl I'S and [h e otherto he as h igh
14 /h lI'illg as possible re a dy [(I di ve into the jig III a s SO0 11 as act ion
lI 'as joi ned.
GD C tis lI 'a ,I' F JI'I'SI'CII , a strong [orce o( 1'II1'IIIy machines
-l th Brigade I l"crl' ill [h e air when tuy reconnaissan ce IIl1d escort crossed
Roy a l Flyill g Co rps [h e line and II runnin g [i gln CII/III11 C/ICl' d ill the co urse I!(
which 011 1' I~( tnv reconna issance machines lI 'a s [a rced [0
st; laud ill I'II CIllY co untry ncar Lcsdaiu IIl1d , lat er: OIlC o(IIIY
I ha ve the hon our 10 rcport tltat thc genera l act io n which esco n i ng ntachi n cs 11"11.1' a lso [arce d 10 land 11 1'111'
II 'as ji ll/g hl th is morning hC/II'l'CII 7,0 II lId 8,0 11,111, ea st C rCl'I'COI' lI r II l1d the p ilot ( LiI'II [ Clialntcrs] lI 'a s SI'I' II 10
IIl1d so utheast I~( Ca tnb rai . whicl: rCS II III'd ill the co mp let e 11/'111l1l l lly setfire 10 his machin e.
ro u tln g I~( th e CIICIll Y, I\'(fS 11 01 11 sp otnan cou s offensi ve o( No twi thstanding these CII,W II I [i l' s, the reco nnaissance
the I'II CIIIY but lI 'as a 1I11111 r ai OIlICOIIIC o( the daily r I'COII- \l'as tltoroug hlv II l1d co ntplctcl» do ne bv the other F E,
naissa nce F ir ra ilwa» 1110\'1'11 /(' 11 1, while tlu: escorting machines [o ug ht II g CIICl'II 1 eng ag e-
Until rccc ntlv l ca r r ie d out thi s reco nnaissa nce with II/('II[ which last ed cOII/ i ll /lOlI sly F I/'JU[Y minut es.
six F E. s escorted hy six Sop with SCOII/S liIIl OII co nsider- Th e att ackin g [o rcc \l'(IS reinfo rced hv [igluin g 11[(/ -
ill g r eports ofpilots and observers IIl1d ill l 'il'lI ' o] the ill - chin es whi ch rosefront [h e aerodromes bet we en Ca mbra!
crc asi ug lv det ermined attempt» (~( tlu: I' IIC IIIY [0 int erfe re and l. e Cot ea u and wh ile it is di fficult [0 est i ma te accu -
with [his reconn a issance, I decided 10 double the nu mber ra t c ly [he number I!( th « I' I/('II /y, [ro m [h e p i lot \- a CCOlIlIlS
I!( [h e esco rt ing Sopwith SCOII/S and Oil .111111' l st, as a rc - it would IIpfll'ar tha t h l'lIl"CCII tltirt v 1I//{lfO I'lI' hosti le air-
sult I~( tlu: characte r I~( [h e jig l ll ill g reported. I redu ced era]! lI '('/'C engag ed.
th e IIl1l11 h('/' I!( th e F E.« !II two. th e remainin g [o u r F E.» The re is g re a t di fficult» also ill IIssig ll ill g just ly th e
being a n encu mbrance 10 tlu: escort as SOOIl a s thefight- destruction I!( cn l'lIIy m a chin es !II ind ividual pilots. Oll '-
ill g became SC I'I'/'C, illg 10 the heat I~( the III N / c bu t all th e 1'111'111." ma chin es
Iji ' /II/(I thisfornuu ion 1!(III"O F E.« IIl1d 1I1"e/\'(' So p with \1'1'1'1' d riven do wn so tha t aft er n earl v OIlC hour' sjighting
Sco IIIS s[m llg I' llo llg h for Ih c d ll [Y III1[il .lIIIIC 4 [h , II'h c lI 0 11 1'III I1 Chill CS patrolled hC/lI 'CCII Catnbra i a ll d L c C lIll' a ll
Ih cy 1I'l'rc a[[lI ck l'd hy IIhOIl/ Ihil'll' h o s[ilc 1I/(/chiIl CS: a ll d lI\'cr [h c acrod m lllcs o( Ca rn ic r es, ROll si l'rl' s, Q ll i el '.\'alld
IIllh o ll gh [h e I'IICIIlY did 1101 I'II/ i re/y slI ccccd in prc\,(~I1I ­ NCII Fi l l." IIl1d cOll l d n o [ .fill d 11 sillg lc G l'rlllll ll lII acllillc 10
ill g Ih l' r l c o/lIIl/ issall cc h l'ill g d on I', h i' ill[ I'/:!l~rl'd h ll dly .figh l ,
lI'i[h [h c \l'o rk alld ./illallY d m l"c Ill y II[(/ch incs hack o l"cr Th l' CI/I'II1.\· has 110 1 ycl rc co\'c r l'dji'lllll Ihis dl~/l'lI[ a s
[h ei r 0 1l'1I lili es, OIlC I~( [h e [lI 'O r('('OIlI[(/is ,I'(n/c c F E.s hc - lilY flho lOgmp hic rCCOll llais,l'lI l1ce la l cr Ih is 1II0 m i ll g cx-
ill g sho[ [h m ll gh [h c l i l' [ m l [ank m/(I jlls[ a h lc [0 g l i d e !II p cril'lIc n /ll o ill[CI:!I'rc ll c l' I l"hll[ C1'Cr alld Illy 1!!.Il'IISi l'C I)(J -
o ll r sidc Il //{l 0111' (!( [h c I'sco rt i llg SOlll l"illl SCOII[S hcing [mls h(/l '1' hcell IIl1ahle [o jind a si llg lc jig l ll i llg lIIach in c ,
sllO[ dOl1"1I ill I'IICIllY CO/1I11 IT . ollly ha \'illg sc ell [lI 'O 2 -sc(/{ cr Alh(/{msscs a [[ cl ll p [ illg !II
ti s a rcslIll (!f his S IICCl's,~/i ll ac[ioll Oil [h c lIIomillg l!f do 11 \l' i r e/ css shoo [ hOlh I ~( \l'holll I'lliI (/Il"a y dircc[l." [hc."
.11111 1' ':/i h , [h e 1'II 1'IIlI' lI 'II S a c[il 'l' a nd ag g r l' ssi\'(' all [h(/{ lI 'C/,( ' apfl m a c hcd .
da y, sc \'(' m l [illl I'S c m ssin g 011 1' lill cs lind OIlC lIIachill c 111 addi[ ioll , [h c 3rd lI'illg alld 4[h Ua llo o ll Will g ill -
cOlll i ll g s[l'II ig h [ OI'crlllY hcadqllartcrs alld p ro cc l'dill g ill F II'I II III C [h(/{ [hcir IIII1Chill CS h a\'(' \l' o r kc d all da." Il"i[1101I/
II nortlll l"cs[ dircCiioll . ill[CI:!l'rcll cc, so [h al i [ lI '11l1l d 1I1 'lil'ar [h(/{ Ih c CIICOIIII[Cr
I cm lll [0 Ih c cOll elll sio ll lI ulI hc lI 'ollM hc \\'(fil illg [0 I~( [his lIIomillg lI 'as all [h a l lI 'a s II ccd ed [0 k l' cp [hc 1'11-

(/{/(I ck Illy r ccoll lla issmi cc Il"i[h a sl mllgFm'1' hl~/(lrc d(/lrn CIl 1.\' 11/1 Ih l' .!7oorFl r [h c dllY.
[his lII omill g .

78
 \\ forkill g [ or th« RF C - / 4 \\'ill g , 4 Brigade

/ subm it that this prin cip le 0/ se ek ing and if tiecc s-

.1'( // )' prov o king a decisi ve eng agem ent daily is more prol
itable WI emp loyment oj th efo rces ofa n A rillY Willg tha n
attempting 10 gua rd the A nnyjront wi thfceblc pat rols all
day IrJIIg.
\\'hile el'el)'OIlC co nce rned did \\'1'11, the [ollowing
office rs ' work was especia lly good:

I . Cap t. L'C. Ru ssell, leading So p with Sco II Is

2 , A CIg .Sqn , Comdr Draper; leadin g the Nic upo rt
Scouts.
3. Lieut . O.M. Sill/Oil In the aftern oon of th e 5t h June , FLtST Edwards ferried N ie upo rt 17Bis N 5 182
4 . LicIII. Chalmers (fo r so p romptly lightin g hi s nu t- back to t he dep ot at St. Po l.To Edw ar d's e mba rr assment t he last stage of t he
flight did not go as smoothly as he'd pe rhaps hop ed, Courtesy EF Cheesman
chine )

/ ha ve the honou r 10 he,

Sit:
}'(llIr obedient servant ,

R. Lorra ine. Lieut . Colone l

/11 the fie ld.
51h Ju ne. / 9 /7

Later in the day. N3 196 and N5862 were flown back to the
depot at Dunkcrq uc. Edwards cra shed N5862 at Dunkcrqu e,
photographs of the crash would indicate that he ran a wheel
into a ditch after landing.
Edwa rds. Ma c l.cnnan. Winter. Kirkp atrick and Holyman
reported to the depot to collect No.6 Squadro n's first So pwith
Camels.
From t his angle it see ms clear that Edwards ran a w heel into a ditc h, Courtesy
SK Taylo r
6th .J lin e
Drape r was aga m called upo n to lead a n esco rt patro l of
Nieuports for the FE's of No,22 Squadron RFC. As on the
previous day. the mission was carried out in co nj unction with
the So pwith Pups of No,54 Squadron RFC. Eight Nieuports
left at 10.30 and at midday. to the northwest of Cambrai, a
ge neral engageme nt took place with a large numbe r o f enemy
mac hines. No,6 Squadro n was heavily involved in the fight-
ing and a numb er of Co mbat Reports were submitted:

ASCdr Draper : N3 10 I - Draper dived on all enemy scout

and ope ned fire at close range. the e ne my mach ine fell
away completely out of contro l. Draper then immed iately

RIGHT: FSL G LE Stevens posing for a photograp h in the unfort unate N 51 82,
Courtesy EF Cheesman

79
 1\ H is/O I'I' (){No.6 Squadro n Ro v«! Na \'(/I A i r Sari!'!' ill Wor ld lI'ar I
dived on to another scout but su ffe red a gun stoppage af-
tcr open ing fire. he turned away to clear thc stoppage and
observe d thc scout going down in a dive to crash on thc
ground. Draper then broke off towa rds the lines. climbed
and cleared thc stoppage. He returned to the engage ment
and dived on a third enemy scout but the gun immedi-
ately jammed agai n.
FSL Macgregor: N3 100 - Macgregor divcd and fired on
one e nemy machine at very close range and attacked an-
other when his gun jammed due to the tai l of the crank
handl e getting over the stud on thc cocking handle. The
first mach ine that Macgregor fired at spun away but he
did not belicvc it to be out of control. Macgregor returned
to the lines to recti fy thc gun but was unable to make
enough height to rejoin the patrol.
FLt Stevens: N5865 - Steve ns dived on to an Albatros
scout which was 1200 feet below him . Afte r firing 200
rounds. Stevens reported tha t his opponent slowly stalled.
side slipped and fell in a spin. app arent ly out of control.
Ste vens was unab le to observe the machin e any further as
he came under attack from fou r more scouts.
FSL Red path : N586 1 - Redpath reported combats with
three ene my aircraft and long range e ncounters with two
more. Redpat h first attacked an Albatros scout from be-
hind while its pilot was preoccupi ed with attac king a
So pwith Pup. Redp ath fired 75 to 100 rounds at close
range. The ene my machine turned over on its back and
carried on down in a spin. Redp ath engaged the second
mach ine head -on whilst it was trying to get behind the
form ation. it fel l awa y in a nose-di ve. The third scout was
e ngag ed from beh ind a nd was dri ve n do wn tow ards
Cambrai, Redp ath reportin g that his icuport was not fast
e nough to keep up with it. Redpat h was unable to state if
any of the e ncounters were dccisi ve. Ree ves was attacked
by an Albatros and Redpath saw Reeves' Nicuport, N3204.
break up in the air.
FSL Walton: 1 3 199 - Walton saw numerous enemy air-
craft but could not get to close quarters.
FSL Beasley: N5860 - Beasley observ ed numerous hos-
tile aircra ft and dived on one without success.
80
FSL Wood : N309 7 - Wood fired a few shots at long range
with no success.
FLt Reeves: N3204 - Failed to return. killed whe n his
machine broke up in the air.
Franks. Bai ley & Dui ven " attribute Reeves demi se to Lin
Wern er Voss of Ju sta 5 who clairued a icup ort to the west of
G rainco urt at 13. 10. Voss was reported as wounde d in action
durin g the engage ment. howe ve r. despite various claims by
other authoriti es. it is not possible to attribute this pyrrhic vic-
tory to any particu lar pilot from No.6 Squadro n or for that
matter to No.54 Squadron Rf'C. Fol low ing the e ngage me nt.
No.54 Squadron RFC submitted five claims for e nemy air-
craft destro yed. for the loss of two Pups. Ger man records ad-
mit no losses during this engage ment.
Redpath carried out two engine tests in the eve ning. one
in his usual Nieuport N586 1 and the second in N3 10 I.
7th.JlInc
FLt GA Gooderham arrived at the squadron.
B Flight carried out an uneventfu l o ffe nsi ve pat rol at
07.30.
Thun der stor ms prevent ed any war flying after midday.
however. two test flight s were carried out:
FSL Macgregor N3 100 at 17. 10
machin e flying right wing down
FSL Walton 3 199 at 18.15
engine satisfactory
8th .J IIIl C
13 Flight carr ied out an o ffensive patro l at 07.30 . Redpath rIy-
ing his usua l machin e. N586 1. suffered fue l prcssurisation
troubl e a nd was forced to return to the aero drom e. Wood. in
N3 197 also suffered engine trouble and had to return . Draper.
Beasley and Macgregor encountered host ile machin es bein g
shelled to the north o f St. Quentin. T he Flight could not get to
thcm in time to e ngage .
Five new 130hp C lcrgct Sopwith Camels were del ivered
from thc depot at 12.00:
FLt Edwards N6356
FLt Macl.cnn an N5360
FSL Winter N6358
FSL Kirkpatrick N635 7
FSL Holyman N6359
 \Vo rki llg j iir lite NFC - / 4 \Villg. 4 Brigade

The pilots had made a num ber of acclinuuisation test flights A maj or relocation of the 4th Brigad e to thc coast was immi-
in the sq uadro n's first Came ls whilst at the depot. ncn t and to this end, Ope ration Order No. 88 was issued by
Red path flew Nicuport N586 I in tr ia ls aga inst Camel Brigadier Ge neral ./HW Becke DSO. Co mmander of the 4th
6359 flown by H ol y man at 14 .05, un fortun ately thc pilots' Bri gade . T he o rde r gavc ad va nce warning o f squadron mo ve -
i mprcssio ns we re not recorded . mcn ts, in 0.6 Squadro n's case . a move from thc Fourth Army
to X V Co rps was provisio nally sc hed uled for the 16th Jun e,
9th .Iune
Macgregor ca rried out a weat her tcst in Nicupo rt N3 100 at 12th .Iune
06.4 5, visibility was reported as very bad with cloud betw een Eight tcst fligh ts w ere carri ed out:
6000 and 9000 fee t.
A nu mber of tcst and prac tice flights were carried out FSL Wi nter Camel N6358 at 09.30 - satisfactory
du r i ng the day: FLt Goo de rha m Nieupo rt N3208 at I n.35 - satisfactory
FLt MacL cnnan Camel N6360 at 10.20 - testing windscreen
FSL Kirkp atrick Camel N6357 at 11 .25 - satisfactory FSL Hol ym an Ca me l N63 59 at 15.00 - satisfactory
FS L Winter Ca me l N6358 at 14.00 - sa tis fac tory FS L Winter Camel N63 58 at 15.55 - satisfactory
SC dr Breese Camel N6358 at 14 .40 - satisfactory FS L Holyman Ca me l N63 59 at 17.40
FSL Wood Nicuport N3 197 at 15.00 - satisfac tory mach ine satisfac tory
FSL Kirkp atrick Came l N6357 at 17.40
mach ine satisfacto ry
I lith .l u ne FLt Macl.cnnan Camel N63 60 at 17.45
The wea ther was again cloudy and no e nemy aerial activity both guns ja m med, bu rst both ty rcs
was re port ed . T he day was spent carrying out test and pract ice
fligh ts: FLt Beasley led Wood, Macgregor, Redp ath and Walto n on an
offensive patrol at 07.30. Th e patrol. flo wn with Nieupo rts,
•FS L Holym an Camel 15359 at 11 .10 - satisfactory was uneventfu l, no enemy aircra ft bein g seen due to poor vis-
FSL Ma cgr ego r Nicuport N3 100 at 11 .25 - satisfac tory ibility caused by haze and cloud.
FSL Hol yman Camel N5359 at 11 .50
testing guns. both j ammed in No.3 position 13th Jun e
SCdr Draper Camel N6358 at I J .35 - pract ice Six of the pilots left Flez at 08.55 to de liver the squadron's
FSL H ol y man Camel N63 59 at 15.30 - practice se rv ice a ble j ieup or ts to the depot at Dunkerq uc bu t we re
FSL Winter Ca mel N6358 at 15.50 - practice force d to return by bad wea ther. T hey made anothe r attempt
FSL Kirkpatric k Ca me l N6357 at 15.50 in the aft ernoo n at 15.45:
testing guns, right gun janun cd
FS L Kirkpatrick Camel N6357 at 16.05 FLt Edwards N3 102
testin g guns, right gun j ammed FLt Gooderham N3208
FS L Red path N586 1
11th .lune FSL Wood N3 197
SC dr Breese had bee n d issa tis fied with ASCdr Drape r 's per- FSL Walto n N3 199
to nna ncc as a Flight Co mmander for so me time. As thc result FS L Macgrego r 3 100
o f an official co mplaint to Dunkerq uc Headqu arters, Draper
was reca lled to Horn e Establishment o n thc 11 th. Redp ath su ffe red engine trou ble and mad e a forced landi ng in
Low cloud during the day made flyin g difficult. j ust one N586 1 at Mari cux. breaki ng a strut. T he machine was dis-
tcst flight was carried out: mantled o n site and returned to the depot by road.
The oth er pilot s co ntinued to carry out practice and test
FSL Hol y rnan Came l N 6369 at 08.55 flight s in the Sop with Ca me ls:
engine and machi ne satisfacto ry.

8/
 A l lis/orr (!{No.6 Squ adron Royal Na val Ai r Ser vice ill \I'o rld \I'ar I

FSL Holyrnan N6359 at 08.55 III '!'I/(' Field

weather test. clo uds at 1000 feet. visibility of ground very bad. 14th J une / 9/ 7
FSL Winter N6358 at 09.20 - satisfactory
FSL Kirkpatrick N6357 at 09.25 - satisfactory / . Nava l Squadro n No .6 will 11I0\ '1' [ro m FIe: to Bray
FSL Holyman N6359 at 14.40 Dillies Oil the / 8// 9th insta nt,
engine test. satisfactory
FLt Mac l.cnn an N6360 at 16.05 2. Hea vv tra nsp ort wi ll 11I0\ '1' Oil th e l Stlt. via Villers
Both guns j ammed. separated case in port gun. loose cartridge Carbonnel, Bra y. Albert, Doulens. St. Pol. Pern es: on th e
in starboa rd gun. Forced to land as unable to clear stoppages / 9th . S t. Venant , Ha : e h ro llc k. C asse l. Be rgu es a nd
whilst airborne. Dunkerqu e to B ray Dillies.
FLt Macl.cn nan N6360 at 18.00 Billets fo r th e night / 8// 9th will he a /lo lle d hv th e
port gun suffered a broken plun ger spring. starboar d gun sat- T(}\I'II Major; 1'1'1'1I1'.1'.

isfactory.
FSL Holyrnan 6359 at 18.00 3 . Machin es willflv 011 th e / 9th but will not sta rt to do so,
Port gun jam med due to separated cartridge case. starboard until o rdered bv 4 th Brigade.
gun ja mmed with a cross feed.
FLt Beasley 1 6356 .u 18. 10 - satisfactory 4. Light transport which it is necessary to retain at Flc;
1111 til the machin es start will mo ve 011 the / 9th bv the sam e
14th .l une rout e as hea vy transport ,
Ca mel test and practice flights co ntinued to be carried out.
Problem s with the guns started to be of co nce rn: 5. Depart ure (~r ntach incs will he repo rted hy telephone
to 4th Br igade.
FSL Kirkpatrick N5356 at 09 .00 - satisfactory
FSL Winter N6358 at 09. 15 6. 0 11 arriva l at Bray Dillies. the sq uadro n will come 1111 -
starboa rd gun jammed in 3rd position del' the o rde rs of 3 rd lI'illg.
FLt Beasley N6356 at 09 .25 - satisfac tory
FSL Holyman N6359 at 09 .25 Signed Majo r Godm an
testi ng guns, starboard gun jamm ed twice in 3rd position . port Bri gade Majo r
gun jammed in third posit ion. propel ler shot through. 4th Brigade. Royal Fl ving Co rps
FLt Beasley N6356 at 17.35 - gun satisfactory
SCdr Breese N6360 at 17.50
one clea rable stoppage 15th ,IUIl C

FLt Macl. c nnun 6360 at 18.20 In add ition to test and practice flights in the Sop with Ca me ls.
Left gun ran away. ove rco me by jamming. right gun satisfac- the Squadron 's last three Nieuport 17Bis machin es were test
tory. flow n preparatory to returni ng them to the depot at Dunkerquc.

The date for the squadron's move was amended by 4th Bri- 1 ieupo rt 17Bis:
gade Operation Ord er No.91 which is reprodu ced below:
SCdr Breese '5860 at 14.45 - satisfactory
.'l'/:'CRET FLt Goo de rham '5865 at 18.10
4 /h Brigade. RFC e ngine and machin e satisfactory
Op eration O rder No .9 1 FLt Goo der ham N3 10 I cra shed and wrec ked ncar
B ,' aerodro me
Br igadier Gen eral J H II' Becke. f) SO
COIII III(ff/(lillg 4/h Brigade. Royal Fl yin g COI.,IS.

82
 Workin g / or /he RFC - / 4 Wing. 4 Brigade

So pw ith C a me l: to what wou ld sho rt ly becom e No.6 Sq uad ro n's tempor a ry

re sid e nce at Midd le Aerod ro me , Bray Dun e s .
r Lt Bea sley N6356 a t OS.45 - g un satis fac to ry
r S L Kirkpatri ck N6357 a t 0 8.4 5 - satis fac to ry 17th .lune
FS L Winter N6358 at 09 .05 - satis fac to ry A so lita ry pra cti ce flight was ca rried o ut o n thc 17th :
FLt Ma c l. cn nan N6360 at 18.00
testing new prope ller, un suitab le F Lt Beas ley N6 356 at OS.40 - sat is fac to ry

T he So pw ith Trip lan cs of 0 .9 Sq uad ro n RNAS arri ved at So pw ith Ca me l N6 342 wa s co llected from the dep ot , ag a in
Flcz, initi a lly und e r the co m ma nd of 14 W ing , 4 Bri gade but bcing ta ke n direc tly to Middl e Ae rod ro me,
tra nsferri ng to 13 Wi ng 3 Brig ad e o n the Ist J uly wh en 4 Bri -
g adc Headq ua rte rs re locat ed to Bra y Dunes .. I Hth .l une
Th e sq ua dro n's hea vy eq uipme nt lett o n the two-day j ourne y
16th .lune to Midd le Ae rod ro me at Bray Duncs by road tra nsport.
Te st a nd pr acti ce flights inc lud ed a forma tion pra cti ce by C FLt Ed wa rds had rema ined at the dep ot te stin g ne w C a m-
Flig h t: e ls, on the 18t h he ca rried o ut a co m pa riso n test aga inst a
So pw ith Do lphin using C a me l N6 33 1.
Fo rma tio n practi ce
FLt Ma cL e nnan N6360 at 09. 0 0 19th .Iune
FS L Hol y man N6 359 at 09 ,05 T he sq uad ro n's pil ot s fle w the ir co llec tio n o f o ld Nic upo rts
FS L Wi nter N6 358 at 09 .0 5 a nd ne w So pw iih Ca me ls bac k to the coast. Th e N ic upo rts
FSL Kirkpatri ck N6357 at 09 .0 0 we re hand ed bac k to the dep ot at Dunk e rq uc and the Ca me ls
were flown to M idd lc Ae rodrom e. Bra y Dunes , wh ere the
FS L Hol y man N6 359 at IS.45 - satis facto ry sq uad ro n wou ld bri efl y co me u nd er the co ntro l o f To .3 Win g
4 Bri g ad e , pendin g the rel ocati on o f both 14 Win g Hc adquar-
No .6 Sq ua d ro n co ntinue d to re -eq uip , th ree more So pw ith ter s a nd 4 Bri gad e Headq uarte rs to the co ast.
Ca mels , N6 33 4, N6350 and N6 35 1 be ing co llec ted fro m the FLt Edw a rds w ho wa s still res id ing at Dun kerq uc mad e a
dep ot . Th ese machine s we re not flo w n to Flcz bu t were tak e n vis it to No .3 Squ adron at Fumes in C a me l N6 33 1.

(I;( lTES
I A n umber of N ic u po rt 17 Bis ma ch ine s were de live red fro m Par is w ith " It m ust he re me mb ered tha t Gc nua n tu ue w as o ne hou r ahe ad o f Brit ish
xta udard N ic upo rt 17 pro pe lle rs . Th e 17Bi s sho u ld ha ve been s up plied w ith time.
II c licc Le va sseur typ c " 130 h.p. C le rge t N ic upo rt se ries 50 1" prop e llers . 7 T hc N ic u puns o il tan k.
, FS L M asson failed to j o in thc sq uad ro n, ha vin g been killed in a !ly ing ' T he o ffic ia l reco mm en da tio n was for ro ta ry e ng ines to be strip ped utt er
ac c ide nt o n the 20 th A pri l. FS L G L E Ste ve ns wa s sub stitute d for Ma sson , 40 hou rs o f acc um ulated wa r r1 y ing .
J Al Cdr A lle n wa s suffe ring fro m ne rv ou s ex haus tio n. " C ITA R - C o m ba ts In Th c A ir Rep ort .
• I' Ll Keeb le wa s a lso unli t a nd had made ve ry fe w !li ght s in the previ- 10 Il. A . - i lostilc A irc ra ft.

o us mon th . II Tlu: ./ (( .1'/ (( lI'((r Clironol og v, G rub S tree t. I')<) S.

, Co urte sy Fra nk O lynyk. "The Com bat Re port s o f Herm an G o ri ng",

O \'('/" The Front j o urna l. Vo lume 10 No .3 .

83
 C H APTER FIVE
A D EMORALI SI N G INFLUEN C E
hen the sq uadron was reinforced with the se ven
W pilots from No. 11Sq uadron . Draper. M ac l. cn nan,
M ac g re g o r, Bca sl cy. Ed wa rds. St e ven s a nd
Redpa th, the ex pec ted improvement in Squadron perform an ce
did not mate rialise. In fac t. the new B Flight Icd a very qui et
life thro ughout May 191 7 makin g practicall y no co ntact with
enem y aircraft.
SCdr Breese had a rrived at the sq uadron to tak e co ntro l a
matter of days before the arriva l of thc new 13 Flight. The re
was obv iously a developing personal ity co nflict between thc
re se rved Br ee se and the ex trov e rt Draper. not helped by
Drapc rs co ntinuing lac k- lustre performan ce as a Flight Co m-
man der. Drap er' s lack of ag gre ss io n was not j ust in Breese 's
mind alon e. the sq uadron's dai ly operations reports show that
B Flight rare ly made co ntact wit h the e nemy. Surviving B
Flight members RF Redpath and PE Bea sley we re very cr iti-
cal of Drap er 's leadersh ip when inter viewed by respec ted
Canadian aviatio n histor ian S K Tay lor.
On the 29th May 19 17 Breese visited Wing Captain Lambe
at D unk crqu e Head Q uart ers wit h a view to having Draper
rep laced . Lambe requ ested that Breese 's o bjec tio ns to his B
Flight Conun andc r be put in writing and the following letter
was wri tten o n the 4th June:
Naval Squadron No.6
111 the Field
41h June 1917
7() S.O. H. Q.
R.N. A .S.
IJ UIIkc rque
84
Submi tted.
lI'ilh refere nce 10 yo ur co nversa tion with m e a t Hcad qua r-
las Oil 291h M av. / make the [ollowing rep ort wi th refer-
cnce 10 actin g Squadron COIIlIIUl/ule r Drap er.
I request that thi s officer be removed fro m thi s sq ua d -
roll and anothe r p ilot se n t ill lieu . A Fl igh t Commander is
not ne cessarily requ ired. as I ha ve all offi ce r who is qu ill'
capable of runnin g the Flight,
My reason fo r II/(/kill g this request is:
Acting Squadron Comma nder Drap e r alth ough
all exceptionallyfine pi lot and I'ery "[ul l OUI" as re-
ga rds pyillg at all Ae rodrome fo r the edifica tion o]
onl ookers, iIIakill g a g rea t no ise in th e M ess a t nights
and leading co n vi via lity ge nc rallv: y el afte r six wee ks
ill this squadron h e ha s p rod uced 110 resu lts.
Ho th ill hi s ta lk a nd ill hi s act ions. h e exe rts a
depressing influence O/l the othe r pilots. - [re quently
asse rting th e wea kn ess an d inferiority of o ur nut -
ch ilies. declaring that it is madness 10 attack a 111 '0 -
seater and so Oil . A s regards actions. there ha s been
a considerable all dji'NIUCII I illcrease ill drinkin g since
hi s advent, Oil n early a ll occasions h e is the leader:
Th is officer ha s a ha d influ ence Oil this squadron and I
shall he glad if he niav be .1'1'11 1 else where. A s a sub stitut e.
mav I suggest tha t all instructor at Cra nwell - Acting
Fl igl u Lieuten an t A lfre d 11M Gilliga n may be relieved and
se n t ill lieu. He is a l'ery good pilot, cxccp tiona llv keen
and wo uld he (if g rem us e ill th is squadron .
 A Demo ralising Inf luence

! /W I 'C the hon our 10 be.

Sit:
}IJ/l r hum ble and obe dient se rvant

Sign ed. CD Breese

Sq uad ron COII/ II/{//u!cr

Bree se, al thou gh e vid e ntly no t approv ing o f Draper 's Mess
/
e nte rta inme nt and flyin g ex h ibi tio ns ov e r the aerod ro me , ce r-
tainly had g ro unds for co m pla int re lating to B Fligh t' s work
rate . A study o f the sq uad ro n's pa trol s car ried o ut from the
end o f A pril to the first fe w days o f .June sho ws tha t e ve n the
unde r-ac hie ving A F lig ht led by the plod d in g FCd r Maclaren
was mo re aggressiv e a nd had more co ntact w ith e ne my a ir-
c ra ft than Draper 's B Flig ht. It is not un chari tab le to sta te th at
B Flig ht ga ve the impression tha t e ne m y ai rcra ft were o nly
e ngaged w he n c irc ums ta nce s forced the eve nt. suc h as d uring
esco rt mi ssio ns.
Wing C apta in La m be a ppea red to le an towards Bree se 's
o pinio n o f Drap er and o n the sa me day fo rw arde d Bree se 's
lett er to the Direc to r o f A ir Se rvices toge the r w ith the fo llo w-
ing Me mo :

Director ofAir Services

Hotcl Cec il

Submitted.
Forward ed.
A d verse report on this office rfrom Sq .Cdr Breese .
What I ha ve see n ofAct ing Squadron COII/ II/{// uier Draper
co njirm s th e op in ion expressed ojltitn by Sq uadro n COII/ -
/I/(I//(Ier Breese. / all/ afrai d / ca nno t reco mmend hill/fo r
allY po sition of responsibility but sho uld be much obliged
(I' he could be remo ved fro m this sq uad ron to ano ther
COII/ II/ {// /(I, ill order to obtain an ind ependent opinion.
I hesitat e 10 p lace hill/ ill 0 11 1' (if the other Sq uadro ns
here in case he has a demo ralising effect.
4t h JUII C 191 7
Willg Captain
W in g Ca p ta in Lam be. ' s c o m me nts we re a ls o re corded in
Draper 's o ffic ia l record , addi ng to a lon g line of d isapp ro ving
co m me nts suc h as:
Chris topher D raper. shown here in 1916 with the Eastchurch Wa r Flight. Cour-
tesy EF Cheesman
\!c't.y littl e idea ofdiscipline IJlIl a brillian t pilot.
Good coII/ II/{I/ /(1 when he cares to exe rcise it but is
too inclin ed to he boist erous.
II I'cry bad exa mple to yo ung pilots.
To be fa ir to Drape r, his recor d a lso co nta ins man y po siti ve
c o m me nts but in li fe it ge ne ra lly ta kes ma ny po sit ive s to o ut-
we ig h o ne nega tive . C hris Drap er had joined the R NAS be-
fore the war s tarte d in 191 4 a nd w hi lst a remark a bly acc o m-
pli shed pil o t. his supe rio rs o fte n had pro blem s w ith his att i-
tude, w hic h was not co ns ide red to be part ic ularl y " wa r like" ,
T hey fe lt that he e nda nge red d isc ipline within the lo wer ra nks .
In his auto biogra phy, "The Mad Maj or" , pu bli shed in 1962
by Air Re vie w Ltd , Drap er tend s to sk irt arou nd th is peri od o f
his ca ree r. He docs not menti on 0 . 11 Sq uad ro n at a ll, im pl y-
ing that he mo ved stra ig ht fro m the d isb anding 0 .3 Win g to
No .6 Sq uad ro n. T he accou nt of h is a lte rca tio n wi th SC d r

85
 A llistorv of No . 6 Squat/ron Rova l Na val A ir Service in lVor!t/ lVa r I

Brccsc is cov ered, howe ver, and provides an interesting con-

trast to Breese's co mplaint to Wing Captain Lamb e.
In Draper's account. Breese inform ed him that he had ar-
ranged 1"01' a j oint pat rol bet ween No.6 Squadro n and the
Sopwith Pups of No.54 Squadro n RFC which would " finish
off the circus once and for all" , As se nior office r. Draper was
to Icad the co mbined patrol and the timc. heigh t and point 0 1"
cross ing the Lines had been pred etermi ned. Drapcr stated that
he argued that it should be up to thc Flight Leader's discretion
to determin e where and when to cross the Lines but Breese
was ada mant that it had to bc exactly as he had ordered. At
this point Drapcr lost his tem per, told Breese to "do the bloody
jo b him self" and then stor med out.
If we acce pt Draper's acco unt. it seems reasonabl e to de-
duce that the joint patro l referred to above was the first mass
escort for the two FE2s of No.22 Squadron to be carried out at
Squadro n strength by the Pups 0 1" 0.54 Squadro n RFC and
the Nicuports of No.6 Squadro n on the 5th Jun e 1917. This
mission. 01" course. had been de vised by Lieutena nt Co lonel R
Lorraine 01" 0. 14 Wing. Breese would have not bcen at lib-
erty to make any changes to Wing Orders as the crossing poin t
and timc would have had to have been synchronised between
the FEs. Pups and Nie uports.
Breese, howe ver, had initially complained to Wing Cap-
tain Lam be on the 29 th May. almost certainly too ca rly 1"01'
The ep itome o f fashion, Draper in casual att ire at No.6 Squa dro n. Courtesy
Breese to have briefed Draper about a mission sc heduled 1"01' Justin Young
the 5th Ju nc. The author's co ncl usion is that Breese had al-
ready dec ided to have Draper removed from the squadron and low on fuel . Draper led the patro l on the Sth Junc and was
that relations between the two o ffi ce rs had deteriorated be- singled out for praise in an official 14 Wing report , he also led
lore Draper told Brccsc what to do with his mission . a similar patrol on the 6th Jun e claiming onc e nemy machine
It is unusual to be presented with both sides of the story destroyed and another out of co ntrol.
and docs offer the reader the opportunity to ma ke his or her Despite Draper 's performan ce. Lambe had already set the
own mind up as to what actually was behin d Draper's rcca ll wheels in motion and Draper was reca lled and posted to Horne
from the Weste rn Front. Establishment on the II th Jun e 1917 where he was ke pt under
Wh ilst Breese had his request grantcd and Draper had indep end ent obscrv ation by Ca ptain Stcc l at Eastchurc h.
been removed from the Squadron by the II th June 1917. somc- Draper obviously imp ressed Steel e nough to bc given another
what ironi cally he was thru st into close contact with enemy c hance and he was posted back to France and No.S Squadron
ai rc ra ft seve ral days earlier on the Sth and 6th Jun e. As men- RNAS by the e nd 01" Jul y. takin g co mma nd 01" the squadron by
tioncd above. No. 14 Wing RFC required the squadron to mount the e nd 01" October.
a largc patrol on the 5th Jun e to escort two FE2b photographic Prob abl y more com fortable perform ing on stagc than
machines 0 1" No.22 Squadron RFe. T his was part 01" a Wing whe n commanding men. Christopher Draper led a fasci nating
master plan whereby No.6 Squadron's Nicuports and the Pups life and the author would urge any reade r interested in learn -
01" No.54 Squadron RFC would hopefull y catch a largc nurn - ing more about Draper to obtain a copy 01" his autobiography
ber 01" German defe nders in the air. j ust as they were getting "The Mad Major" ,

86
 C H A PT ER SI X

T HE COAST AND CAMELS

221H1 .J un e

A
s related in Chapter 4. the 4t h Brigad e and 14 Wing
relocated to the coas t at the e nd of .Ju ne in support of
the 4th Army. No.6 Squadron was withdrawn from
the front at St. Quentin and transferred to Midd le Aerodrome.
Bray Dunes. to the east of Dunkerq uc. Control was brie fly
transferred to No.3 Wing 4 Brigade pendi ng the move of 14
Wing and 4 Brigade Headquarters.
Bray Dunes was not j ust an aero drome. it was a complex
o f th ree disti nct ae rodrom es. Th e Fre nc h Ae rodrome. the
RNAS Aero drome (Frontier) and Midd le Ae rodrome. No.6
Squadron was initially housed at the Midd le Aerodrome. mov-
ing to Frontier afte r a few days. At this time. Midd le Aero-
drom e was under construction. a process severely handicapped
by the necessity to wait for local farmers to finish grow ing
their crops before access roads could be built. It must be as-
sumed that the faci lities avai lable at the Midd le Aerodrome at
this time were ve ry basic.
T he squadron had already returned thei r Nieuport 17bis
aircra ft to the depot at Dunkcrqu c and started to rep lace them
with So pwith Camels. Over the followin g days the squadron
finished their re-equippin g.
Low cloud and showers prevented all war flying.
FLl Edwards made a practic e fligh t in Camel I 633 1. The
Ca me l's cowl ca me off at 3000 feet dam aging the engine. ce n-
tre sec tion. upper plane and propeller. T he cowl finally ca ught
in a land ing wire and lodged there until Edwards la nded.
23nl .J u nc
No return for the 23 rd.
24th June
New pilot FSL WA Curtis arrived at the squadron
25 t h .Iu ne
In the aft ern oon. Sopwith Camels N6339. '637 1. N6373 and
N6379 were co llec ted from the depot by Findlay. Mac l. arcn,
Goo derham and Breese.
FSL \VA Curtis carried out his first flight with the squad-
ron. a familiarisation flight in Camel N6342 . He reported that
he choked the engine at take o ff and touched the fence with an
ailero n on landing.

20t h .J un e 26th .J un e
FLt Edwards rejo ined No.6 Squadron at Midd le Aero dro me At this point. the squadron reported 14 pilots and IS So pwith
in Came! 1 633 1 afte r stay ing the night at Fumes with No.3 Camel airc raft on strength.
Squadro n. Eight test and practice flight s were carried out:
FLt Redp ath collected Ca mel N6342 from the depot and
later carried out a 45 min ute practice flight. FLt Beasley N6356 at OS.40
gun test. satisfactory
21 st .J uu c FLt Edwards N633 1 at 09.00
No return for the 2 1st. practice. ex haust valve stuck

87
A Histo ry of No .6 Squadron Roya l Nava l Air Service ill world War !

88
 The Coast and Camels

OP POSITE
TO P: An ob lique view of th e Bray Dun es area. It is believed t hat Frontier
Aerodrome comprised the dark hangers backing on to the town of Bray Du nes
and the landing ground to the west o f these hangers,the lower light coloure d
hangers and the landing ground facing sout h we re used by the French. In 1917
Middle Aerod rome was constructed just to the west of Front ier Aerodrome.
Wh ilst N o.6 Squadro n was resident. t here was very littl e present in the way of
infrastru ctu re, the RNA S having to wait unti l the farmers' crops were gathered
befo re building roads and erect ing buildings. Courtesy Mike O'Connor

BonOM :This Sopwit h Camel photograph, taken at Brooklands, includes the

statement " 2nd Machine" on its official capt ion.The Camel is quite clearly not
a prot ot ype and so must therefor e be the second prod ucti on machine from
th e first batch produced for the Royal N aval A ir Service. The photograph
cou ld depict N 6330 wh ich was the second prod uctio n Camel to be delivered,
or N 6331 w hich was the second prod uction Camel by serial number.W hat-
ever the actual serial number o f the aircraft in th is pho tograp h, both N 6330
and N 6331 were used by N o.6 Squadro n.The photograp h shows t he typ ical
Sopw ith factor y finish to good effect.This would have been PC 12 upper sur-
faces,clear dope d linen under surfaces,fin and whee l covers, copal varnish on
the plywood panels, and unpainted alumini um panels.The metal side cladding
and th e cow l display the "sw irl" effect typ ical o f an engine turned finish.Cour-
tesy jMB/GSL Collection

RIGH T: FSLW ilfred A ustin Curtis fro m On tario. Curtis went on to become an
ace with N O.1 0 Squadro n claiming a total o f thirteen victories. After World
War II, Cur tis became Chief of A ir Staff in Canada fro m 1947 to 1953.Cour-
tesy EFCheesman

FS L Curtis N6342 at 09.00

formation practice with Edwards
FSL Walton N6350 at 09 . 10
gun lest. port gun would not cea se firin g
FSL Wood N6334 al09.25
pract ice. satisfacto ry
FS L Holyman N6359 al 09.45
gun lest. two slight cross feed s, c leared in the air. otherwise FLt Goo de rham N637 3 at 09.20
satisfacto ry test, engine vibrating
FS L Hol ym an N635 9 at 15.30 FSL Winter 635 8 at 09.30
mach ine and e ngine test. satisfactory practice. satisfactory
FCd r Mac l.ennan N6360 at 16.10 FCdr Macl.cnnan 6360 at 10.25
test , satisfacto ry rest , satisfacto ry
FSL Holyman 6359 at 11 .35
Came l N6355 was collected fro m the depot. test. satisfac to ry
FSL Find lay N6339 at 16.30 - practice
27th .June FSL Lawson N63 55 at 16.30
More tcst and pract ice Ilights were carried o ut: pract ice. both guns in orde r
FCdr Macl . arcn N637 1 at IS.OO
FS L Find lay N6339 at OS.40 test. guns and eng ine satisfactory
practice. eng ine satisfactory FS L Holym an N6359 at IS.40
FLt Edwards N63 3 1 at 08.55 satis factory
test.
test. guns satisfactory FLt Edwards N633 1 a t IS.46
FS L Walton N6350 at 09.00 - practice test. satisfactory
FS L Curtis N6342 at 09.00
lest. sa tisfactory The first patrols were ca rried out from M iddlc Aerodrome out
on th e 27th:

89
 1\ Histo rv ofNo.t: Sq uadron Ro m! Nava l Air Service ill II JJr!d lVar I

FC d r Macl . cnn an led Wint er and Kirkpatri c k to O stend

at 11 . 15 . 0 e ne my a ircra ft were s ig hted. Mac Lenn an
reported that a la rge fir e was burn ing at O ste nd .

FLt Ed wa rds led Macg regor, Walt on and C urtis to O stend

a t 12.30 a nd a lon g the line s fr om N ie upo rt to D ixmudc ,
No e ne my aircraft were e nc o unte red . Ed wa rd s ex pe ri-
e nce d troub le with the e ng ine in 633 1 and wa s forced
to retu rn a fte r hal f a n hour. C urtis re port ed firi ng into
tre nch es .
An unusual view of the ubiquitous N issen Hut under const r uction .The ends
were fabr icated from plywood sections that were rapidly assembled.The deck
FC d r Macl. aren led G ood erha m and Wood on a line pa-
comp rised wooden panels resting upon a framework of 2"x4" tim ber. whilst
tro l a t 16 .30 . Macl. aren e x pe r ie nce d prob lem s wh en the roof and sides were made of corrugated steel. The w hole structure was
supported on curved I-beam steel ribs. The interior was lined wit h timber.
N6 3 7 1's pre ssure va lve fe ll o ff a nd dropped clo wn ins ide Each hut had a few small w indows and doors and was lit by paraffin lamps.
the coc kpit. fo rci ng a n ea rly re tu rn to th e aerodr om e . Heating was provided by a small coke and coal stove. The N issen hut w as 27
feet long. 16 feet wide, and 8 feet high. Courtesy EF Cheesman
Goode rha m a nd Wo od co ntinue d the pat rol and ob served
an A llied kite ba lloo n go do wn in flames behind Dixm ude.
Th ey saw the att ac ki ng a irc ra ft bu t wer e un ab le to inte r-
cept it.

zsu, .J 1I11 e
Tw o te st flig ht s were ca rried o ut:

Also intended for rapid assembly was the canvas covered Bessoneau hanger.
Const ructed from braced girder assemblies t hese structures were not hing
more than giant tents. Courtesy Justin Young

A variation of the Nissen hut was the N issen Hospital hut. these were 60 feet Although these photographs of a Bessoneau under construction are of poor
long. 20 feet wide and 10 feet high.Windows were added to the hut sides. In resolution. it is interesting to see one of these familiar structu res in a state of
this photograph. N o.6 Squadron officers are relaxing outside a issen Hospi- undress! Courtesy JustinYoung
tal hut. FSL RRWinter. the middle officer. is easily identified.

90
 The Coast and Camels

FCdr Mac l.cnnan N6 369 at 09.30

testing a new windscreen (]3ray Dunes
FS L Winter N63 58 at 13.55
Frontier.Jl erodrome
te st. sa tisfac tory 'From c]J ray-
arunrs

FC dr lac Lc nnan Icd Find lay. Law son and Wood o n a li ne '.No" tt
J{anaars 1 and 2 areSUIVr
patrol at 14 .00 . Th e patro l ran int o two rain st orm s and unable or fargeQkssonneatL.{

to find an y gaps in the cloud co ver. Ma cL cnnan aba ndo ned

the patro l and return ed to the aerodrome after 25 minu tes.
(
! 0 00 Cl
;;..Q ..
Ed wards Ic d Ma cgreg o r, Wa lton and C ur tis o n a linc pa-
tro l at 17.45. The we athe r wa s still bad and the pat rol wa s 0
abandoned aft er 20 minutes. =s aerodrome \ ;,
T he 17.45 patrol wa s FLt Ed wa rd' s last flight with No .6
Sq ua dron . He left fo r a period in hospita l followed by sick \[J ~ O..t:.. ..
lea ve , be fo re be ing po sted to NO.9 Sq uadro n o n the 10 th A u- [jj·... ·O ..........Q·G· ~
g us t 19 17.

29t h .J un e tprencli aerodrome

A t 09 .20. the sq uadro n cha ng ed ae rod ro mes. moving from
Middl e Aer odrome to Fro ntie r Aerod ro me '. a journey o r le ss Key
th an 5 minut es. wi th cont rol revertin g back to 14 Win g 4 Bri- Bcssonncau
ga dc. D ha ngar
Hut s
At 12.45 a n e ne my airc raft was observed ove r the ae ro-
.......... ........ T rac ks
d rorn c. MacL cnnan . Bea s le y, Law son a nd Hol ym an took o ff
in a n attempt to inte rcept thc enemy machin e. Ho lyman wa s
the o nly pilot to find the intruder but so o n lost it in the cl ouds.
Three line patrol s bet ween N ic upo rt a nd Dixmudc were July 1917
flo w n o n th e 29 th. the wea the r ge tting progressi vel y wors e Th e R FC \' 4 th Bri gade co mple ted its m o ve to the Z uvdcoo te
d uring the da y: are a Oil th e l st July. Th e Brigade War Dia ry rep ort ed enemy
activ ity as slightly be/o il' no rnial through out the month, 11 0

FLt Gooderha m led Wood a nd Find lay o n the first patrol large enentyjorntations 11'1'1'1' enco unte red andfew Z-sc atcrs
at 14 .00 . T he pa tro l wa s unevent fu l a nd no enem y ai r- cros sed the lilies. The work done by No .6 Sq uadron and the
cra ft were enco untered . Bri gade \' ot her scout sq uadrons lI'as said to be su ccessfu l ill

keeping hostile machines we ll behind th eir ()I t'll lilies wit h th e

FSL Wa lto n Icd Ca rro ll and C urtis o n thc sec o nd pat ro l a t resu lt tha t the Corps machines 11'1'1'1' ab le to go ab out their
16 .30 . T he patrol was unevent fu l, howev er, the w eather wo rk with little int erfere nce.
had sta rted 10 deteri o ra te . Regardless ofth e Bri gade \" official rep ort, it \l'as evident
tha t No.6 Sq uad ron :1' work nile had p ick ed lip dratnaticallv .
FC d r Macl.cnnan led Beasle y a nd I-! o lyma n o n thc last esp ecially towa rds th e end ojthc mouth .
pat rol at 19 .00. MacLcnnan encou ntered a heavy mi st at
40 0 lee r and immed iately abando ned the pat rol. 1st .l uly
T hc Flight structure at the beginn ing o f Jul y was as foll o ws :
30th .J une
'0 flyin g due to unfavourable weather, A F lig h t
FC d r CT MacLarcn . Flig ht Co m mander
FLt PE Be as ley

91
 A History of No .6 Sq uadron Royal Na\'{/I Air Service ill lI'tirld War I

• /

92
 The COIiSl 1I1It! CII II/ei s

FSL A Mc B Wa lton Wa lton led C a rro ll a nd C urt is o n a line patr ol at 0 9.00 . the
FSl Wood pat rol saw se ve ra l e ne my mach ines but w as un abl e to brin g
FS L Find lay a ny to acti o n.
FS L WA C urtis Beasl ey ca rried o ut a n une ve ntful e ne my a irc ra ft patro l
a t 11 .10 .
B Flight FCdr M ac Le nn an led Hol y ma n a nd Bea s le y o n a line pa-
AFC d r GG M aclennan . Flight Com mande r tro l at 18 .00. T he patro l re por ted hea vy c lo ud co ve r at 7000
FLt GA Goode rha m feet.
F Lt Gl E Ste ve ns
F Lt R F Redpath 3rd .Jul y
FSl NM M acgr eg or A t 0 6.30 FCdr M acLa ren led G o ode rha m. Wood a nd Find lay
o n a line patro l from Pcrvyse to lic upo rt a nd 2 mi les out to
C Flight sea . A n e ne my mac hin e wa s di sco ur aged from c ros s ing the
FLt RR Wint er. Ac ting Fli ght C o m ma nde r lines . MacLaren wa s un abl e to purs ue it as his e ng ine was
F Lt G D Ki rkp atri ck do wn o n pow er. g iv ing o n ly 9 75 rpm . F Lt Gooderha m c hase d
FSl H Law son the e ne m y machine as far as O ste nde w he re it di ved down
FS l VC Ho lym an be neath the port 's anti-a ircr a ft fir e .
FSl R E C arro ll FCdr Ma cLc nn a n le d Ho lym an , Wi nte r. Be a s le y a nd
Kir kp at rick o n a line pa tro l at 10 .30 . MacL cnn an e ngag ed a n
The we athe r o n the Ist was u nsuitab le fo r fly ing . e ne my 2 -se atc r to the northwest o f Nic upo rt at 11.30 . he di ved
o n the e ne my ma ch ine , c a me up under its tail a nd fired 25
2nd .Iuly ro und s from eac h g un a t ve ry c lo se ra nge. He wa s forc ed to
Fou r te st fligh ts we re ca rried o ut o n the 2 nd . two o f these zoo m up ov e r the 2- sc atc r in o rde r to a vo id a co llis io n. all o w-
proved to be mo re eve ntfu l tha n a ntici pated : ing the e ne my o bserve r to s hoo t a wa y the C a me l's la nd ing
w ires and put hol e s th rou gh the lower main s pa r. ax le a nd
FSl P Wood N6334 at OXA5 p rop ell er, To add insul t to injury. on e of M ac l. cnn ans g uns
test. satis fac to ry jammed wh e n a ro und shoo k loose from thc be lt. Hol ym a n
FLt GA G oode rha m N6373 at OX.50 esc o rte d Muc l. cnn an's sho t-up C a me l ba c k to thc aerod ro me
test. sa tis fac to ry a nd th cn re sumed the patrol. He spo tted A llied anti -aircr aft
FCdr CT Mac l. arcn N637 1 at OX.50 - test. we nt o ve r she lls b ursting o ve r Nie upo rt a nd a n e ne my 2 -seate r e sc aping
o n to its no se aft er landi ng. dam aging the bearer plat es . pro- ac ross the lines . Hol y ma n wa ited and thc e ne my mach ine eve n-
pe ller a nd both to p plan es . tua lly ca mc back and was wo rk ing a z ig zag patt ern ov e r a
FSL H Law son N63 55 at 0 8 .50 - te s t. e nc o u n- ba tte ry, Hol yrn an fo llo wed the e ne my machi ne for 2 mi le s o ut
tered a n e ne my aircr aft durin g the test fligh t but wa s unab le to to sea. eli vcd a nd o pe ned fire from 50 ya rd s ran ge. aft er 50
c atc h it. he then e nco unte red a seco nd ma chine a t w h ic h he ro und s bot h g uns jammed and the e ne my aircr aft wa s last see n
fir ed a few ro u nd s at lo ng ran ge. la wso n the n e m u la te d head ing to ward s O stc ndc.
M acLa ren by turning N6 355 o ve r up on la nd ing . Four pra ctice fli ght s we re c a rried o ut in thc morn ing :

FS L VC Hol y ma n N635 9 at 0 9 .00

prac tice , satis fac to ry
Fl t RR Wint er N6358 at 0 9.0 5
O PPO SITE pra ct ice , satis fac to ry
TO P:An overhead view of Bray Dunes/Front ier Aerodromes.The French land-
ing gro und can be seen at the bottom of t he photog raph. the RN AS landing FCdr GG M ac l. ennan N63 60 at 09 . 10
ground at t he top left. Courtesy JMB/GSL Collection pr acti ce. sa tis fac to ry
BonOM:An oblique view of Frontier and Bray DunesAero dromes. Caudrons F Lt G D Kirkpatri ck N63 57 at 09 .10
and N ieupor t s can be seen parked on the landing grounds. Courtesy Mike practi ce. satis fac tory
O'Connor

93
 1\ l l istorv of No .o Squat/mil Roya l Nava l Ail' Servi ce ill WOI'It/lI'al' I
-lth .Iu ly
FCdr Maclenn an led an early line patrol at 0-L30 on the 4th
but gun stoppages prevent ed the patrol from cffccti vely en -
gag ing the enemy aircraft they enco untered.
FCdr MacLa ren led a five machi ne line patro l at 08.30. a
single e ne my machi ne was observed off Westcndc .
FSl Curtis fle w a so lo line patrol at 11.30 after report s
were received of a hostile mach ine attac king tren ches. No
e nemy aircraft were see n.
The co ntinuing gun problem was obvio usly causing con-
ce rn. as SCdr Breese made a rare fl ight in a Came l to test the
armam ent.
New pilot FSL Kendall arrived at the squad ron.
5th .J uly
FSl Curtis was se nt up to check the weath er at 06 .30. he re-
ported thick cloud at 2500 lcc t and very bump y co nditions.
Despite the earlie r find ings. FLt Winter led a five ma-
chine line patrol at 07.25 but was forced to abo rt the mission
after 30 minutes.
FCdr Macl.aren carried out a test flight at 10.20 and found
the cloud base to be eve n lower.
Gooder ham. Wood and Findlay took olTat 15.45 to carry
out a line patrol to provide ai r cove r for a visit by King George
V.
6th .J lily
Five engine and machine tes ts were carried out during the day:
FLt GA Goo de rham N63 73 at 09.25
lest. mach ine satisfactory
FLt RR Winter N6379 at 11.40
e ngi ne test. satisfactory
FSL RE Ca rro ll N635 1 at 11.45
e ngine test. satisfactory
FSL EH Kend all N633 1 at 12.00
e ngine test. satisfactory
FCdr GG Macl.cnn an 6360 at 13.20
machin e test. satisfactory
FCdr Macl. c unan led Beasley. Kirkpatrick and Holyman on a
line patro l at 15.00 but the flight soo n suffered from gun prob-
lems again. Macl. en nan suffered from a stoppage in his port
gun. whilst Beasley's machine suffered from sync hroniscr gear
troubl e which caused him to damage his propeller.
FLt Winter led Ken dall. Ca rro ll and Curtis on a line pa-
trol between Nieupo rt and Dixm ude at 19.00 . The anti-air-
craft li re was reported as very heavy and accurate over Ostcndc.
7th .J uly
FCdr Mucl.a rcn led a patro l at 04 .30. however. the engine in
his Ca mel wouldn' t give more than 1000rp m so he left the
patro l to return to the ae rodro me. He obse rved Allied anti-
aircraft fire ou t to sea fro m Fumes and intercepted the ma-
chine whic h turned out to be a Sopwi th Pup. Maclaren then
obse rved two aircraft to the eas t of Dixrnudc. he eve ntually
discove red that these were Belgian.
FCdr Maclennan led a line patro l at 06 .30. A few e nemy
machines were observed on the ene my side of the lines and a
number o f kite balloons were mapped.
FCdr Macl. cn nan led seve n Camels olT at 10 .45 to inter-
ce pt a formation of Gotha bomb ers returning from the seco nd
day lig ht raid o n l ond on . Th e Ca me ls patr o lled fro m
Dunkerque to Zeebru gge. up to 25 milcs out to sea but saw no
ene my aircraft.
FSl Wood took off at 15.50 to chase an enemy machin e
but was unable to locate it.
Sth and 9th .J uly
Bad weather preven ted all flying acti vity.
Wth .lul y
FCdr Macl. cnn an led a fou r mach ine of fensive patrol at 14.35
on the 10th. T he patrol chased an enemy machin e back ove r
the lines to the south of Iic uport. They also rep orted seeing
an ammuni tion train explode near Fum es. it being presumed
that a Ge rman shell had destroyed the train.
FLt Winter led a line patrol at 20.00. No enemy aircraft
were encountered.
11th .lul y
Hea vy ove rcas t deve loped du ring the day and affec ted fl ying.
FLt Winte r led a line patro l at 05.55. I 0 enemy aircra ft were
e nco unte red but the pos itions of fo ur kite ba lloon s we re
mapped. Curtis reported that several RE8s were being heavily
shelled.
FCd r Muc l. arc n led a n offensive patrol at 08.00. thick
cloud over the lines made co nditions difficult.
FCdr Macl en nan attemp ted to lead a line pat rol at 15.00
but was soon forced to abando n it due to the cloud. Ano ther
pat rol was attemp ted at 16.05 duri ng which Mac l. c nnan ob-
 Th e
served two enemy machi nes, At the end of thc patrol Beasley
turned 635 1 ove r on its nose and Kendall repeated thc sa me
feat with 6331. wreck ing the mac hine.
FLt Winter Icd an offensi ve patrol at 17.00. two enemy
machi nes were observed off Ostcnd c, Anti-a ircraft fire over
Wcstcnd e was described as accurate. with the patrol's hcight
gaug ed to within 10 feet.
12th .luly
lawson and Find lay ca rried out an enemy aircraft patrol at
09 .05 . T hree enemy machines were observ ed heading cast
between Nicupo rt and Ostende.
Winter and Kendall carried out a similar patrol at 10.:W,
At 10.50 ncar S ly pe , a lone ene my scout got beh ind Kend all
and shot him dow n in flames from 13.000 tee t. Winte r de-
scribed thc inciden t in his co mbat rep o rt:
Slype, 13000 / 1'1'1, 10.50
offensi ve patrolfo r rep ort ed wireless m ach ine
On loo king round I observed WI ene my mach ine di rectly
behind FSL Kenda ll.
FSL Kendal! dived, cl osely [a llowed hy th e enemy
ai rcraft and I III/'ll I'd an d dived al so IJlII was unab le /IJ
[ire at once a s I \I 'as afraid o] hilling our o\l'n ma chine.
Whe n I \I'as able 10 lfired 200 rou nds at the cn emv air-
C("{({I, whi ch 1i:{1 Kendal! and co ntinued /IJ dive. I ob served
a trail o f sm ok e and di,\'('(I\'I'I'('(1 that Kendall 's ma chine
had been se t on [i re.
The ettem v machin e \1'0 .1' not seen again hUI I do not
belie ve that it \1'0 .1' out ofcontro l.
COW l and Camels
TOP LEFT:N O.6 Squadron pilots relaxing. RR Winter and H Law son swimming
In what is believed to be the Dunkerque- Nieuport Canal.Wi nter is the one
making the rude gesture to the camera. Courtesy Justm Young TO P RIGHT:
Winter and Lawson. Lawson appears to be sitting upon a makeshift diving
board . Courtesy EF Cheesman
FCdr Macl.cn nan and FLt Winte r led their flights on an o ffcn-
sivc pat ro l at 12.45 . very few e ne my aircr aft we re see n.
Good erham in N6375 had to return afte r 10 minutes with en-
ginc troubl e.
SCdr Breese flew Camel N637 1 to a French Aerodrom e
on the Dunkcrqu e - Berq ues road to a demonstration in thc
afte rnoo n.
13th .l u ly
FLt Winter led an offe nsive patrol at 05.40. Th ree hostile rna-
chines aua ckcd the patrol from out of thc sun. Wintcr was
attac ked by one and thc other two attacked Curtis who was
force d to divc away ,
Winter and Curtis ca rried out a hostile aircra ft patrol at
11.35. Two enemy airc ra ft had been repo rted from Nicuport
but co uld not be found.
FCdr Macl. cnn an led an offensive patro l at 12.45. The
patrol reported see ing a few enemy machi nes beh ind their lines
at 13.30.
14th .J uly
SCdr Breese carried out a wea the r test at 07.45 . thick cloud
made co nditions unsuitable for patro ls.
FCdr Ma cl.c nnan and Fl. t Winter led their flights on an
o ffensive patro l at 13.45 but found the cloud co ver to be too
thick to continue the patro l. T he Came ls re ma ined ove r
Nicu port from 14.30 to 15.50 to protect an RES. At 15.50. thc
95
 A l listo rv (~tNo .6 Sq uadron Ro val N(/\"(/ I Air Service ill \\'o rld \\'(/r l
patro l came down and patrolled the lines at 5000 feet. numer-
ous Allied machin es were scc n but no e nemy aircraft were
observed .
FSL NM Macgregor mad e a co uple of practice flights in
the eve ning.
15th .Iul~'
At 09,45. FCdr Macl.arcn led his flight o n an offensive pat rol
to St. Pierre Ca pe lle betw een Wcstcnd c and Midd lc kcrkc, Th c
patrol o bserved one ene my machine ncar St. Pierre Cape lle
heading in an easterly di rection at 10. 15 and an unidentified
machine which eventually turned out to bc a SPAD . Wood
fl y in g N6334 had to m ake a forc ed landing ju st aft er taking
olT wh en his eng ine scizcd.
FCdr Mac l.c nnan and FLl Winter led offe nsive patro ls at 15.45.
Kirkpatric k 's mach inc su ffe rcd from bro ken ign iI ion Icads and
he had to ret urn to ex change his C amel. Ma c Lc nna n and
Kirkpatric k sa w no enemy aircraft. howe ver. Winter 's flight
encountered thre e g roups of enemy aircraft stac ked at diffe r-
cnt he ight s. Winter dec lined to attack . as it was an obvio us
trap.
16th .lu ly
Th e wea ther was bad on the 16th. FCdr Macl. aren ca rried ou t
a wea ther tcst at 05 ,45 and repo rte d that the conditions were
unsatisfactory.
Despi te Ma cl.arcn 's rep ort . FCdr MacLcnnan led a pa-
tro l at 06.00 but was forccd to aband on it aft er 20 min utes. He
tried again at 06.30 but thc visib ility was very poor and he Icd
thc Flight down to 7000 fee t and ca rried out a defen s ive pa-
tro l. No enemy aircra ft w ere scc n and l ittl e activity along thc
lincs.
FLt Win tcr led an offe ns ive pat ro l in the vicinity of
icuport and Dixm udc at 13,40. A lone enemy machin e was
enco untered o lT Wcstcnd c but it tu rned and dived into thc
clouds when approached.
SC dr Breese led an o ffe nsive patrol at 18.45 . His patr ol
co mprised Wintcr. ivlac Lcnnan. Kirkpatri ck and Macgrcgor.
Th c patrol cnco untcrc d thrcc largc cncmy machin es coming
in from thc sca at 19.40. thcsc di ved away whcn app roached.
Th c patrol a lso sa w black smokc o n thc sand duncs at Wcstcnd c
Plagc at 19.20 and thought it might be issuing from a burning
aircraft.
17th .Iul y
FLl Winter led a dcfensivc patrol at 05 .10. Th c pat rol cncoun-
tcred two c ncmy mach incs flying low ncar Dixmu dc bcin g
96
ch ased by a S PAD . Th ree kite ba llo on s were located at
Wilkcrskc. Zcvec ote and Lcffi ngc.
FCdr MacLarcn led a dcfcnsi ve patrol at 08.15 . Two of
thc kite ba lloons were still up at Wilkerskc and at Lc tTingc. At
10.00. l a wson o bse rve d a lar ge e ne m y ae ro p la ne over
I icuport at 14000 feet . As Lawson clim bed . the ene my ma-
chinc matched his ratc of climb and effec tively prevent ed him
from ge tting within att ack rangc. Find lay observed an e ne my
machin e gliding down to wards Ostende aftcr bein g shel led.
FCdr MacLarcn Icd an offensive pat rol at 11.15. Th c pa-
trol obse rved six e nemy aircraft hcading toward s Ostcn de at
12.00.
FCdr MacL en nan and FLl Win ter led Offe nsiv e pat rols at
15,40. They encountered two enemy aircraft near Ost c ndc and
another flying lo w o ver Slypc. T hc patrol also repo rt ed a Brit-
ish machine on the beac h to the cas t o f Nie upo rt Picrs.
FCdr Macl. arcn attemp ted to carry out an offensive pa-
trol at 19.15 but due to the thick clo uds changed to a dcfc n-
sive patrol ca rrie d o ut at 3000 fcct. Good erh am fl ying N6373
was forccd to ret urn to thc aerodrom e wh en his mac hin e 's oil
tank ruptured.
18th .Iuly
FCd r Mac l.aren ca rrie d o ut a we athe r tcst at 05 .05 . the cloud
was at 2500 feet and it was intermitten tly raining. FLt Winter
ca rrie d out a further weath er tcst at 17.15 but there was no
i mpro vcrncnt .
New pilot FS L FS Strath y ariivc d at the squadro n.
19th .Iul y
The wea ther was sti ll bad o n thc 19th. it was not poss ible to
perfor m a weather tcst until 17. 15.
20th .Iuly
Wit h the return of FLl BHP De Roepe r from sick leave. the
Flight struc ture changed so mewhat:
A Flight
FCdr CT I'vlac Lare n. Flight Co mmandc r
FLl GA Goodcrham. Deput y Flight Co mmandc r
FSl Wood
FS L Findlay
FSL Lawson
B Flight
FLt GG MacL enn an. Flight Co mmande r
FLt Kirkpatrick . Dcpu ty Fligh t Co mmandcr
 The Coast
FSL For man
FSL Str athy
C Fli ght
FLt BHP Dc Rocpcr. Flight Co mmande r
FLt RR Winter, Depu ty Flight Commande r
FSL Ni'vl Macgregor
FSL RE Carroll
FS L WA Curtis
FLt Winter led his flight o n an o ffens ive pat rol at 04. 10. no
e nemy machi nes were enco untered but two kite balloon s were
see n to the so uth of Ostcndc,
FCdr Macl.cnn an led a defe nsive pat ro l at 07.00 and 10-
cared two kite ba lloons 2 miles cas t of Nicupor t.
FCdr Mnc l. arcn led a defensive patro l a long the lines be-
tween Nicuport and Pervysc to provide cove r for RE8s. T he
RE8s were not see n.
FCdr Mac l. enna n led an offe nsive pat rol at 13.00 . T he
patrol enco untered three 2-sca tcrs flyin g in a .. v.. at 9000 fee t
ove r Middlckcrkc at 14. 30. Mac l. c nnan lcd thc patrol in a di ve
o n to thc left hand mach ine and was see n to fire at close range.
The e nemy machine side-s lipped and fell spinning for a very
long distance until o ut o f sight. The patro l split up whilst fight-
ing thc rem aining two machines and when it reformed FCdr
Macl.cnnan was missing. Although seve ral claims for Sopwith
Came ls on thc 20th Jul y were sub mitted by thc German Air
Se rvice. none o f thcm correspond to thc time of Macl.cn nans
death .
At 15.25. FLt Dc Roep er led C Flight. with Winter rc-
vet ting to deputy leader, on an o ffe nsive pat rol. No enemy
aircraft we re seen but a heavy smo ke sc ree n was observe d at
Slypc.
2 1st "ul y
FLt Dc Rocpcr Icd an offcns ivc patrol at 11.25. Onc cncm y
mac hinc was obscrvcd off Os tcndc at 12.30. onc c nemy ma-
chinc obsc rvcd landing at Ghistcllcs at 12.40 and two cncmy
machincs wcrc scc n ovcr Blankcnbcrghc at 13. 10.
FCdr Mac Larcn Icd an offcnsivc patrol at 16.00 ovc r Lc kc.
Midd lckcr kc. Wcstcndc and scawards . T hc patrol cnco untcrcd
two 2-sc atcrs ovcr ~ I i d d l ck c r kc at 16.40. thc cnc my aircra ft
wc nt do wn to Midd lckcrkc and thc patrol wai tcd o ut at sca in
thc hop c that thcy wo uld rcappcar. Whilst thc patro l was wa it-
ing. thcy wcrc surpriscd by a formatio n of fivc Albatros scouts
which divcd and attackcd and thcn hcadcd olTtowards Ostcndc.
97
1/I1t! Camels
Severa l Bristol Fightcrs were observed over Middlekcrkc and
it was believe d that they engaged the 2-sca tcrs.
FLt De Roepe r led an offens ive patro l at 19.30 . Four
members of thc patrol fired on e nemy trenches and g un ern-
plac em e nts fro m 1500 tee t. T he patrol e nco untere d fiv e
Albatros sco uts at 20.05. Carroll di ved and attac ked a scout
firing 40 0 rounds from 50 yards ra nge . Carroll saw tracers
e nter thc fuselage and thc machine went do wn spinning and
e mitting thic k clo uds of smoke. Carro ll then enga ged a sec-
a nd mach ine and fired at long range . thc enemy machine dived
away steep ly. Winter dive d and attac ked anothcr sco ut firin g
a lo ng burst fro m 200 ya rds. the enemy mac hine appeared to
break up but at that insta nt Macgregor flushed across in fro nt
of Wintcr. Whcn Winte r flau cncd o ut. all o f thc e nemy rna-
chines had vanished. Curtis had re mai ned above thc form a-
tion to prevent any other hostile machin es di ving o n to thc
attac king Ca me ls. Hc was attacked and had the main spar of
his to p plane shot through . A fter pic king up the formation.
Curtis foolishly rem ained wit h the patro l for 30 minu tes.
2211(1.l uly
FCd r Macl. arcn led A Flight on an offensive patrol at 07.00 .
Th e patrol observed one enemy machin e low ove r Middl ckcrkc
at 08.40 and another mach ine leaving Ostc ndc at 08.45.
SCdr Brccsc led Strathy, For man and Ca mpbc ll-O rdc o n
a defe nsive patrol at 10.30. At 10.50 an un iden tified machine
was scc n to spin do wn and cras h. Th ree enemy a ircraft were
seen over Dixmude. the patrol made round to seaward. climbed
and attemp ted to intercept but lost thc enemy machine s agains t
thc sca when ten to twelve miles out.
C Flight ca rrie d o ut an offensive patrol at 11 .30. At 13.00.
De Roeper fired 150 rounds at an ene my machin e without cf-
feet. Th ree kite balloons wcrc rcport cd to bc opcrating so uth-
cas t of Ostcnd c. T he patrol fircd into c ncmy trcnc hcs.
Kirkpatrick and Lawso n pcr fo rmcd an uncvcntfu l cncmy
aircraft patrol at 14 .25.
A Flight ca rricd out an offcnsivc patro l at 16.00. Th c pa-
trol obscrvcd thrcc cncmy mach incs ovc r Ostc ndc at 16.40.
At 17.35. IvlacLarcn saw an Albatros sco ut with diamond fu-
sc lagc mar kings about 1000 fcct abovc thc patrol. thc sco ul
div cd a nd attac kcd FS L Lawson who wc nt into a spira l.
i'vlac Larcn gOl thc c ncmy's hcight. manocu vrcd bch ind him
and fircd 40 rounds. Traccrs wcrc scc n cntcring thc right lo wc r
planc and thc fusclagc . Th c c ncmy scout brokc out of thc spi-
ral and MacL arcn lost sigh t of him undc r his Camc l's wing.
i'v lacLarcn wc nt ovcr on his back and fel l 1000 fcct. Thc cn -
 1\ History of No.6 Squat/ro ll No \'(/I Naval Air Servi ce ill lI'1 n'ltl IVa r I
c my m ach ine wa s last see n headi ng for O stc ndc . Find lay ob-
serve d fo ur e ne my airc ra ft ov er D ixmude at 17.50 . hc fo llow ed
th cm a nd e ngaged o ne over S tee ne , T he e ne my mac h ine di ve d
at Fin d lay w ho wait ed u ntil hc wa s at th c sa me le vel be for e
op e nin g fir e . Th e e ne my a irc raft dived away wi th Fi nd lay in
pu rsu it. Fi nd lay fir ed a pp ro x imate ly 400 rou nd s and saw true-
c rs ent e r the fu sel age . T hc e ne my mac h ine we nt d ow n in a
no scd ive from whic h it wa s no t see n to reco ve r,
FLt De Roe per led C Fl ig ht o n an o ffe ns ive pa trol in thc
late ev e ning . At 20.40. w he n 3 m iles no rt hea st o f Dix mudc ,
Dc Roeper o bse rve d two e ne m y ma ch ine s head ing towards
Mi ddl c ke rkc at 17500 fee t. Th e lead a irc ra ft tu rn ed he ad-o n
to De Roep e r and ope ne d fire b ut the trace rs we re w ide o f his
le ft w ing by 12 yards . De Roep e r dec rea sed h is rad ius of turn .
d ived stra ig ht at th e e ne my mach ine a nd fired a burs t o f 30
ro und s. then pulled up to a vo id a co ll is io n. T he sc o ut turn ed
and d ived for its lincs . De Roep e r fo llowed and o pe ned ti re
w ith bo th g uns from 30 ya rds . A fte r 100 roun ds. thc e ne my
mach ine sta llcd and we nt into a s p in. De Roe pe r fo llo we d it
dow n to 65 00 fee t at whic h point it wa s still s pinn ing. C urt is
re port ed tha t he sa t up in thc su n wa iting for ho sti le mac hi nes
to attack thc formati on of C a me ls. he e ve ntua lly lo st s ig ht o f
thc Ca me ls in the da rkness.
2J rd .l u ly
De Roe per led W int e r. C urt is a nd Ca rro ll o n an offen s ive pa-
trol at 05 .30. He a vy c lo ud at 7000 fee t a nd m ist be lo w thc
c lo ud re su lted in the patro l bein g abando ncd aft cr40 mi nut es.
FLt Kir kpatric k Icd five Ca me ls o n a de fen si ve patrol at
10 .00 . A t 11.30. Find lay attack ed a n e ne my ki te ba llo o n to thc
cas t o f Di xmu de . Fo re ma n fired into e ne my tren ch es at 11.5 5 .
FLt Winte r led C Flig ht o n a n o ffe nsiv e pa tro l at 14. 30. A
for mat io n o f five ene my sco uts a nd 2-sc atc rs wa s e nco unte red
o ve r S t. Pie rre C ape lle at 16 .00 . S tra thy attem pted to attac k
two o f thc e ne my m ac hin es but rapidl y fo und him sel f u nd er
attac k. In th c e nsuing fig ht. S tra thy fire d a burst at o ne o f thc
e ne my machines wit ho ut e ffe ct.
FC dr M acl.ar c n le d an o ffe nsi ve pat rol at 19 .00 fro m
N ieuport to Mi d dl c ke rkc . bc h ind S t. P icrre C a pe lle a nd
Dixm ud c . M aclar en a nd l awson ob served three e ne my a ir-
craft hcad ing no rt heast from be hind Dixmude at 14 00 0 fee t.
Th e C a mels di vcd o n thc formati o n. th c first e nc my machinc
di vcd awa y. w hil s t a not hc r tr icd to work around bc h ind
iVlaclarc n bu t thc n d ivcd away w hcn Nlaclarc n tr ied to c n-
gage it. M acL ar cn th en b ro ke away as fo ur more e ne my ma -
c h incs a ppea rcd fro m the directi on of G h istc llc s. A t 20.3 5 .
98
thre e e ne m y mac hines were sc c n ov e r N ie upo rt. M ac l. arc n
di ved to w ards the m b ut they im med iat el y di ved a wa y to the
cas t. G ood e rha m ob served a ni g ht o f A lba tro s sco uts nc a r
M oer cs at 20 . 15. hc atta ck ed his c hos e n m ach ine from beh ind
and ab o ve and saw his tr ac er bu lle ts e nte ri ng the fu selage near
thc pilo ts seat. T he e ne my ma c hi ne we nt into a s pin w hic h
conti nued for 3000 fee t. w he n last see n the a irc ra ft wa s o n its
back . G ooderham was un a ble to wa tc h th e e ne my m ac hin e
a ny fu rt he r as hc w as att ac kcd . lost h is e ng ine a nd wa s forc ed
to s p in away. He re start ed h is e ng ine at 7000 feet and ret urn ed
to thc aerodro me wi th h is C a mc l vco ns iderably riddl ed " , Wood
e nco unte re d se ver a l A lbatros sco uts to thc cast o f Dixmudc at
20.3 0 . He di ved o n o nc and fired a bur st. the e ne my machine
we nt into a s pin and Wo od fo llow ed him do wn . W hcn the e n-
c m y m ac h ine re co ve red , Wood fire d a no ther b urst a nd th e
A lba tro s we nt do wn in a ve rti ca l d ive . Wood fo llo wed h im
do wn to 8000 fee t w itho ut se e ing him reco ve r, Find lay rc -
po rted that hc had see n Wo od a ttac k a n e ne my mac hi ne w h ic h
sp un a way a nd rec overed aft er 3000 to 4000 feet a nd then
we nt int o a ve rt ic a l di ve . A hand written no tc o n the co m bat
report statcd tha t the res u lt w as no t ce rtai n e no ug h to clai m a n
" o ut o f contro l",
24th .luly
FLt Wi nt er Icd a pa tro l at 0-L30 to pu rsu e ene my bo m be rs.
l a wson w as the o n ly pi lo t to e nco unt er the bo mb ers near
Fu rncs bu t wa s o nly ab le to fire onc bu rst at lon g ra ng e.
FLt De Roe pe r led a n o ffe nsive pat ro l at 0 8.45 b ut th e
wea ther had sta rted to c lose in and the pa tro l wa s aba ndo ned
a fte r ha l I' an ho ur.
FLt K irkp a tr ic k led Fo rma n and S trathy o n a line pat ro l
at 08.45 . v isib ility w as bad a nd the patro l had nothin g 10 re-
port .
Wi th the loss o f FLt M ac l e nn an . SCd r Bree se rea rra nge d
th e Flig ht struc tu re :
A Flight
FCd r CT Ma clare n. Flig ht C o m ma nde r
FLt GA Goodcrha m
F Lt R F Red path
FS l MH Find lay
FS L H La wson
B Flight
FCdr B HP Dc Rocpc r. F lig ht Co m ma ndc r
FS L WA C u rt is
 Th e COIi Sl II lI d Cll mels

ABOVE:Two new Camels fro m the trst produc-

tion ba tc h outside Sopwith's hangars at
Brooklands. Both of the machineswere delivered
to the depot at 51.Pol by 24th May 19I 7.Au thor's
collection

RIGHT: Ano ther view of the previo us location.

The nearest Camel. N 6332 was transferred to
the RFC at 51. O mer on the 2Sth May 1917.Be-
hind N 6332 is N 6334 which was delivered to
N o.6 Squadro n on 16th June 19 17. F5L PWood
was flying N 6334 whe n he claimed an A lbatros
scout destroyed to the east of D ixm ude on the
23rd July 19 I 7.The Canadian pilot. F5L F5 5trathy
w as killed in N 6334 w hen he w as shot dow n
near Zevco te on the 17t h A ugust 1917.A uthor's
collectio n

yy
 A Historv o{ No.6 Sq uad ron Rova l Nava l Ail" Servi ce in II'tJl"it/ IIl/I"!
FSL RE Carro ll
FSL N!'vl Macg rego r
FSL .l1-I Forman
C Flig ht
FLt RR Winter. Flight Co mmander
FLt G D Kirkpatri c k
FSL VC Holyman
FSL FS Stra thy
FSL P Wood
FSL AC Ca mpbc ll-Ordc
This co incided with the introductio n of a new tacti c com pris-
ing a simultaneous outer offen sive patrol and inner de fen sive
patrol. T he offensive patro l bein g at Flight strength and co n-
sisting of at least fo ur and usually five Camels. whilst the de-
fensive patrol was usua lly ca rried out with three Camels. T he
intenti o n of the simu ltaneous patro l was twofold . if e ither pa-
trol was attac ked. the other patro l would in theor y be close
e nough 10 rap idly give suppo rt. and if an enemy machi ne
crosse d the lines it stood a good chance of bein g trapped be-
tween the two patrols.
FCdr Ma c l.a rcn led an offen siv e patrol at 13.15. the vis-
ibilit y was ver y bad and no ene my mach ines we re seen.
FSL Macgregor led Carroll and Curtis on the simultaneous
defensive patro l at 13. 10. Th e visibility was very bad and no
e nemy aircraft were see n.
FLt De Roeper led an o ffensive pat rol at 19. 15. the patrol
encountered a form alion of eight enemy mach ines com ing from
Ostcndc but they were 1500 feet above the patrol.
FCdr Macl. arcn led Goo de rham and Strath y on a defen-
sive patrol at 19. 15. no ene my mac hines were enco untered.
25th .lu ly
FCdr Mac l. a ren led A Flight on an offensive patrol at 07. 15.
The patrol found cloud starting at 4500 fee t and heavy co ver
at 9500 feet. Visibil ity was so poor that the pilo t's report ed
that they could hardly see. An enemy mach ine was enco un-
tered near St. Pier re Cape lle at 6000 feel. it turned eas t and
was immediately lost to view. T he for mation ran into rai n-
sto rms afte r 30 minut es and Macl.arcn abo rted the patrol.
De Roeper led a three machine defensive patro l at 07. 15.
One ene my machin e was obs erved to wards Osrende. the pa-
trol was otherwise uneve ntfu l.
FCdr Macl. a re n and Lawson look off at 09.05 in response
to the report of an enemy machine at Nicup ort. 1\ was raining
heavily and the enemy machi ne was not see n.
100
FSL Campbcll-Ordc performed a defe nsive patrol at 16.20
in respo nse 10 report of an e nemy machi ne in the vicinity. No
enemy machines were see n.
FLt De Roeper led an offensive patrol 16. 15. Two enemy
aircraft we re enco unte red o ver O stcnd c, these went dow n
through the clo uds when approached . De Roeper turned N634 1
ove r on its nose at the end of the patrol. During the pat rol
Macgregor dro ve an enemy artillery spotter back from the lines.
FCdr Macl.a rcn led a defcnsi vc patrol at 16. 15. the patro l
enco untere d three ene my aircra ft to the so uth of Middlekcrk e
at 16040 and a single enemy mach ine headi ng bac k and forth
betwee n Middlc kcrkc and St. Pierr e Capelle.
26 t h Jul y
FLt Winter led a de fen si ve patro l at 12.00 on the 261h. No
enemy machines were see n. the clo ud base was ver y lo w and
visibility was ve ry poor. Two of the pat rol' s machin es suf-
fe red ig nition faults. po n their return. Curtis and Macgregor
indulged in a mock dog fight o ver Nicuport.
FLt Lawson led Wood and Findlay o n a de fensive patrol
at 16. 15. A for mation o f three e nemy aircra ft was see n diving
away from another for mation of Camels 10 the cast of Dixm ude
at 17.00.
FLt Winter led an offensive patrol at 16. 15. At 17.00. three
e ne my airc ra ft attac ked the patrol over Slype, FSL Ca mpbe ll-
O rde was bringing up the rear of the patrol when he sa w an
e ne my machi ne above and beh ind him . as he turned to att ack
he fo und he was being attac ked by two more enemy sco uts.
Winter and the rest of the patro l rescued Ca mpbc ll-Ordc and
drove o lT the enemy mach ines. Winter's Ca mel suffering from
stoppages in both g uns. At 17.35 when ove r St. Geo rges. an
e nemy machine was see n co ming fro m icup ort . the patrol
di ved to att ack but the enemy machine disappeared under a
bank of cloud . Shortly afte rwards. Campbcll-Orde who had
been lagging beh ind the patro l with engine troubl e came un-
der attac k aga in. Hearin g shots from behi nd. Campbc ll-Ordc
turn ed sharply right and tried 10 cli mb up 10 an Albatros sco ut
which he saw above him. at this point the Ca me l was raked
with a burst of fire that da maged the eng ine and tank s and
wounded Ca mpbcll-Ordc in three places on his left hand side .
Campbc ll-Ordc dive d and twisted and got awa y whilst Win-
ter, Strath y and For man drove off the two scouts that were
attacki ng him. Forma n followed one of the sco uts down to
4500 feet and fired at very close range see ing his trace rs e n-
terin g the fuselage. at that poi nt both guns ja mmed and For man
was forced 10 dise ngage. As he turned away he thought he
saw the sCOlII side -slip and fa ll out of co ntrol.
 Th e Coa .1'1 an d Came ls
New pilot FSL Hl3 Ma und arrived at the squadr on.
27th .lu ly
Kirkp atrick. Strathy and Maund atte mpted to per form a de-
fensi ve patro l at 07. 15. The cloud base was at 500 feet and
Kirkpatrick aband oned the patro l and return ed to the aero -
drom e alt er I () minu tes.
FLt Winter led Gooderham and Maund on an unevent ful
de fensive patro l at 12.00 .
Seve ral spec ial missions were flown in the afte rnoo n in
response to e nemy aircra ft incursions reported by wireless. In
each case no enemy aircraft were enco untered.
FLt Winter led an offensive patrol at 16.25. The patrol
e ncountered and engaged several ene my formation s without
decisive result. After taking part in two indecisive combats.
Form an encountered a slate coloured Albatros sco ut to the east
of Nicup ort at 17. 10. After manoeu vring to put the sun at his
back. Forman dived unti l within 40 yards o f the enemy scout.
fired a short burst. whereup on thc sco ut nose-dived and the n
burst into fla mes.' Find lay had pre viously attacked the same
sco ut. firing 200 rounds without e ffe c t and was able to con-
10/
firm that Forman had sent it down in fla mes to crash into the
sea. Curtis saw the burnin g Albatros plunge past him and c rash
into the sea. describing it as "s poo ky" in his log. Later. Curtis
climbed in company with l3ristol Fighters of No,48 Squadro n
RFC in pursuit of two enemy aircra ft seen over thc A l l ied l i nes,
28th July
FLt Gooderham led an o ffe nsive patrol at 05 ,45. Th e patrol
un ac kcd one e nemy mach ine but it esca ped into the cloud
cover.
FLt Kirkpatr ick Icd Strathy and Forma n on a defen sive
patrol at 05,4 5. Th ree kite balloons were see n and For man
saw two enemy aircraft.
T hc weather closed in a littlc with low cloud and poor
visibility. T his affe ct ed De Roeper's offensive patrol at 10.15.
causing it to be aborted afte r 25 minut es.
BELOW: Defending the coastal region in opposition to No.6 Squadron.
Morine(eldJosw I were regularly encountered. In this photograph. 4 Albatros
DVs are taking off from Aartrijke airfeld. Pfalz Dills can be seen In the back-
ground. Courtesy University o(Texos, Dol/asiA Imrie col/ecuon
 II History o] No .6 Squ adron Roya l Naval Air Service in lVo rld lVar I
FLt Goode rham was ab le to lead a de fe ns ive patrol at
10. 15. severa l e ne my mach ines were see n to be o pe ra ting we ll
beh ind thei r o wn lines ncar Oste nde .
FLt Winte r le d a n offe ns ive patrol at 14 .45 . Wint er . ac-
compani ed by Kir kp atrick . Macgr ego r a nd Strathy. di ved to
attac k two e ne my 2-sea te rs seen to the so uth of Wi ls kc rkc at
16.00 . Wint e r attac ked o ne of the 2-seaters a nd fired a lon g
burst into it. as he pul led a way FSL Mac gr egor a lso go t a lo ng
burst into the 2-seate r. Th e e ne my mac hin e fle w strai g ht and
le vel fo r se ve ra l seco nds and the n fell in a spin a nd wa s see n
to c ras h in a fie ld near the ca na l. FS L Fo rma n. suspec ting a
trap. re mained hig h whe n the rest of the pat ro l di ved to attac k
the 2-sea te rs . Three A lbat ro s scouts ap pea red a bove him.
For man cli mbe d a nd attac ked o ne at ve ry c lose ra nge. he fired
a sha rp burst at the e ne my mac hi ne a nd then had to turn aw ay
to a vo id a co llisio n. Fo rma n wa s sure that he had hit his o ppo -
nen t but was unable to foll ow him do wn as he ca me under
attac k from o ne o f the o the r Albat ro s scouts. Forman was
wounde d in his righ t sho ulder but was able to ge t his machi ne
sa fely back across the lines. He mad e a fo rce d land ing in a
fie ld of broad bea ns and turned his Ca me l o ver.
FLt De Roe pe r led Ca rro ll a nd C urtis o n a de fcn s ivc pa-
tro l al 14 .45. Two e ne my mac hines we re o bse rve d o lT Oste nde
and proceeding to ward s Dixmude. abo ut 4 miles over the lines.
Th e pat ro l was unable to ge t cl ose e noug h to attack them .
FCd r Mac l aren led a n o ffe ns ive patro l at 19. 15. Seve n
e ne my machi nes were obse rved ncar Ostc ndc, these we nt do wn
w hen att ac ked bu t later c limbed up to 17500 feet w he re the
patro l was un able to reac h the m . thei r Ca me ls strugg ling to
ge t a bove 17000 fe e t. T he e ne my m a chi ne s wa ite d o ff
102
ABOVE: Albatros DV's of Manne(eldjasw I. Courtesy University o(Texas. Dallasl
A Imne collection
Weste nd e. unt il abo ut 20 .30 whe n o ne hal f-heart ed ly att ac ked
a nd then d ived away.
FLt Win te r led Kirk patric k and S trathy o n a de fe ns ive
patrol at 19 . 15. No enemy mach ines we re e ncou nte red .
29th .J lil y
FLt Kirkp atri c k led Mau nd an d S trat hy o n an un e ven tful de-
Ic ns ivc patro l a t 07 . 15 .
A Flig ht ca rried o ut a n o ffe ns ive pa tro l at 0 7. 15. Th e e n-
g ine in FCd r lacl.are u' s Ca me l wou ld no t sta rt for 45 min-
utes. howe ver. he was able to pick up the pat rol to the cast o f
N ie upo rt . T he visibility wa s ve ry bad a nd it proved impos -
s ible to o bse rve a ny thing on the g ro und.
FLt De Roe pe r ca rried o ut a so lo patro l at 14 .15 to re po rt
on the num ber of e ne my kite ba lloon s be ing de p lo yed . He
was o nly a ble to find o ne ball oo n.
At 16 .15 De Roe pe r led C urtis a nd Maun d o n a de fe nsive
patrol. Th e weat her cl osed in a fte r 30 m inutes red uc ing the
cl o ud base to SOO fee t. No e ne my a irc ra ft were o bse rved .
FS l S trathy ca rried o ut a wea the r test at 16 .30 . to det e r-
min e if the sc hed uled o ffen s ive patro l wo uld be via ble. Th e
rapi dl y dete riorating wea ther resu lted in the patro l bein g ca n-
ce lled.
30th .J lily
FLt Kirkpa tric k led S trathy and Ma und o n a defen si ve patr o l
at 0 8.00 . T he c lo ud ba se was still at SOO feet an d Kirkp atric k
aba ndo ned the pa tro l a fte r 5 min utes.
 The COliS/ and ClIlllels

B Flig ht att empted to carry out an offen si ve patrol at 16.15 ,

thc wea the r had det eriorat ed further and the pat ro l ca me back
a ftcr a n hour.
FLt Macl.a rcn led a de fen s ive pat ro l at 16.15 . Th e c lo ud
wa s still a pro ble m but Mac l aren ke pt thc pat rol o ut for two
ho urs. 0 e ne my machi nes were o bserved .

3 1st July
T hc wea ther suffe red furt her dc tcrio rat ion and thc sq uad ro n
ma de no atte mpt to fly.

A ugus t 1917
T!Ie 41!1 Brigad e 's War dia ry recorded en em y a ctivity /0 he
no rmal, with larg e formati ons I!{ ellelllY aircraft seldom 1'11 -

co untered. T!I e prevailing westerly wind was [re quently vel')'

stro ng durin g August and hampered the Brigade \ ope rations.
Once again . desp ite the official pronou nce ment. the work
perf ormed liv No.6 Squad ron seemed to ha ve stepped up a
gea r: the introduct ion ofthe SOpwith Came l havin g revitalised
the sq uadro n.
For so mc time. the RNAS had fo und itself overstretched
an d unable to cope with the attrition rate ofm en and ma-
ch ines exp eri enc ed durin g the summer lif 1917. Aft er discus-
sio n with the RFC, the decision was tak en to disba nd No.6
Squadron and lise the 111 1'11 an d machi nes to "s ho re up " the Ffugmaat Ludwig of Marine(e/djasta I poses wi th hisA lbatros Ov. Ludwig claimed
ot her squadrons. No. 11 Squadron, under RNAS control and one victory. Courtesy University o(Texas. Oaf/asIA Imrie collection

also based at Frontier aerodrome, met the sallie F ile.

Is t to 4th A ugus t
T hc bad weat her at thc e nd o f .July persi sted into A ug ust and
thc sq uad ro n was unab le to mount any pa tro ls for the first
fo ur da ys o f the mon th.

5th A ug us t
Th e Sq uad ro n's first patro l in Aug ust was carried o ut o n thc
5t h whe n FLt Wint cr led an o ffen si ve pa tro l at 16 .15 . Th e pa-
trol e nco untered a lon e mach ine ov e r thc Flood s at 17.00 but
was un ab le to bring it to act io n. At 17.40. a form atio n o f s ix
e ne my aircra ft was o bse rve d at 1000 0 feet ove r Wcstcn dc. Afte r
un s ucc essfu lly ma noe uvring for positi on. th ese mac hine s
headed o ff tow ards Ostc ndc. F1gmstr Brenner of M FJ I wi th his Albatros Dv. Courtesy University o( Texas.
FLt Dc Roep er led thc si multa neo us de fen sive pat rol. Th e DallaslA Imrie collection

pa tro l e nco unte red five e ne my mach ines at 17.15 but these
pro ved to be a trap . T he pa trol head ed to wa rd s the e ne my for-

/ 03
 ;\ Histo ry ofNo.t: Sq uadro n ROYIlI Naval Air Service ill World 1I'Ilr I
mati on a nd was immedi at el y attac ked from abo ve by an ot her
for ma tio n o f six e ne my aircraft. T he pat rol wa s a ttac ked agai n
at 17.50 by s ix mo re e ne my machine s. C urtis shoo k o ff the
e ne my scout tha t had bee n o n his ta il a nd wa s able to d ri ve o ff
the sco ut w h ic h had bee n attac ki ng C a rro ll. C a rro ll rep o rted
that as the e ne my sco uts d ived a way trom the ir init ia l atta c k.
o ne mad e fo r a n A llie d reconn ai ssa nce mac hine w h ic h was
wo rking o ve r the Flood s . C arro ll atta cked the e ne my mac hine
.u lo ng ra nge a nd was able to dri ve it o iT. Sopwith Pups o r
No .54 Sq uadr o n RFC j o ined in the e ngageme nt j ust as the
co mb a ta nts we re d isp ers ing .
6th A ugus t
Th e weathe r was unsuita ble (or flyi ng .
7th A ug us t
FLt De Roe per led an offe nsive pat ro l at 16. 15 . s ix e ne my
machines we re enc o unte red behin d O st e nde . Th ese mac hine s
di sappea red throu gh the cloud as the pat rol was man oe u vri ng
fo r positi on .
FCd r Mac l. aren le d the de fen sive patrol. T he v is ibility
wa s ve ry bad a nd no e ne my mach ines we re ob se rve d . Th e
pa tro l reported a n unu su al inte nsi ty o r arti lle ry ac ti vi ty.
Sth A u g us t
F Lt W int er performed an e ne my a irc ra ft pa tro l at J 1. 15 w he n
a ho stil e machin e was repo rte d to be in t he v ic in ity of
Du nkc rqu e. T he e ne my a irc ra ft was no t loc ated .
FLt De Roep e r a tte m pted to le ad a n in ne r line patro l a t
11. 15 bu t a bo rted the mi ssion a fter 40 min utes d ue to bad
wea ther.
FC d r M uc l. a rcn led a de fen si ve pat rol at 16.15 . no e n-
e my mac hines wer e e nco unte red a nd the pat rol esco rted a co rps
machin e until thu nde rcl ou d s sta rted to de ve lo p an d the patrol
was ab ort ed .
FLt De Roep er led the s im ulta ne o us o ffe nsive pat rol.
lume ro us e ne my a ircra ft we re e nco unte red bet we e n O st e nd e
an d N ie upo rt. Dc Ro ep e r judged the s ituatio n to be a trap a nd
decided not to tak e the pa tro l into its j a ws .
9th A ug us t
FCd r MacL a ren led an offe nsive patrol a t 0 7. 15 to the cas t o r
Wc sicndc and St. Pierre C ape lle. Tw o e ne my a irc ra ft we re
o bserved lo w do wn ov e r i'v l iddl c kc rkc but the se we nt do w n
w he n approac hed . A no the r mac h ine was see n 10 the cast o r
Middl c kc rkc at 0 8.30 .
104
F Lt Kir kp at rick le d an un e ven tful de fen si ve pa trol a t
0 7. 15.
SCd r Breese took o tT a t 09. 3 7 in pu rsu it of a n e ne my
mac h ine w hic h had pass ed ov e r the ae rodro me . By the time
he go t a irbo rne the int rud er had va n ished .
FC d r Muc l. arcn led a de fe nsive pat rol at II AS . T he pa-
tro l brok e th rou gh the cl oud at 10000 fee t but they wer e un -
ab le to sec the RE8s worki ng be lo w so the y we re force d to
come dow n to 300 0 fee t. A t this hei ght the y nea rly beca me
e nta ng led in the RE8s ' ae ria ls' a nd wer e ge tt ing in the way o r
ea c h o the r and the 2-s ea te rs . forc ing Macl. arcn to aba ndo n
the pa tro l. O n the ir wa y bac k they o bse rved a S PAD co me
u nd e r hea vy att ac k from an A ll ied anti-a irc ra ft ba tte ry.
FLt W inter led a n o ffe nsive patrol at II AS . se ve ra l e n-
e my mach ines we re e nco u nte red bet wee n Midd lck crkc an d
O stc ndc but the pa trol wa s un a ble to bring the m to actio n.
10th A ug us t
FLt Winte r led a n inner line pat ro l at 0 7.15 . no e nemy ma -
c hine s we re o bse rve d . Th e form ati o n es co rte d a n R ES and
the n ret urn ed d ue to the we athe r closi ng in.
FLt De Roe per led a n o ute r line pa tro l at 0 7. 15 . T he pa -
tro l es co rte d a fo rma tio n o f R ESs but wa s o the rw ise une vcnt-
rul.
FC d r Macl. aren led a n o ute r line pa tro l to We ste nde a nd
S t. Pie rre C ape lle at 12 .0 5. A n e nemy mach ine wa s ob served
to the so uth o f O ste nde at 12 045 an d an o the r was e nco unte red
o ver I ie upo rt as the patro l was retu rn ing .
FLt Dc Roep er led a n in ner line pa tro l at 12. 10 . cove ri ng
M idd lc kc rke to S lyp c and St. Pie rre Ca pe lle. Not h ing wa s se e n
until 13.30 wh e n a machin e was o bse rved abo ve the patrol.
Th e e ne my a irc ra ft head ed c ast as soo n as the pat ro l sta rted to
c lim b.
A t 16. 15 . FCd r MacLar e n led a n inn e r line pa tro l. Wh ilst
the pa tro l was pro tect ing R ESs it ca me unde r acc ura te a nti-
a irc raft fire a nd Macl. arcns C a mel was hit w hen ov e r the
Flood s between St. Pie rre C a pe lle and Pe rv ysc . O ne e ne my
ma chine was e ncounte red at 17.50 ove r Co xyde b ut the pa tro l
was unabl e to cl imb up to it.
FLt W inter led a n o ute r line patrol at 16. 15. An e ne my
ma chine was e nco unte red ove r Nie upo rt but we nt c as t w he n
a pproac he d and c irc led over O ste nde wa iti ng fo r a n o ppo rtu-
nit y to cross the lin es . T hree mor e e ne my a irc ra ft we re e n-
co u nte re d at 19 .20 and d ri ve n c ast.
SCdr Breese to o k o lT at 19 .20 in purs uit o f a n e ne my
mac hi ne sig hted fro m the ae rodrome.
 Tile COliS! 1I11t!
II th Aug ust
Wintcr. Kirkpatrick and Stra thy carried out an inncr line pa-
tro l at 05.30 . Wh ilst the patrol was in the air. rain stor ms dc-
velopcd and Winte r was forced lead thc patrol back at a height
o f 50 feet.
FCd r MacLarcn led another inner line patrol at 08.45 . The
weather was still bad with rain and cloud s at 1000 feet. No
kite ballo on s or RE8s were wor king. lea din g MacL arcn to
abando n thc patr ol.
Find lay. Carroll and Maund performed an inner line pa-
tro l at 14. 15. Thc patro l pro vided pro tection for a number of
RE8s wor king over the lines, No e ne my airc raft were see n.
FCd r MacL aren led an o uter linc patrol at 17.45 but was
forced to retu rn with engine troubl e. FLt Goo derham took ove r
the patro l wh ic h was rclativcl y une ventful with j ust two e n-
cmy machines bein g sce n we ll behin d thcir ow n lines.
FSL Mac grego r Icd an inner linc patrol at the same time,
a number of enemy mach ines were sce n behind their ow n lines.
Th e patro l enco untered an enemy sco ut wh ich was attac king
an RES and drov e it off, Macgregor firing 100 rounds at thc
e nemy machin e without resul t.
12th Aug us t
FLt Winter Icd an inner line pat rol at 06.4 5. Two kite balloon s
were observed at Lef finghe and another was see n at Zcyccotc.
The patrol also saw two encmy mach ines well bch ind the ir
ow n lincs.
At 09.30. FCdr Mac Larcn Icd an outer line patrol and FCdr
De Roepc r Icd an inner line patro l. Th e outer patrol unsuc -
ccss ful ly attac ked a formatio n of six ene my mach ines. Wood
was forced to return with a bullet throu gh his Ca me l's oil tank.
Th e outer patrol was latcr attacked and dri ven bac k to the lines
by two cncmy sco uts from a form ation o f six machincs. Thc
innc r patro l was rclativc ly unc vcntfu l. with ju st a singlc ma-
chinc scc n at 14000 fcct whcn thc pat rol was at 600 0 fcct.
FLt Wintcr Icd an out cr linc patro l and FLt Go odc rham
flcw a solo inncr linc patrol at 13.30 . Wintcr 's fligh t cnco un-
tcrcd 4 cnc my machincs ovc r Nicuport. thc Camc ls wcrc un-
ablc to gc t c1 0sc to thc cncm y machi ncs but both Wintcr and
Macgrcgor fircd sevc ral bursts at long rangc. Macgrc gor' s
Ca mc l cx pcricnccd g un sy nchronisation tro ublc and hc was
forccd to rcturn with his prop cll cr sho t throu gh. Rcd path.
frcs hly relllrned fro m Ieavc. was in Winter 's Flight and rc-
portcd firing at one of thc c ncmy machincs and thc n di ving
~l\\'a y.
10)
Came ls
Gooderh ums inner line patro l saw se veral enem y rna-
chines well acro ss thc lines, One enemy machine was obse rved
returning from the direct ion of Dunkcrquc but crossed the lines
be fore Go od erh am co uld ge t to its height .
FCdr Mac l.aren Icd an outer patrol at 17.1 5. howe ver thick
clo ud started to de velop and by 18.00 was down to 5000 fcct.
One e nemy mach ine was obse rved at thc start of thc pat rol.
FLt De Roeper Icd an inner linc patro l and RE esco rt at
17.15 . Se veral e nemy aircraft were observed keepin g wel l
behind thei r own lines. Latcr dur ing the evening an RFC ground
signa l directed thc patro l towards Ostcnd c where two artillery
spotters were e ngage d in directi ng a shoot. The patro l wai ted
o utside Ostcndc fo r hal f an hour but thc spotting machines
did not rcap pcar. Th e patrol kept Mariak crkc ae rodro me un-
dcr di rect obse rvatio n for 20 minutes but no activity was ob-
served,
13th Aug ust
FCdr MacLarcn Icd Wood and Find lay on an inncr line patrol
at 07.00 . At 08.30 five enemy aircraft wcrc enco untered pa-
tro lling a linc bet ween Midd lekcrk e and St. Pierre Ca pe lle at
400 0 feet . Whcn ap proac hed th e y retreated to thc cas t.
FLt De Roepe r led an outer linc patrol at 07.00. Whcn thc
pat rol was at 19500 fcet an e nemy mach ine was obse rved at
14000 fcct. De Roeper, Maund and Redp ath di ved tow ard s
thc hostile aircraft which immedi ately retreated before they
co uld e ngage it. Ca rro ll obse rved an enemy machin e passin g
over thc Floods. he gave chase and fired 200 round s wit hout
e ffec t.
FLt Go oder ham Icd Maun d and Carroll on an inner linc
patrol at 10.45. T he pa. ro l observe d [ivc e nemy mach ines bc-
hind thcir lines and tricd to c limb abov c thc m. thcy wc rc
wa rncd by thci r ow n anti-aircraft firc and most rct ircd inland.
Onc mach inc. how cvcr. rcm aincd in thc arca and attackc d an
RE8 bcncath thc clo uds. FSL Carroll fircd on thc cnc my ma-
chinc which divcd away stccply.
FLt Wintcr Icd a fivc Ca mel outcr linc patro l at 10.45.
On c cncmy machinc was obsc rvcd but thc patro l was unab lc
to c ngagc it. Lawson turn cd N633 0 o vcr on to its nosc whcn
landing.
FCdr MacLarcn Icd an o utcr linc patrol at 14.45 but thick
clo ud dcvclopcd at 15.55 and forccd thc patrol to rct urn. Two
c ncmy aircraft wcrc obsc rvcd to thc cas t of St. Pier rc Capc llc.
whcn app roachcd by thc patrol thcy cscapcd towa rds Ostcnd c
at 15.20 . Anothcr cncmy mach inc was sccn ovc r St. Picrrc
Capc llc at 15.30 but thc patrol was unab lc to rcac h its height.
 1\ l l isto rv (,r N o.6 Sq ua d ron Roya l Na \'(/I Air Sen -ic e in \I'o rld \I'ar /
Fl. t Winter led Redpath and Strathy on an inner patrol at
14 .45. T hree enemy aircraft were obser ved 4 to 5 miles east-
so utheas t of Nie uport between 16. 10 and 16.25.
Fl. t De Roeper led an oute r line patrol at 18.30 . Two en-
emy aircr aft were obse rved at 19000 feet whe n the patrol was
still at 15000 feet. At 20. 10. three enemy machin es were driven
away.
r Cdr Macl.are n led an inner line patro l at 18.30. the vis-
ibilit y was reported as very bad due to haze and mist. No en-
e my aircra ft wer e obser ved .
lew pilot FSL ED Abb ot made two practic e fl ight s du r-
ing the day. the first was satisfac tory but o n completion of his
seco nd flight. he turned Came l N6356 over when landin g.
14th Aug us t
FLt De Roeper led an outer line patrol at 10.45. Th e patro l
was beset by techni cal pro blems. Maun d's eng ine suffered a
prob lem with an inlet valve. Wood 's Ca mel suffered a snapped
cross bracin g wire and Macgregor 's engine started to back -
fire. Dc Roe per co ntinued the pat rol with Carroll who inef-
fectually attac ked an e nemy machine see n approac hing the
lines. Carroll's machine was then hit by anti-aircraft fire and
sulfered a damaged mai n spar.
FLt Winter led Strathy and Ab bot on an inner line patrol
at 10.45. At 11.15 when 2 miles north east of Nieupo rt. Winter
e nco untered two Al batro s sco uts which had earlier made a hit
and run attac k on the patrol. Th e three Ca mels atta cked one of
the enemy machi nes and drove it down into the clo uds.
SCdr Breese made a co uple of increasin gly rare fligh ts
when he ferried two Came ls betw een the ae rod rome and the
depot.
C Flig ht flew an outer line patrol at 14 .45. T hree enemy
aircraft were obse rved as the patrol approached the lines. these
retreated inland when the patrol started to climb to wards them .
FLt Kirkpatri ck led an inner line patrol at 14.45. The pa-
trol obse rved 4 e nemy mach ines over the Floods at 15.15 and
three e nemy machines ove r Nieuport at 15.30. A lone enemy
machine was ineffectuall y engage d ove r the Flood s at 16.15.
FLt Winter led an inner line patrol at 18.35. A ground
signal informed the patrol that an e nemy mach ine was work -
ing in the area but they were unabl e to find it. Th e visibility
was very poor with rain and lo w cloud . De Roeper. Maund
and Macgregor fired 250 round s into an enemy trench from
1500 feet.
FCd r Macl.arcn left the squad ron to take co mmand of the
Walmer Defe nce Flight.
/ 06
15th Aug us t
FLt De Roeper led an o ute r line patro l at 04.45. the pat rol
e nco unte red co nside rable enemy acti vity with all of the pilots
reportin g engage ments. De Roeper e ncountered three enemy
machines at 16000 feet and dro ve them awa y to the cast.
Macgregor ineffectua lly e ngage d two sco uts and a 2-seater.
Ca rroll investigated anti-a ircraft fire ove r Nieuport and e n-
count ered a large black 2-sea ter at 05 .20. He di vcd on the 2-
seate r but both guns j amm ed . afte r c learing the sto ppage
Ca rroll attac ked again and the enemy aircraft di ved vertica lly
to wards the beach and was lost in the haze. Maund engaged
three e ne my aircraft. one of which was a bo mber. o n the Al-
lied side of the lines. The bom be r released its bo mbs over the
sea off La Pann c and headed eastwa rds . Maund then attac ked
an e ne my machine which was in turn attack ing an RES. he
observ ed his tracers hitt ing the ene my machine which forced
it to break off its attack . At 05 .39. FS L Strathy was flyi ng at
14000 fee t over Nieupo rt when he e nco untered a 2-seater at
10000 feel. Strathy div ed o n the enemy mach ine whic h turned
underneath him . Strath y followed the enemy aircraft around
and fired whereup on it fel l in a spiral. Strathy followed it do wn
firin g bursts until it fell into a vertica l dive . black smo ke was
obse rved to co me from the machin e at which point it broke
into pieces in the air.
FLt Winter led Abbot and Kirkpatri ck o n an inner line
pat rol at 04.45 . Win ter attacked an e ne my mac hine o ver
Lcffin ghc with out result. He later report ed see ing the machine
shot down by Strathy fall to the northwest of St. Georges.
Kirkpatri ck reported see ing four enemy machi nes at diffe re nt
times ove r Nieu port .
FLt Good erham led a six Came l o uter line patrol at 08 . 15.
the weather had closed in with cloud s at 2000 feet and no
enemy aircraft were see n.
FLt De Roeper led Carroll and Strathy on an inner line
patro l at 08.15. the patro l was af fected by the same wea ther
co nditi ons experienced by Gooderha m's patro l and no ene my
aircraft were seen.
lew pilot FSL Siedle mad e a practic e flight at 09.55.
FLt Gooderham led Findl ay and Simpso n on an inner
patro l at 12.55. no enem y aircra ft were obse rved .
FLt De Roeper led an o uter line patro l at 16.00 . The pa-
trol engage d five Albatros sco uts over Ghistelles at 14000 feet.
the enemy mach ines di ved away through the clouds. De Roeper
claimed an Albatros sco ut out o f co ntrol at 17.40.
FLt Winter led Abb ot and Sicd lc on an inner line patrol at
16.00. No e nemy aircraft were see n. however. FSL Sied le lost
 The COl/oi l
formation towards thc end of the patrol. when he returned there
were seve ral bullet holes throu gh his Came l's main pla nes for
wh ich he was co mpletely unable to acco unt.
16th A ugu st
FLt Winter led Simpson and Lawson on an inner line pat rol at
06.05 and encountered three e nemy aircraft south or Nicuport.
One or the enemy machines atte mpted to cross the Floods but
was forced to retre at when attacked by the patrol.
FLt De Roeper led an outer line patrol at 06. 10. The pa-
trol e nco untered thr ee e ne my aircraft to thc so uthcas t o r
Ghistcllcs at 07.00 and e ngaged them at long range. Tracers
were seen to hit the fuselage or one mac hine which immcdi-
ately dived away through the clouds.
FLt Wintcr led an outer line pat rol at 09.45. At 10.50.
Strathy observed six ene my aircra ft over Middleke rkc, three
at 16000 tee t and three at 20000 feet, he lost sight of these in
the clouds. Strathy was compelled to make a forced landing 2
miles west o f Nic uport when his Ca mcls engine cut due to
fuel Iced prob lem s. The patrol e ncountered five e nemy scouts
to the north of Dixrnudc at 11 .10. they were able to prevent
the scouts from positio ning the mselves in the sun but were
unab le to make enough heigh t to attack . The ene my aircraft
eve ntually withdre w,
FLt De Rocp cr led an inne r line patro l at 09 .50 . The
weath er had closed in with cloud s at 900 to 1100 feet. De
Roeper fired 1000 round s into enemy trenches and then aborted
thc patrol.
FLt Goodc rham lcd an out cr linc patrol at 13.30. thc lincs
wcrc covcrcd by cloud s at 6000 fcct and thc patro l was flown
bclow thc clouds . Four cnc my aircraft wcrc cncountcrcd. onc
of which was cngagcd indccisivcly by Goo dcrham. Findlay
a nd Carroll at long rangc. Lawson obscrvcd two cnc my air-
craft div ing out of thc clouds onto thc inncr linc patro l. hc
c ngagcd onc o r thc c ncmy machin cs wit hout rcsul t. Simp son
bccamc sc paratcd rrom thc patrol and joincd thc inncr linc
patrol.
FLt Kirkpatrick led Sicdlc and Abboll on an inncr linc
patrol at 13.30 . T hc patrol was allack cd by rour cncm y air-
c raft at 14.50 whc n ovcr thc Flood s. Kirkpatrick and Sicd lc
manocu vrcd abovc onc cncmy mac hinc but aftcr firing a short
burst thcy wcrc allac kcd rrom bchind. Abbo t indccisivc ly at-
tackcd an Albatros scout at 15.00 ovcr Nicuport.
FLt Dc Rocpcr Icd a fivc machinc outcr linc patrol at
17.15 . the patrol go t otT to a bad start whcn two mcmb crs.
Abbott and Sicdl c. attac hcd thcm scl vcs to thc inncr linc pa-
107
and Camels
tro l which was takin g off at the same time. The dep leted pa-
trol was ca ught in a trap when De Roeper led Winter into a
diving attack on a 2-scatcr which was enc oun tered at 900 0
feet . Aftcr in effe ctuall y firing at the 2-sca tcr. the two Ca mels
were attack ed from above and behind by three enemy sco uts.
Kirkpatrick. the third me mber of the pat rol had suspected a
trap and mai ntai ned his heigh t but was attacked by a nother
ene my scout and forced to dive away.
FLt Good erham led Findlay and Si mpson on an inner line
patrol at 17.15 . As related above. Abb ott and Sicdl c inadvcrt-
cn tly joined the patrol. Five enemy aircraft were e ncountered
over thc Floods at 10000 feet. these were dri ven back inla nd.
T hree enemy mac hines were observed ove r Middlckc rkc, these
made no atte mpt to cross the lincs or inter fere with spou ing
machincs.
17th A ugu st
FLt Goo derha m led Simp son and Lawson on an inner line
pat rol at 06 .00. Gooderh am observ ed five enemy aircraft be-
hind Middlckc rkc, Lawso n observed an Allied mach ine being
ch ased by an enemy aircr aft and dro ve it o ff.
FLt Winter led an outer line patrol at 06 . 15. At 06 .55. the
fi ve Camels, acco mpanied by three Bristol Fighte rs observe d
eight ene my mac hines flying above the patrol and in the sun.
Th e patrol unsuccessfu lly attempted to cl imb up to the le vel
of the e nemy aircraft. the n three of the hostile machine s dived
below the patrol attempting to lure them into a trap . Winter
fircd a short burst at onc mach ine and thcn pulled up. thc threc
cncm y aircraft conti nucd to divc away. Latcr durin g thc patro l
Wintcr cnco untercd anothcr c ncmy mach inc at his own Ic vel.
he opc ncd fire but thc rcturn rire hit Wintcr's Icft cc ntre scc-
tion strut and Icft hand planc. Wintcr discngagcd and c limbcd
away. Sc vcral minutcs latcr Wintcr was cngagcd rrom abovc
by an enemy mach inc which tricd to manocuvrc ror a goo d
position. Wintcr prcvcn tcd this and turncd towards thc cncmy
machi nc. climbing and riring. During thc hcad-on c ngagcmcnt
Winter 's Camcl was again hit. this timc in thc right hand lower
planc. Wintcr thcn obscr vcd a Bristol Fightcr at 2000 fcct bc-
ing allack ed by a sco ut and a 2-sc atcr. hc divcd and rircd on
thc 2-sca tcr which turncd and di vcd away but not bc rorc its
observc r's accuratc return rirc da magcd Winter's cnginc. Win-
tc r returncd to thc aero dromc at 07.35 and immcdiatc ly took
up a nothcr Camel and !lcw back to thc lincs whcre hc cncoun-
tcrcd and allackcd an artill ery spottcr ovc r Slypc. T hc spoller
di vcd away but rcturncd aftcr rivc minutcs. Wintcr again at-
tackcd and thc spolle r di vcd away. A sco ut that was esco rting
 A H istorv of No.6 Squ adron ROWlI Nan d Air Service ill IIfJrld War !
the spo tting machi ne start ed to turn towa rds Winter b ut made
o ff w he n Wint er pulled up and tu rned to wa rds him . W inter 's
ma chine was the n hit in the tail fi n by anti-a ircr a ft fi re . FSL
S ied lc e nco u nte red se ve ra l e ne my aircra ft and inde c isive ly
attack ed o ne at lon g range . A t 0 7.05 . FSL Abbo ll wa s a ttack ed
fro m beh ind by a Fo k kcr' a nd a n Alba rros, he pulled up and
round to the right a nd c lo sed wi th the Fok kc r o n h is rig ht s ide .
A bbo t fired a lo ng b urs t at close ran ge a nd o bse rved trace rs
e nte ri ng the coc kpit. the ma c hine fe ll away o ut o f co ntro l and
spi nning ve ry qu ickl y. FSL Sim pso n saw A bbous o ppo ne nt
con ti nue to spin ve ry fa st a nd lost it in the g ro u nd mist at 3000
teet . Abbo tt was aga in attac ked from be hi nd at 0 7.30 as he
was ap proac h ing the line s, he pulled up and a ro und and fou nd
him sel f in front o f a nd bel o w the a ttack ing machin e wh ich he
aga in ident ifi ed as a Fokk e r bip lan e. A bbott fired a burst a t
c lose ra nge. the e ne my mac h ine 's e ng ine sto pped and the a ir-
c raft we nt in to a stra ig ht ve rtica l d ive. flattening o ut w he n
c lose to the g ro u nd. FS L Strathy fai led to re turn from the pa-
trol. hav ing been sho t dow n a nd killed ove r Zcvcc ote .
B Flig ht ca rried o ut a n o uter line pat rol at 09 .45 . Five
e ne my airc ra ft we re se e n ab ov e the patrol. O ne was se nt dow n
in a spin by a Bristol Fig hte r o f No.48 Sq uadro n R FC.
FLt Goode rha m led a n o uter line pat rol a t 13.30 . T he pa-
tro l o bse rve d fou r e ne my a ircr a ft be hind the Flood s . two at
16000 fee t a nd two at a h igh e r a ltitude . T he patrol att empted
to cl o se wit h the lo we r mac h ines but the y ke pt above the C a m-
c is and eve ntua lly headed away inl and . FS L Find lay o bse rve d
th ree e ne my ai rcraft to the ea st o f Ni eu port a nd atta ck ed o ne
wit hout succ ess. FSL Maund e nco untered two ene my mac hines
in the cloud s to the ea st of Nie upo rt. these heade d ba ck to
O sten dc .
FLt De Roep e r led M acgr egor and Ca rro ll o n an inne r
line patro l at 17.15 . A t 18 .15 a ll th ree pil ot s di ve d o n a yel -
lo wi sh g ree n 2-seate r that was e ng aged in spo tting fo r art il-
ler y and s imulta neo us ly fire d a to tal of 400 ro un d s Th e 2 -
sea te r was o bse rved to d ive a nd tu rn to the le ft and the n go
down in a ve rtica l di ve . FS L Macgr ego r bel ieved that he saw
the aircra ft crashed beh ind Wcsicn dc a nd l'vl idd lck erkc. Dc
Roe pe r fired a furt he r 150 ro und s in to e ne my tre nches fro m
150 0 fee t.
FLt Wi nter led an o uter line patro l at 17 . 15 . no e ne my
a ircra ft were obse rved abo ve the clo uds but two A lbat ros sc o uts
we re se e n at 50 00 fee t abo ve M idd lek crkc.
18th August
FLt Dc Roe pe r lcd a n ou tc r linc pa tro l at 05 .00. A t 06.25 thc
patro l e nco u nte red six en e m y ai rc ra ft at 1000 0 fee t a bov c
!OS
O sten de. the e ne my machi ne s di ved below the pa tro l to attack
a formati on o f So pwith Pu ps . Dc Roep e r wa s c los e e no ug h to
op e n fire o n o ne en e my machine as it d ived beneath the pa-
tro l. afte r firi ng 30 ro und s he tu rned bu t lo st sig ht of a ll the
enemy aircraft .
Wi nter led S icd lc a nd A bbo tt o n an une ve ntful inne r line
pat ro l at 05 .05 .
Dc Roe per led C u rtis a nd C a rro ll on a n inne r line patrol
at 0 8 .30. the pa tro l chased a n a rtille ry spo tte r wh ich prom ptly
we nt down and la nded .
Good e rha m led the 08 .30 o ute r line pat ro l. T he n ight
crossed the lin es at 14 00 0 fee t a nd o bse rve d a forma tion o f
Pups c hasi ng six e ne my a ircr a ft be hind Di x mu dc , The e ne my
ma c h ines turned a nd d ived to wards G histc llcs be fo re the C am-
c is we re ub lc to rea ch the m . A no the r for mat io n o f e ne my rna-
c hines was o bserve d at a co ns ide rably hig he r a ltitude app roa ch-
ing from the so uth. T he pat ro l re turned early d ue to c lo uds
o bs c uring the gro und .
At 12.1 5 G ooderha m led Fi nd lay an d La wson on a n in-
ne r line pat ro l. A t 12.35 fo ur enemy aircra ft we re obse rved at
Osic ndc and anothe r at Westcndc Bai ns. Th e pa trol tr ied to
appro ach the sing le mach ine but it esc a ped in the cl o ud s be-
fo re the pa tro l got c lose e no ug h to o pe n fire.
Wi nter led the 12 .15 o ute r line pat ro l. Two e ne my air-
cr a ft we re o bse rve d a mo ngst the cloud s se ve ra l milc s in la nd
an d a sing le A lbatro s wa s ob served at 13.30 . Kirkpatric k ove r-
turned C a me l N6397 w hilst ta xying in .
Goode rham led an o ute r line patrol at 16.00 . T he a rea
was covered by cloud at 90 00 feet b ut an e ne my machi ne was
o bse rved at 7000 feet ove r G h istc llcs .
FLt Kir kpa tric k led Mac gr egor a nd Si cd lc o n the 16 .00
in ner line pat rol. S icd lc had e ng ine trou ble a nd wa s for ced to
re turn ea rly.
Kir kp atric k ca rr ied o ut a test n igh t in N6357 an d c rashed
in a fie ld , susta in ing inj urie s tha t requ ired hospit a lisati on .
19th A ug us t
F Lt De Ro epe r Icd C u rtis a nd C a rro ll o n an inn er line pa tro l at
0 7. 15. De Roe per at tacked a n e ne my 2-sea te r. firin g 50 rounds
at lon g ra nge . T he 2-seate r retrea ted to war ds Ost c nd c , C urtis
fired 50 ro u nd s at a 2- sc atc r whi c h fired a red s ig na l lig ht. [i ve
mor e e ne my machi nes ca me [0 its ass ista nce an d a ll s ix e n-
c my a ircr a ft headed in la nd ove r the flo od s .
Gooderham led thc 0 7.15 o utcr patrol. A n c ne my mac h ine
wa s e nco unte red o n the A llied s ide o f thc lincs at 1500 fcct.
thc pa tro l atte m pted to c lose a nd fire d 50 ro und s fro m lo ng
ra nge wit ho ut crfec t. T hc c ne my machinc csca pcd to wa rd s
 The C O IlSf 111/{ 1
Ghistclles. Five enemy aircraft were observ ed at muo well
behind thci r ow n lines,
Dc Roeper led an outer line patrol at 11 .00 but was force d
to return with ignit ion prob lem s whe n a high tension Icad
broke. The Flight continued thc patrol and ineffectua lly at-
tacked an artillery-spotting machine over Wcstcndc. De Roeper
took off again aft er repairs to his Camel, at 13.00 hc obse rved
six e nemy aircra ft 500 feet above him . Hc climbed away and
at 13. 15 was ablc to dive onto thc formation and fire 60 round s
at thc rcarm ost machin e. Dc Roeper reported that thc entire
e nemy form ation spun away into thc cloud s.
Wintcr led Sicdlc and Abbot on the 11 .00 inner line pa-
tro l. onc enemy machine was observ ed ove r Midd lckcrk e, up-
pat entl y stalking an RE8. The patro l was unabl e to get within
firing range befo re the ene my machin e esca ped into the clouds.
Gooderha m led Macgregor and Lawson on an inner line
patrol at 14.45. Four enemy aircra ft were observed climbing
over Ostcnd e and a solitary machin e was observed at 8000
feet over Ostcndc. Good erha m dived on the latter machi ne
a nd fired a short burst but was unab le to close before it di ved
away.
FLt Winter led the 14.45 outer line patrol. Winter observed
a form ation o f six enemy aircraft above the patrol. he turned
a nd fired but thc enemy machines made no attempt to attac k.
Another enemy mach ine was obse rved 5000 feet below the
patrol. when Winter atte mpted to e ngage. the enemy machin e
dived away and escaped . Abbott was very latc gc tting away
a nd lost a wheel in the air. he subseque ntly crashed Ca mel
N635 1 on landing.
De Roeper took o ff at 15. 15 to acq uaint FSL Abbot with
the fact that his Camel had lost a whee l,
Winter led Abbot and Sied le on an inner line patrol at
18.30. No ene my aircraft were observ ed but Siedlc dam aged
Camcl N6359 whcn he made a forced landin g in a ficld to thc
southcast of Nicuporl.
Dc Rocpcr Icd the 18.30 outcr patrol. clcvc n cncmy air-
c raft were obscrved taking off from Ghistclles at 19.45 and
fivc of thcm wcrc secn to patro l thc lincs.
20th A ug us t
Wintcr Icd Macgrcgor and Abbo t on an inncr linc pat rol at
06.00. Onc cncmy mac hinc was obscrved ovcr Midd lckcrk c
at 2000 fecI.
Goodcrham led thc 06.00 outcr linc patro l. FSL Simp son's
Camc l would not climb above 14000 fect and he lost contact
with thc patrol. T hrce e ncmy airc raft wc rc obsc rvcd ovc r
l OY
Camels
Middlckerk c at 07.15. the formation comprised a 2-sealcr and
two esc ort machin es flying at 10000 feet . Goode rham led thc
patrol into a diving attack from 17000 teet, FSL Findlay pulled
up close be hind one of the scouts and fired at it from a runge
of 30 feet . Th c scout stalled. fell on its back then fell away in
a spin. Goode rham wit nessed Find lay' s atta ck and signed a
confirmation state me nt on Find lay' s co mbat report.
De Roeper led an outer patro l at 09.45. An e ne my rna-
chine was encountered and 60 rounds fired at it without cf-
feet. At 10.50. four Albatros scouts were obse rved heading
out to sea at Moore. De Roeper led his for mation inland and
waited above thc cloud bank for thei r return . Th ey eve ntually
appeared at 500 feet above the formation and slightly to their
side oft he lincs. Macgregor and De Rocpcr both made a climb-
ing turn and opened fire at the sa me time, Macgregor fired
100 rounds and De Roeper fired 60 round s at thc same ma-
chine which was observed to stall thcn spin for 5 turns. The
enemy machine recove red, thcn stalled and fell in another spin.
It recovere d again. then nose div ed through thc clouds.
Wintcr led Abbot and Siedle on the 09.45 inncr line pa-
trol. At 10.40. the patro l observed four Albatros scouts climb-
ing into thc sun. thcy turned and headed towards thc co ast.
return ing at 10.50 at a hc ight of 11 000 teet . An e ngagement
took place betw een Wcstcnd c and Schoorc, Winter attacked a
machin e that was attempting to di ve on FSL Abbou t. Tracers
were see n to e nter thc enemy aircraft's fuselage but Wintcr
was forced to break awa y as hc was in turn attacked by a black
and white striped Albatros. Afte r elud ing his attacker, Winter
engage d another machin e which dived away steeply for 7000
feet. Winter was again attacked from behind , he performed a
climbing turn and engaged his attac ker at which point his star-
board gun janun cd. Winter dise ngaged , cleared the stoppage
and return ed to attack another aircraft but ran out of ammuni-
tion . Abbott attacked one of thc e nemy sco uts but was allac ked
from bchind by the black and whitc striped Albatros. Whilst
manocuvring. Abbot's enginc c hokcd and hc was forccd to
dive away to corrcct il. By the time hc had recovcrcd his en-
ginc thc cnemy aircraft had withdrawn tow ards J'vl iddlc kerkc.
Sicdlc fircd scvcral rounds at two cncmy aircraft with indcci-
sivc rcsult s.
Goodcrham led Simpson and Lawson on an inner linc
patro l at 13.30. Thr cc c ncmy airc raft wcrc observcd patrol -
ling wcll behin d ivIiddlckcrkc. howcvcr. no cncmy machin cs
wcrc obsc rvcd ncar the lincs.
Dc Rocpcr led thc outcr pat rol at 13.30. Curtis chase d
two c ncmy machin cs inland from Dixmud c.
 A Historv o] No .6 Sq uad ron Ro va! Na \'(/I Air Servi ce in \\'or ld \\'ar I
Winter carried out a test flight in 13 3821 at 13.30. the en-
gine was satisfacto ry but the machin e was tail heavy.
SCdr Breese co llected N633 0 from the depot at 18.50.
2 1st August
De Roeper led Macgregor. Curtis. Carroll and Maund on an
outer line patrol at 07.45. Carroll's e ngine was down on power
and he was unab le to keep form ati on. At 08.40 when over
Moerc, De Roeper. Macgregor and C urtis were attac ked by
five Albatros scouts The Came ls turn ed and started climbing
but the enemy machin es di ved away to Ghistelles. De Roeper
obse rved two Aviaries headin g to ward s Nicuport at 08.50 , he
manoeu vred into the sun and then attac ked the first machine.
firing 100 rounds without resul t. De Roeper turned away and
attacked the seco nd mach ine. firing 60 rounds without result.
At 09.05 whe n o ve r Wcstc nde, De Roep er o bse rve d rive
Albatros sco uts esco rting an artillery spotter. He di ved o n the
formation and fired 50 rounds at o ne mach ine. pulled up and
dived at another. firing another SO rounds . The entire forma-
tion di ved away throug h the cloud s. Maund obse rved four
e nemy aircraft to the eas t o r Nic uport at 09.50 but did not
e ngage them .
Goo derham. Abbott and Lawson flew an inner line patrol
at 07.45. Four enemy aircraft were enco untered o ver Westend e
at 08.00. the pat rol dived on one machin e firing a burst or 50
rounds. T he enemy machin e di ved vertically unt il within 1000
fee t o r the ground and then mad e 1'01' Ghistelles. T he ot he r
three enemy machin es also di ved away inland .
Goo derham led an une ven tfu l outer patrol at 12.15.
Winter led Curtis and Carro ll on the inner patrol at 12. 15.
Winter made an ineff ective attac k on an e nemy spo tting ma-
chine but was forced to break off the engagement when both
guns jammed.
De Roeper led an outer patro l and Goo de rham an inner
patrol at 16.45. At 17.40 o ver Moere the outer patrol enco un-
tered Ii ve AIbatros sco uts at 150001'! , De Roeper attacked two
e nemy machin es. firing 60 rounds at eac h before the form a-
tion headed away inland . At 18.35. Winter and De Roeper at-
tacked two spotting machin es operating ove r Wcstcnde, the
Ca me ls were fo rced to disen gage by the presence of eight
Albatros sco uts ho ldin g posi tion abo ve the 2-sea te rs. De
Roeper and Winter then returned to attack the spotting ma-
chines aga in. De Roeper dived o n one machin e from 6000
feet and fired 100 round s. Tracers were obse rved e ntering the
fuse lage and the e nemy aircr aft we nt down in a nose di ve. De
Roeper foll owed it down to :WOO feet before the presence o f
110
six enemy scouts forced him to pu ll away and make for the
lines. Winter made a third attempt to engage the spotting ma-
chi nes but was unable to obse rve the effects of his attack . FS L
Macgregor attac ked a 2-sea ter hall' a mile over the lines. fir-
ing two bursts without effe ct.
The inner patrol e nco untered several e nemy machin es at
Westend e. Goo der ham dived o n one enemy mach ine and fired
at lo ng range without effec t. A spotting machin e was reported
at low altitude keeping cl ose to Middle kerk e.
2211<1 August
FLt Winter led Abbot and Findlay on an inner patrol and De
Roeper led Curtis. Carroll. Maund and Macgregor o n an outer
patrol at 05.00. T he inne r patrol failed to e nco unter any en-
e my aircra ft on the Allied side of the lines but Find lay at-
tacked a kite balloo n to the southwest of Oste nde. Find lay go t
within 300 yards whe n both guns j amm ed . he was able to at-
tack a seco nd time firing 100 rounds from one gun. T he oute r
patrol e ncountered six ene my aircra ft ove r the flood s at 05.40 .
De Roeper fired I SO rounds at one machin e which di ved away.
Curtis attacked an e nemy mach ine. firing 200 rounds. Th e
ene my aircraft di ved vertica lly from 130001'! to 9000ft. sta lled
and was then lost to s ight. Carroll made an ineffe ctive attac k
upon another enemy airc raft. At 06.20, De Roeper atta cked a
kite balloon. firing 100 rounds without effe ct.
De Roeper led Curtis and Carroll on an inner patro l at
09.15 whilst Goo derham led five machin es on the outer pa-
trol. The inner patro l kept close to a flight o r RE8s whilst en-
e my scouts looked for an opportunity to attac k. T he o uter pa-
trol enco untered three ene my aircr aft co ming in from the sea
near Ostende and another machin e beyond Dixmude which
di ved at Macgregor from out of the sun. Macgregor turned
and came up beneath and behind the enemy sco ut. He fired
100 round s into the Albatros which he described as being gree n
on top and ye llow undern eath . the Albatros dived vertica lly
1'01' 6000 feet at which point it lost one of its wings. Macgregor 's
opponent may have bee n FlgObm Luitjcn Luitjcns of I'vlF .J I.
Another co mbined inne r and outer patrol was flown at
13.45. Goo der ham leadin g Maun d and Simpson on the inner
pat rol whilst Winter led the outer patrol. At 15.20. the inner
pat ro l e nco unte red 4 e ne my a irc ra ft near Middl c kcrk e at
9000 ft. T he pat rol fired at o ne machin e at long range without
ef fec t. T he o uter pat rol also e nco unte red o ppos itio n ove r
Middlekcrkc. Winter fired I SO round s at two enemy aircraft
which withdre w to Oste nde and Ca rro ll optimistically fired
100 rou nds at an enemy mach ine at long range.
 The Coast and Camels

ABOV E: Somewhat naively thinking it wo uld be easy to ident ify t he black and BELOW :A not her possibility w as Josta Boe/cke, based at Ghiste lles at the time
w hite ringed Albat ros mentio ned by W inter and W ood in their Co mbat re- of the encounter. The photogra ph shows Bassenge. Kemp f and Vallendo r in
ports, it soo n became apparent that a black and w hit e ringed fuselage was a front of a r inged A lbatros Ov. It is not know n w ho regularly new this machine.
co mmo n perso nal marki ng amongst the Josta pilots. On e possibility shown Courtesy University of Texas, DolioslA Imrie collection
here is aJosta 17 machine, the photograph depicts Eberhard von Seel.vv inte r's
o pponent could not have been von Seel however,as he was killed in act ion on
the 12th June 19 17. Courtesy University ofTexas, DoliaslA Imrie collection

II I
 II llisto rv I!FNo.6 Squ adro n Roya l Nava l Air Servi ce ill Wor ld Wllr l

ABOVE :Yet another possibility is thi s A lbatros D III belonging to t he MFJ. Cour- BELOW:A less likely candidate wo uld be an A lbatr os DV carry ing th e co lours
tesy University o(Texas, Dol/asIA Imrie coffection of )as(O 26. Courtesy University o( Texas,Daffas/A Imrie coffection

1/ 2
 The CO(/S! and Cam els

Newly a rrived pilot. FS L Hamilton-Bowyer wa s sc nt up FS L HB Mau nd

for a practice flig ht at 19.00 . FS L SA Ha milto n- Bo wye r
T he sq ua d ro n 's final Flig ht struc tu re was as sho wn:
Kirkpatri ck and Hol y man o f C Fl ig ht we re abse nt from thc
A Flight sq ua dro n o n s ic k lea ve.
FLt GA Gooderham. Flig ht Co mm a nde r
FS L WA Cu rtis 23rd Aug us t
FS L MH Find lay Wi nter le d a n o ute r patro l and Goo de rha m led Ca rro ll a nd
FS L H Lawso n S imp son o n a n inn er pat rol at 07.45 . T he inne r pat ro l o bse rve d
FS L G E Si ed le fo ur e ne my a ircra ft nea r O sten de a nd e ncoun te red anothe r
c nc my mac hi ne whi ch th ey c has e d be yo nd Middl ek e rke .
B Flight Ca rro ll fired 100 rou nd s into a n ant i-a rc raft batt ery to the west
FCd r BH P De Roep er, Flight Co mma nde r o f S ly pe .
FLt G LE S te ve ns Wintc r too k Find lay a nd S impso n o n a n inn er lin e pa trol
FS L P Wood a l 13.00. T he patr ol pro ved to be qui et but Wi nter dam aged
FSL RE Ca rro ll 13 382 1 whe n land ing.
FS L JO S im pso n SCd r Breese co llec ted a ne w Ca me l fro m the dep ot a t
FS L ED A bb o tt 15 A5 .
At 16 .50 . Go oderha m led a n o uter li nc pat ro l a nd De
C Flight Roe pe r led M acg rego r a nd C arro ll o n a n inn er line pat rol.
A FC d r RR W intc r. Flig ht Co m ma nde r Unfavo ura ble weat her co ndi tio ns ca use d the o ute r patrol to
FS L I M Macgr egor be abando ne d. thc inn e r patro l stayed o ut bu t failed to o bse rve
a ny e ne my ac tivity.
BELOW: Sopwith Camel B3882. seen here in NO.1 0 Squadron's markings In
September 1917.With 0.6 Squadron from the 26th July 1917, B3882 was
regularly flown by FLt BHP De Roeper who claimed an Albatros scout out of 24th A ug ust
control at Ghistelles on the 15th August. a two-seater crashed one mile east
T he weather co ntinue d to be ov e rcas t w ith cloud at 4000 fce t.
of Westende on the 17th August and an Albatros scout out of control at
Moere on the 20th August. Courtesy JMBIGSL Collection De Roe pe r led Ha m ilto n- Bo wye r an d Carro ll on an inn er line

113
 A Hist ory of No .6 Squadron Royal Nava l A ir Se n -ice ill World I\'a r I
patrol and Gooderha m led an outer line patrol al 06. 15. T he
inner patrol was aba ndoned after I 1/2 hours. the oute r patrol
rem ained out for the full dur ation of the patro l but failed to
see any enemy aircra ft. FSL Maund suffered an engine failure
in Camel N6379.
25 th A ug ust
De Roeper led an outer line patrol at 07.45 but wea ther condi-
tions were such that he was forced to abando n the patrol after
25 minutes. FSL Lawson's Camel broke a valve ju st alter lea v-
ing the ground and he landed immedi ately to exc hange his
mach ine. Winter led Hamilton- Bowyer and Abbott on the cor-
respond ing inner patrol and encountered four spotting ma-
chines beyond Midd le kc rkc at 08.35.
FSL Find lay led Simpson and Lawson on an uneventfu l
inner line patrol at 13.30 . The pat rol remai ned out for 20 min-
utcs.
Winter led Abbott and Hami lton- Bowyer on an inner line
pat rol at 16.45. The patro l was ine ffectively attacked by four
Albatros scouts which dived on the Camels from behind but
failed to press home their advantage. Winter turned towards
them. two dived awa y and the othe r two clim bed into the sun.
Winter attacked the highest machin e at long range. at this point
both e nemy machin es turned back and cha sed Winter for a
short distance.
]\'OT ES
I Both Aerodro mes arc co m mo nly refe rred to as Bray Dun es.
, Forma n's o ppo ne nt wa s probab ly \'::,{III Otto Bra nt o f M I'~ I I who was
re ported as kil led in ac tio n between Midd lc kcr kc and Westc ndc.
) Th e REXtrailed a lo ng wire to ac t as a n a nte nna fo r rad io co m munica-
tio n.
1/4
2fJth A ug us t
Winter led an outer line pat rol at 10.45. The patrol enco un-
tered two spotting mach ines ove r Midd lckerk c. Winter suf-
fered a stoppage in both guns dur ing a diving attack on one of
the e ne my machin es,
De Roeper led an outer line patrol at 18.25. A ge neral
e ngage ment took place but the pilots' reports were confused.
De Roeper stated that the pat rol was attacked by six ene my
aircraft over Middlckcrkc at 19.35. T he fight lasted for ap-
proximately 5 minutes and at 19.40 he saw an en emy machine
go down in flames to crash in a field by the side of the Bruges-
ieup ort ca nal. shot down by a Belgian SPAD.' FSL Carroll
also observed the enemy machine go dow n in flames. T he other
pilots variously reported one. four and five ene my aircraft tak-
ing part in the figh t.
The patrols on the 26th August were the last recorded war
flights carried out before No.6 Squa dron was disbanded on
the 27 th August.
zsu. A ug us t
The pilots flew their Sopw ith Camels to No. 10 Squadron at
Drogland .
, A ircra ft ide ntif icat io n wa s o fte n inaccurate. in his co mbat rep ort. Ab-
bot desc ribed the Fokkc r as ha ving a monocoqu c fuselage a nd bein g co loured
a mo ttled urcc n and brown.
, Dc- Roep er and Carro ll witne ssed the de mise o f Uff: Ca rl Conrad o f
Jus ta 17. sho t do wn by the Belg ia n ace . S Lt Ed mo nd Th ic ffry o f 5"" Esca-
drille .
 C HAPT ER SEVEN
DI SBANDM ENT
I
n so me qu a rter s it was reali sed as ea rly as May 19 17 that
the burden of loaning sq uad ro ns to the RFC wo uld im -
pose a severe stra in o n Rl AS resou rces. W ing Ca pta in
C L La mbe wrote the fo llow ing lette r to the Vice-A d m ira l
Do ve r Pat ro l o n the 8th May :
I I/(/\,e the hon ou r to fo rwa rd the [a llo wing rema rks
and proposals as regards thefuture pol icy ofa viation.
On j oining yo ur com mand in A ugust 191 5, the 111111/-
ber (!{p ilols employed lI'as app roxi tnate ly 14 aeroplane
pilots and 6 seaplane pi lo ts. In A ugust 19 16. thi s num ber
ha d approxima telv treb led, whi lst th e present app roved
est ab lish me nt incl uding the squadrons len t to th e RFC
and whi ch it is hoped will be co mpleted by A ugust 19 17,
amounts 10 298 pilots.
lnthc autumn o] 1916. the Germa ns appea red to ha ve
su dd enly rea lised the extreme imp ortan ce of aeria l war-
[a rc and entirely reo rg anised th eir Air Service. The resu lt
has been tha t there is a t pre sent an int ensive st ruggle on
th e \\ ~'s l e rn Front between the opposing A ir Service s,
whi ch ha s by no m eans bee n definitely decided in our
favo ur as ye t, Th ere is no reason 10 suppos e that the en-
em » will relax their effo rts during the coining yea r and.
consequentl y. a la rge increa se on our pa ri must be p re-
paredjot:
From carefull » pr epa red sta tisti cs. the wastage (!{
pilots of th e Royal Nava! A ir Servi ce in the Do ver COII/ -
nuuul wo rked oil! at 10. 1% per month du rin g Janua ry,
Fe bru a rv and March and 15.2% per m on th fo r the m onth
of April. Owin g, ho wever; to the supply {if pilots bein g
inadequate. to train them thoroughl v bef ore send ing th em
1/ 5
o ver the lines I antici pate in the futu re a large increa se
which may am oun t to 20 % per month.
Taking the number (if pilots employed as 300, th is
m ean s tha i 60 [r esh p ilots wi ll be required per month in
th e autumn to rep lace wastage alone, without any addi -
tion 10 strength. Sinc e it appears ob vious that II/m /-II(}Il'er
is going 10 decide this II'{//; it app ea rs worthy of cons ider-
ation 10 co nsider a I'el)' large ill crease in our aerialforces
whi ch a re undoubt edly a vel)' eff icient method of ell/p loy -
ing a vai lable man-power: One cannot un reason ably p re-
d iu the tim e when land f orces will consist (if artillery.
tanks and aircraf t.
I understand that the p resent aim (if the Royal Nava l
A ir Se rvice is to turn 0 11 1 approximately 500 II CII' pilots a
ye ar hut, ill I'ic ll' o] th e [orgoing rcniark:s, it is submit ted
tliat the su ggestion o f very largely increa sing thi s output
II/ay be considered.
IVilh the ill creasing lise of seaplanes an d other ai r-
craft both fo r anti-su bma rine an d fl eet work, l fe c! COII -
vinced tha t 2000 pilo ts per annum will 110 1 be too n/(/IIY in
1918F ir the Royal Na val Air Service. I also feel con vinced
that once the p resent Ai r Boa rd ha s had su ffi ci ent till/C.
110 d iffi culty will be experien ced in p rodu cing th e requi-
site nu mb er (if machines and engine s.
In a mem o 10 the Vice-Ad mira l Do ver Pat rol. Win g Ca pta in
AV Vyvyun, Ass istant to the Dir ec tor o f A ir Se rvices di sm issed
the c rux o f La mb e' s arg um ent. sta ting th at the Ro ya l l a va l
Ai r Sq ua dro ns were to be w ithdrawn from the RFC a t the rate
o f o ne per month. co mme nc ing at the e nd of Jul y. Lambe 's
suggestio n fo r a substa ntia l increa se in presen ce o n the West -
 A History ofNo.o Squadron Roval Naval Air Service ill Wor!d m ,r/

ern Front was also dis missed with the comment that it was up FSL M au nd 'IiJ No. 10 Squadron
to the military authorities to provide this and not the concern FS L Abbott
of the Royal Naval Air Service, FS L Bo wy er
Vyvyan' s comments regardin g the withdrawa l of ass is- FSL S iedle To repo rt 10 Headqua rte rs
tance to the RFC pro ved to be somewhat erroneo us, 1 0 , 3 on di scharge [ rom hospital.
Squadron was withdrawn by the midd le of June but there was
no further reduction in assistance to the RFC until No,6 Squad- Th e rema ining officers. with the exception ofthe Stores
ron was disbanded at the end of August. What did happen was Officer will rep o rt 10 he adquarters.
that the losses predicted by Lamb e occ urred and became un-
sustainable. Personn el
By ugust 19 17 it was far too late to do anyth ing about The C. O.. Na val Squadron No. 6 will prepa re a list of ap-
recr uitment and the decision was taken to disband two squad- p rosintat clv thirtv ratings \I"llIJ w ill [o rnt th e nucleus of
rons and use their pilots and aircraft to reinforce the other th e squadron in th e even t o] it being f ound possibl e 10
squadrons, refo rm, These rat ings will he a ttaclied 10 A ircraft Dep o t
On the 25th August. Wing Captain Lambe had made con- and will he looked upon as pa rt co mp lem ent un til such
tingency places for the disbandm ent or " pay ing-o ff" o f No,6 lilli e as th ey tnav he requ ired .. Th e rem ainde r wi ll h e
Squadron. These were distributed in mem o No.6202 : utilisedfor comp leting existing Sq uadrons and a notniua l
lis t shewing -
Headq ua rters
R.N. A .S . (a ) the nucleus
Du nkcrque (h ) the remainder
R4 N o.6202
25 1h A ugus l 19 17 sho uld heforwarded /II headquart er» ..P " as soo n as / JlJS-

sib lc.
M 1'111 1ira nd um
II/ th e even t o] Na va l Sq uadron No.6 being paid-oj]. the Stores
fo llo w ing act ion w ill he tak en. Th e Stores w ill he return ed /II Aircraft Dep o t and taken
on charg e by "A " Section. Th e St o res Office r will th en
OJl icers clo se th e account s ofNa val Sq uadron No.6 and. whilst so
The Co m ma nding O jjicer wi ll rep o rt 10 Headq uarters on do ing will he a tta ch ed /II Aircraft Depot. As regards a ll
p ay illg -Illt: ten ts. fixtu res et c. (1/ th e Camp . inst ru ct io ns sho uld he
req uest edfro nt the Win g Co tntnand e r as to wha t a ction
Pilots sho uld he taken.
Fligh ! COIII l/II1/ II1ers d e Ro ep er an d Willl er will rep ort /II

headqu« rt e rs. Transp ort

All transport will h e retu rned to Section " C ". Aircra]]
Fl igtu Lieutena nt Gooderham will he discha rged 10 No.2 Dep ot w ith th e d ri vers. Tran sp ort sho uld then he thor-
Squadron. oug h ly cl ean ed a nd th e St o res O jj icer of No. 6 Squadron
will he responsiblefor checking th e list I!l too ls and spare
FSL Findlay paris belong ing to th e M ot or Tran sp ort . Instru c tions wi ll
FSL S impso n i: No. 1 Sq uad ron he rcq ucst cdjrotn the Headqua rters R. F C. as 111 its di s -
FSL Ma cg regor po sal , ( Wing COIII l/lI/1lder Cham bers to m ak e enq u iries ).
FSL Cu rtis "Iii No.8 Squad ron
FSL Ca rm ll Machin es
FS L La wson M ach ines inflying o rder will in all p robabilitv h e trans -
FSL IIfilld fe rred 10 Na va l Squadron No . 10 logethe r wi th spare en-

1/ 6
 Disbandment

gines, in which case No. 10 wil l return thei r Tripl anes and So me pi lo ts recei ved instruct ion o n 2-seaters and were subse-
in addi tio n draw three Clerge t Came ls to b ring No . 10 qu e nt ly posted to ob servatio n a nd bombing sq uad ro ns. FLt
Na val Squad ron lip 10 eightee n machines. Three (~I' the G LE Ste ven s returnin g [0 the re fo rmed No ,6 Sq uadro n in Janu -
Tripl an es fro m No . / O will be all ocat ed 10 Naval Sq uad- ary 191 8 a nd FS L GE Sie d le go ing to NO.5 Sq ua dro n. De
ron No . / to bring them lip to eightee n an d one to Nava l Roe pe r returned to instr ucting . this ti me a t Vendo me . FSL AC
Squ adron No.S to bri ng th e Triplane Flight lip to six. The Cumpbcll-Ordc was reco ve ring from inj uries rece ived in July
remainde r a re to he held in rese rve at A ircraft Dep otfo r at the time o f d isban dm ent and was subse q ue ntly po sted to
issu e to Squadro ns. 1 0 .9 Sq uad ro n.
/1' this cha ng e is a/J/JI'III ·ed . Na val Squ ndnn: No. I a FCdr CT Ma cLaren ha d a lread y left No .6 Sq uadro n to
will retu rn any spare engines not fi tted with So p with tak e comm and o f the Walmer Defen ce Flig ht by the mi dd le o f
Kauper Gear but in no case sh ould they refilm m ore than A ug us t. He wo uld re turn to lead the re formed No .6 Sq uad ro n
six spa re engines. in Janu a ry 191 8.
T hus No .6 Sq uadro n ce ased to ex ist on the 27 th Au g ust
Signed CL l.ambc 191 7 a nd o the r sq uad ro ns we re bol ste red w ith ex pe rie nced
Captain RN pi lo ts. W hi lst the need to redu ce the number o f RNAS sco ut
sq uad ro ns ca nno t be qu es tion ed . it is d iffic ult to see w hy the
Distribu tion a xe fe ll o n No .6 Squ adro n T he Squ adron 's work rat e. whi lst
init ia lly poor. had pic ked up rapidl y o nce the pilot s go t used
"C" to the Sopw ith Ca me l. Se veral possible reason s ar e o ffe red
" /" bel o w:
"P" Ma ny o f the pi lots fe ll tha t No .6 Sq uad ro n had a lways
" K" been the least fav o ured sq uad ro n in the Dun kerquc Co mma nd.
" Q" a theory that is d iffic ult to pro ve o r d ispro ve at thi s late j unc-
Wing Comman de r Cha mb ers (two copies) tur e . Wh ilst the re is ab so lute ly no do ubt tha t Wing Ca ptai n
G.O.. H.Q. Lam be had a soft spo t for j 0 .8 Squad ro n. ther e is no e vi-
de nce th at he wa s d issatisfied w ith No .6 Sq uad ro n.
No .6 Sq uadro n wa s d uly " paid-o ff" o n the 27 th Au gust 191 7. It is possib le that ex pe rie nce d Ca me l pi lots wou ld be co n-
In the eve nt. the d isp osi tio n o f the pi lot s wa s not exac tly as s ide red mu c h more va luable to the sq ua d ro ns that we re in the
Lam be had in itiall y pl ann ed : process o f co nve rting to Ca me ls. than wou ld Tr ipla ne o r Pup
pilo ts.
FLt G A Good erh am To No.2 Sq uadro n Sq uad ro n Co mma nder C D Breese wa s not co nside red to
FS L WA C urtis To No . 10 Sq ua dro n be a parti cul arly for cefu l o r dy nami c leade r. espec ia lly wh en
FS L 1H Find la y To 1 0 . 1 Sq uad ro n co mpa red to the likes o f BC Bell o f I 0 . 10 Sq uad ro n o r RS
FS L H La wso n To No . IO Squad ro n Dall as of No . 1 Squad ro n. It is possi ble tha t Breese simply d id
FS L GE Si ed le Re tra ined. then to No .5 Sq ua dro n not fig ht hard e no ug h to keep his squa d ro n in ex iste nce .
FCd r BHP de Roe pe r Inst ruc tor at C hin gfo rd T he de bac le o f Breese be ing unabl e to "manage" ASC d r
FLt G LE Ste ven s Re train ed . then to the re fo rmed Drap e r mu st ha ve ra ised q uest ion s ab o ut his capa bilities as a
No .6 Sq ua d ro n Sq ua d ro n Co mmande r. mak ing it eas ie r fo r Lamb e 10 se lec t
FSL P Wood To No . 10 Sq uadro n No .6 Sq ua dro n.
FS L RE C arro ll To 10 . 10 Sq uad ro n Perh a ps the re wa s no s imple reason but a co mbina tio n o f
FS L JO S impso n To '0 . 1 Squad ro n the above sugges tio ns. o r pe rha ps I 0 .6 Squ ad ron wa s simply
FS L ED A bb o tt To 0 . 10 Sq uadro n
1 in the wr o ng place at the wro ng tim e . Wh ate ver the reason .
AFCdr RR Wint e r To Walme r Defen ce Flig ht the sq uad ro n wa s di sba nde d o n the 27 th A ug ust 19 17 but j ust
FSL NM Ma cg regor To No . 10 Sq uad ro n like the myt hica l Phoe nix. it ro se fro m the as hes to re for m as
FS L H B Mau nd To No . 10 Sq uadro n a da y bomber sq uad ro n in 19 18.
FSL SA Ha m ilton - Bo wyer To No . 10 Squ adro n

1/ 7
 C H A PTER EIG HT

A NEWROLE

O
n the 19th No ve mb er 191 7. Wing Ca pta in Lambe Si gn ed
wrot e the foll owi ng memo to the Dir ect or of Air C L Lambe
Ser vices: Ca p tain. N.N

Se nior Ojjicl'!; Ten days late r o n the 29 th 1 ovcmbc r 191 7. Lambe 's plan s
Director ofAir Se rv ices, were more adva nce d and he issu ed the follo wi ng mem o :
N.N. A .S., //. Q..
HOld Cecil, Headqua rters
Dunkerq ue. N.N A .S.
Strand, We. DUllkcrque

191h Nove mb er 191 7, 29 1h Nove mb er 191 7

M em o randum 78 99
Sub mitted.
In view ofthe approval g iven f o rnext ye a r 's requi rements. A se co nd D.//. 4 Bom bin g Squa dro n will be pa rtivjormcd
whi ch inc lude I IV O D.//. 4 Bombing squadrons. it is pro - at Do ver and it is hop ed will c ross 10 Dunkerquc ill the
posed , subject 10 you r approval, tofo rm I he second squad- [i rst we ek in Janua ry 19 18 ijtlu: ca mp (1/ Pelill' Svnthc is
roll abo ut the 1.1'1 , January 19 18. sufficicntlv advanced by (/ /(/ 1 dat e.

2.- Th e necessa ry Sq uadron Conuna nder and Flight 2. Th e squadron will he known as No .6 Sq uadron and
Leade rs and ratings I UI I 'e heI'll detailed and a rrangements will be [o nned hy a ce rtain nil/libel' no ll' (1/ Do ver which
made [o r the eng ine rati ngs to go th rou gh a course in th e f o rmed the o rig inal H'll!mer Defen ce Flight. supp lem ented
B .//. /~ en gi ne at M essr s. Si ddele» Deasy :1'. by 30 ratings which 1/(/ 1'1' been ea rm a rke d si nce No. 11
Squadron lI'as disbanded.
3.- All that is required will he ab out eight or 11'11 pilots
tra ined ill D.H .4 mach ines at Mansto ne 10 he draft ed 10 3. Commanding Office r; Do verA e rodrom e willforwa rd a
Do ver Com ma nd du rin g th e month of December: These list of the ratings together with th eir quatificati ons and
will th en he di vided bet we en the 111'0 BOil/bin g Squ adron s O.N to Headqua rte rs and Headqua rte rs will include th e
a nd ex pe rienc ed p ilot s m ixe d bet we en the 1\1'0 Squadrons. na m ed ratings a nd O.N of the 30 ra tings - 1(1/1' of No. I I
Sq uadro n and retu rn th e list 10 COI III Il{//uling Offi ce r:
4.- It is proposed 10 ca ll thi s Squad ron No .6 Squa d ron. Do ver A e rod rom e f o r the information of Fli ght COII/-

1/ 8
 A Ne wRole

mand er M acl.arc n. Co m ma nding O ffi cer Do ver Aero- 2. Wing Comma nders and Squadro n Comma nders sho uld
drotnc will then endeavo ur 10 obta in th e outside ratings therefore keep this ina n er ill hand andforwa rd the lUI/II I'S
suc h as 0 ..')\. Co oks an d sp ec ial ratings such as A cety - o{ an» officers so sel ect ed by Decemb er 20 th. 191 7. Th e
len e Welders etc.. wh ich could be detach ed either [ro m 11111111'.1' should be give n in va rious co lumns:
Do ver Aerodrome or Draftin g Commander:
(a) '1110.1'1' oJlicers who volunt eerfor th is d uty
4. Co mmanding Office r: Do rer A erodrom e. ha s been in - (b) Tho se officers who ha re not voluntee red bill a re
st ructed 10 send a[u rther bat ch (~{ " IJ " ratingsfor a course selected by the Squ adron Co mmande r a s likely to
lit the Si dd clcy Deasy Works in H,H.P eng ines. So nic of p ro ve sui table.
the eng ine ra tin g» at Dunkcrqu c lut v« a lr eady been
th rou gh thi s co urse. Thes e ratings sho uld be marked with III both ca ses. opposite th e na ntes (if th e office rs. th e
a sta r by " P " Sect ion. H. Q. in the listforwa rded fo r Flight Sq uadron Com man ders IIl1 d Wing Comma nders sho uld
Comma nder Macl. a ren. insert th eir op ini on I~f th e Offi cers capability/or leading
a Flight and ot her qua lifi ca tion s.
5. A H.IIY D. fl. 4 sho uld be alloca ted by -u : when COIl1-
manding Off icct : Do verA erodrome req uires on e. Thi s wil! 3. Th ere mu st be a cons ide ra ble number 0/ pi lot s in the
be fo r tra ini ng oj the pi lo ts and mech an ics ofthe squa d - [ig liting squa dro ns who arc keen and fo nd (~{j7ying bill
ron in truing -up and rigging and also in running th e en - who lire not like lv 10 ever beco me "5/(1 1'-111 1'11 " Figh ting
gine. Pilots.

Signed CL Lambe Signed CL Lambe

Captain. RN Cap ta in. RN
Dist ribut ion
C M. Q.P I S /GS The Wing Commander; No . 1 Wing
S.O. Do ver The Wing Conunan de r. No .4 Wing
C O, Aerod rome. Do ver The Wing Canunan de r. No.5 Wing
S.O . IIQ I co py to Do ver

So mew hat strange ly. bearin g in mind the co ntents of Lambe's 0.6 Squ adro n RNAS was in du e co urse reformed at Do ver
mem orand um of the 19th I o vcmbcr, he made a request to the o n the Ist January 19 18 as a day bombin g squadro n co ming
RNAS Scout Squadron s for vo lunteers to become Fligh t Lead- under the command of No.5 Wing Royal Naval Air Servi ce.
ers in the ne w bomb ing squadro ns: Th e Co mmanding O ffic er, SC dr CT Muc l. arcn and o ne
of the Flight Co mmanders. AFCdr G LE Stevens, provided a
fI eadqua rt e 1'.1' modicum of co ntinuity to the o rigina l To.6 Squa dron from
RNA .S. 19 17. Th e oth er two Flight Commande rs were the highly ex-
Dunkcrque perie nced FCd r II C Clarke and A FCdr .I S Wright. both from
10.5 Sq uadron . Although so me squadron perso nnel had bee n
9th Decem ber 191 7 in resid e nce s ince the 10 th Janu ary, the maj orit y of the
R(:{n o. 8563 sq uadro n's of ficer s and men did not move to Petit e Synthc
until the l-lth January 191 8.
Memorandum T he sq uadro n was initi a lly equipped with D.I·IAs whilst
It will become necessa ry in the nca rfutu re 10 sel ec t a fe w "working up" but the inten tion was to base the squadron's
ex perienced pilotsfront Sco ut Sq uadron s 10 act as Flight o ffe ns ive capability aro und the ne wly introd uced D. H.9.
Leaders ill th e ne\l' D.H.4 Squad rons to beformed. Th ese De liveries of the new mach ines co mmence d in Fe bruary but
pilots will ret urn to Eng land PII' a rest be/ ore ag ain Ilro- after a very sho rt time it beca me appare nt that there were
cccding 0 11 A ctive Service . se rious pro blem s with the B.H.P. engines filled to the D.H.9.

119
 A Histo ry of No .6 Squadron Roya l Nava l A ir Service ill World IVaI' I

Iron ically mirroring the difficulties experienced in 19 17, No.6 2. O win g to the had sta te of the roads. as Jell' passengers
Squadron was agai n handi capped by poor aircraft. as possible should be se nt via Cala is and thes e 30 ratings
Bad weather during the latter part of January 19 1S and sho uld he se nt over ill sma ll driblets to Dunkerque as 110

the poor state o f the aer odrom e se rio usly affecte d the ot her meth od is a vailabl e.
squadron's preparations for co mbat readine ss.
The squadron office rs durin g the first week of Jan uary 3, The whole squadro n will pro bablv cross o ver abo ut the
co mprised: 16th o r 17th JW/l/{// ) ·.

FCdr CT Maclarcn Squadron Co mmander Sig ne d CL Lambe

FCdr INC Clarke Flight Commander Captain RN
Sl BH Rook R VR Record Off iccr
Dist ribution :
One D.HA 2-seater was co llected from the Aeroplane Acce p-
tance Park at Dover on the 3rd Januar y 191S and one more on S.D . Do ver (2) one for A ero dro me . Do ver
the 13th January. Further machines filtered in once the squad- C P Q.
ron had settled- in at Petite Synthe. 5.0., H. Q.
Whilst pilots were in relatively plenti ful supply, the RNAS
suffered from a chronic shortage of trained observ ers and 12th Janu ary
gunlaye rs and the squadron was forced 10 usc memb ers of the Wing Captain Lambe. anxious to get the Squadron established
ground crew as "acting gunlaycrs" whilst work ing up to com- at Petite Synthe. issued the following Memorandum to the
bat readiness. Dover Station Commander:

Headqua rte rs
R.N.A .S.
Jan uary 1918 Dunkerque
12th January, / 9 / 8
10th January
Flt.Obs. RJ SI. John arrived at Petite Synthe from Dover on No. 7899
the 10th to supervise a small party of ratings in the con struc-
tion of squadron quarters. No.5 Squadro n had bee n established /VIcmo ra II dum
at Petite Synthe since April 19 17 and the personnel of No.6 No.6 Squadro n is to be transfe rred fro m Dover at the ea 1'-
Squadron were permitt ed to make usc of the No.5 Squadro n liest dat e possible.
Mess facilities.
Wing Captain Lambe issued instruction to increase No.6 2. The 5.0., R.N .A .S., Do ve r is to make the nece ssa ry ar-
Squadron 's worki ng party: railgem ents lor transport ing tlie Sq uadronfrom Do vc I' to
Duukcrque. informin g m e as ea rly as possible wh en ar-
f-{eadqua rte 1'.1' rang em ent s arc made and th e tim e the Sq uadron ma y he
R.N. A.S. expe cted to arrive at Dunkerque.
Du nk e rqu e
10th JaIllUII,\, 19 / 8 3 . Th e C O. No.5 Willg wi ll make arrang em ents to me et
th e personne l Oil d isemba rkin g and tran sp ort th em to
Rlj 78 99 Petite Syuth e.

Mem orandum 4. The C O. No.6 Squadron is to arrallge with the S.O.,

A furth er party oj 30 ra tin gs [ro m No .6 Squadron a re to R.N.A. S., Do ver; [o r the transfer o] No.6 Squadron IIIl/ -

he se nt to the Nell' Ca mp. at Petite Synth e as .1'0 0 11 as ar- chilies to Petit e Synth e: machines bein g P OII'll only hy
rangeme nts call he madefor tra nsp o rting the m . experi enced pi lot s who kno w th e Dun kc rquc Co nuna nd.

120
 II Nel\' Role

ABOVE: The Officer's Mess at Petite Synthe aerodrome. Court.esy jMB/GSL

Collection RIGHT: An interior shot of the Officer's Mess. Courtesy jMB/GSL
Collection

Pi lots recently joinedfront Mansi on sho uld go in the 11/(/ -

chines as passen ger s. so that they become acqu ainted with

the country. E very opportun ity offine weather is to be
tak en to ge t these machines o ver to Dunkerque. wh ere
they can be looked aft er at once by the advance pa rty.
assist ed ifn ecessar y, by rat ingsjrom No .5 Squadron.

Wing Cap ta in
For Sen io r Officer M onday. 14th Jan ua rv. A drifte r and tug will di semba rk
5.0 .. R.N.A .s .. Dove r (2 co p ies) ratings and bring them to M onito r Quay.
c.o. 5 Willg
" C" 2. II the weather is fi ne you are to se nd only sufficient
"M " tra ns po rt lo r the men \ gea r and are to a rrange that the
" P" person nel ofthe squadron are march ed up to Petit e Synthe.
"Q" If the weather is bad and it is ra ini ng o r sno wing heavily,
tra nsp ort l or ra tings ma » be supplied ill addition to their
13th Jan uar y ge m:
AFCd r Wri g ht a nd FSl Pitt co llec ted D.HA N 1753 fro m the
Ac cep ta nce Par k at Do ve r and ma de the crossi ng to Fra nce at Wing Cap ta in
12.30. flying at 6000 fee t a nd head ing first to C ala is a nd then For Se nio r Officer
o n to Dunke rq ue and the aerodrome at Pe tite Synthe. c.o. 5 IVing
W i ng C a p ta i n Lambe wro te to Wi ng Co m m a nde r 5.0 .
Co urtney de tai lin g the tran spo rt a rra ngements for the main " C"
pa rty o f ratin gs:
14th .h llU HII·Y
Headqu a rte rs SCdr Ma cla ren. the re maini ng Flyi ng Officers a nd the g ro und
N.N. A .S. pe rson nel ar rived at Pe tite Sy nthe . T he sq uad ro n accom mo -
Dunkerque dation was basi c to say the least. most o f the hut s lac king doors
13th Jan uary, 1918 at this stage.
T he Recor ds Offi cer. s i, Basi l Rook . RNV R reca lled the
H. Q. NeI 75 99 mo ve to Fra nce:

M eIII 0 rand1111I On the 29 th December 191 7. I \\'as co mm iss ioned as

Th e main body oI 150 ratings (~!' No.6 Squad ron will a r- II Sub Lieut enant . NN IIN./im ll No . 1 Wing NNA S Duttkerq uc
ri ve in " Ercbus " I at Dunkerquc Roads, at ab ou t I 11.111.. wh e re II/(/d sp en t the previou s two yea rs. l rcp ort edfor

121
 A History of No.6 Squadron Roya l Na val Air Se rvi ce in 1V0r id \\1/r I

duty Oil the Zth Janua rv 1918 at 18 Marin e Pa rade. Do-

1'1'/; to the Senior (Nava l) Off icer. I \l'as thereup on ill-
struct cd to join No.6 Sq uad ron at Do ver Aerod rom e and
did so the sante da v.
No.6 Sq uad ron \l'as ge tt ing rea dy 10 p ro ceed to
Fran ce and Oil the nigh t before departure. the Mess pro -
duced oysters to ma rk the occasion. IVe considered our-
se lve sfortunate ill ha ving as o ur mess cook 0 111' who had
been a chefat a leading London hotel. IVe kept quiet abo ut
this hili eve ntually high er autho rity heard ab out it. Ho w-
1' 1'1' / ; \1'1' successfully resisted ensu ing ef rorts to st eal our
coo k!
011 the 14 th Janua ry 191 8 those members o] the
.1'1//111111011 travelling to Fran ce by sea 11'1'1'1' mu stered at 20th January
the aerodrome IIl1d proceeded dOIl'1I the II II/T O II ' pa th cut Tor re nt ia l rain fa ll du rin g the da y pre vent ed flyin g .
into the side ofthe cliffe n m ute to the Ma rine Pia where A case o f Sc a rle t Fever a mon g st the sq ua dro n 's ra tings
II nava l ves se l IV IIS wai tin g to em ba rk th e part » F ir resu lted in the officers be ing asked to le ave No .5 Sq ua dro n's
Dunk erque. Th e j ourn ey lI 'as uneventfu l and the ship made Mess.
good time. Fir the re \1'11.1' 110 devi ati on [rom course Oil this
occasion to cllr ry 0 111 a min efield patrol. 21 st January
St ron g w inds and rai n featured durin g the day bu t cleared to a
15th J anu ary mo onli t eve ning . Ene my a irc ra ft att empted to bo m b the ae ro-
Bad weather a nd a ve ry mudd y ae ro d ro me preven te d an y d rome fo r tw o hours around midni ght.
fl ight s from bei ng mad e .
A v io le nt sto rm durin g the night carried a wa y o ne of th e 22 1\(1 .lunuary
sq ua d ro n's ne w Bessonca u han gars, prompt ac tio n pr ev ented Th e ae ro dro me wa s waterl o gged with la rge mudd y poo ls .
dam age to the two DJ ·IA s that had been parked insi de .
23rd Junuury
16th January Ov er ca st d uri ng the day, No fly ing att e m pted .
T he ae ro d ro me wa s flood ed, wi th 18 inc hes of wa ter inside
the sq uad ro n 's ha ngar s . Rain co nti nue d to fa ll d uring the day. 24 t h J anuary
Ov e rcas t a nd heavy ra in at firs t, no fly ing too k p lace .
17th January
D.HA N6404 wa s de live red fro m He ndo n. 25th January
No fly ing atte m pted .
IHth January
No fly ing d ue to bad we a th er. 26th J anuary
o flyin g att empted .
19th January
Two new D.HAs wer e de liver ed from Do ver. D 1752 by FCdr 27t h J anuary
I IC C la rke and FSL A M Bannat yn c at 14.45 and 8 94 99 by FCdr C la rke a nd Obs .Lt St. John ferried D.HA 01 75 4 from
FCdr T F Le Me surie r w ith FS L LR Warren at 15 . 10 . FC d r Le Do ver Aerod rom e at 12.30.
Mesurier w as not attac hed to the sq ua d ro n but as w ill be see n Th e weathe r had cl eared e no ug h o n the 27 th to all o w four
late r, pl ayed a s ig nifica nt ro le in No .6 Squadron's first op e ra - local flig hts to be ca rrie d out :
tiona l mi ss ion s.

122
 A Ne ll' Rol e
FC d r C la rke and SC dr Macl.are n a t 14 .00
FCd r Wrig ht and FS L Pitt at 14 AO
FCdr Wrig ht and FSL T iarks at 15 .27
FS L Warren with r-SL Hys lop at 15 .25
FC d r W rig ht and FSL Pill 'S flight in D 175 3 la sted 4 3 minutes
a nd fo llo wed a rou te a lo ng th e coas t fro m Du nk c rq uc to
Nieupon . Pill co m me nted Ihat it was ruthe r m isty o ver S t. Po l
aerodrome a nd D unkc rq uc dock s .
zsu. Janu ary
E ig ht local practi ce flight s we re ca rrie d o ut o n thc 281h:
FSL T ia rks a nd AGL Wi ll ia ms at 10 .15
FC d r Step he ns and O bs .SL C hristia n at 11 . 10
FS L Pitt and AG L Woo lf a t 11 .20
FC d r Stc vc ns a nd Obs .SL C hristia n at II AS
FC dr C la rkc a nd FSL Bann at yn c at 13.50
FS L Hys lop a nd AG L Woo lfc at 14 .10
FCd r Wr ight a nd Obs .S L C hristia n a t 15 AO
FSL Pill a nd AGL Cos te n a t 15 .05
Pi ll a nd Woo lf's flight at 11.20 wa s litt le mo re tha n a c irc uit
a nd landin g in D 1754 . as the D.H A 's prope lle r wa s bro ken at
ta ke o ff by mud th ro wn up fro m the w hcc ls . Pill 's se co nd flight
/ 23
De picted he re at Chingford.Airco DHA N6404 was manufactured byWestlands
and was de livered to No.6 Squadron on the 17th January 19 I7 after having
see n service at RNAS Grain and with NO.2 Squ adron. NO.6 Squad ro n passed
N 6404 on to N o.1I Squadron on the 7th March 19 18 and fro m the re it was
handed on to No. 12 Squadron and then to No.2 18 Squad ron RAF where it
was destroyed on the Ist May 1918 afte r colliding with a flagstaff. N640 4 was
fitted with the tro uble so me Sidde ley Puma eng ine. Courtesy EF Cheesman
o f thc day wa s mo re success f ul a nd he spe nt 40 m inutes c ir-
cl ing thc aerodro me at 30 00 fee t w h ilst his passen ger, AG L
Cos te r p rac tised firing a Very pist ol .
It sho uld be menti on ed that the ran k o f AGL referred to
acti ng g u nlaye r. T he AGLs were draw n from the ratin gs a nd
were usuall y o f AC. I o r A C. 2 ra nk .
29t h Ja nuary
Two local pra cti ce flight s were ca rrie d o ut:
FC d r C la rkc a nd AGL Went worth at 11 .55
FS L Ba nna ty nc a nd AGL Holl ing sb ec a t 13.50
30t h .lu nuury
D.HA N6404 wa s ferrie d from Dovcr by FCd r Lc Mcs uric r
a nd Lt.Cdr A lle n RNV R at 14 A 5.
31 st January
A t 10AO. FCd r St ev e ns a nd Obs .SL C hristia n atte mp ted to
ca rry ou t a co m pa ra tive test of BHP po wered D.HA D 1751
 A Histo ry ofNo.t: Sq uadro n Royal Nava l Air Se rvice ill lI'or ld lI'ar /
agai nst a Rolls Royce pow ered D,HA belonging to TO , S
Squadron , During the test. the BHP e ngine of their own air-
craft beca me overheated and devel oped a bad misfire. With
four 161 b bombs and four double trays of ammunit ion. D 175 1
could only achieve a height of 12000 feel.
FCdr Clarke and AG L Weston ca rried out a gun test In
D.HA D 1754 at 11 .05.
February 1918
A t thi s junctu re. th e squadron cons isted (If se ven D.I1.4 air-
craft and the .f(III(l\I'ing ele venflyi ng officers:
S Cd r CT Macl. aren
FCdr IN C Cla rke
A FCdr C Ll:' St evens
A FCdr .lS II'right
ous.u R.I St. John
FS L A M Bannatyne
Obs .S L LA Christia n
FSL CiVl Hysl op
FSL vcu Tia rks
FSL CA Pitt
FS L LR Warren
FCdr IN C Cla rke , the sq uadron \' sen io r Flight Co mman de r:
mts primarily resp onsible f o r th e training of th e squa dro n \'
nell' bo m bing c rell's. Cla rke \' st ra tegy for effect ive bombing
wa s based up on as man y ai rcraft as possible pro gressi ng to
the target in close fo rm ation, d ropping their bomb s at the .1'0 11/1'
till/e. turning fo r hom e and di vin g to wa rds the lin es, still in
close fo rm atlon. Th e reasoning 1\'0 .1' that thi s would have th e
tnaxim um ill/pa ct on the target and p rovide th e strong est p os-
sible II/I11/w l defen ce against ene myfighte rs.
In p ractice. "as many ai rcraft as p ossib le " would be lin t-
ited to a nuiximuni ojtwojlights. It sill/p ly wo uld not be p ract i-
cal to keep th reeflight s in cl os e p ro ximit» to the leader . Close
[ormation p racti ce [lving was theref ore the order o] the day
a nd Cla rke luul the pilo tsjiving in closcjormatio n as oft en as
pos sible.
Th« Royal Naval A ir Servi ce comme nced deplovtncnt o]
the new ly de velop ed D. f1. 9 du ring February 1918. No .6 Sq uad-
ron Im s thefirst ope ratio na l unit to be equippe d with the ne l\'
aircraft. po we red by the 23 01t11Siddele v Dea sy PUll/a engine.
Reliability problem s wi th the Sidd eley PUll/a eng ines used
in the D.f1. 9s m ean t that as we ll as the squadron initially strug -
/ 24
g ling to make enoug h se rvicea ble ai rcraft a vai lablefo r bomb-
ing m issio ns. .1'011/1' machines \I'OIdd inevitably de velop prob-
11'11/.1' and be unab le to keep lip with th e [o rmatio n, lessen ing
th e cffec! (I\'er the target and lea ving them selves su sceptible
to at tack by enc tny a ircra ft.
1st Febr ua ry
o flying due to unfa vourable weat her.
2nd Fehruary
An engine test was carried ou t in the misbehaving D 175 1 at
10.35 by FCd r Clarke and Obs.Lt St. John. As there were no
furt her e ngine tests on this machine it must be assumed that
the mechan ics had cured the embarrass ing misfi re.
Gun tests were carri ed out by the followin g crews who
fol lowed a route out toward s Gravelines:
FSL Warren and AGL Woolf at 10.30
FSL Tiark s and GI L William s at 10.55 and 11.20
FSL Hyslop and GI L Costen at 11.30
FSL Pill and GI L Banks at 14.10
FCdr Clarke and oss.u St. John at 14.15
FSL Bannatyne and AG L O' Brian at 14.30
PSL Hyslop and AG L O'Bri an at 15.35
FSL Tiark s and AIM Jen nings carried out a machine test on
D.HA 139499 at 15.55. The e ngine was found to be overheat-
ing and new radiator blinds were subsequently filled.
3rd Febr uary
Four crews earried out gun tests:
PSL Bann atyne and AG L Smith at 09 .56
PSL Hyslop and AG L Proctor at 09 .58
PSL Tiark s and AGL William s at 10.15
PSL Pill and AG L Jar vis at 10045
The gun tests co nsisted o f flying out to Gravelines and firing
the forward firing synchronised Vickers gun out to sea.
FCdr Clarke and SCd r Ma c l.a rc n ca rried out a machine
test on 13949 9 at 09.52, to verify that the new radia tor blinds
c ured the overh eating pro blem .
FCdr Wrigh t and Obs.S L Christian flying D.HA D 1754
made another attempt to carry out the comparison test with a
Rolls Royce powered D.HA of No.5 Sq uadron flown by FCdr
C PO Bartlett. The BI-IP D.HA had a marginally better cl imb
to 15000 feet but both machines ex hibited the same speed at
 A NI'Il' No/1'
tha t hei gh t. Bartl ett sta ted that thc e ng ine in h is Ro lls Royce
powere d mac hine wa s no t g iving its full po we r.
At 15 .00 . FCdr W rig ht led a 35 mi nut e pra ctice forma-
tio n fl ight:
FCdr Wrig ht and AGL Woolf in () 1754
FSL Hysl o p and AGL Wentworth in D 1751
FS L T iarks and AG L O 'Bri cn in NMO-l
FSL Ba nn atyn c a nd AG L Holl ing sby in D 1753
FSL Pi ll and AG L Wi lli a ms in 139499
Pill re po rte d tha t the co nd itio ns we re very b um py a nd th at his
D.H.4. 13 94 99. wa s fly ing " left wing hea vy" , the co nd itio n
rcs ulting in a ncar m iss as he took off ov e r No .5 Squadron 's
han g ars.
4th Fe b r ua ry
Th ree loc a l pr act ice flig hts were c arricd o ut by the fo llow ing
crew s:
FCdr Stev e ns an d Obs.SL C hristia n at 09.45
FCdr C larkc a nd Obs .Lt St. Jo hn at 10.00
FSL Ba nnatync and AG L Holl ing sby at 14 AO
FCdr Clarke led a 55 m inut e pra cti ce form ati on flight at 11.00:
FCdr C1arkc a nd Obs .Lt SI. Joh n in 13 94 9 9
FS L Hys lo p and AG L Ba nks in () 1751
FSL T ia rks and AG L Cou si n in 640-l
FS L Bannat yn c a nd AG L Ja rvis in D 1754
Tw o g un tcs ts we re carri ed o ut:
FCdr C la rke and SC d r MacLar c n in D.HA D 1754 at 14 AO
FS L Pill a nd AG L S m ith in D.I-1.4 D 1753 at 15 .15 .
Pill was a irborne for o nc hou r at 5000 fee t a nd reported that
du ri ng the tcst. o nc b ullet put a ho le throu g h the propel le r;
5th Fe b r ua ry
Ninc g un te sts we re carri ed o ut durin g the da y. the o ppo rt u-
ni ty be ing ta ke n to eva luate a no the r sc lcc tio n of pos sib le
g u nlayc rs :
FS L Tia rks and AG L Sp a ldin g at 09 .55
FS L Warrcn and AG L Be tteri d ge at 11.00
FS L Pill a nd AG L Pacey at 11.00
/ 25
FSL Ban natyn c an d AG L Quilt e r at 11.35
FSL T iark s a nd AGL Dra y at 11 .55
SCdr Mac l. arc n a nd AGL Woolf at 13.45
FS L Hys lo p and AG L Wen two rth at 14 .0 5
FSL Ba nnatync and AGL Farlc y at 14.15 .
T hc a ircraft ca rrie d out a coast patro l to G ra vclines where the
g un layc rs pra ct iced firin g the ir Lewi s g u ns . Pill rep orted that
he pra cti scd s ta lls d uring his flig ht.
A t 09 .30 . FCdr C la rke and Obs.Lt St. Jo hn ca rrie d o ut a
20 mi nute local fligh t in D 1751 .
6th til II th Fe b r ua ry
Bad wea the r c losc d down a ll flyin g ac tiv ity.
12th Fe b r ua ry
FC d r Steve ns and AG L Wc ston ca rrie d o ut a brief 15 minute
loca l flight a t 14.1 0 .
13th til 14th Fe b r ua ry
T he contin uing bad weathe r preve nted all flying activit y.
15th Fe b r ua ry
E lev e n loca l flig hts wer e carri ed o ut durin g thc day. Some
fl igh ts be ing uscd to e va luate furth er g un layc r ca nd id atcs :
FC dr S teven s a nd FSL Tiarks at 09AO
FS L Tiarks and AGL Pacc y at IC!.OO
FS L Pi ll and AGL Ben ce at 10 .20
FS L Bann at yn c a nd AG L Har ris a t 14 ..43
FC d r Wri ght a nd FS L Hysl op at 09 .50
FS L Hysl o p and AG L Harris a t IO.n
FC d r Wri g ht a nd Ob s.SL C hris tia n at 14 .50
FS L Pilt a ncl AG L Sh ep herd at 15 .00
FS L Bann a tyn c a nd AG L A tk inso n at 15 .25
FS L Hys lop and AGL Dic ks a t 15 .25
Pill re port ed that the we ath er wa s still o vercast a nd he wa s
unabl e to c lim b a bove 2000 fcct. Du rin g his sc co nd fli ght at
15 .25 thc weather wa s still rep ort ed as mi st y.
16th Fe b r ua ry
t 10 .4 5 . FCdr C la rke a nd O hs.Lt St. J oh n c ol lec ted th c
sq uad ro n's fir st D.H .9. 13 758 3. fro m thc Aerodro me at Dove r.
FCdr Stevens a nd FS L Pill carried o ut a very brie f local
flight at 09.43 in D.H A 13 9499 . T he fligh t was sim ply a qui c k
c irc ui t o f the ae rodro me to c heck that the machine was no t
 A llisto rv (!(No.6 Sq uadron ROYl/! Na val Air Service ill world \I \"{/"!
exhibiting the " lclt wing heavy" condition that had been rc-
ported on the 3rd February.
Eight mach ine and gun tcst flight s were carried out dur-
ing the day:
FSL Tiarks and AG L Dray at 09 .35
FSL Hyslop and PO.AGL Ryan at 09.50
FSL Pitt and AGL Betterid ge at 09.54
FSL Warren and AG L Woolf at 10.02
FCdr C larke and SCdr Mac l. a rcn in D.H.9 13 7583 at 13.58
FSL Pitt and AG L Dicks at 14.25
FCdr Stevens and Obs.S L Christian at 1..1.35
FSL Tiarks and AG L Williams at 16.05
Pitt and Betteridge followed the route Dunkcrqu c, Gravclincs,
Calais. Boulognc at 12500 feci . the rnach incs engine started
to misfi re at 12000 feet. Pitt descri bed AG L Bcttcrid gc as a
" Full-Out gunlayc r", a commcnt rhat proved to be very astute.
Betteridge serv ing as a gunlayc r with No.6 Squadro n and
No.206 Squadron RAE finishing the war with a Disti nguished
Flying Meda l. Chevalier de lO rdre de Leopold II and a Croix
de Gucrrc ( Belgian). Pitt's third flight of the day was ca rried
out over the same route at 14000 feet with AGL Dicks. he
reported that a long stretch of the English coast was visible,
17th February
Ninc local flights were carried out on the 17th:
FSL Tia rks and AG L Williams at 10.00
FSL Pitt and AG L Betteridge at 10040
FSL Bannatync and AG L Jarvis at 10.55
FCdr Stevens and Obs.S L Christia n in D.H.9 13 7583 at 11 . 11
FCdr Clarkc and Obs.Lt St. John at 13.30
FSL Tiarks and AG L Williams at 14.18
FSL Warren and AG L Woolf at 14.50
FSL Bannatync and PO.AGL Ryan at 16.00
FSL Hyslop and AG L Williams at 16.55
Pitt and Betterid ge flew a coastal patrol and map reading ex-
crcise over La Pannc, Fumes. St. Pol and Loon Plagc in D.HA
N6404 . Pitt atte mpted a practice landing on the beac h, stood
the machi ne on its nose and broke his propeller and radi ator.
18th Feb r ua ry
FCdr Wright led a practice formation flight at 10.20:
/ 26
FCdr Wright and AG L Woolf in D.H.9 13 7583
FSL Warren and AG L Wcston in D.HA D 1754
FSL Bann atync and AGL Pacey in D.HA 139499
FSL Hyslop and AG L Banks in D.HA D 1751
FCdr Steve ns collected the squadron's seco nd D.H.9. 13 7589.
from Dover at 14.30.
Eight local flights were carried out during the day :
FCdr C larkc and Obs.S L Christian in D.H.9 13 7583 at 11.20
SCdr Mac l. a rcn and Lt Bcddal\. RNVR, at 13045
FSL Tiarks and AGL Hence at 13AO
FSL Hyslop and AG L Wentwo rth at 15. 10
FSL Bann.uync and Obs.S L Christian at 15.1 5
FSL Warren and FSL Pitt at 14.02
FSL Pitt and AM I Je nnings at 16.35
FSL Warren and LM E Pugh at 17.00
U vl E Pugh and AI'v I I Jenn ings were dispatched to Loo n Plagc
to repair D.I-1.4 I 6404 . FSL Warre n (lew Pitt out to Loon Plagc
to pick up N6404 from the beach . Both pilots returned wit h
the mech anics as passc ngcrs.
19th Fe b r ua r y
FCdr Lc Mcsuri cr and Lt Carr delivered the squadron's third
D.H.9. 13 7587. from Dove r at 13.55.
A total oft hirteen local practice and test flights were flown
during the day:
FSL Tiarks and WO Milner at 15040
FCdr Clarlc and Obs.Lt St. John at 15040
SCdr Mac l. a rcn and Obs.SL Christian at 09 .35
SCdr Mucl. arcn and Lt. Meyer (USA) al 14.03
FSL Tiarks and OS3 Trc nowdc n at 14.08
FSL Warren and AGL O' Brien at 14.30
FSL Warren and AG L O' Brien at 16.55
FCdr Wrigh t and AC2 Dicks at 14.55
FSL Tiarks and AG L Neighbour at 10.30
FSLTiarks and Mcch. Mabbs at 15.30
FSL Bannatync and AGLA tkinson at 12. 10
FCdr Stevens and FSL Tiarks at 15.05
FCdr Steve ns and WO Tuck at 15.30
Four bom bing practice flights were carried out:
FCd r Clarke and Obs.FLt St. John in D.H.9 13 7583 at 12.00
FCdr Wright and AGL Wool f al 10.15
 II NI'l\' Ro/c
FSL Warren and AGL Will ia ms at l I AS
FCdr St e ve ns a nd O bs .SL C hristia n at 10 .50
20th Fe brua ry
J ust fo ur lo ca l ni ght s wer e ca rried o ut o n the 20 th:
FCdr C larke and Obs .SL C hristia n at 0 9.27
FCdr C larke a nd Obs .Lt S t. Jo hn in D.H. 9 13 75 83 at 11.00
SC d r Macl . arcn and AGL Westo n at 11.35
FCd r St ev en s a nd Lt Bed dal!. RN VR . at 12. 10
21st February
Tw o ne w D. H.9s we re co llected from Do ver. 13 75 99 by FSL
Hys lo p at 10 .30 a nd 13 75 88 by FS L Ban nat y ne at 10 040 . No
passen ge r wa s present for e ithe r ni g ht and aircra ft wo uld ha ve
been ball ast ed wi th sa nd bags to co m pe nsa te for the lac k of a
g u nlaye r.
T hree local fligh ts were ca rried o ut:
FSL Pitt an AG L J ar vis at 09045
rSL Tiarks a nd AG L Ba n ks at 11.05
FCdr St e ven s a nd PO Gu scoyn c at 14 .25
Pitt and Bank s fle w D.HA D 1751 to G ra vc lincs , an o il un ion
ca me loose cau sin g o il to lea k ov e r the a irc ruft 's co ntrol s .
Fo ur bo mbing practi ce fli g hts we re ca rried o ut:
FC d r C la rke and Obs .SL C hristia n in D.I-I. 9 13 75 83 at 09. 5 5
FCdr Cl ark e and Obs.Lt St. Jo hn in D.H.9 13 5 78 3 a t 13.55
FSL Pitt a nd AG L Bett erid ge at 14 .10
FS L Tiarks a nd AGL Ne ig hbo ur at 14 .55
Pitt re co rded that two of h is bo mb s fe ll 2 m iles awa y from the
targ et. w h il s t th e o t he r tw o we re h un g up in th e fra me .
Bett e rid ge sim ply recorde d that the ir a im was very bad.
22ml Februa ry
Bad wea ther pre vented a ll fly ing activi ty.
23r d Fehruary
FCdr Wri gh t co lle c ted D.H .9 13 75 86 from Do ver at 12.15 .
A to ta l o f fo urte e n local fli ght s were ca rr ied o ut. mo st o f
the m in D.H.9s :
FC dr Clarke a nd Obs .Lt S t. Jo hn on D.H.9 13 7599 at 09 .25
FSL Ti ark s and AGL C o usins in D.I-I .9 8 7583 at 09040
/ 27
FCdr St e ven s a nd FSL Pitt in D.H .9 13 75 89 at 09 .55
FCdr St e ven s a nd FSL Pitt in D.H .9 13 75 89 at 10 .15
FSL Pitt and AGL S mi th in D.H .9 13 75 89 at 10.50
FS L Ba nna ty ne and AGL Ho lli ng sbee in D.I-I. 9 13 75 89 at 11. 12
FS L Bann at yn e and AGL Pro ctor in D.I-I .9 13 75 89 at 13.50
FS L Pitt a nd AG L A llwork in D.I-I A D 1753 at 14 .10
FS L T iark s and AGL Wentworth in D.HA D 1754 at 14 .20
FSL Hysl o p and AGL Coste n in D.HA D 175 3 at 14 .30
FSL Bann at y ne a nd WO T uck in D.H.9 13 75 89 at 14 .35
SC d r Mac l.arcn a nd AGL Ne wsham in D. H.9 13 7589 at 15.0 5
FS L Pitt and AG L Ne ws ha m in D.H.9 13 75 89 at 15.30
FSL T iarks an d AGL Wentworth in D.I-IA D 175 4 at 15 .00
Pitt 's fir st fli g ht in a D.H.9 with FCdr Steve ns was a s im ple
fa mi lia riza tio n n ight. o ne c irc uit ar o und the ae rodro me . H is
seco nd fli g ht was a bri ef 17 minute s pe ll to get used to the
handling . Th e th ird flig ht was o f 45 minute s durati on . o ut to
se a for a g un test. His fina l fli gh t o f the day was a c o urse to
Gra vlin cs to int rodu ce a ne w g u n layer. AG L News ha m. to
Fra nce.
24t h February
Eleve n loca l fli ghts were c arr ied o ut:
FC dr C larke an d Obs.SL C hristia n in D.I-1.9 13 7599 at 09 .35
SCdr Mac La re n a nd AGL Wilki nso n in D.HA D 175 1 at 0 9 _55
FCd r Wrig ht a nd LM Coo k in D. HA D 1753 a t 09. 55
FSL Hys lo p a nd AGL Sk inne r in D.l-IA D 1752 at 10. 10
FC d r St ev en s a nd PO Rose in D.H.9 13 75 89 at 10 .30
FSL Ban nat yn e and AG L No rma n in D. I-1.4 D 1753 a t 10 045
FCdr Cl ark e and AM I Jo uni ng in D .H.9 13 7599 at 10. 55
FS L Hys lo p a nd AGL Sk inne r in D.H.9 13 758 9 at 11 .07
FCd r C larke a nd Ob s .Lt St. John in D.H.9 13 75 88 a t 14 .00
FSL Ti ark s and AGL We ston in D.HA D 175 2 at 14 .50
FSL Banna tyn e a nd Lt Em me t in D.H A D 1753 at 15 AO
25th February
No flyi ng du e to u nfavourab le wea ther.
New pil o t FSL EC St ock er ar rived at the sq uad ro n.
26t h Febr uury
Two ne w D.H.9s we re co llec ted fro m Do ver:
13 7596 by FSL Warre n a nd LtCdr A llen. RN VR at 11 . 15
13 7592 by FSL Pitt at l iAS
 A History of No.6 Squadron Ro val Nava l A ir Se rvi ce ill world 1I'Ilr I
Pill reported that the passenger co mpartment was ballasted
with sand bags. co nditions we re very bumpy off Dover and
the return trip took just 30 m inutes,
Three test n igh ts were carried out:
FCdr Cla rke and Obs.SL Christian in D.H.9 13 7583 at 09.00
FSL Tiark s and AGL Went worth in D.11.9 13 7587 at W AO
FCdr Wright and LM Pear ce in D.HA D 1753 at 09 AO
One local familiarization ni ght was car ried out:
FSL Stocke r and AGL Proctor in D.HA D 1754 at 09043
One Gu n test was carried out:
FSL Hyslop and AGL Smith in D.H.9 13 7589 at 11 .15.
27t hFebr ua ry
Three new D.H .9s we re co llected from Dover :
13 759 1 by FSL Bann atyne at 15.15
13 7600 by SCdr Mac l. arcn at J 5.50
13 7598 by FSL Tiarks.
Ti ark s almost immediat ely ex pe rie nce d trouble with 137598
and landed at Mauston. He then return ed to Dover but crashed
the mach ine w hen landin g.
Four local ni ghts were carried out:
FCdr Clark e and Ob s.SL Christian in D.H.9 13 7583 at 09.15
FSL Hyslop and AC I Branch in D.H.9 13 7589 at 09 .50
FSL Stocker and AGL Allwork in D.HA D 1754 at 10.00
FSL Warren and AGL O' Brien in D.HA 139499 at 11.50
FSL Warren and OS2 Baulf in D.HA D 1752 at 15.15
FCdr C larke led his Flight on two practice form ation patrol s:
at 11.03
FCdr Clark e and Obs.Lt SI. John in D.HA 13 9499
FSL Hyslop and AGL Ryan in D.HA D 1751
FSL Pill and AGL Bcucridgc in D.HA D 1753
Pill remarked in his log how well his aircraft' s engine was
runn ing. Betterid ge remarked on the wcather!
128
at 14. 10
FCdr C larkc and Ob s.Lt SI. John in D.HA 139499
FSL Warren and AG L O'Bri en in D.HA DI 752
FSL Hyslop and AG L Pacey in D.HA D 175 1
FSL Pitt and AGL Be tteridge in D.HA D I753
Pitt and Betteridge ne w in the rear position. after the practice
ni ght they landed at Co udc kcrkc .
2Hth Fc bruu ry
A ne w D.H.9 was co llected from Dover :
13 759 7 by FSLTi arks at 12.25
Five local nigh ts were ca rried out:
FCdr Clarke and Lt Millward . RNVR in D.H.9 13 7599 at 10.00
FCdrWri ght and SL Low. R T, in D.H.9 13 7592 at 10.00
FSL Stocker and AGL Ryan in D.HA D 1753 at 10. 10
FSL Pill and WO Robert s in D.HA D 1752 at 12.18
FSL Stocker and AGL Ryan in D.H.9 13 7586 at 14A6
FCdr C larke led anothe r practice form ation patrol at 14 AO:
FCdr C larke and Ob s.Lt SI. John in D.H.9 13 7599
FSL Warren and AGL O' Brien in D.H.9 137596
FSL Tiarks and AG L Went worth in D.H.9 13 7588
FSL Pill and AG L Dray in D.H.9 13 7587
FSL Hyslop and AGL Pacey in D.H.9 13 7589
FSL Bannat yne and AG L Hollingsbcc in D.H.9 8 7592
C larke ke pt the D.H.9s in the air for 60 minutes, with Pitt
fl yin g on the left side,
March 1918
A number o] A merican Offi ce rs were given [amiliariscuion
fl ights durin g March , most of th ese Off icers were a wa iting a
posting to theirfirst squadron :
u ,\4cv cr
u Jay 0 'Collllell
Lt Frederick Clapp ( \IIilh No. 2 / / Squ ad ron and the l Ztlt A ero
Sq uadron ]
 ANI'II' Ro/1'
Lt Carland Po well (Gu nlaver with :2 I I Squadron and III en i n
c! /(IIXe (~f the I I 0 l SI Replacement Squadro n USA S.
u L esl i e Egh en ( Wi l li 22 //(I A ero Squadron )
Th e st anda rd D.H 9 a rn uunentfo r th e observer Im s a singl e
Lewis g unmounted Oil 0 S('(I/.1T //IOI/II I. The Sq uadron :1' A nna -
//1('//1 Off ice r. Lt ./JVl Bcddall RN VR , qu ickly rea lised th e ad -
van tage 11/(/1 tw in L ewis g l/IIS would g i ve 10 the rea r g unne r
and se t about the design andfab rica tion o] niodi ficcui on s
the Scorff mounti ng 10 0110 11' 1111' I/SC of« second gun .
Th e 111'0 LCII'i s g l/ns \\'ere fixed appro sinu ue l» 15 inches
ap a rt Oil a c ra d l e 11/(/1 lI'as bo lted /0 the 1II11IIIor ho op o] III I'
Scarff 11101/111. Th e cra d l e allowed the g l/ IIS 10 he cosi ly I /'{/-
versed vertica lly atul hoti t.ont allv wi thout making cOIISIWI!
.1'//1011 culjust nicnts 10 the hoop and r in g o] III I' Scarjftno unt,
Th e 111 '0 g l/IIS lI'ere aligned such their co nes offire COII -
verged at 200 ya rds, a sing le p illar and head foresig ht and
ring ba ck sight I\'ere fixed Oil the centre line bet we en the 111'0
barrels.
Th e g l/IIS lI'ere mod ified byfitting a 11i1///Ih trigg er 10 g i ve
eas ier ope ra t io n when wea r ing hea vv gauntlets.
F ilially, the rubb er band "s p r ings " ({scd [ or ra isi ng the
hoop with it s gun \Fere replaced hy st ron ger rubber ba nds
co ntpcnsa tcjort he ext ra weigh! oftw in g uns and the cra dle.
I II co tnb at . it 1\'0.1' genera l pract ice 10 op enfin: wi th one
g un. keep i llg the OIli er ill reserve. I] on esp cciallv go od ta rg et
presented itse lf and III I' gun ne r 'sfirst sho ts werc Oil targ et, li e
niiglu op en 1/11 wi th h011i g l/ IIS 10 make su re ofa kill.
Ist ~ la rch t o 3rd March
Yo flying due to unfavo urable wea ther,
With an increase in thc numb er or pilots and aircra ft as-
signed to thc squad ron. thc facilities at Peti te Sy nthc were start-
ing to be stretched. In a me moran dum related to aerodro me
accom modat ion produced o n the 3rd Mar ch 19 18. Wing Cap-
tain Lambe reported that No.6 Sq uadron requ ired another 60
feet x 20 fcc t hut for Officer 's accommodation and also that
the sq uadro n requ ired a Store s and a work shop . Lamb e also
recor ded that the road needed to be finished and rolled and thc
largc d ug-out nccd to be co mplctcd.
4t h March
No r1ying duc to unravourab lc wca thcr. Thc sq uadron rcccivcd
a bric r visit at midday rrom Wing Co mmandc r JT Cull. thc
Co mma nd ing Orri cer or 0 .5 Win g. who flew in rrom
Co udckcrkc in B.E.2c 9970 .
5th Marc h
Three local flig ht s were ca rried o ut:
FCdr Clarke and FLt.O bs St. .I oh n in I).H.9 13 7583 at 13.50
FCdr Stev ens and Obs ,SL Christian in I).H,9 13 7589 at 14.40
FCd r C la rke and FLLObs St. .I ohn in I),H,9 13 7585 at 15.45
Wing Co mma nder Cull made another visit in B.E.2c 99 70 at
/0 12, 10.
6t h ~ lurch
Se veral format ion prac tice patrol s we re ca rrie d out :
at 09 .30
FCdr C larkc and FLt.O bs St. .I oh n in D.H.9 13 7599
FS L Warren and AGL O' Brien in D.H.9 13 7596
FSLPitt and AG L Betteridge in I).H.9 13 7587
FSL Tiark s and AGL Wentwort h in I).H.9 13 7588
FSL Hyslop and AGL Pac ey in I).H.9 13 7603
Clarke took the form ation up to 16000 feet but the practice
patrol was deemed to be unsatisfactory.
/0
at 09,40
FCdr Steve ns and Obs.SLt Christian in D.H.9 13 7589
FCdr Wrig ht and AGL WoolI' in I).H.9 13759 I
FSL Ban nuty nc and AGL Hollingsbcc in I).H.9 13 759 I
FSL Stock er and AGL Ryan in I).H .9 13 7597
at 16.40
FCdr C1 arkc and FLt.Obs si. .Iohn in D.H.9 137599
FS L Warrcn and AG L O· Bricn in D,H.9 137596
FSL Pitt and AGL Bcu crid ge in 1).1'1. 9 13 7587
FSL Tiar ks and AGL Wentworth in D.H.9 13 7588
FSL Hyslop and AGL Pacey in D.H.9 13 7603
FSL Bann utync and AGL Woolf in I).H.9 13 7591
The weather was too misty for formation fl yin g and the pilots
lost sta tion bc rorc thc patro l had reached 1000 rcct. Artcr loos-
ing ro rmation . Pitt and l3,cttc ridgc Ilcw out to sca 1'01' gun prac-
tice,
FCdr Wright and FS L Warr cn look D.H,4 D 1753 10 Do-
vcr Acro dromc at 13.30. FSL Warrc n collcctcd ncw D,H.9
136703 rrom Dovcr and was accompanicd back to Pctitc Synthc
by FCd r Wright in I) 1753 at 14 ,45.
/ 29
 A History ofNo.t, Squad ron Roya l Naval Air Service ill World \I¥lr 1

7th March An A me rica n Officer. Lt Po we ll. mad e two fa m ilia riza tio n
In ea rly Mar ch, Maj or A ubrey c irc ulate d a mem o noti fyin g flight s. o ne 10 minute loc a l flight with SC d r M aclar en and a
No .2 Squadro n. To.6 Sq ua dro n and 0 . 13 Squad ron that the y 60 minute form ati on pra c tice with FCd r St e ven s:
had bee n a llocated rating s from No. Z? A me ric an Sq uadro n
Head qu art e rs wh ich had been split up : at 14. 30
FC d r Wr igh t a nd AG L Wool f in D.H .9 13 75 91
HQ ReI ... 5 27 1 FC d r S teve ns a nd Lt Powell in D.H .9 13 75 89
7998 FSL Stoc ke r and AGL Ryan in D.H .9 13 75 9 7
Headqua rters. R.N. A .S. FS L Tia rks and AG L Went worth in D.H .9 13 7586
Dun kcrquc r-SL Warren a nd AG LO ' Bri en in D.H .9 13 75 96
7.3. 18
Th ree te st flights we re ca rrie d o ut in the aft ernoon:
/1'1e m o ra I/(IIll II
I II CO li till IIIII ion of H. Q. R4 7998 l!f the l st instant th e SCdr Ma clare n a nd PO (RN) Ro ss in 137603 at 14 .32
A m erican Sq uad ron (No.22) Head qu a rters has b een sp li t FSL Stocke r and PO AGL Ryan in 13 7597 at 15 .23
lip and the m en a llocated as att ached lists. FCdr W rig ht a nd rst. Stocke r in N75 97 at 16.40
Th e Sq ua dro ns conce rned should co llect th ese m en
as SOO Il as possible. Win g C o m ma nde r C ull paid an ot her vis it in the a fte rnoo n.
U nus ua lly . tw o RF C pil o ts. It. Race a nd 2Lt S to ne ho use.
H R A ubrey Maj o r landed thei r FE2 ma chine s at the ae rodro me. They were e n-
Attach ed I-J. Q. R.N. A .S. rout e from l y m p ne b ut it wa s not recorded w he the r they we re
For Se nior O.fJiCCl: R.N. A .S. lo st or makin g a so c ia l c a ll!

Dist ribut ion Sth i\ la rch

e. O. No. 1 Willg Three A me rica n O fficers . Lt Po well. Lt C lap p an d Lt Eg be rt
e. O. No.5 Willg we re g ive n fa miliarisa tio n fligh ts. in Po we ll' s case. his th ird
c.o. A./J (tra n sp o rt ) flight.
Five loca l flig hts wer e carr ied out:
Th e fol lo win g list wa s att ach ed for No .6 Sq uad ro n:
SCdr Ma claren and Lt C la pp in D.H.9 13 7603 at 09 .35
Private Shellenberge r: C F Welder FS L Stock er and A G l PO Ryan in D.H.9 13 75 92 at 10 .30
Co rpo ra I Kinsell a. Pliill ipJ A er ia l G unne r FSL Hysl op a nd AGL W illia ms in D.H.9 137600 at 15. 00
Pri vate M ason, Thomas I A eria l G unn er FS L T ia rks and Lt Eg be rt in D.H.9 13 75 89 a t 15 .50
Private I'rice. J ohn IJ A erial G unner SCd r Ma claren and FC dr Ed wa rds in D.H.9 13 7600 al 16.15
Private Schofiel d. Lau e A A erial G unner
Pri vate h ehil. Mavn a rd A e rial Gun ner Three new D.H.9 s were co llec ted from Dov e r ae rodrome :
Private Bcrg fo rd. Lest er N Aeria l Gunn er
Pri vate Sort er. M a tthe w IJ Carpent er 13 760 4 by FS l Pitt a t 12. 15
Private Ketter. John C Carpenter 13 760 2 by FSl Hyslop at 12.25
Private snu. Arthur L Carpenter 13 7605 by FS l Bannatyn c at 12.50
Pri vate Re id el. Georg e A Carpenter
Serg eant Carmean. Ha rry P Clerk Pitt was no t ha pp y w ith hi s mac hin e and rep o rted th at the e n-
Sergean t Pease. Tod fI Clerk g ine sp luttered for the e nti re fligh t.
Se rgeant Kent. Ha rtwel l B Stenog rapher FC d r W right led a for ma tio n practi ce patro l:
Cook Ra lph. Arthur S Cook
Private Holmes. Ra vmond, /J D rau ghtsman
Pri vat e Lalor; vince n t G Co pp ers m ith

130
 A NewRole

at 14.30
rCdr Wright and Lt Powell in D.H.9 13 759 1
rS L Tia rks and AGL Wentworth in D.H.lJ 13 7588
FSL Pill and AG L Betterid ge in D.H .lJ 13 758 7
r SL Stocker and AGL PO Ryan in D.H.9 13 7597
FSL Bann atync and AG L Holl ingsbee in D.H.lJ 8 75lJ2
FSL Warren and Obs.SLt Christian in D.H.9 13 7596
Th e practice patro l headed to Gravclincs and then along the
co ast at 8000 fee t. Pill reported that FCdr Wright had di ffi-
cu lty in gelling away from the formation after signalling "wash-
out" !
FCdr Wright carried out an engine test in D.H.9 13 7586 at
16. 15. His passenger was AM Tarran t. Wrigh t wanting Tarrant
to experience the problem at first hand .
The 8th March IlJI8 effe ctive ly marked the completion
of 0.6 Squadro n's per iod of " working up" to combat readi -
ness. Although fully equipped with D.H.lJ s. one D.H A was
retained by the squadron for ne w pilot fam iliarisation n igh ts.

MH E
I NO l the so n o f Cha os h ut 11 i\IS Errbus, a Royal i\'ava l Mo nitor till ed

with Iw O 15" g uns.

13/
 C HAPTERN IN E

RA IDS OVER BELG IUM

Th e Reco rds Office): Su b Li eu ten ant Bas il Rook, \I Til tc fur- stu nt ing and hedg e -h lllillill g h is D. /-/.9 a s thou gh lie tho ught it
ther rem iniscences of th e ea rly days a t Pet ite Svn tlie: \I'crc a B ri s tol Fi ght er. \l'il h th e PUll/a ',I' propen si ty [o r
un reli abilit v. victor Tiarks 11/0.1' wcl! h e cons idered 10 have
" 0 11 1.1' odd mem ories linger ofthe Squad ron \ ea rly days becnjon una tc 11 0 1 10 ha ve su ffered a ll eng ine fai lure during

at Petite Synthc. I reme mber tnvfirstjligh], e l'el; wit h \l C hi s exube ran t .flyillg exhibi tio ns. Th e D./-/. 9 witho ut a 17011/17

Tia rks. 1 0 1.1'11 reca ll that .IS Il'rig lll, reg ardl ess 1I(Ihe huh- load di d have a reasonably handy performance. climb and
171117 aro und hi ll/ ill th e 11/1'.1'.1', would pork hi mself 1111 th e lOp spe ed. The p rovi s ion {if twin Lewis gUlls fo r the observer
[loor against the 1\'0 11 and immerse himsel] ill \I'!J(JI ap - wo uld a lso have been o] grc«! value i ll the fig hter ro ll'.
peered 10 h e music scores. Th e Mo ck Clicker Spa nicl lNt: lni tial lv. at lea s I, Cla rke used several D,/-/.9 \ asfighters
Clarke bro ught outfnnn England 111/1.1'1 0 1.1'11 h e m entioned. to escort bombing [ortnations. \l'hell th e sq uad ron beca me
[ or !III th e g round. Clarke. hi s observer S I. John an d th e NII,206 Sq uadron RA F 1111 l st April 191 8 , long range reCIIII -
dllg \I'eJ'(' 0111/11.1'1 inseparable. As SO!llI as the pla nes land ed naissa nce patrols I\'ere introduced where a sin g le "[ig htcr"
[ rom ope rations the dll g luu l all ullcallllY abilit » 10 single aircraft would undert ak e h ig h reco nn aissa nce f lig hts deep into
out Clarke \ D./-/. 9 an d 1\'0.1' thefirst to g reet h ill/ wh en he 1'111'111.1' territory. A lso on occasion. line pa trols Irere perform ed
cl itnh ed out 1I( Ihc plane. " wh ere th e D,/-/. 9 " fig hte rs" ca rr ied 1111/ S\l'eCIIS 10 dri ve ell-
1'11/.1' 2 -,I'l' a le rS m l'ay [rom the lilies, C la rke :1' vision p erhaps
II \'ery unusual aspect {!!'FCd r IN C Clarke \ st ra tcgvfo r 11 111 scenti ng so strang e {(! ie r o il '!
N II.6 Sq uadron in vol ved th e use o ft he D.lI.9 {IS a fi g 111er air- \I/ilh th e co mmencemen t o] I\'ar [lig ht s, the squadron
era] ![or escort du ties. Th e defi nitio n III' "[ig lite r aircraft " ill sta rted to experience th e Il'II e extent oft he eng ine unreliabilitv.
this in stance wo uld h e a 2 -scalc r with both of fen sive and d e - witl: missi ons having /0 he cancelled dil l' to the unserviccabi litv
[cnsivc a nnament, exa m p les (!( traditional fig 111ers wo uld he o] /11011." oft he aircraft . III o rder III o verco me th e \I'lIrSI of the
the Sopwith I 1/2 Stru tter (lype 9400) , FE2h and o] co urse p roblems. the some what ext reme m easure {~I' rep lacing ea ch
the superb Brislo l F2a/F2h Figlll l'l: II Ims illlllllre reCelll lill/es ellgille \ cxhausl 1'0 11'1' sp rillgs {(Iier e l'e ry daY :I sc r l'ice 11'0 .1'

Ihallhe agile {!lfellsil'ely arll/ed si llglc semerll/ach ille sWr/ed e l'ellwa lly adllpled, Th is illmll'ed Ihe ledillus w sk {!( s /l'ip -
III he rl:!£' rred 10 as a Jig llll'l: Ilillg Ihe cm ll hll.l"es, pla cillg all illl/llCIISC h urdell UpOIl Ihe CII-
Th c id eo {!( usillg a D./-/.9 as a.figlller is , 10 he c!wriw hle , gi lle .fillcrs Irho \I 'Ol ild .filld Ih elllsell'cs I\'orkillg .fimll 5m ll 10

a slrallg e cllllcep l. Th e lIa lu ra l reo Cl i llll 11(11/0.1'1 rea d ers heillg 91)JJI e\'(~ ry day,
III ridicule Ihe ideo. Th e D ,/I. 9 I\'ilh ils 230hp Siddelcy Dca sy
PUllla ellg il/l' 1110 .1'1 cerw illly \1'0.1' 11 01 i ll Ihc sm ile leagu e as a 9th i\ la rch
Urisllli F2h , hOlrel 'c /: il is kil OI\'II Ilw l FS L \l CAI '1/a rks Iw d a FSL Warren and Awl. I Spei rs carried oul a lesilli ghl in D,H,9
rel)[l/millll I\'ilh ill Ihe s qua droll./fl r h eillg a " ,Ip lil a rsc p ilOl", 13 7603 at 08.40,

132
 Raids ove r ttcl g iurn
Th c squadro n flew its first two offensive missio ns o n thc
9th. The first mission was a bomb ing raid on billets and rail-
way sidings at St. Pie rre Cape lle. FCdr Lc Mcsuri cr who had
j ust returned to France and had been posted to the ne wly re-
for med No. 11Squ adron.joined the mission flying one of No.6
Squadro n's D.H.9 aircraft.
at 10.01
FCdr C larke and FIt.Obs St Jo hn in 1375 83
FCdr Le lesu ricr and AG L Wil liams in 13 7600
FCdr Steve ns and Ob s.SLt Christian in 13 7589
FCd r Wright and AG L Wool f in 13 759 1
FSL Hyslop and AG LAGL Pacey in 13 7605
FS L Warren and AG L O 'B rie n in 13 7603
FS L Pitt and AG L Betterid ge in 137587
FS L Stocker and AGL PO Ryan in 13 759 7
FSL Bannatync and AG L Hol lingsbee in 13 7592
FS L Tiarks and AG L We ntworth in 13 7588
T he attack was co mposed o r se ven bombi ng mach ines and
th ree fightin g machin es, however FS L Hys lop and AG L Pacey,
were forced to ret urn to the aero drom e afte r suffe ri ng e ngine
trou ble.
T he squadron drop ped thirty- two 251 b and twent y-four
161 b bombs fro m height s varying betwee n 13000 and 15000
teet. The target was reported to be we ll co vered with seve ral
bombs see n to burst on. or close. to hut s and bui ldings It was
co nside red probable that at least three were di rect hits as in
o ne case a fire was caused and in two othe rs dense clo uds of
smoke were obse rved.
FSL Pitt and AG L Betteridge repo rted that they dropped
eig ht bomb s scor ing hits o n a large buildin g and some huts at
a railway siding and several large fires were started. A Gcr-
man Staak en R.YI was observed in a fie ld ncar SI. Pierre
Ca ppello and Betterid ge tried to bo mb it but was unab le to
obse rve the effe cts, Durin g the co urse of the mission . th ree
enemy aircraft approac hcd the bo mbin g fo rce but would not
engage closely enough 1'01' Betterid ge' s liking.
PS L Hyslop and WO Tuck carried out a lest flight in the
misbe having 13 7605 at 11 .58.
Th c seco nd bo mbi ng raid was an unsched uled attac k on
the stranded Stuaken bom ber reported by Pitt and Bette ridge.
Pe rmissio n to attac k the G iant was obtained and six mach ines
were immediat el y refu ell ed and rearmed.
/3 3
at 13.33
FCdr Clarke and FIt.Obs St. John in 13 7583
FCdr Le Mcsuri er and PO AG L Ryan in 13 759 1
FCdr Ste ven s and Obs.SL Christian in 13 7603
FS L Hys lop and AG L Pacey in 13 760 2
FS L Tiar ks and AGL Went wo rth in 13 7588
FS L Bannat yuc and AG L Hol lingsbee in 13 7592
Hyslop and Pacey agai n railed to reach the target and returned
to the ae rodrome. The other five machines released twen ty-
ra ul' 25 1b and sixtee n 161 b bo mbs ove r the objec tive from
heigh ts o r 1500 to 3900 feet and 150 rounds were also fired at
the enemy mac hine. Bombs were observed to burst in very
clo se proximit y to the mac hine and many tracers we re see n to
e nter it. Approx imately 200 German troo ps gathered round
the target were attacked with machine g un fire and see n to
sca tter in all direct ions. Th e pilots repo rted that the Gia nt' s
starboard wing was almos t on the gro und and it was ass umed
that the mac hine' s underca rriage was broken .
Durin g the course of the mission, the patrol was attacked
by six ene my scouts over St. Pierr e Ca ppelIe. Lc Mcsuri cr put
13 759 1 into a dive and drew away from the defend ing force
and a running rig ht developed to within a qu arte r o r a mile or
the lines. Le Mesuri cr's gun layer. PO AG L Ryan was able to
fire 50 rou nds at one sco ut. shooting it down to cra sh on the
edge of the flood s. where it was obse rve d burnin g on the
g ro und. FSL Banu ntyne a nd AG L Hollin gsbec were both
se rio us ly wo unde d by e ne my fi re . desp ite hi s inj uri es,
Ban natyne managed to put D.H.9 8 7592 down safe ly on the
beach bet ween Oos t Dun kcrq uc and Coxy d.
At appro xima tely 15.00. a co mb ined force fro m I and II
Mari ncfcldja stas reported attac king a British bombing group
protected by Sop with sing le sea te rs. Ltn z S H Wessels of
Mari nefcldj astu I cla imed a D.HA between ieuport and Slype
at 15. 10. Although the machine type cla imed was inco rrec t
(this would have bee n the Ge rmans' first encou nte r with a
D.H.9). the time and location provided a very close match. it
therefore see ms q uite possib le that Wesse ls was respon sib le
1'01' wound ingand forc ing down Hnnnatyne and Holli ngsbce.
YzFlgM str Ado lf Bottl er or II -larinc fcldj asta flying a Pfalz
Dllla was repo rted as wou nded in action dur ing the e nco un-
ter. Bottler was able to return to his ow n ai rfie ld and was sub-
sequently se nt to Marine field hospit al III for treatm en t. he
co uld well have bee n inj ured by Le Mcsuri cr and Ryan . A
seco nd D.H A and a Sop with sing le sea ter were erro neo usly
cl aim ed by the de fenders.
 A I lisIOIT of No .S Squad ron Royal Naval Air Se rvice ill World 1I'tlr I

Th e Sraukcn is beli eved to have been an R. V I. seri ul num-

bcr R.n of Rfa 50 I. this mach ine look off o n a bombing mis-
sion from Ghent on the nig ht of the 71h March bUI suffe red
problems due to fro zen fue l lincs before it crossed the coast
and was co mpelled to make a forced landi ng. T he mach ines
engines and instruments were salvaged before it was destroyed
by No.6 Squad ron's bomb s and gunfire. A seco nd Staa kcn from
IH a 50 I also made an e merge ncy landing on the night of the
7th/8th March. this was R.36 and thought to be the machin e
that land ed at Ghistcl lcs ae rodrome. R36 was dismant led on
site.

10th 1\ larch
SCdr Mac l. arcn and AG L Dray ca rried out a visibility test in
D.I-I .9 13 7604 at 10.28 .
An cight machine bombi ng raid was despat ched 10 Enge l
aero dro me at I I A 7:

FCd r Steve ns and Obs.SL Christian in D.H.9 13 7589
FS L Tiark s and AG L William s in D.H.9 13 7600
FSL Stocke r and PO AG L Ryan in D.H.9 13 7597
FCdr Wright and AG L Woolf in D.H.9 137591
FCdr Clarkc and FII.Obs. sr. Joh n in D.I-I .9 13 7583
FSL Warre n and AG L O ' Bricn in D.H.9 13 7603
FSL Hyslop and AG L Pacey in D.H.9 13 7602
FSL Pitt and AG L Betteridge in D.H.9 137587
FCdr Thomas Frederick Le Mesurier DSC and tw o bars. was not attached t o
N O.6 Squadron. but never t heless was invo lved in the action on the 9th March
1918 when his gunlayer.PO Ryan.claimed an enemy scout crashed at the edge
of the floo ds. Le Mesurier liked to make unofficial flights and in 1917 was shot
down in a N o. 12 Squadron Sopw ith Triplane whilst flying as unofficia l escort to
a N o.5 Squadron bo mbi ng mission. On com pletion of his to ur of duty with
N o.5 Squadron . Le Mesur ier was assigned to N O.1I Squadron. a conte mpo-
rary o f N o.6 Squadro n. He w as killed on the 26th May 19 18 wh en his N o.2 1I
Squadron RAF D.H.9 broke up in the air over Perv yse. Courtesy JMBIGSL Col-
lection
A number of test fligh ts were curried out:

Steven s and Christian in 13 7589 experienced engine trou ble
and retu rned without attacking the target. makin g a forced land-
ing at Bray Dunes aero d rome .
A total oft wenty-seven 251b and twent y 161 b bomb s were
drop ped, many of which we re seen 10 burst close to the han-
gars. Four 161b bombs were dropped o n Engel dum p and two
fires were started. Pitt and Betteridge failed to find the ir ob-
jcct ive and dropp ed the ir bomb s o n a building to the so uth-
west of the target.
FS L Hysl o p too k ne w pi lo t FSL Be wc ll o n a loca l
familiarisation flight at 15. 10.
11th Ma rc h
FSL Bowel l was taken on another short fami liarisatio n flight
with FCd r Stevens and the n carried out two loca l flight s. the
first acco mpanied by PO AG L Ryan at 11 .30 and thc second
with AGL Cousins at 14 .37.
le w p il o t FS L Oak c sh o tt wa s tak cn o n a loca l
familiar isatio n flight by FCdr Wright at 13.35. Oakcshott thcn
ca rried o ut a local flight accomp an ied by AG L Dray at 14.50 .
FCd r C larke and FIt.Obs Sl. John in D.H.9 13 7583 at 13.33
FS L Stocker and PO AG L Ryan in D.I-I .9 137597 at 15.35
FCd r C larke and PO Ottley in D.H.9 13 7596 at 16.45
FCd r Clarke and FIt.Obs. sr. John in D.H.9 137603 at 17.30
Wing Co mmander Cull wrote to Wing Captain Lambe on the
II th with a detai led report of Bannat yuc and Holl ingsbces
forced landing:
From: Commanding Offi ce I: No.5 Wing Headq ua rters.
R.N.A.S.
1iJ: Senior Of flc£'!: Headqua rters. R.N.A.S.
March 11 th / 918
ReI ··.7/ 7S0
Submitted.
Here with. part iculars. asfar as I can give them oj"Flight
Sub Lieut enant Bannatyn e 'sf orced land ing betw een Oost

134
 Raids m 'e/" Belgium

Dun kerqu e and Coxyde. f u rthe r to th e recommenda tion

of th is offi ce r in my 0839 of March l Otli 19 18.

Th e mach ine wa s vel)' ba d ly shot about, thre e E.A.

ha ving gOI on the ta il of the ma chine and l think ca ug ht
the G unlayer un awa res. Th e mai n spar of the lej i 100I'er
pl an e \l'as sh ot thro ugh . A j 7ying wire lI'as shot through
an d th e co ntrols of th e lower aile ron shot through. Th e re
lI'ere also num e rous holes in th e f us e/age and plane. A
certa in number o] these being cause d. I sho uld say. hy
exp los ive bullets. Fl ight Su b Li eut enant Banna tyn e lI'as
11'01I//(led in the buttock a nd le]: hand. Althou gh only he-
ing abo ut 4000 feel at the time. he man aged 10 pilot his
mach ine hack and make a landing on the sands. witho ut
[urtli er damag e 10 the machine. I sho uld like 10 poi nt 0 /11
that there was no question or a straight glide hom e an d
that the pi lot must ha ve kepi hi s wits ab out hill/ a ll th e
I ill/e. Thi s. in II/Y op inio n shows g reat p luck and det ermi-
nat ion on his pa ri. \Ie ry little a mm unition had been fi red
at all [rom th e rear g un and all bombs lI'ere on the II/a -
chine. which shows they lI'ere at tack ed before they reach ed
th eir targ et an d the g uulaycr 11/1/,1'1 ha ve been wo unded
st raight a wuv in the leg. He was fo und propped up ag ainst
the gl/n mounting when the machine landed. This l th ink
shows that he ma de el'elY endea vour: altho ugh wounded,
10 rep el the attack hv E.A. h I/I his 11'011//(1. bein g a I'ery Engel Aerodrome. attacked by N O.6 Squadron on the 10th March 19I 8.Whilst
se rio us one, he \l'as, at the sa m e time. in a semi-co nscious the Allies refer red to t he aerodrome as Engel.the Germans called it Icht egem
Aerodrome. Courtesy johon Rhyeul
slate.

12th March
Test flig hts carried out o n the 12th :

FCdr Ste ve ns a nd A M Mab bs in D.H.9 8 7604 a t 08 .50

FC d r Wr ig ht and A M Mother ill in D.H.9 13 7591 at 09 .30

A seve n machine bombi ng raid to Ae rtryc ke was ca rr ied ou t

in the mornin g:

at 10,10
FCdr Ste ve ns and O bs.S L C hristia n in D.H.9 137604
FSL S toc ke r and PO AGL Rya n in D.H.9 13 7603
FS L Tiark s and AGL Wi llia ms in I) .H.9 13 7600
FC d r Wri g ht a nd AGL Wool f in D. H.9 13 75 9 1
FC d r C la rke a nd r u.or«. St. Joh n in D.H.9 13 75 83
FSL Warr en and AGL 0 ' Br ian in D.H .9 13 7596 A closer view of Ichtegem Aerodrome. N ote the bomb crater below the farm
buildings at the bottom of the photograph. Courtesy johon Ryheul
FS L Hysl o p a nd AGL Pace y in I) .H .9 13 7602

/3 5
 II History oj No.6 Squad ron Royal Naval Air Service ill World \I'ar I
Steve ns and Christian suffered engine trouble and were forced
to return to the ae rodrome. Stoc ker and Ryan were also forced
to abort the mission. returning afte r 20 minutes. Due to the
incidence of engine trouble. FCdr C larke diverted the attack
to the seco ndary target o f St. Pierre Cappello. Billets and the
railw ay sidings we re attacked with fifteen 251b and four 161b
bomb being dropped. The target was well stradd led and a fire
started.
At 13.45. Stevens. acco mpanied by an American Of ficer.
Lt F Cla pp returned D.H.9 137604 to the depot for an engine
test.
Th ere was still o fficial conce rn ove r the condition o f
13annatyne and Hollingsbec, as evinced by the following memo
from Wing Captain Lamb e to the Vice Admiral. Dove r Patrol:
No . If. Q. 10805
\lice Admiral , Do ver Patrol
(Th ro ' COII/ II/odore)
Sulnnitted.
Forwar de d, with refere nce to /I1Y tel egram No .2 11B ofthe
9th March. The Medical Ojfice rto-da » rep ort s that Flight
Sub Li e ut ena nt A /vI Bannat yn e a nd A .C. I G un layer
Reginald Alf red Hollin gsb ce who has luul his leg
tot ed, thou gh both seriously wo unded, are pr o g ressing as
favo urably as ca ll he expected.
2. This I\'as the p ilot 's f irs t occa sio n ofcrossing th e Lilies
and appa rently he sho wed g reat co urage and determine -
tion ill bringing his mach ine home.
Captain R.N.
If. Q. RN A.S
12/3/1 8
13th March
Bad weather and unserviceab le engines seriously interfered
with flying ove r the following week. On the 13th. the weather
restr icted flying to a 35 minut e eng ine test by FCdr C lark and
WO Tuck in 137602 at 14.30.
14th March
There was no flying on the 14th .
15th March
The only flight carried out was an engine test by FCdr Clarke
and Lt.Cd r Bristow in 13 7605 at 12.03 .
16th March
SCdr Macl.arcn reported that the squadron had ten service-
able and five unserviceable aircraft. Six of the squadron's pi-
lots were sent to Dover to co llect new aircraft.
FCdr Clarke and Lt.Cd r, Bristow carried out an engine
test in 13 760 2 at 10.46.
FCdr Clarke and FIt.Obs. St. Joh n carried out a small ca li-
bre bom b practice flight in 13 7583 at 14.15 .
17th March
A num ber of engine tests were carried out on the 17th :
FCdr Clarke and Flt.Ob s. St. John in 13 7583 at 10.04
FSL Bcwcll and AGL Co sten in 13 7603 at 10.15
FCdr Stevens and new pilot FSL Rolandi in 137605 at 10.21
FSL Oakeshott and PO 13ates in 13 7600 at 10.25.
FSL Rolandi and AGL Jarvis in 137605 at 12.10
Three local flights were carried out in the afternoo n:
FSL Rolandi and AG L Jarvis in 13 7605 at 14 '(l6
FCdr Clarke and FIt.Obs. St. John in 13 7583 at 14.10
FCd r Clarke and Sgt.Maj Carmean (USAS) in 13 7583 at 14.23
{l/ II PU-
l Sth March
Four engine tests were ca rried out:
FCdr Clarke and Flt.Obs. St. John in 13 7596 at 09.55
FSL Oakeshott and FSL Dray in 13 7600 at 11 .55
FSL Stock er and AM I Ellis in 8 759 1 at 11 .40
FCdr Clarke and Obs.SL Christian in 8 7583 at 17. J 0
Oakcshott and Dray suffered engine failure and crashed 13 7600
at 12.15.
FCdr Ste vens led a three machin e formation practice for
the benefit of new pilots at 10.22:
FCdr Ste vens and Obs.S L Christian in 13 760 2
FSL 13ewell and AGL Costen in 13 7603
FSL Rolandi and AG L Jar vis in 13 7605
FCdr Cla rke and FIt.Ob s. St. John carried ou t a s mall calibre
bomb practice in 13 7583 at 14.53.
/36
 Raids o ver Belgium
19th M a rc h
T he squadron's prob lem s with unse rviceable D.H.9s co ntin-
ued to get worse. SCdr Maclaren reported 5 se rviceable and
10 unserviceab le mac hines. Desp ite unsuit ab le weather. two
eng ine tests were carried out:
FCdr C larke and SC dr Maclaren in 13 75 88 at 09.50
FSl Stoc ker and AM Ellis in 13 7591 at 10AO
f Cdr Stevens and Lt McD onnall carried out a local Il ig ht at
11.00 .
T he supply of tra ined D.H. pilots was stretching the Royal
Nava l Air Se rvice's reso urces. Wing Capta in Lambe form u-
lated a new policy whereby No. 12 Squadro n wo uld train pi-
lots for No.5 Sq uad ron which was o n loan to the RFC and
No .6 and No. 11 Squadrons wo uld be respo nsib le for bringin g
o n their own ne w pilots. To this e nd it was decided to all ocate
No .6 Squadron and No. 11 Squadron a co uple of BHP eng ined
D.HAs for training purposes.
H. Q.. N.N.i\. S..
Duuk erque
19th Ma rch 1918
IJEFfl. Q. 11234
Mem o randum
Flllure Poli c\, As Ne Ral'ds h a illill!! Of' D.H. Pilots
No . 12 Squadro n wi ll be usedfor tra ini ng D.H. p ilots to
comp lete No.5 Squadro n only. i ii do this, th ere sho uld
always be, asfar {I S possible. betweenfour and six pilots
a t No . 12 Sq uadro n.
2, AI/ other D.I!. p ilots appointed to the co mm and wi ll be
allotted to No.1'. 6 and I I Sq uadrons alte rnately where they
will be tra ined. For this p urp ose two or more D. fI." 11 /(/ -
chilies with IUI/~ eng ines will be allotted 10 Nos .6 and
I I Sq uadro ns.
J. No mo re p ilot s wi l! be alloca ted 10 Sq uad rons Nos.Z
and 17 ./i)I' the present, Aft er l st A p ril the N. F C. will be
resp onsiblefor the replacement ofp ilo ts at No .5 Squad-
roll and [ro m that da te on wa rd No. 12 Sq uadron will be
resp on sib le jill' Nos.2 an d 17.
/3 7
Si gne d CL Lam be
Cap ta in NN
D ist ribu tion :
c.c. No . 1 \ ving
c.c. No .5 \Villg
S.O.. N.N.A.S.. Do ver
"Q "
"A "
"S.C. "
20th Ma rc h
Four of the squad ron' s pilots that had been kick ing their heels
in Eng land waiting fo r ne w aircraft arrived bac k at Petit e
Sy nthe. in so me cases . after a co mplicated se ries of flight s:
FCdr Wright and FS L Pill in D.H.9 D2782 from Chingfo rd to
Do ver at 10040
FCdr Wright in D.HA A7996 fro m Dover to Coudckcrkc at
16.15
FSl Warren in D.H.9 137595 Fro m Dover to Peti te Sy nthe at
18.08
FSl Hyslop in D.H,9 13 7594 from Do ver to Peti te Sy nthe at
18.08
FCd r Wright in D.HA A 7996 from Coudckerkc to Bcrques at
18.30
FSl Pill in D.HA 139498 from Do ver to Petite Synthe al 18,30
D.H A A7996 and D.I-I ,9 13 7595 were handed o ver to No. 11
Sq uadro n. D.HA 13 9498 was also handed over to No. 11Squad-
ron but not until the 22 ml Marc h. by which time it had been
used for se veral practice and familiarisatio n flights.
Se veral e ngi ne tests were ca rried out during the day:
f Cd r Ste vens and AG II Bush in D.H.9 13 7603 at 14045.
FCd r Clarke and FIt.Obs. St. Jo hn in D.I-I .9 13 7599
T he two add itio na l aircr aft mad e sc a nt differe nce to the
squadro n's invent ory that no w stood at 8 servicea ble and 9
unserviceable aircraft.
New pilots fS L R Robinson and FSl HA Co nnop arr ived
at the sq uad ron.
21st 1\ la n:h
O ne additi on al ne w machine was de live red o n the 2 1st:
 1\ H isto ry ofNo.o Squadro n Royal Naval Ai r SI:' I'I'i cl:' ill Wo r ld 1I'Ilr/
FSL Tiark s in D.HA N6390 from Dover to Peti te Synt hc at
13.55.
Two eng ine tests we re ca rried out:
SCd r Macl.aren and Lt.Cdr Bristow c in D.H.9 137602 at 13045
FCdr Clarke and Lt Powell in D.H.9 13 7583 at 17040
Loca l fligh ts were carri ed out by:
FSL Roland i and AG L Jar vis in D.H.9 13 7605 at 10046
FSL Robinson in D.HA 139498 at 11040
FSL Warre n and Lt Clapp (USAS) in D.H.9 13 7596 at 12.00
FSL Rolandi and AG L Jarvis in D.H.9 13 7605 at 14.05
FSL Co nnop in D.HA 139498 at 14. 12
FSL Robinson in D.HA 139498 at 15.35
FCdr Steve ns and FCdr Bcnl ey in D.H.9 13 7602 at 17. 15
FSL Co nnop in D.HA 139498 at 18. 10
22 nd 1\ lar ch
Four engine tests were carried out as thc squadro n attempted
to ge t more of thei r aircraft servicea ble for war flying :
FSL Hyslop and LM Matthews in D.H.9 13 7605 at 11 . 16
FSL Tiark s and AM Hornby in D.H.9 13 7600 at 11.20
SCdr Stevens and Aivl Whinh am in D.H.9 13 7605 at 11.23
FSL Pitt and AG L Bet teridge in D.H .9 137599 at 11,45
138
ABO VE:Westland built D.H.9 B759 5.Th is ma chine was co llecte d from Dover
on the 20th March 1918 by FSL W arren . but was hand ed over to N o.1 I Squad -
ron upon arr ivalat Petite Synthe . It was passed back to NO.6 Squadron o n th e
29th March. just before the squadron moved to St. Marie Ca ppelIe . Courtesy
jMB/GSL Collection
The squadron mounted a bombi ng raid to Bruges docks with
six machines at 14.10:
Cdr C larke and PO AG L Ryan in D.H.9 13 7600
FCd r Stev ens and Obs .SL Christian in D.H.9 137602
FSL Pitt and AG L Betterid ge in D.H.9 13 7599
FSL Tiarks and AG L Williams in D.H.9 137603
FSL Hyslop and AGL Pacey in D.H.9 13 7605
FSL Warrcn and AGL O 'B ric n in D.H.9 13 7596
Hyslop and Pacey had to abando n the mission after 15 min-
utcs when the water in B7605' s radiator sta rted to boil. Tiarks
and Williams had to return after 55 minutes with carb urcttor
trouble.
Due to thc drop -outs. FCd r C larke was forced to dive rt
thc attack to the seco ndary target of Enge l dump . He reported
that the shooting was good and a tota l of 5281bs of bombs
were dropped on the du mp and a further 200lbs of bomb s were
dropped on the railway sid ings at SI. Pierre Capel le. Pitt and
Bette ridge repo rted tha t thc a nti-a ircraft fire at St. Pierre
Ca ppe llo was very heavy and that one of their str uts was badly
damaged . Betteridge reported that they started a very large
 Raids o pel" ttel giurn
fire and the smoke column from the ce ntre of the dump rose to
a height of 2000 fee t.
A further e ngine test on 13 7605 was carried out in the
eve ning, FCdr Wright and AG L Woolf taking the machin e up
for 37 minute test.
23rd March
Six engine tests were carried out in the mornin g. preparatory
to anothe r bombing raid :
FCdr Clarke and AM Hayes in 137599 at 10.15
PS L Tiarks and AM Kendal l in 13 7588 at 10.55
FSL Hyslop and AG L Pacey in 13 7603 at 11. 15
PCdr Steve ns and Al'vl Smith in 13 7589 at 11,45
FSL Pitt and LM Smith in 137587 at 12.10
PCdr Stevens and AM Coo mbes in 13 7603 at 12,45
MacLaren optimistically repo rted nine serviceable and nine
unser viceab le airc raft, all nine useable machin es bei ng des-
patched on a bom bing raid to Bruges Docks, a fighter escort
was provided by two D.I-l .9s from No. 11 Squadro n:
at 13,56
FCdr Clarke and FIt.O bs St. John in 13 7600
FCdr Stevens and Obs.SL Christian in 13 7589
FCdr Wrigh t and AG L Woolf in 13 759 1
FSL Tia rks and AGL William s in 13 7603
FSL Pitt and AG L Betterid ge in 13 7587
FSL Hyslop and AGL Pacey in 13 7602
FSL Rolandi and PO AG L Ryan in 13 7599
PSL Be well and AG L Chapman in 13 7605
PSL Warren and AGL O' Brian in 13 7596
Stevens, Wright and Tiurks ex perienced engi ne trouble with
their aircraft and were all forced to ret urn to the aero drome.
Pitt reported that only three o f the nine mach ines reached their
objec tive. Pitt and his gun laye r. Bette ridge, claimed several
good hits on sheds in the dock s, C larke made the followi ng
report:
30 (41' 251b and 13 (~n' 161hs bombs \Vere dropp ed [ro m be-
twe en !4000 and 16000 [ce t. /-lits \Vere observed as [a llows :
Oil shed O il nort h quaysidc (~{ no rth Darsc '
Oil she d O il south end o] no rth Bassin
III water slightly north east of large dest royer ill end
Darse
/ 39
Oil qllay between no rth atul south Da rses
III wa ter o] so uth Da rse
Oil shed Oil quayside at sou thern cud co mer o] eas t
Bassin. fire started.
FS L Robinson made another local fam iliarization flight in
0 " -1,4 139498 at 15.28.
SCdr Macl.arcn and Lt.Cd r Bristowe carried out an en-
gine test in 13 759 1, one of the machines that was forc ed to
abort the raid ea rlier in the aftern oon. MacLaren re ported that
the machine was unsatisfactory.
D.H.9 13 76 17 was transferred from No. 11 Squadro n.
24th March
A new D.H.9. serial D2783, was ferried from Dover to Petite
Sy nrhe by FSL Oakeshou at 11 ,45.
All o f the squadron's serviceable D.H.9s, with the exce p-
tion of the newly arrived D2783, were despat ched on a bomb-
ing raid to Brugcs Docks:
at 15.04
FCd r Clarke and Flt.Obs . St. John in 13 7600
FCdr Steve ns and Lt O' Co nnell (USAS ) in 137589
FCdr Wright and AG L Woolf in 13 759 1
FSL Warren and AG L 0' Brie n in 137596
FSL Pitt and AGL Betteridge in 13 7587
FSL Tiarks and AGL Williams in 13 7599
FSL Hyslop and AG L Pacey in 13 7602
The raid approached Brugcs from the sea at a height of 14500
feet. Wright and Woolf ex perienced engine problems in 13 759 1
and were forced to ret urn to the aerodro me. A total of twent y-
four 161 b and twenty-three 251b bomb s were dropped, shoot-
ing was rep orted as good with one fire sta rte d . Pitt a nd
Betterid ge rep orted that they dropped eight bomb s resulting
in hits on so me sheds at the side of the ca nal. Pitt noted that
they enco unte red a hostil e aircraft that had a larger bottom
plane than top plane, whilst some odd obscure German proto-
types had lower wings of wider chord than the top wing, it is
difficult to ex plain what Pitt saw. or though t he saw.
Bruges was the centre o f RNAS atte ntion on the 24 th
Marcil, with other raids ca rried out by the /.1.1'. machines o f
No.7 Squadron. both in the early hou rs and late in the evening.
Whilst very little effective damage was caused du ring these
raids. some interruption to U Boat operations was cause d.'
New pilot FSL H IP Bailey made a local fam iliarization
- flight in D.H,4 139498 at 15,45.
 A His!OI:\' of No. 6 Squadron Royal Nava l Air Service ill lI'orld lI'ar I

--
A n overhead view of Br uges Docks. Cra te rs from a bomb ing att ack can be Th is phot ograph of a flattened dockside structure depicts typical damage caused
seen t o be ho pelessly off target. Courtesy johon Ryheuf by a bom bing raid at Bruges. Courtesy johon Ryheul

Another shot of bomb damage at Bruges docks. Courtesy johon Ryheuf Inside an occupied U-B oat pen. Courtesy johan Ryheul

A U-Boa t pen at Bruges. Courtesy johan Ryheul

140
 Raid s (}\ 'I'I" Belgium

25 th Marc h
No flying due to bad wea ther.

26th March
Th e sq uad ro n despatch ed eig ht D.H .9s o n a bombing raid to
O stcnde at 14.07 :

FCdr C larke and Flt.Obs . St. Jo hn in 8 7600

FCdr Wr igh t a nd AGL Woolf in 8 759 1
FCdr Stev e ns and Obs .SL Christia n in 8 7589
FSL Warren and AGL O'B rien in 8 75 96
FSL Pitt and AGL Betteridge in 8 7587
FS L Ti ark s a nd AGL Willia ms in 13 7599
Gh istelles A er odr o me, a frequent target fo r Royal N aval A ir Ser vice bo mb ing
FSL Hys lop a nd AGL Pacey in 8 7602 squadro ns.The aerod rom e w as attacke d by N o.6 Squadron on the 26t h March
FSL Ro land i a nd PO AGL Ryan in 8 7588 191 8, but it is do ubt ful if much damage was inflicte d. Courtesy EF Cheesman

S teve ns a nd C hristian in 8 7589 we re 10 minutes late in ge t-
tin g away and s uffered e ng ine troub le, ev en tua lly ha ving to
ma ke a forced la nd ing on the beac h at La C lipo n. Pitt a nd
Be tteridge a lso suffe red e ng ine troubl e a nd were unable to
keep up with the format ion , eve nt ua lly turning back and re-
turn ing to thc ae rodrom e. Th e re was a ve ry stro ng w ind and
FCdr C larke was forced to dive rt the attac k to the seco ndary
ta rget of G histe lles Aerodrom e. Twent y-se ven 161b a nd scv-
c ntcc n 251b bombs we re d ro pped a nd FCdr C larke rep ort ed
that so me bursts wer e close to the han gars.
Two e ng ine tests were ca rrie d o ut in th c e ve ning :
FSL Oak cshott and AG L Dra y in D. I-I ,9 D2783 at 18,30
FS L Pitt and AM Jo nes in 8 75 87 at 18.40
Pitt land ed at La C lipo n o n thc beach next to FCd r S teve ns '
a irc ra ft a nd A M Jon es was abl e to effect a rep air that e na ble
Steve ns a nd Christian to return to Petit e Sy nthe at 19 .45 .
BELOW: Gotha G.IV bombers of KG III based at Ghistelles, one reason why
the aerod rome was such an attractive target to the RNAS. Courtesy EF Cheesman

/.+/
 A History ofNo.t) Squadron Royal Naval Air Service ill 1I'I1I·1t/ mll' /

27th Ma rch
No flying due to bad weath er.

28t h Ma rch
Wing Ca ptain Lambe was makin g preparations to send the
squadron south to SI. Maric Ca ppcl:

Fro nt : Senior Off/cel: R.N. A. S. H Q.

To: " C " , "A " , " Q"

Dal e: 28 1h March 191 8

No .6 Sq uadron will probabl » h e requ ired 10 go into ba ttle

ab o ut next M onday o r Tuesday. Ende avou r 10 co mp let e
th em with ma chin es an d pilot s. Ifn ecessary. pilo ts ca n he
ta kenfront No . 11 Sq uadro n. II will he a ll riglu ifwe ca n
se nd th em down with 16 m achines and 18 pilot s and b ring
thctn up 10 strength aft erwa rds.
Trv andfix th em UII wi th tran sp o rt so 11/111 th ev call
ge l th ei rlo rries load ed.

The weather co ntinued to bc unsuitab le for war flying. it was

possib le. however, to ca rry out two engine tcst flight s dur ing
the mornin g:
"Last minute adjustments"l Courtesy CCI ArchIVe

FCdr Wright and AM Holmes (USAS) in D.I-I.9 13 759 1at 10.00 M cnio ra nd um :
FCdr Wright and AM Bor land in D.H.9 13 7586 at 10.25 M ov e lif No .6 Sq uad ron

29t h March Referen ce sh eet 2 7. 1140 ,000

No flying due to bad weather, I. No .6 Sq uadro n wi ll m o ve 10 S T MA R IE CA P P I!.L Aero -
With the prospect o f an imminent move so uth to a more d rom e ( P25.c) IOII/O/TOW. (0 11 3 1.3. 18 )
active Front. thc squadro n was brought up to strength with an
additional seven D,H,9 aircraft. Serials 13 7590. 13 7594. 137595. 2. Ordersfor m a ch in es 10 S /(/ J'/ w ill he g iven [ro m H Q.,
13 7495.1376 18.13 76 19 and 13 7622 were transferred in from R.N. A .S.
No. 11 Squadron.
Instructions for No.6 Squadro n's move and thc new re- 3. CiO, No .5 Willg w ill inden t Oil H Q. Fir the necessa ry
porting structure were issued by Major HR Aubrey from RNAS /lW ISP0 rJ. Rou te [o r transport via Cassel an d Bergu es.
headq uarters:
4 . 0 11 arriva l III S T M A RIE CA P P EL No .6 Sq ua dro n wi ll
SECRET co nic underthe co nuua nd oIC.O .e. , Znd Brigade, R. F e.
A ce rtain num be r of A mcrican p ersonnc! will he a tta ched
ReI H Q. 7998 Headqua rte rs, R.N. A ,S . 10 No. 6 S q ua d ron Oil a rri val. No Am e rican personn el are
Dun kcrqu e 10 p roceedfrom P ETITE S YN THE wit h No,6 Sq uadron.

29.3 . 18 5. e.0.. No .5 Willg w ill d etail a gua rd 10 he ill cha rge of

P ETITE SYNTHE until re -occupied.

/ 42
 Raids ove r Belgium

6. Co mplet ion of I/lOl'e to be rep orted to f-1.Q.. R.N. A .S.

Sig ned f-IR A ub rey M aj o r

A ttac he d f-I. Q.. R.N. A .S.

Fo r sen ior officer. R.N. A .S.

Dist ribntion:

A group shot of o. 06 Squadron Officers at Boisdinghern.They are included

No .5 Wing (2 )
here as they were all with N o.6 Squadron by he 31st March 1918. From left
f-I. Q.. R.F e. to right. Lt EA Burn (first RFC officer to Join No.6 Squadron), Cp t GLE Stevens.
Lt LA Christian, Cpt IN C Clarke , Cpt JM Beddall (Armaments Officer), Cpt. JS
2nd Brigade. R. F e. Wright. Courtesy CCIArchive
S.O. f-I.Q.
Victualling Paym ast er ) For inform at ion C Fli ght
Ov erseas Ba se Paymaster AFCdr .JS Wright. Flighl Commande r
e. O.. N& f) FSL LE Oakc shott
WO o Le Suer FSL R Robinson
A .Q. e. FSL HA Co nnop

30th March
The weather was still unsettled on thc 30th. howe ver three
e ngine tcsts were carrie d out:
FCdr Clarke and AM Pierce in D.H.9 13 758 3
FSL Rolandi and AM Woodgate in D.H.9 137605
FSL Hyslop and AM Wheeler in D.H.9 13 7602
Two new pilots arr ived at thc squadro n. Lt EA Burn and FSL
WC Cutmore. Lt Burn was an RFC officer and joi ned the
squadron onc day before the RAF carne into ex istence,
D.H.9 13 76 15 was transferred in from 0. 11 Squadro n.
Thc squadron moved south to St. Marie Cappel with con-
trol transfer ring to II Wing 2 Brigade RFC. The wea ther was
still unpleasant with rain and strong winds and the n ight was
descri bed as very bumpy. The last day as No.6 Squadro n Royal
1 ava l Air Serv ice was marred by two serious flying acc ide nts:

31st March
With the de mise of the Royal Na val Air Servi ce and thc FSL I-I A Co nnop crashed D.H.9 13 7590 j ust afte r leaving the
squadron's renam ing to 1 0.206 Squadro n Royal Air Force j ust aerodro me and subsequently died of his injuries in thc eve ning.
24 hou rs awa y. thc final structure as a purely naval squadron
was as shown: FSL LE Oakcshou and AGL I-I W Dray were flying D.I-I .9
13 7622. Oakeshott made a flat turn into the wind and cras hed
A Flight the machine. Oakcshott died of his injuries later that day and
FCdr I TC C larke, Flight Co mmande r Dray succ umbed to his wou nds on the 4th Ap ril 191 8.
FSL LR Warren
FSL GA Pitt On the first of April. 1918. the squadro ns of thc Royal l aval
FSL VCM Tiarks Air Serv ice amalgamated with those of thc Royal Flying Cor ps
FLt.O bs RS SI. .J oh n to becom e thc Royal Air Force . No.6 Squadro n RNAS be-
ca me No.2 06 Squadro n RAF.
B Flight
AFCdr GL E Stevens. Flight Commande r NOTES
I A Da rse is lite rall y a wei dock .
FSL CM Hyslop
, Th e di ary o f - Boat UB-30 rep ort s that a homh passed through the
FSL RL 13cwell Boat shed o n the 24 th a nd dama ged the sh ip' s deck . Th e - Boar lcft Bru ges o n
the 29 th Ap ril hut was for ced to re turn to Os ten de o n the l st !> lay du e to prob -
FSL VFA Rola ndi
le ms with the re pair to the hu ll. Furt he r rep ai rs pro ved ineffe ct ive a nd B-30
Obs.SL LA Christian was kept out o f acti on unt il the 20 th April.

/4 3
 C HAPT ER TEN
TH E ROYAL A I R FORCE
T
he creati on of the Royal Air Force is a topic that co uld
eas ily occ upy several volumes. a detai led acco unt is
beyond the sco pe of this book and the author trusts
that readers will forgive the vast ly simplified ou tline prov ided
below.
Politics
Whi lst the need or wish for an air service. independe nt from
the army and navy. had been a subject of bitter debat e e ven
before the start o f hosti lities. a succession of ineffe cti ve co m-
mittees and board s failed to come to any resolution .
Follow ing unrest after the daylight Gotha raids on Lon-
don durin g the summer of 1917. a Gove rnment Cabinet co m-
mittee was formed in August 19 17. nom inally chaired by Prime
Minister David Lloyd Geo rge but effe ctively co ntro lled by
the So uth African Defen ce Minister. Lieutena nt Ge neral .I C
Smuts. Smuts had been brough t into the debat e. ostensibly to
provide an impa rtia l viewpoint. T he co mmittee' s final rep ort
produ ced in October. pop ularly referred to as the Smuts re-
port. recomm ended the form ation of an Air Ministry to co n-
trol and admini ster all aspects of the air war and reco mmended
the amalgamati on o f the Royal Flying Co rps and The Royal
Nava l Air Se rvice. After the appropriate Parliamentary proce-
du res had been followed. the date of 1st April 19 18 was cho-
sen for the inauguration o f the Roya l Air Force.
De spit e S mut' s s upposed impa rt ia lit y. it mu st be
e mphasised that amalgamation of the RNAS and RFC was a
political decision. not a military decision . As is usual with
political decisions. the long-term co nsequences were ignored
in favour o f percei ved short-term benefits.
It is diffi cu lt to argue against the decision to rem ove the
RFC from Army contro l. after all. the Army was not co mfort-
able with av iation. More interested in men than machin es. the
Army mind set showed litt le in the way of innovation in aer ial
matters. The Royal Navy on the other hand . was a techni cal
se rvice. used to using machinery in new and innovative ways.
T he RNAS was a far more modern and co mpetent se rvice than
the RFC and the most effec tive Nava l av iation wing o f any
nation al that time. The loss of the naval air arm in 19 18 was
strongly resisted in some circles but the ine vitab le was ulti-
mat el y acc c ptcd .
The effect upon the Na vy was pronounced. many o f the
land based sco ut and bomb er squadrons were immediately
diverted away from their naval obligations. lea ving shipping
and port s unprotected . After the war. it became more obvious
that the Navy still needed an air arm. however. all of the ex pe-
rienced airme n they wo uld need for re-bui lding a naval air
service were gone. The Air Mini stry fought the Admiralty at
every oppo rtunity for fund s and status and it was not unti l ju st
before the start of WW 2 that the Navy finally clawed back
control of shipboard aircraft. When Britain went to war in 1939.
the new naval air service was equipped with obso lete ai rcraft.
inexperienccd airmcn and outmodcd tactics.
.I an Smuts destroyed the most effec ti ve and modern naval
ai r service in the wor ld and cr ippled Britain 's cre dibility as a
sea power. A cynic might we ll be j ustified in claiming that by
killin g off the Royal Naval Air Service, Ge ne ral Jan Smuts
obtained his revenge for his defeat by Britain during the Boer
War.
 The Royu ! A ir Force

Pr actical ities No.4 Win g (3) D r{ljiin g CO/I/II/(/nder

In the sho rt term . du ri ng the spring of 19 18. the mo st no tice- No,5 Wing (7) COIIII I/(//ulin g Offi cer. Man ston c
ab le e ffec t upo n the 1 a va l sq uad ro ns was the ir re-n um be rin g Warmn l Office r I.e S ueur. II. Q. R FC (3 )
by the s im ple expedi e nt o f addin g 200 to their nu m be r. th us COIIIII/(//uling Officer. Eastcliurch
10 . 1 Squadron R AS became No .20 I Sq uad ro n RA F a nd Aircraft Depot (0)
No .6 Squadron R ' AS beca me 10 .20 6 Squadron RA F. T he
R AS W ing s we re re -numbe red by the additi o n of 60 to the T he R AS pe rso n nel ado pted the milita ry ranks used by the
Win g num be r. R FC:
The fo llow ing memo fro m Win g C a pta in Lambe. was c ir-
c ulated o n the l-Ith M arch 19 18 : Sq uadro n Comma nde r becam e Maj or
F lig ht Com mander beca me Capta in
/-lEA D Q UA lU ER S , F lig ht Lie uten an t becam e Lie uten ant
R.N A. S., F lig ht Su b L ie uten ant beca me 2 nd Lieu te nant
14 1h M arch, 191 8
Th e uni form s c ha nge d. thou gh . in mo st cases. not im med i-
No . 9423 a te ly. So me na val trad ition ali st s reta ined the ir nava l un ifo rm s
to the e nd o f the war.
SEC RET M EM O RA ND UM T he g rea t na va l tra d itio ns . fun ct io ns that had been o b-
Owing 10 the [o rmation ofthe A IR Force, in volving th e se rved by the most lan d -lock ed na val sq uad ro ns. we re not a l-
amalgamation ofth e Roy a l Na\'( 1! A ir Service and th e ways ki lled off immed iate ly. watc h keepi ng, the ship 's be ll.
Roya l Fly ing C()J]Js, it ha s b ecome necessary 10 re- num- libe rty boat. o ffice r of the watch ctc. . often te nded to persi st
b el' the R.N. A .S. units in the Dunkerqu c Comman d. In we ll into 191 8 to the g reat amusement of e x R FC offi cers a nd
Older that the Squadron s a nd lI'in gs tnav retain asfar a s men po sted to the sq uadro ns . It is not recorded whether thc
possible their o rig ina l identitv. it ha s been ar ranged that d rin king of "p ink g ins" wa s ab and on ed !
all Squadron s wi ll b e re- n um be red with th e p refix 200 O ne less we ll recog n ised aspec t of the c ha nge from the
and the lI'in gs w ill he re- num b e red wi tl: th e p refix 60. R I AS to the RA F in vo lved the chan ge in tran sport requ ire d
i.e.. the existing Na \'(1!Squadron No . 1 will bccotnc Squad- to ac h ie ve sta nda rd isa tio n wit h the R FC. O n the 13th Febru -
ron No.201 , Na \'(1! Squ adron No.2 will become Squadron a ry 191 8 . Win g Captain Lambe wrote the foll o win g memo -
No.202, ell,'.. et c. No . 1 lI'in g wit! becom e No ,6 1 Wil/g and ran d um to the Mot o r T ran sp ort Park :
Nos . 4 and 5 lI'ings will beco me nos . 64 and 65 Win g s
respectively. Headq ua rte rs
Th e a bove nom en cl a ture will co ni c int ofo rce on th e S I:'C R I:T
1.1'1 Apr il 191 8 . RN A .S.

C I. LAi'vllJE, 13 1h Fe bru a r» 1918

Capta in, R.N . R (~f' No . 0 9 1 5

S enio r Offi cer: R.N A .S.

M enuira nd um
vice-Admiral, Do ver patrol (f ill ' infonnat ion ] (2) S . O . , Wilh regard 10 th e allocation o f M ot or Tran sport in th e
R.N A .S.. Do ver (5) [u tu re. the fo llo wing should b e aimed at .
Co m m odore. Dunkerq ue (Fir iufonnation ) O ve rse as Base
Paym aster 2. A ll Na\'(1! ve hicl es including S iege Guns. Na val Suppl »
Ba se COIIIII/(//uler (fo r in fo nnation ] victual lin g Payn ias- (JIficl'l: C. ,'-I. B \' an d No. 1 Win g II. Q. together with Nos.
IeI' 1. 2, 10 , 13 and 17 Sq utul ron» sho uld b e equipped with
G.A .Q.I. Si g s. Fleet Pavmastct: DOI'e r Pierce A rrOl\' Lo rr ies, Lancia Tende rs. La ncia Tou rin g
N o. 1 Win g (5 ) Fl eet Pa vm ast er: Trafalga r Ho use Ca rs, Su nb ea m M otorcycl cs. Douglas Cy cl es being used

/ 45
A H is l OI ~1' ofNo. r: Sq uadro n Roy al Na \'(/I A ir Se rvice in lVorld lVar I

/4 6
 The Royal Air Force
OPPOSITE
TOP:A ir and gro und crews of N o.206 Squadron RAF on Armistice D ay.Third
from the left in the second row is It GA Pitt. DFC. Pitt 's regular gunlayer
during N o.6 Squadron RNAS days,Sgt.Observer G Betteridge,D FM, Cro ix de
Guerre and Order of leopo ld II is seventh from the left in the back row,
Courtesy A Price via Chris Myers . To the men and o ffice rs of
BonOM: N o,206 Squadron RAF personnel at Bickendorf, Cologne, January
19 19.Second from left in th e fron t row is It BH Rook,N o,6 Squadron's records
officer; N ext to Rook is Cpt EA Burn an RFC Pilot but attached to N o,6
Squadron before the formation of the RAF. Fifth along is Major CT Maclaren,
OBE. Cro ix de Guerre. George Pitt is seventh from the left. Finally, at the
ext reme right of the second row is Chief Master Mechanic Morri s. Courtesy A
Price via Chris Myers
if there are 1I0t suffi cient Sunbeams and Austill WorksllOps
bein g gradua lly replaced by Lcyl an ds. A lso. all othe r
makes of vehicles s uch as Lanchesters, Talb ots, sho uld
be uti lisedfor theses units.
The establish me nt sho uld be as laid do wn with all
the squadrons being Oil the ba sis of imm obi le squadron s.
3. The fo llowing Squadrons will be attach ed to the A ir
Force under th e Com mande r III Chic]. ill Fra nce and
sho uld be g radually equipped with Motor Transport as
jar as possible Oil the p resent R.F.C. est ab lish me nt and
usin g Leyland Lorries , Leyland Workshops. Cross ley Tell-
ders, Cross ley Touri ng Ca rs and P&M Motor Bicycles,
Do uglas Moto r Bicycles bein g used to complete but as
ja r as po ssible Squadrons sho uld be kept alike.
No 3. 4. 5. 6, 7. 8, 9. II , 14, 15. 16. 18 Sq uadrons.
4. No .4 Willg. H. Q. and No.5 Willg H. Q. and No. 12 Sq uad-
roll may be used to [acilitate the abo ve arran gem ent s as
it does not matt er Fi r the present that the transport o{
these units is standardized.
Sign ed CL Lambe
Capta in R.N.
Depo rt Willg Commander
lHf f Pa rk
Nos . I. 4, 5 Willg G Q.
SQ
A s lig htly lo nge r-te rm effec t invo lved the supply o f new pi-
lot s and the tra nsfer o f o ffice rs between sq uadro ns . T he o ld
na val sq uad ro ns sta rted to recei ve ne w pil ot s and mor e es pe-
c ia lly. o bse rvers. from the R FC training es ta blis hme nts and
/47
mu ch mor e rar el y. se nio r o ffice rs were so me ti mes tra nsfe rre d
from a n ex - ava l sq ua dro n to com ma nd an ex - RFC sq uad -
ron .
0.6 Squ adron . No .206 Squad-
ro n RA F from the 1st Apri l 19 18. the life and dea th strugg le
contin ue d . New string s we re ad ded to the sq ua d ro n's bow
un der RA F con trol. w ith reconnai ssa nce and ph o tographi c
mi ssion s supple me nting the day lig ht bombing ro le and occa-
sio na l line patrols usin g the D.H .9 in th e fighte r mod e . More
trained o bse rvers we re requ ired to e na ble the rec onna issan ce
an d ph ot o g raphic func tio ns to be impl ement ed a nd these we re
s upp lie d throu gh the ex- RFC trainin g ro utes. The sq uad ro n
thu s s uffe red erosion to its a va l identity a nd by the tim e o f
the Armi stice ther e were ve ry few ex- RN AS o ffice rs le ft w ith
the sq uadron .
Win g C a pta in Lambe . o r to g ive him hi s ne w rank. Briga-
di er Gen era l Lambe. w rot e to the ex- nav a l sq uadro ns o n the
1st A pril:
O n A pr il l st. Th e Ro yal A ir Force w ill co me int o being .
Ajier ha ving comma nded the Royal Na\'{[1 A ir Sc r-
vice Units and Duukcrqucfor the pa st two yea rs and eight
months, l wish to exp ress II/y sincere thanks to all O.fl/c-
ers and Rati ngsfor the ma gnifi cent spirit they ha ve dis-
played durin g the who le o] this per iod.
The Pilots and Observers and Gunlayers ha ve, by
thei r skill and courage established a high reputa tion . The
Rati ngs have invariable worked long hou rs ch eerf ullv atu!
this com bina tion co uld onl» ha ve been achieved by the
loyalty and hard 1I'0r k o] the Ground Offic ers. Sq uadron
COII/ II/(/J /de rs and Willg Commanders.
The sma ll percen tage of casualties 1 attrihutc to the
great techn ical skill and untiring effo rts o] the Eng ine
Office rs and Engin e Ratings g enerall y.
The Royal A ir Force will undouln cd!v exp and Fery
rap idly and will, 1think p rove to be the deciding [a cto r {if
the \I '{//:
I hope that the Nava l Sq uadrons will maintain their
old traditions. records and reputation Fir efficiency. UII -
dcr their lIell' numbers.
III than kin g el'ery Officer and II/m / ,/(1/' their loyal ty
and support ill the pa st, 1 wish them all su ccess ill the
[uturc and call conf identb : rely Oil their doin g thei r ut-
IIWSt ill the Royal A ir Force to \I'ill the \I 'W :
 A History o/ No.6 Sq uadro n Ro va! Na val Ail' Service in Worl d \Va l' l

(sgd ) C.L. Lambe The new No.106 Squadro n Royal Air Force would go on to
llrigodicr-Gcncrol serve with distinction until the armistice in November 19 18
Royal Ai r Fo rce and remained active afte r that datc as part of the Army of Oc-
cupation.
l SI April
BE LOW: 206 Squadron D.H.9 at Bickendoti. the squadron marking was a very
uninspiring white Flight letter aft of the Fuse lage cockade. Courtesy Les Rogers
Major Co lin T Macl. a rcn
BonO M: 206 Squadron D.H.9 "J" in the hange r at Bickendoti. Courtesy Les
Royal A ir Force Rogers

/4 8
 Th e 1<0.1'11 / A ir Force

Another view o f 206 Squadro n at Bickendorf in 1919. Courtesy EF Cheesman

•
~
\
J

A irborn e. not always a for egone conclusion with the Siddeley Puma powered D.H.9. Courtesy Les Rogers

/ 49
APPEN D ICES
 APPEND IXA

AI RCRAFT TYPES USED BY NO.6 SQ1)ADRO N

Part I: Ca ud ron G. IV Performance

Th e twin eng ine Ca ud ro n G . IV was a deve lo pm ent o f the G . III. Th e ma- Speed at 650 0 ft: 82 mph 132 kph
chines used by No .6 Squ ad ron . po wer ed by two An zan i 100h p radi al en- Spe ed at 10000 ft: 80 mph 128.75 kph
gines. we re purch ased from Ca udron at Rue and initiall y served as lo ng ra nge C limb to 10000 ft: 33 mi nute s
bombers fo r day and night use. Ser vice ceili ng : 1400 0 n 4267 met re
Th ese aircraft were obso lesce nt by the time that No .6 Sq uad ron too k End urance: 4 hou rs
them ov er fro m 1"0.10 Flig ht. A Squ adro n. 4 Wing at the e nd o f Novem ber
191 6 . Th ey we re brie fly use d by th ose pi lo ts that eventuall y moved o ver to Part 2: SPA» S7
1\0 .7 Squadron . The R1\A S wa s kee n to purchase the S PAD 5 7 an d co ntracts we re place d
w ith Mann. Eger to n and Co . of No rwi ch to prod uce seventy-five mach ine s
S pcc lflcu t ion under lice nce and w ith the British Nieupor t Com pan y for a further fi fty. A
Type : Cau dro n G. IV 2-sea ter. 2 x 100 hp Anzan i Radi al single mac hine was ordered fro m S PAD at Ju visy for eval ua tion pur poses
Ma nufacturer: Caudron. Rue. Fran ce and for subseq uent use as a " pattern" by Mann Ege rton. T his e va luation
a irc ra ft. whic h for rea son s un kno wn initiall y ca rried the se rial N3399. was
Principl e Dim en sions deli ve red to the depot at St. Po l o n the 23 rd No ve mbe r 19 16. By the 29 th
Span : 55.4 ft 16.885 metre No vember the aerop lan e had been mar ked w ith its correc t se ria l n umber of
Len gt h : 23.6 n 7. 19 metre 96 11.
Heigh t: 8.37 ft 2.55 met re I'Ll A DW A llen carried ou t an o ffic ia l te st at St. Po l o n the 6th Decem -
Wing Area : 396 .4 sq ft 36 .82 8 sq metre her 1916 an d the 5 PAD rema ine d wit h No.6 Squa dro n for ty pe testing until
Ar ma ment: One Lew is g un mou nted in fron t co ckpit. bomb s carried on racks a llocated to the Desi gn Fight at Eas tc hurch on the 24 th Decem ber, I'Ll A DW
be nea th win gs A llen flew the air craft fro m Peti te Synthc to Eas tc h urch o n C hrist mas Eve
191 6.
In a se ries o f agreem ent s wi th the War O ffice . the Ad m ira lty agreed to
hand ove r a ll of the 5 PADs th at we re co ntracted to be bu ilt und er lice nce in
exc hange fo r all of the So pw ith Tr iplanes o n o rder for the RI' C. 96 11 wa s
BELOW: A typical Caudro n G IV in serv ice w ith the RNAS at N o.5 Wi ng. a lso tran sferred to the RFC. recei ving the RF C se ria l num be r B388 o n the
CourtesyjM B/GSL Collection 2 nd March 19 17.

/ 5/
 A History oj No .6 Squa dron Royal Na val A ir Se rvice ill Wo rld \Var I

S pcc iflca riu n By th e time th at No. 6 S q uadro n took over the t wo Nie upo rt l Os from A
Typ e : S .7 .C. 1 s ing le sea te r. 140 hp Il is pa no S u isa Sq ua d ro n 4 Wing. the y we re we ll a nd tr u ly o bso let e . ha vin g bee n in se rv ice
,\ Ia nufae ture r: Soc ie te Po ur Av ia tio n ct sc s Der ive s. J uvi sy, Fra nce s ince the la tter pa rt o f 191 5 a nd had bee n dam aged a nd par ch ed up man y
times. Dur ing Janu ary. Fcbrunry a nd Murch 191 7 . ne w pi lot s wo uld ge ne r-
Prtn cip lc D im e ns ion s a lly ma ke se ve ra l prac tice fl ig hts w ith the Nie upo rt l Os or Nic upo rt 12s
Spa n befo re being g ive n access to thc N ieuport I I s. A lt ho ugh nomin all y 2-se at-
Uppe r plan e 25 ft 8 inc hc s (7 .8 22 met re ) crs, it is bel ie ved that the Nic upo rt l Os wer e flo wn a s s ing le seate rs w hilst
Lo wer p la ne 24 n 10 1/ 8 inc he s (7 .573 me tre ) w ith No /' Sq ua dro n . T he y we re a lso ar me d a s the y we re used fo r ho stile
Le ngth 19 ft II 3/ 8 inc hes (6 .0 8 met re ) ai rcra ft patro ls o n seve ra l oc ca s io ns .
I lei gh t 7 ft 2 5/8 inc he s (3 .20 met re )
W ing A re a 19 2.14 sq feet (1 7 .85 sq me tre ) S p ec ificn t io n
Ar ma me nt : O ne sy nc hro nise d Vic ke rs gun Ty pe : Nic uport Typ e 10 2-s c a te r. 80 hp l.e Rh on e 9 C
M a nu fac ture r Soc iet e A no ny me de s Et ab lisse mcn ts Nic upo rt. Pa ris.
Pcrtorm an ce Fra nce
S peed a t se a le ve l 120 m ph ( 193 km/h)
at 2000 me t re I I (, mp h ( 187 km/h) I' rin d p al d im c n s io ns :
at 3000 metre 112 mp h ( 180 km/h ) S pa n o f upp er main p la ne 26 .5 7 n (8 .1 me tre )
at 400 0 me tre 10 8 m ph ( 174 km/h) Sp a n o f lo wer mai n p la ne 22 . 15 ft (6 .75 m etre)
Cli mb to 2000 me tres 6 m in 4 0 scc on d s Le ng th 23.4 6 ft (7 . 15 me tre )
to 3000 met res I I m in 20 seco nds Height 9 .35 ft (2.85 me tre )
Ce iling 2 1500 fce t (655 3 me tre) \ Viug area 194 sq n ( 18 sq met re )
We ight empty 970 lbs (4 40 kg )
load e d 15 20l bs «,<)0 kg )
l'u rt 3: Nieu po rt III
Des ign ed as a co mpa c t 2-scat fight e r po we red by a n 80 hp Le Rho ne ro tary A rma me nt: O ne Le wi s 0 .30 3 in machine g un mou nted ab o ve the w ing
e ng ine. the N ie upo rt 10 or Nic u po rt S ta nda rd a s it wa s c o m mo nly kno w n
wi th in the Roya l Nava l Air Se rvice , e m ployed a re la ti vel y co nv e ntio na l co n- Perto rmu nce
struc tio n co m pr is ing a w ire braced woode n bo x sec tio n fus e la ge , sta bilisc r S peed a t se a le ve l 87 m ph ( 140 kph )
o f me ta l tub ing a nd a ses q uip la ne ' w ing layo ut w ith a qu e stion ab le V s trut to C limb to 500 metres 3 minu tes
lo wer w ing a ttac hmc nt that led to a la rge num ber o f struc tura l fa ilure s. T he C lim b to 10 00 me tre s 7 min utes
pilot sa t in fro nt o f the o bse rve r in the machin es supplied to the R N AS , C lim b to 20 00 me tre s 17 m in ute s
though the pos it io n, were reversed ill the original design. Armam ent com- Servi ce ceili ng I 24 67 ft (3800 met re s )
prised a fixed Le wi s g un ab o ve the ce ntre sec tio n. o pe ra te d by Bo w den cab le. E nd ura nce : 2 ho urs
T he R1\AS o rde re d a tot a l o f 36 Nic upo rt l Os a nd sta rte d to ta ke del iv-
e ry o f the ty pe from M ay 19 15 . A nu m ber we re co nv e rte d in-se rv ice to s ing lc
sca t mach ine s a nd flo w n a s sc o uts . BELOW:A n early Fre nch N ie up ort 10.T he observe r w as posi t ioned in fron t
o f t he pilot and was expected to put his upp er body th rou gh t he hole in the
ce ntre sec t ion wh en firing t he Lewis G un. Courtesy jMB/GSL Collection

152
 Appendix A - Aircraft Typ es Used bv No.6 Sq uadron

Q ' ~-=
-
L -

r-
o( \
~
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I
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\. 1\ _I

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\I
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/ 53
 II Hist o ry I!( No .6 Squ adron Ro va! NII\'(/! Air Se rvice ill lVor!d \\ { I/ ' I

Pa rt 4: Nicu por t 11 Principal di men sio ns :

T he Nieuport II was of similar construction to the Nieupo rt 10 describe d Span o f upper main plan e 24 .67 It (7.52 metre )
above. T he mac hine was s malle r than the type 10 but powe red by the same Span o f lower main plane 24. 2X ft (7.40 metre )
XOhp Le Rh6n e eng ine . Known as the " Hebe", the type I I was a light and Le ngt h 2 1.65 ft (5.60 metre )
agile sing le gun sco ut. Imme nse ly popular, it had a succes sful caree r with Ile igh t 7.87 ft (2.40 metre )
the RNAS serving in the Euro pean and Aegean theatres. \Ving area 14 3 .2 sq ft (1 3 .3 sq metre)
Arma men t was a single Lewis gun fitted above the top wing to fire Wei gh t e mpty 706 Ibs (320 kg )
o ver the prop e ller are. nu mero us mou nts we re ado pted and the RNAS eve n loaded 105X Ibs (4XO)
ex perimented with twi n Lewis gun installatio ns. Photograph s o f Nicuport Arma me nt: One Lewis 0 .30 3 in machine gun. mou nted on the top wi ng
I I seria l 390 1 show such a twin gun iustallat ion altho ugh it is bel ie ved that
the aero plane had reverted to a conve ntiona l single gun Iiuncm whilst serv- Per forma nce
ing with No .6 Squadro n. Le Prior rock ets could also be carried by the type Speed at sea le ve l 103 mp h ( 165kph)
II . No.6 Squadro n pilots carr ied out se veral practi ce !lights armed with the Speed a t 2000 met res 101 mph ( 162 kph)
rockets but did no t use them operationally. Climb to 2000 metres X m inutes 50 seconds
No.6 Squadron em ploye d a tota l o f se ven Nicuport I Is d urin g Januar y. C limb 10 3000 me tres 15 minutes
Feb ruar y and the ea rly part of March 19 17. both for practi ce !ligh ts and Service ce iling 16404 ft (5000 metres)
operationa l patrols be fore bei ng equipped with the Nieuport 17 Bis. T he Endurance : 2.5 ho urs
Nieuport II was an obso lesc ent type by 191 7.

S pe cificat io n
Type: Nieuport Type I I sing le seater. 80 hp Le Rhone 9C
Man ufacturer: Societe Anonyme des Etab lisse mc nts Nieuport. Par is. Fra nce BELOW: A typical RNAS N ieupor t I I. CounesyjMB/GSL Collection

154
 A ppendi» A - A ircraft 7)'111',\' Use d by No ,6 Sq uadron

,- - - - - ---'J
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/ 55
 A Hist o ry o/No.6 S q uadron Royu l Nava l A ir Service ill lI!rir/d ll'rlr f

Part 5 : N icu po rt 12 I lIIp /"{}\ 'l' IIl CIl I S ill Design

Th e N ieuporl 12 was an enl ar ged versio n of the N ie u po rt 10. powe re d by a Owing 10 the \'ery bad pe rfornuuu :e oj th is machine. it appea r s that 110
C lerg e t 9 Z of I IOh p . n lik e th e ty pe 10 . th e typ e 12 w a s int ended 10 be altera tions pructira blc would ren der ;1fi t [o r service o \ 'crSelU .
armed with a forwa rd fi ring Le w is g un mounted o n th e top w ing for the pil ot
a nd a rea rward s ti ring Le w is g un o n a n Etcv c mount for the o bs e rve r. Th e During Jan uary. Februa ry and March 19 I 7. ne w pi lot s would ge ne ra lly mak e
R N A S a nd ind eed . No.6 Squadron used th e typ e 12 sourc ed fro m bo th se ve ra l pr acti ce fli ghts w ith th e Nicupor t lOs o r Nieuport 12 s before be ing
Nieupor t and fro m Be a rd mo re . Th e re we re su bt le d iffe re nce s betwe en air- g ive n acce ss 10 the Nic uport I I s. A ltho ug h no mi na lly 2-sealer s. it is known
craft su pplied by Nicuport and by Be ardm or e . the ea rly Be ard mor e mac h in es th ai at least so me o f the Nieuport 12s were flown a s s ing le se ate rs w h ils t
ha ving a lo we r w ing s pa n thai w a s on e ri b bay w ide r o n ea c h lo wer plane. wi th No,(, Sq uadro n a nd we re a rmed a s th e y we re used for Ho st ile A ircra ft
a bs e nce o f wa sho ut o n ailero ns. s ma ll fai rin gs o ve r the flyi ng w ire fuse lage patrols 0 11 se ve ra l occasions.
au achmcu t po int s a nd a sma ll fa iring be h in d the carburcuor a ir intakes. So me
Beard mor e ai rcraft were su pp lie d w ith a sy nc h ro n ised Vickers g un in p lace S peci ficut ion
o f the win g moun ted Lewi s g un. Late r Beardm or e m achine s e m p lo ye d a Type : Nieuport T yp e 12 2-se a te r, 110 hp C lcrge t 9Z
co nve nt io na l fix ed lin. ho wev e r the se mac hi ne s were not in usc with NO.6 Manufucturerx: Societe A nonyme de s Eta hlisse me nts Nieuport . Pari s. Fran ce
Squad ron . W ill ia m Beardmore 8: C o. Dalmui r
Pilo ts di d 110 1 re ga rd the Nicuport 12 a s a parti cu lar ly p lea sa nt mach in e
to fl y. in fa ct (he RF C wa s quite scathi ng o f th e ty pe wh en the y ev a luated a P rin cipal dim ensi on s:
Bear d mor e built ma chin e at Upa vo n in O ct ob er 191 6 : Span o f up per m a in pl an e 29 .5 3 fl (9 .0 0 metre )
Span o f lower main plane
Pilot 's \'icw not xo otl O il account of the high f a iring rou nd the N ieuport 22 . 15 fl (6 .75 met re )
co ckpit. Be ardm o re : eac h lo w er plan e rib ha y lon ge r
Whell carrying fu ll reco nna issa nce load it is so hcavil v loaded as Len gt h 22 .97 n (7 .0 0 me tre )
to hi' no t o nly use less in the ma tte r of performance bitt dan ge rous 10 l le ight iU, 6 fl (2 .70 metre)
j7y. whil e ill lilly ClIse it i s III lIch 100 ba d ill cl imb /() be li ll y li se as II W ing a rea 23 6 .8 sq fl (22 sq metre )
[ig htcr : Wei g ht e m pty 12 I 3 Ibs (5 50 kg )
load ed 18 74 Ibs (8 50 kg )
\'i b m l es ba dlv. Armam ent : On e fi xe d 0 .30 3 in Vicke rs g u n and o ne 0 .303 in Lewi s g un o n
E t cn~ ring mo urn ing
Tiring 10 }1." owing to cra ntpcd position.
I)e-r fu r m u n c'c
Landing n ' ry difficu l: ill a co nfi ne d spa ce a s there i s 1/01 suff icien: 1'1- Sp eed at 2000 met re s 9 1 mph (1 46 kph )
cvuto r co ntrol to gCI the 111 il p roperly down. C lim b to 1000 metre s 5 minut e s 40 sec
C lim b to 20 0 0 met re s 14 min ute, 15 sec
Rema rks Servi ce ceiling 13 123 ft (4 0 0 0 metres)
I . Pilot 's position I'ery cruniped. II", rudder ba r being IIIlI ch 100 d ose. End ura nce : 3 ho ur s
2. Swi tch is awk wa rd 10 reach; it wou ld be hct tcr 1,IlI c ed O il II", inst ru -
11I1'111 boa rd . Fine adj ustm ent is con trolled at curbureuor and i s d i/f i -
cu lt to reach a nd operate. Thro ttle is plu ced 100 nearpilat.
J. Tailplutu: i s IIII/ ch 100 sma ll. Ma rh in« tends 10 stall wit h en giiu: and
d i r t' wit h cn giiu: oJJ BELOW:A typical RNAS N ieup or t 12. Courtesy JMBIGSL ColleGion

/ 56
 Appendix A - Aircraft Typt:» Used lr: No .6 Sq uadron

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/ 57
 " Hist o ry of No .t: Squadron Royu l Nil 1'1I1A ir Se rvice ill Wo rld \I~ l r/

Another view of N eiuport 12 9209. Courtesy JMBIGSL Collection

Part 6: Nieu por t 17Bis S pcciti cu t iu n

The Nicupo rt 17Bi s has be en ver y poor ly documented in co nte mporary lit- Ty pe: Nie uport 17Bis . 130 hp C lcrgct
erature and is in co nse q ue nce a re lati ve ly unknown ae ro pla ne. Fo r this rea- Mnnufacturers: Soci et e A no ny me de s Eta hlisse me nts Nie upo rt. Par is.
so n. the typ e is described here in much g rea ter det ail than ha s been devot ed France
to the o ther mac hin es 110 w n by No .6 Squadron. T he Briti sh Nieu port Co mpa ny. C ricklcwood. U K
O utwa rd ly appearin g to be a lig htl y modi fied and up -rate d Nieupo rt
17. the 17 Bis proved to be a major d isappointment in RNAS serv ice . Th ere " r ind pa l Dim en si on s
is a we ll-know n say ing. " if something looks right. it is rig ht" - the Nie uport Sp an of up per main planes 26 .77 n (8 . \ 6 me tres)
17B is wa s the exce ption to this aph or ism. Arguably o ne o f the mos t attrac - Sp an o f lowe r ma in plan es 25 .6 n (7 .< metres)
ti ve Alli ed sing le sca t sc o uts o f the period. the 17 Bis was an ove rwe ight and C hor d o f upper main planes 4 .05 n ( 1.233 met res )
unsucc essful whit e e lepha nt. C ho rd of lo wer main plan es 2.36 n (0 .720 met res)
Th e Nic upo rt 17Bi s had the di stin cti on of be ing the first produ cti on Win g Area 158.77 sq ft ( 14 .75 sq me tres )
twin gun sco ut to ente r British se rv ice . healin g the RFC s SE 5 int o fro nt line Incidence of upper main plan es : l" 50'
se rvice hy two wee ks. The most o bvio us visual differen ces bet ween the 17 Bis Incidence of sta rboa rd lo wer main plan es : 4"
and a standa rd Nieupor t 17 we re the ado ptio n o f a plea santl y rounded fuse - Incide nce of port lo wer main plane :
lage profile. a narrow eng ine cow ling that tapered inw ards slightl y from At roo t: 4"
fro nt to ha ck and o f co urse . two g uns . At wi ng tip : 5"
The rou nde d fuselage profile was achieved by the add itio n of six th in Dih ed ra l o f upper main planes: 0"
plywood for mers to the Nicupo rt 17' s "s la b" sid es and twel ve spruce string- Dih ed ra l of lo wer mai n planes: 2" 20 '
ers ru nnin g from the s ide c ladd ing hack to the upri ght membe r at the fro nt o f Ra ke of up per main planes: 2" 20 '
the stahilizer . Th e side c ladd ing co ntinued the curve d pro file fo rwards to Rake of lo we r main plan es (a pprox imate ): Y' 30 '
fa ir into the firewa ll and a lumi niu m cow ling. A ng le bet ween V o uter struts : 36" 1'1'
The arma me nt co mprised a fuselage mo unted Vickers gun sy nchronised Stagge r at side o f cow l: 2. 12 ft (0. 64 5 met res )
to fire th ro ug h the prope ller a nd a Lewis gun mo un ted o n the to p wing firi ng Stagger at V o uter struts: 2.33 ft (0.7 10 metres)
a bove the prop el ler arc . Fren ch A lkun-Ha my inte rrupter gea r wa s em ployed O ve ra ll le ngth : 1'1.03 n (5.8 me tres )
to sy nchro nise the Vickers g un to the pro pe ller positio n. Unlike any ot he r He ight: un n (2 .40 me tres )
Nieupo rt 17 va riant. the mou nting po sitio n of the Vickers gun was offset to A ng le of inc idence o f ta il plan e : 0"
the port side of the ce nt re line of the fuselage . Th e l.c wis g un was atta ched Unde rcarriage trac k: 5 .25 ft ( 1.60 metr es)
via a Iixcd mo unting and it was not possib le to pu ll the g un hack to c ha nge Wei gh t - fuelled and arme d i csthnatcd} " : 1323 Ihs (600 Kg )
a mmunitio n drums . On so me ma chi nes. an o ptical sight was o fte n mount ed Armamen t: On e sy nc hro nise d Vickers 0.3 03 in machine g un mo un ted to the
o n the top win g . be nea th the Le w is gun. port side o f the ce ntre line o f the fusel age a nd o ne Lewi s 0 .30 3 in mounted
In an att em pt to increase perform ance and. it is sus pec ted. to co mpe nsa te above the to p win g.
for the extra we ight of the addi tio na l woo d wor k and seco nd g un inst allati on .
the eng ine was upratcd from the standa rd Nicuport l 7's II0hp Le Rh6n e to " Th e wei ght is a matt er of som e co ntroversy. most so urces refe ren ced put
a 130hp C lcrge t 'lB . nfo rtun at cl y. the C le rge t also ca rr ied a wei ght pen alt y the gross weigh t as e ither the sa me as. or slightly light er than the sta ndar d
o ver the Lc Rho ne . bein g so me 22 to 25 kil ogr am s heavi er (de pe nd ing upo n Nieupo rt 17. Thi s is so clea rly a no ma lous. the a utho r is surprise d tha I it has
spec ification). Th e front o f the 17 Bis co w ling was o f a slightly larger diam eter neve r been serious ly questi on ed in the past.
than that o f the Nicuport 17. in o rde r ( 0 acconuuod.ue the 130 hp C lcrge t Olt
rotary en gin e. To a vo id fitt ing a new firew all. the cow ling ta pe red hack to Th e sta ndard Nicupo rt 17 is usu ally q uo ted as havin g a we ight o f 560 Kg
match the diamet er o f the l 7's bu lkhead . ( fue lled and armed) . It is not c lea r whethe r this rela tes to the arma me nt he-
ing a synchronized Vi ckers gun or a win g mounted L ewi s gun hu t the author
sus pec ts that it refer s to the latt er. Th e struc ture o f the Nieuport 17 was an
e lega nt exe rc ise in wei ght reduction wi th a ll wood en and meta l pa rt s. whe r-
eve r po ssib le. reli ev ed o r hollowed . a lmos t to the poi nt o f fragi lity. To th is

/ 58
 AIJfl l' lu/ ix 1\ - Ai rcraft Type» Used hy No.6 Squad ron

de lica te ly re fined struc ture. the 17 B is adde d 12 s pruce stringe rs a nd 6 ply- C o nte mpo ra ry phot og raph s o f the sq uad ro n's airc ra ft sho w that ma ny pil ot s
wo od fo rme rs. a C lc rgc t 9 B e ng ine that was at least 22 Kg hea vie r th an the c hose to re mo ve the Lewi s gun, sac rific ing fir e power for a bett er c lim b a nd
II Ohp l. c Rho ne. a n e xtra gun. g un mo unt. sy nc h ro nizing gea r a nd 4 00 or so faster top speed.
ro und s o f a m m unitio n (say 20 Kg ). Th erefore , a co nse rvative es tima te wo u ld Fro m the test s ca rr ied o ut by SC d r Pe tre. the 17 Bis ini tiall y a ppe a red
be that the 17 Bis ca rried a we ig ht pe na lty o ve r the sta nda rd N ieupo rt 17 of to ha ve had a pe rforma nce eq u ivale nt to . or pe rh ap s e ve n be tte r in so me
a t lea st 40 Kg. respect s tha n the conte m po ra ry So pw ith Tri pla ne . I lo w is it then th at the
So pwi th Tripl .mcs pe rforma nce in early 191 7 was co ns ide red to be " st a te o f
Pe rform a nce the a rt" b ut the 17B is per for man ce wa s " d isa ppo inting"?
S peed a t 500 ft (152 me tre ) 109 mph ( 175 kph) Th e ha ndlin g de fic ien cies. hea vy co ntro ls a nd hig h land ing s peed we re
S peed a t 7000 ft (2 133 metre ) l l o mp h ( 187 kph ) d ue to the we ig ht o f the mac hine . If two simila r a irc ra ft. in th is case the 17
S pee d a t 10000 ft (3 048 met re ) 10 7m ph ( 172 kp h ) and 17 Bis ha ve d iffe re nt weig hts. the hea vie r mach ine wi ll ha ve a hi gh er
C lim b to 10000 ft (30 4 8 met re ) 9 min 20 sec stall speed a nd its co ntro ls wi ll be hea vie r.
C lim b to 200 00 ft (6096 met re ) J21l1 in T he poor c limb a nd poo r ce iling we re d ue to lack o f e ng ine po we r. Th e
End ura nce : 1.75 ho urs British built C lcrgc t 130 hp I)B was a not o riou s ly fic k le e ng ine to keep ru n-
nin g a t peak pe rfor ma nce a nd its po we r wa s known to fa ll away rapi d ly
Pu bli shed pe rform a nce fig ures for thi s peri od mu st always be regar ded with bet ween its stip ula ted ma intena nce per iod s. In itia l op e ra tion rep o rts sho wed
sus pic io n. the tests we re ofte n ca rried o ut in the mo st un sci en tific ma nner tha t o btura to r ring s. roc ke r arm pins and ex ha ust va lve springs requi red fre -
w ith w ild ly var yin g resu lts fro m o ne te st to a not he r. At fir st g la nce the per - q ue nt rep lacem e nt. Th e Fren ch bu ilt Clcrgc t wa s co nside red to be mor e po w-
form an ce o f the N icup o rt 17 Bis loo ks to be ver y pr om ising . T he o nly rel i- e rfu l a nd mor e co nsi ste nt tha n the British b uilt e ng ines . ex pe rie nced pilo ts
a ble measur e tha t we ca n a pply at th is j unc ture is to ask " ho w d id the ma- suc h as Ra ym o nd Co llisha w o f No . 10 Sq uadro n we re kno wn to tak e pa ins to
c h ine co mpa re to its o ppositio n?" In the case o f the N ic upo rt 17B is. the sec ure a ll the ava ilable Fren ch built e ng ines for the ir ow n Iligh t's use .
re ply must be " no t fa voura bly" . T he poo r top speed was d ue to the ov e ra ll dr ag o f the airc ra ft a nd also
Initially. the 17 Bis pe rfor ma nce appear ed to be mor e tha n acce pta ble. was not he lped by the ste ad ily dec lin ing po wer ava ila ble from the C lerge t.
T he im press ive result s achi e ved d uri ng SC d r Pe tre ' s tests ca rrie d o ut o n the Many N aval (} pilots arc known to have remo ved their over-w ing L ewi s gun
2n d . 6t h a nd 7th o f Fe bru a ry wo uld ha ve been ve ry e ncouragi ng. to ga in a co u ple o f kno ts speed.
So me airc ra ft a re know n to ha ve been supplied by Nieupo rt w ith inco r-
]'\3 184 o n 2nd Feb r uu r y 1917 rect prope lle rs. until re plac ed this wo uld ha ve had a de tr imen tal e ffec t up on
C lim b : 1000 fee t in 45 sec o nds speed a nd c limb.
40 00 feet in 3 m inutes If we co ns id e r th e co m b ina tio n o f the se fau lts p lus th e N ie u po rt
10000 fee t in 8 min utes scs q uipla nc 's we ll do c um en ted wea kness in the strut to lo we r spa r atta c h-
15000 fee t in 15 m inu tes me nt. whe re by the lo wer planes co uld twi st or e ve n b reak a wa y d uring vio-
200 00 feet in 50 m inutes len t co m ba t ma noe uvr es. it is no surprise tha t the sq uad ro n suffe red a high
Cei ling : 23000 fee t a ttr itio n ra te an d re lative ly poo r record o f co m ba t cl aims .
It is p rob a bly sa fe to say th at in s ing le gu n fo rm and fitted w ith a fresh
]'\3 18 4 on lil h Fe h ruury 191 7 (c o m pa r iso n It,sl with Sop wi t h Tri plu ne) Fren ch built C ler ge t. the N ic upo rt 17 Bis had a s im ilar rate o f cl imb a nd
N icupo rt rea c hed 10000 feet in sa me time th at So pwi ih T ripla ne reac hed ce iling to the co nte m po ra ry So p with Tri planc . It was. ho we ve r, s lo we r tha n
82 00 fee t the Tr iplun c by sev e ra l m iles per hour a nd did not e x hih it the T ri plan c 's lig ht
ha ndlin g c ha rac te ristics . A skilled and agg ressive pi lot co uld ge t the best o ut
]'\3 184 o n 71h Feh ruarv 19 17 (co m pa r iso n test wi t h So p wit h Tripl auc} of the Nic upo rt 17 Bis. which is why FC dr EW Nor to n wa s so success fu l
Nic upo rt a nd So pwi th Tr ipla nc bot h took sa me time tn reach 15000 feet w ith the type.
(pre su ma bly 15 mi nu tes ) T he maj or ity o f No .6 Squadro n's Nicupo rt 17Bi s a irc raf t we re o f Fre nc h
T he Sopw ith Trip lan c was 4 kno ts faste r than the Nic upo rt at 15000 manu fac ture. supplied from N ic uports Pa ris fac tor y. In to ta l. the RNA S o r-
fee t. de red 32 ma c hines from ' ic upo rt and a furthe r 100 fro m Th e Briti sh Nieuport
T he type ex hibited so me less than per fect c ha rac te ristics . ho we ver a nd C o m pa ny a t C ric klcwood. W he n the mode l' s deficien ci es beca me a pp ar e nt.
o n the 12th Febru ary Pe tre re po rte d: the or de r placed npon the Bri tish N ieupo rt Co m pa ny was subs eq ue ntly re -
d uce d to 50 . M any o f these Brit ish bui lt a irc ra ft wer e im med ia tely pla ced
This ma ch ine is \"£":" he avv Oil all controls hUI ( ' ( l/l he nut uoeu - into stor ag e a nd subse q ue ntly de leted a ltho ug h o ne. N51)06 . was sh ipped to
vrcd quickl » by " pilot who will use brute [ orce /(I .II .-i ll g it about, Thr the USA fo r Lad y Dro gh ed a's Ex hihi tio n.
position, 1'\ '1'11[ora pilot ,~r <II'c ra gc heiglu, is \'ery CIW III" 'd "lid [ora Lo sses a nd unsc rvi cca bi lit y o f the a irc raft in se rvice wi th '0 .6 Sq uad -
((/1/ pilot it 1" 'COlI ll 'S unb earnhlc af te r [lviug [o r .1'0 11I1' tim e. I I i s .I /l g - ro n we re suc h that the de po t a t Dun kcrque was una ble to supply e no ugh
gcslcd 11/(/ 1 II II' ru dder bar he 1II{1\'" d [ot wa rd fi ve inches. Frenc h bui lt machi nes to kee p up with the sq uad ro n's dem an d s. Fo ur British
bu ilt ai rc ra ft were supplied d urin g A pri l and Ma y 11)1 7. these ar c readi ly
A test o n the sq uad ro n's second Nic upo rt 17B is o n the 1st March wa s less ide ntifia ble in ph o to gra phs as the Bri tish supplied a irc raft had upp e r sur-
im pressive : faces pai nted in PC IO. Fre nch su pplied airc ra ft we re paint ed o ve ra ll in a lu-
mi n ium do pe. S pa re ai rfra me pa rts co m mo n to the N ic upo rt 17 we re sup-
K H 87 o n l si M arc h 191 7 plied fro m the RFC s stock. w ith the result that so me a ircr a ft co uld eve ntu-
1200 0 fee t in 16 1/ 2 m in utes Fixed Vic ker s + Le wi s + do uble tray a lly he fin ish ed in a m ixtur e o f a luminium and PC I0 do pe .
1200 0 fee t in 14 mi nu tes Fixed Vic ker s o nly No .6 Sq uad ro n wa s the o n ly sq uad ro n to be uniform ly eq u ipped with
S pee d a t 12000 feet redu ced by 2 Knot s whe n ca rry ing bo th g uns. the 17B is. a ltho ug h so me airc ra ft wer e use d by No . 11 Sq uadro n wh ic h wa s
e ffect ive ly be ing used as a n ope rat io na l train ing sq uad ro n a nd pilot's pool.
Dise nc ha ntmen t w ith the ty pe so o n se t in o nce the machine wa s used und e r T wo ve ry ea rly e xa mp les we re used by No .1) Squad ro n whilst the y we re
se rvice co nd itio ns. We kno w fro m va rio us co m me nts made by Na val 6 pi- " wo rk ing-up" during Feb rua ry II)17.
lo ts that. in se rv ice. the N icupo rt 17Bi s su ffe red from the fo llo w ing pro b-
le ms:

Poo r c lim b
Poo r top s peed
lI ea vy co ntro ls
Poor ceiling
II ig h la nd ing speed

/ 59
 A History of No .6 Sq uadro n Ro val Nava l A ir Se n -ice ill \\'orldll'ar I

A n unusual view of a Nieu por t 17Bis.The hinged w indscreen w hich fits to th e Th is phot ograph provides a goo d view o f the Lew is Gun mount on the top
w ing pylon appears to be reinforced w ith chicken wire' CourtesyjustinYoung win g. Courtesy jusunYoung

A mce detail view of he tail assembly show ing combat damage to the fuselage
top longeron. Courtesy Justin Young

A port side view with the inspection panel removed. Courtesy Justin Young

100
 App end i» A - Ai rcra]! Types Use d /)." No.6 Squad ron

Pa rt 7 : Sopwith FI Ca m el A r ma me nt
:-.10.4 Squa dro n and No .6 Squadro n were the first units to be eq uipped with Stan da rd armam ent on the Sopwit h Ca me l wa s a pair o f Vicke rs Mk I* of
tbe So pwi th Camel. Bot h RNf\ S squadro ns were supplied with aircraft from 0 .30r calibre.
the first prod uct ion batch manufactured by So pwit h, howe ver. whilst No.4 The ea rly produ cti on Came ls e mployed ammunitio n carried on canvas
Squad ron was equipped with the far more desirable I50 hp Bentl ey powered bando liers. Under co mbat cond itions. the pilot was req uired to co llec t the
Came ls. No.6 Squadro n received 130hp C lcrgct 9 B po wered machi nes. used belt on a "take up" spool fitted beh ind the ins trume nt pa nel. A band le
No .6 Sq uadron received its first Clergct powered Ca me ls o n the Xth o n the ins tru me nt pane l a llo wed the pilot to rotate the spoo l to "take-up" the
June 19 17 when five machines were co llec ted from the depot at St . Po l. T he ex pe nded be lt. Soo n aft er productio n co mmence d. disintegrating lin k am-
squadro n was fully eq uipped by the last week of June 1917 and ca rried ou t muniti on be lts came io to widesprea d usc. negating the need for the belt take-
their first patro l on the 27th June whe n FCdr i\lac Len nan led ao unevent ful up spool. Spent ca rtridges were then e jec ted from a chute on the po rt side of
o ffe ns ive patrol at 11. 15. No .6 Sq uadro n's first Ca mel victory cam e three the gun's breech. In the case of the port Vicke rs gun. the chute was very
wee ks later on the 20t h Jul y whe n Mac l.cn nan was credited wi th a n Out of short. di rectin g the cartridge ca ses out in to the s lipstream. A visual identifi -
Contro l. cation fea ture of early Ca mels is the lac k of a port s ide ejec tio n chute on the
Th e Sop with Ca me l has been co vered ex te nsive ly in many books. there- g un cove r.
fore it is not deemed to be appro priate to plo ugh up the same gro und aga in. Gun stoppage s on the early machin es we re o fte n ca used by the fab ric
Th e foll owing disc ussio n will be limi ted to lesser-kn own aspects as they bando liers absorb ing moistur e a nd then freezing at a ltitude . Stop pages were
relate to the early prod uction Ca me ls used by No .6 Squadro n. Readers wish- a lso caused by mec hanica l fa ilures. both o f the ammunition and the c lose ly
ing to acquaint the mse lves more fully with the Sopw ith Ca me l arc reco m- to le ranced mechan ica l compone nts.
mended to the type and manufacturer spec ific books listed in the bibliogra-
phy. In tc r ru ptc r gl'a r
T he Came l e pitomised a new de sign approac h for Sopwith , wherea s a ll To a llow the guns to fire thro ugh the pro pe ller arc. the Sopwi th- Kau pcr in-
previou s designs had ten ded towards stability. the Ca me l lived on the edge terru pter gear was fitted to the ea rly Ca me ls. T he So pwit h Kaup er gea r fea -
of instabi lity. Th e Ca me l wa s an "agile" , twin gun. single sealer. desig ned tured a mec hani cal linkage to preve nt the guns from firing du ring the inter-
fro m the o utse t to pro vide pilo ts wit h the fire powe r. perfor ma nce and val that the pro pe ller blade was passin g in fro nt of them.
man oeuvrab ility that had been lack ing in the So pwith Co mpany's Pu p and
Tri plane design s. The slightest tou ch on the co ntro ls could se nd the machin e C o nt rols
tumb ling across the sky. giving the de sign a feared reputation amo ngst ne w The posit ion ing o f the fusela ge e ntry po int for the e leva tor co ntro l wires is
pilots. Whilst the a ircra ft was tota lly un forgi vin g of tent at ive o r c lumsy han - d istin ctive on early Ca me ls. both upper and lower wires usc the same entry
dli ng. it was a deva stating wea po n in the hand s o f those skilled eno ug h to po int. On later produc tion. the lower wire e ntry poi nt was lowered to pro-
master it. vide a more natural " run" .
NO.6 Squ adro n's Ca me ls were a llocat ed from the first prod ucti on batch
of 50 machines man ufactur ed by the So pwith Aviatio n Company .a t Kingston Fuc l I'rcssuri sat io n.
upon T hames. T his batc b cove red the serial number ra nge N6330 to N6379 . Early prod ucti on Clcrgct Ca me ls were not fitted with a Rot herham s lipstream
some were manufactured with Clcrgc t eng ines and some with the Bentl ey. dri ven air pump. Pressur isation of the fuel tank was achieved by means of a
No.6 Squadro n rec eive d C lerge t powe red a ircraft whi lst No.4 Squ adron re- mechan ica l a ir pump fitted to the back of the e ngine.
cc ivcd the Bentl ey po wered machines. Further C lerge t powered mach ines
wer e supplied to NO.6 Squadro n at the end of Jul y fro m the second So pw ith S pc ci ficu t iu n (early Came ls as used by No .6 Sq uadro n)
produ ction batch which cove red the se ria l numbe r range B375 I to B3950. Type : So pwith F. I. 130 lip C lerget
As migh t be expected with the introduct io n o f a new type. No .6 Squad- Manufacturer : So pwi th Aviati on Co. Ltd .. Kingston on T hames
ron expe rienced a great dea l o f teethi ng trou b le. the most frustrating fau lt
bei ng gun stoppages. a prob lem that tended to per iod ica lly affec t a ll of the Prhi clp le Dim cn sion s
RNAS Ca me l squadro ns. Wing span (bot h planes) 2Xft Oin (X.53 metre)
Chord (bot h planes) 4ft 6 in ( I.34 metre )
Bcntlcy vs C le rgct Chord of tailplane 3ft 4 1/2i n ( I .0 2me tre)
As ment ioned above . No .6 Squadron rece ived C lcrgct powered Ca me ls. Th e Incide nce (bo th pla nes) 2 degrees
Clerge t was a cons iderably inferior e ng ine to the Bentley. Gap at fuse lage 5ft Oin ( 1.52metre)
Th e Ben tley BR I. or to g ive it its correct name at that time. the A R I Gap at outer stru ts 4ft 2in ( 1.27metre )
(Ad miralty Rotary No . 1). was e ffective ly a rede sig n of the C lerge t. T he Dihedr a l . uppe r plane Ni l
Clerget ex hibited a serious design problem that could ca use overheating and Dihedr a l. lower plane :; degrees
subse q uent severe damage to the engine. T he RNAS co mmiss ioned FLt WO Ov era ll length IXft 9in (5.72 me tre )
Be ntley. an ex Grea t No rthern Railwa y enginee r and later to be famo us for Ile ight Xft 6 in (2.34me tre )
the marq ue of cars bearing his name. to look at the pro ble m with the C lcrgc i Wheel trac k 4ft 5 IMin ( I.35me tre )
and suggest so lutions to ov erco me its tende ncy to overheat. Bent ley replaced Whee l d iameter 2ft 4 in (0 .7 1 metre )
the C lc rgc r's stee l pistons and cy linde rs with alumi nium pistons and an a lu- Ta ilplane inciden ce I 1/2 degrees
mi nium cylinder shrunk onto a cas t iron liner. Un fort unate ly. the British Stagge r at ce ntre sectio n 1ft 6in (0 .46 metre )
manu factur er of Clerge t e ngines . Gwy ncs and Co . were not res po ns ive to Tail span sn 2 1/ 2in (2 .5 metre)
acco mmoda ting Bent ley 's changes and few modi fied C lergc ts were ma nu- Centre section width 7ft 3 1/ 2in (2 .22 metr e )
factured . A ir screw di ameter sn 6in (2 .59 metr e)
T he Admira lty we nt ahead with the Bent ley design and commiss ioned Areas \Ving 23 1 sq ft (21 .46 sq metre )
it to be manuf ac tured as the AR I. Th e AR I was a s ig nificantly better e ngine Ailero ns (each) 9 sq ft (O.X4 sq met re )
than the C lcrget, it wa s cheaper to man ufac ture. it de livered considerab ly Tailp lane 14 sq ft ( 1.3 sq metre)
more power and had a bett er se rv ice life. At first. the C lerget and AR I e n- Elevators 10 1/2sq ft (0.98 sq me tre)
gines were bot h spec ified by the Ad mira lty for tinnc nt into Came ls. apart Fin 3 sq n (0.2X sq me tre)
fro m the ob vious supply probl e ms with a new design . a valid co mparison of Rudd er 4 .9 sq ft (0.46 sq me tre )
the two engi nes unde r service co nditions was req uired . As confidence wa s Tan kage i\la in fue l tank 3D galls ( 136 .36 Litre )
built with the A R I and produc tio n ramp ed up to meet dem and the C lerget Gravity fue l tan k 7 ga lls (3 1.X2 Litre )
wa s phased o ut o f RNAS service to be re placed by the Be ntley AR I. Upo n Oil 6 1/2 ga lls (29 .55 Litre )
the formation o f the RA F. the ex-na val fro nt line Ca me l squadro ns were We ight Empty 96 2 lbs (43 6.36 kg )
e xc lusive ly equipped with the Bentley (now na med BR I to remove any Ad- Fully loaded 1422 Ibs (645 kg)
mira lty conno tations) whereas the ex-RFC Ca mel squadro ns were equipped
with C lcrgct or Ie Rhone powered aircraft. Arma men t: Two synchronised * 0 .303 in Vicke rs machine guns moun ted on
the top o f the fuse lage.

/ 6/
 " History uJ Nu. 6 Squadron Royul Na val Air Se rvice in Wur ld War I

This Camel was not used by N o.6 Squadro n but the photograph clearly depicts the salient featu res of a machine fro m
the Sopwi th Com pany's first prod uct ion batch. N ot able po ints include the stabiliser control cable ru n, the lack of
ejection chutes for spent disint egrating link ammunitio n and the lack of a Rot herham Pump fo r fuel pressurisation.
Cou r tesy Terry Treadw ell

• So pwith Kaup er synch ronisatio n gear
Perlurm an ce (typica l for an ea rly 130h p C lerget Camel)
Speed : at 6500 ft ( 198 1 metre)
at 10000ft (3 048 metre)
at 15000ft (4572 metr e)
C limb : to 65 00 ft ( 198 I met re)
to 10000ft (30 48 met re)
to 15000 ft (4572 metre )
Ceiling : I8500 ft (5639 metre)
Endurance : 2 1/ 2 ho urs
a vai lab le. parti cu larl y the Roll s Ro yce. we re not ava ilable in suffic ient qu an -
tit y. T he e ng ine sho rtage was not spec ifica lly the fa ult of Roll s Royce but
rather d ue to the Ai r Board and Go vern me nt po lic ies tha t e ff ective ly pre -
108 mp h ( 174 kph ) vent ed Ro lls Royce from ex pandi ng prod uct ion facil ities.
104.5mph ( 168 kph ) The type was used by No .6 Sq uad ro n whilst " wor king -up" bet ween
9 7.5 mph ( 15 7 kph ) January and ea rly Marc h 19 I8. the sq uad ron re placi ng the D.IIA w ith the
6 m in 40 sec D.11.9 for o pe ratio na l usc . O ne D.I IA was reta ined for fam iliarisatio n and
II mi n 45 sec traini ng o f ne w pilot s. A ll o f th e sq uad ro n's a irc ra ft were manufactur ed by
23 min 15 sec the West land A ircr aft Wor ks an d we re filled w ith the 230 hp Sidde ley Dea sy
Puma eng ine. the least sa tis fac to ry varia nt wi th regard to performan ce but
probab ly mo re than adequate for traini ng purp oses .

S pcc ilka tio n

Part 11: D.l1.4 Type : D.II A . 230 hp S id dc lcy Deasy Pum a
Desig ned by Geoffrey de Havil land for the A ircra ft Manufactu rin g Co . Ltd Manufact urer : West land A ircra ft Wor ks. Yeov il
(or A irco as the co mpany was co mmo nly re ferred to ). the D.l IA was o ne o f
the grea t a ircraft of World War I. Succ ess fully used as a day bomber and P ri nc ipal Dimcnsio ns
fighte r recon nai ssan ce mach ine . the D.II A was still in usc at the end of the Wing span 42ft 4 5/ 8 in ( 12.92 metr e )
war whe n it sho uld have bee n repl aced by the tro ubl esom e D.II. 9 at the Le ngt h 30 n 8 in (9.35 metr e)
beginn ing o f 19 I8. Th e D.IIA was av a ila ble w ith a ran ge o f e ng ines which lI e ig ht io n I in (3 . 18 metr e )
inc lud ed the 230 hp S iddc lcy Pum a , 230 hp Ga llo way Adriatic. 200 hp RAF Wing area 434 sq ft (40 .32 sq metre )
3a. 260 hp Fiat A 12. 250h p Ro lls Ro yce Eag le I. II. III and IV. 275 hp Ro lls Wei ght (e mpty) 2209 1b ( 1002 kg )
Royce Eagle V. VI and V II and 375 hp Ro lls Royce Eag le V II I. (loaded) 364 1 Ib ( 1570 kg )
Eq uipped with a Ro lls Ro yce Eag le. the D.11.4 had the streng th. per - Arm am ent: O ne or two 0 .30 3 in Vick er s machine g un and o ne 0 .30 3 in Lew is
for mance (spee d. c limb. ce iling and manoeu vrab ility) and arm am ent to ef - machine gun.
fect ivel y per for m its duti es and de fe nd itself. On the do wn side. its maxi- Two 230 lb bombs or fo ur 1121b bo mbs o r eq uivalent.
mum bo mb load wa s rega rded as too small fo r 19 I8 and the va rio us e ng ines

162
 Appendix A - Ai rcra]: Typ es Used bv No.6 Sq uadron

1\
( ~ ;;!.
/
)
\ [1 V
v
I'--
~ V
\~

0
I€?
w
I
,
' I

I
I I I "r-
r-, =r ,........,/
IV
III
II
I
f\
f\

\ 1/
V
II .I I I I II I I I I I I II I I II II I II I II I1I 11 I1I I I III I I III II I I I I II III I I ' I I I I II I I I II Lu-

-. 1/
" IJ II III III III
~
f: 1
r-t""""

0 00

/ 63
 A Il ist orv ojNo.t: Sq uadro n ROYI/I N I/\'(/I Air S e rv ice ill World \\'tlr /

Performan ce (2JOh p BliP ) A ll but o ne o f the D.11.9 s de live red to No .6 Sq uad ro n we re ma n ufac -
S pee d at 10000 ft I IOm ph* ( 177 kp h ) tur ed by th e We stlan d Aero Work s and we re fille d w ith th e S id de ley Dea sy
C limb to 10000 ft 24 m in 55 sec " l' uma e ng ine . Just o ne mac h ine . D 2 7 ~ 3 . wa s man uf ac ture d by S hort Bro th-
Se rvice ce iling: 1350 0 ft* (4 115 me tre) e rs a nd wa s a lso fill ed w ith a S id de lcy De asy Puma.

* T he pe r for ma nce w he n fille d wi th a Ro lls Ro yce Eag le was co ns idc ruh ly S pec iflcn t iu n (e a rly 0 .11.9 s a s used by No .6 Sq uad ro n)
in e xce ss o f the se fig ure s. Typ e : D.Il .9 . 230 hp S iddc lcy Puma
Ma nu facture r: We stla nd A irc ra ft Wor ks. Yeo vi l
S ho rt Brot her s. Roch est e r
Part 9: D.II.9
T he D.Il .9 wa s o nce desc rib ed a s a ··D.Il A wh ic h had been o fficia lly inte r- Prin cipa l Dim en sions
fe red w ith so a s to be s u ita b le fo r ma ss -prod ucti o n and the B. I I. I'. moto r". W ing s pa n: 42 ft 4 5 /~ in ( 12.92 me tre )
De spite its e xe m pla ry se rvice record . the D.IlA wa s pe rce ive d by o ffic ia ldo m Len gt h: 30 ft 6 in (9. 26 met re )
as ha ving a nu mber o f defici e nc ie s: He ig ht: I 1ft 2 in (3 .4 met re )
It d id no t ca rry a s uffic ie nt pay lo ad to mee t the Roya l Fly ing Co rps W ing Ar e a: 43 4 sq It (40.3 2 sq me tre )
fo reca st need s fo r 19 1 ~ . We ig ht: (e mpty ) 2203 lbs (99 9 .26 kg )
Th e pilo t and ob serve r we re too fa r apa rt to co m mun ica te e ffec tive ly. ( lo aded ) 36 69 Ib s ( 1664 .23 kg)
Th e Ro lls Ro yce Eagle po we r un its requ ire d skilled ass e m b ly and were Ar ma me nt: O ne (U03 in Vick e rs Mach ine gun a nd o ne 0 .303 in Le wi s ma -
no t dee med to be s u itab le for ma ss prod uc tion . chine gun*
Th e A ircraft M a nu facturi ng Co mpa ny wa s ta sked with dev elo p ing the ir Two 23 01b or Four I I 21b bo mb s or eq ui va le nt we ight in s ma lle r mu ni tion s.
D.H A to cr ea te a ne w ma ch ine ca pa b le o f ca rry ing a g rea te r bomb load . w ith
th e pi lot's c oc kpit mo ved back be hi nd the ce ntre sec tio n so tha t th e pi lot and * No .6 Squadro n freq ue ntly ad o pte d a twin Le w is g un set up de vised by the
ob ser ve r co uld be se a ted back to back a nd using a n e ng ine su itab le fo r ma ss A rma me nts Office r.
prod uc tio n.
In the searc h for a s uita ble e ng ine . the A ir Boa rd decid e d that the un- Perturmance (23 0 hp S iddc lcy Puma )
pro ven pri vate ve nt ure Bil l' ( Bea rd more Il a lfor d Pu llingc r) wa s a su ita b le S pee d : at 10000 ft (304 8 me tre ) I 11.5 m ph ( 179 .6 kph )
c and ida te . T he BI II' wa s a ve rt ica l six cy linde r mo to r o f I ~ .~ litres c a pac ity. at 15000 ft (4572 met re ) 97 .5 mp h ( 157 kph )
It was ba sed upon a n a lum in ium mon o h lo c k c ra nkc ase w ith thr ead ed steel at 165 00 n (5029 met re ) 9 I m ph ( 14 6 .5 kph)
liner s sc re wed into it. the thr ee va lve (two e xha us t a nd one inle t) cy linde r C li mb: to 6500 ft ( 198 I met re ) 10 m in
head s we re cast iro n a nd the wa te rjac ke ting wa s fab ric ated from shee t stee l. to 10000 ft (3 04 ~ metre ) 20 mi n 5 sec
In pract ice . the a lu m ini um c ra n kc ase pro ved very d iffic u lt to ma nu fac ture to 15000 n (45 72 m etr e ) 4 5 m in
with porous cas tings and poor mac hini ng resulting in a very low product io n to 16500 ft (50 29 me tre ) 67 min
y ie ld . Ce iling: IW OOft ( 4 ~ 27 met re )
Initial o rde rs we re p laced w ith the S idd c lcy Dea sy Mo to r Co mpa ny End ura nce : 4 1/2 hr
a nd the Gall oway E ng inee ring Co m pa ny. Whi lst G a llo way E ng ineerin g
manufact ure d the ba sic Bi ll' de sig n. Sicklclcy Dea sy took it up on them se lve s D uring No .6 Sq uad ro n' s b rier o pe ra tio na l per iod wi th the D.11.9 . fro m the
to red es ig n the e ng ine in the inte res ts o f m an ufuc turab ility an d wi th a des ig n 9 th to the 3 1st Ma rc h 19 I8 . inci de nts d ue to e ng ine prob le m s we re s ig nifi-
ta rget o f incr e asing the pe rfor m a nce to 30 0 hp. A mo ngs t the modi fic ation s. ca nt wi th two e ng ine fai lur e s/ for ced la nd ings an d two crashe s tha t k illed the
the cy linde r hea ds we re c ha nge d to cas t a lum in iu m int o w hic h stee l line rs crew. bo th a lmo st ce rta in ly d ue to p ilo t e rro r b ut pro babl y prom pted by a n
we re scr e we d wi th sho rt th re ad s a nd the wate r ja ck et s we re a lso c ha nge d to e ng ine fa ilure . M issio n e ffec tive nes s wa s seve re ly co m pro m ise d w ith man y
aluminium castings. a irc ra ft co ntinuo us ly un se rv iceab le and o fte n a 15 % to 30% d ro pout o f ma -
Th e (lew de s ig n. re fer re d to a s the S idd c ley P um a wa s 4 5 Ib s ligh te r c h ines from bomb ing ra id s.
th a n the Bill' but wa s di men sio na lly a differ ent e ng ine to the Ga lloway T he sq uad ro n's s tra tegy o f usin g tigh t form at io n fl ying to bo th ha ve
Ad ria tic w h ic h still ad he re d to the Bi ll' spec ific atio n. T he re s u lt wa s th at the the g rea te s t im pact upo n the ta rget a nd to pro vide the be st de fen sive o ptio n
two e ngi nes co uld no t be inte rc ha nged . a ga inst e ne my fighte rs s uffe red by the va riab le a nd un rel ia b le pe rfo rm an ce
T he S iddclcy Dea sy P um a fa iled to de live r the pro mi se d 30 0hp a nd o f th e S id dc ly Deasy e ng ines . Me mbe rs o f the form ation wer e freq ue ntly
wa s de -ra ted to 23 0 hp. the sa me po wer ra tin g a s the B I ll' e ng ine upo n w h ic h una b le to kee p up or ma int ai n positio n.
it was ba sed . Both the Pu ma a nd the Bil l' in itia lly pro ved un rcl iub lc in se r- T he sq uad ro n c ontin ued to usc D.Il .9s w he n it bec a me No.2 06 sq ua d -
vice with b ro ke n va lve springs an d burnt o ut e xha us t val ves a co ns ta nt pro b- ron RA F o n the Ist Mar c h 1 91 ~ . Desp ite S idd c ley De asy o ve rco m ing ma ny
le m. o f the pro b le m s with th e Puma e ng ine . the c re ws ne ve r fu lly re gain ed th ei r
los t tru st in w ha t was ba sica lly an ob so le te a nd unde rpo we red e ng ine .

NOT E
I "Scsqu iplane" re fers to a b ip lan e w he re the lo we r wing is cons idc rub ly

s ma lle r tha n the uppe r wing . Sc squi lite ra lly mea ning In.

/ 64
 APPE N D IX B

COLOR PROFILES AND

SmJADRON MARKINGS

MWM

Profile 000 I
Ni euport 17Bis serial N 3204, t he A Flight Co mmander's machine. A Flight
colours comprise d a blue cow l and whee l covers. Flown by FCdr CT Maclaren
from 14t h March 1917 until he we nt on leave on t he 25t h May 1917. N 3204
was t hen fiown by Flt FP Reeves w ho was killed w hen th e aircraft broke up
dur ing combat on t he 6th June 1917.

166
App endix B - Color Profi les and Squadron Ma rkings

MWM

Profile 000 2
N 3 10 I ,th e B Flight Commander's machine. B Flight aircraft had t he cow l and
w heel covers unpaint ed. On t he 6th June 19 17, A5Cdr Draper claimed one
scout out of cont ro l and anothe r destroyed to th e nort hwest of Cambrai. FLt
GA Gooderham crashed and w rote off N 3 10 I on t he 15t h June 19 17.

MWM

Profile 0003
N320B ,The C Flight Commander's machine. Briefly flow n by FCdr N orton
from 22nd t o t he 29t h A pri l 19 17, N320B carries three red bands arou nd the
fuselage, a red cow ling and red w heel cover s. W hilst flying N 320B, Norton
shared a claim for a scout out of cont ro l at Honnecour t in the early afternoo n
and claimed a sco ut in flames with another out of cont rol at Guise duri ng the
evening of t he 29t h Apri l. 5Cdr CD Breese was flying N 320B on t he I st June
19 17 w hen he shared a claim for an "apparent ly out of cont ro l" 2-seater at 5t.
Qu ent in.

167
App endix B - Color Profiles and Squadro n Markings

MWM

Profile 0007
N 320 3,"3" of A Flight, was fiown by FLt LC Keeble from 24th March to 22nd
April 1917,and t hen t aken over by the Canadian,FSLArt hur McBurneyW alton,
from 30th April to 20t h May 1917,W alt on crashed N 3203 at Flez on t he 20th
May,effect ively ending the machine's career.

MWM

Profile 0005
N 3 196," 2" of A Flight, N 3 196 was used by th e A Flight deputy leader, FLt BHP
D e Roeper,from t he 7t h A pri l t o 13t h May 1917, Cod ed " 2" . N3 196 is unusual
in having th e flight numb er repeated on the to p decking.

169
App endix B - Color Profil es and Squadron Ma rkings

MWM

Profile 0008
N 3 189,"6" of A Flight , was fiown by the Canadian pilot F5L OJ Gagnier, from
24t h March to I It h May 1917. Gagnier claimed an A lbatros scout crashed
nort hwest of Fresnoy Ie Grand on t he 10th May 19 17, but was himself shot
down and seriously injured on the I It h May 19 17.

MWM

Pro file 0009

N 3199,"8" of B Flight was Canadian pilot F5L CL Bailey'sregular mount between
t he 25th March and 20t h May 19 17. Bailey was a member of B Flight during
March and Ap r il. F5L A McB Wa lton took charge o f N 3199 fro m the 23rd May
to t he 13th June 19 17. Both Bailey and Wa lto n submitted claims w it h t his
machine, Bailey claiming a scout out of control at 51. Que ntin on t he 20t h May
and Wa lto n claiming an apparent ly out of control 2-seater at 51. Q uent in on
t he I st June 1917. In addit ion to these claims, F5L RR W inte'r "borrowed"
N 3199 on t he 29th April and claimed a scout out of control at Guise.

171
A History of No.6 Squad ron Royal Naval Air Service in World War /

Pro file 00 10
N3 200, "9" of B Flight, arrived at t he squadro n on th e I Ith March 1917 and
led a relatively quiet life in th e hands of FS L D avid Plaistowe. FSL ST Edwards
used N 3200 on a line patro l on the 23rd April 1917, suffered a fuel pressure
probl em and crashed th e machine at Ch ipilly, br inging a premature end to
N3 200's career.

Profile 0011
N31 02 was unusual. one of the very few Nieu port 17Bis aircraft in the squadron
to carr y a fuselage cockade. N 3102 was delivered from the Ni eupor t factory
to th e RFCs N o.2 A D at Candas, it is believed th at the RFC depot t ook the
decision to apply t he fuselage cockade. FSL ST Edwards used N31 02 in B
Flight from th e 24th A pril unt il the 13th June 19 17.

/ 72
App endix B - Colo r Profiles and Squadron Marki ngs

MWM

Profile 0012
N 3 186, " 12" of B Flight was ori ginally delivered to t he squadro n on 15t h
Februar y 19 17. FSl Cl Bailey crashed at take off on I It h March and t he
aircraft was not repaired until 22nd A pril 19 17. FSl PE Beasley fiew N 3 186
and it is believed th e Flight code " 12" and t he diagonal red stripe are his
markings. Beasley fiew N 31 86 fro m 29th A pril t o 12t h May 1917, t hereafter it
w as taken over by FSl Gl E Stevens until 27t h May 1917. FSl Holyman was
fiying N 3 186 on the I st June 19 17 when it was hit by anti-aircraft fire and
damaged duri ng the subsequent forced landing.

MWM

Profile 00 13
N 5860 was one of t he four British Ni euport comp any built machines used by
N o.6 Squadron .The convent ional Brit ish PC I 0 brow n finish provides a stark
cont rast t o t he A luminium doped aircraft.This machine was used by Fl t GG
Macl ennan of C Flight from th e 24th April to 5t h June and t hen by FSl PE
Beasley from t he 6th Juneto t he 12th June 1917.

173
A History of No.6 Squadron Royal Nava l Air Service in World War /

MWM

Profile 00 14
N 5862 was anot her of t he Briti sh N ieuport Co mpany built machines. N 5862
was flown by C Flight's FSL Haro ld Law son from th e 3rd May to 29t h May.FSL
ST Edwards fer ried N586 2 back to t he depot at Dunkerque on t he 5t h June
but caused some damage w hen he ran a w heel into a ditch w hen landing.

MWM

Profile 00 15
N3192," 15" of C Flight. was on the squadron strength from l Oth March to
t he 29th April 1917 w hen FSL AHV Fletcher was shot down by Ltn Herman
Go ring of Jasta 26. Fletcher was wounded and spent t he rest of the war in
captivity.

/ 74
App endix B - Color Profil es and Squadron Mark ings

MWM

Profile 00 16
N 3 195," 16" of C Flight. FSL RRW inter new N3 195 from 27th March to 29th
Ap ril 1917, New Pilot FSL Berridge new N3 195 o n t he 3rd May 19 17 and was
killed whe n he sta lled and crashed just after taking off from Citadel Aerodrome.

MWM

Pro fi le 00 17
N 6330 as received fro m the Sopwith Factory,The fi rst batch of Camels was
built by Sopw ith for t he RNAS, and co mpr ised a mix of C1e rget and Ben t ley
powered machines. All Camels supp lied t o No.6 Sq uad ron were fitted wit h
C lerget rota ry engines. Early Ca me ls used fabric ban do liers of am munit ion
and can be eas ily recogn ised as there was no spe nt cart ridge chute on the
po rt side gun cover.The co ntro l w ire "r un" for the elevators was also different
on early productio n aircraft. The Sopwit h Camel drawings spec ify PC 12 for
t he upper surfaces and it is be lieved t hat at le ast the fi rst batc h of Sopwith
built Camels were finished in PC 12.

175
 A History of No.6 Squadron Royal Naval Ai r Service in World War /
I : Ca ud ron G.l V
Ca udrons in RNAS serv ice were finis hed in the normal Frenc h finis h of
clear doped fab ric surfaces and light ye llow pa inted meta l areas and forward
fuselage. These machines were at the end of their opera tiona l lives and might
be expected to be stai ned and dirty.
2: SPAD S7
It is pres umed that the "e valuatio n" SPAD was finished in the normal Frenc h
finish of clear doped fabric su rfaces and light ye llow painted met al areas
and forwar d fuselage. A coa t of fatty varnish was ofte n applied to the fabric
areas enriching the yello w shade . Th e exce llent quality photogra ph of N3399
would tend to support this suppos ition. T he machin e was only briefly with
the squadro n for type trials and no spec ial marki ngs would ha ve been car-
ried .
3: Nicuport 10, 11 and 12
These machi nes were only in temporary use with the squad ron pending re-
eq uipping with the Nieuport 17bis and they carried no spec ial markings. Th e
finish was the usual cle ar do ped linen, with the fuselage tape ofte n painted a
dark co lour, poss ibly French blue. As these aircraft were quite old and near
the end o f their operational lives, it is ass umed that the finis h was sta ined
and dirty.
4: Nieupor t 17bi s
The Nie upo rt 17 Bis as del ivered fro m the factory at Par is, was finished in
alumini um dope on upper and lower surfaces. Cockades were carr ied above
and below the upper wings and below the lower wings, however, there was
no cockade on the fuselage side . It is surmised that the Nie uport fac tory had
excess stocks of Nieupo rt 17 Wings manufactured for the Aviat ion Militaire,
as many of the machines were de livered from Paris with the French style of
Cockade, much to the annoya nce of RNAS staff at the St. Pol Depot. Co n-
temporary photographs show that the aircraft ofte n remain ed in se rvice with
No.6 Squadro n for a co nsiderable time before the wing cockades were con -
verte d to the British sequence of co lours . One co nsequence of th is bein g that
the coc kades ' proportion s were to the French sty le, not the British. Thi s ef-
fective ly meant that the cen tral ci rcle of the coc kade was co nsidera bly larger
/ 76
Profile 0018
B3882 came from a batch of Came ls built by Sopwith for t he RFC.Th e fi nish
was most probably PC I0 and this came l exhibits the spe nt cartridge chute
and revised e levator contro l run . Fuel pressurisation was prov ided by a
slipst ream driven Rotherham pump .earlier production machines used a heavier
air pump driven by the engine .
diameter than normally seen on a British roun de l or cockade . Th e "all fly-
ing" rudde r carried the normal Britis h blue/w hite/re d flashes.
Flight Identification
Flight ident ification for the three flight s co mprised indi vid ual numb ers on
the fuse lage side (so metimes rep eated on the top of the fuselage ), co loured
cow lings and whee l covers, Flight Co mmande rs' aircraft were designated
by red band s aro und the fuse lage.
A Flight
Flight Co mmande r's machine ca rried one red band around fuse lage . Large
red numerals in the range 2 to 6 marked on the fuselage side and sometimes
repeated on the top of the fuse lage. Engine cow ling and whee l co vers painted
blue.
B Flight
Flight Co mmander 's mach ine carried two red band s around the fuselage.
Large red nume rals in the ra nge 8 to 12 mark ed on the fuselage side and
so metimes repeated on the top of the fuselage. Engine co wling and whee l
covers left unpainted.
C Flight
Flight Co mma nder's machin e ca rried three red band s aro und the fuse lage .
Large red nume rals in the range 14 to 18 marked on the fuse lage side and
so metimes repeated on the top of the fuse lage. Engine cowling and whee l
covers pain ted red.
As is often the case , seve ral " marki ngs" anomalies ex isted:
Photographs show that N3 102 , finished in aluminium do pe, car-
ried a fuse lage cockade. Wh ilst one photograph probab ly shows it in
the cond ition "as received" fro m No.2 AD, another very poor, photo-
graph undoubtedly shows it at a later stage, still ca rry ing the fuse lage
cockade. It is believed that the fuse lage coc kade was applied by the
RFC when the mach ine was delivered to No .2 AD from Paris.
 App end ix B - Color Profiles and Squadron Markin gs
Four Nieupo rt 17Bi s aircraft, N5860, N5861, N5862 and N5 865 ,
were de livered from the British Nieuport Co mpany, these differed in
sma ll details from machines built by the pa rent company and were fin-
ished in the more conve ntiona l brown PC I0 upper surfaces with clear
dop ed linen under surfaces. At least one but cer ta inly not all of the se
machines carried a fuselage cockade .
N3186 carried a red dia gon al stripe on the fusela ge side, this is
beli eved to be a person al markin g,
5: So pwit h Came l
Unfor tunately, there are no kno wn phot ographs of a Sopwith Ca me l in ser-
vice with No.6 Squ adron . Whilst possession of a came ra on acti ve serv ice
was a serious mi lita ry offence , man y Command ing Officers turn ed a blind
eye to the ir officers' photo gr aphi c fora ys. It is beli eved , ho wever, that when
the Sop with Cam el was first issued to No .4 and No. 6 Squ adron s in Jun e
191 7, an ord er rein forcin g the prohibiti on of photography was issued . One
of No. 6 Squ adr on 's officers is reputed to have been caug ht trying to photo -
graph his Camel and had his cam era smas hed for his trouble.
All available evidence ' indi cates Thatthe Sop with Camels used by No. 6
Squadro n did not ca rry any special markin gs and rem ain ed in sta nda rd
Sop with spec ified fill ish. Uppe r fab ric surfaces of ea rly Sopwith built air-
craft were fi nis hed in PC12 ' (most eas ily descri bed as a choco late bro wn
colour), plyw ood pa nellingfinished in Cop al varni sh (a reddish brown) , alu -
minium panels and cow ling left unp ainted, und ersurfa ces, whee l covers and
fin in clear doped linen, Sop with "logo " ca rried on fin and cock ades in the
usual 6 places. Later aircraf t we re undoub tedly finished in PC10 on upp er
surfaces . The ser ial num bers were mark ed ill black and ca rried ill a white
box at the rear of the f uselage.
NOTES
I Inter view s co nducted by SK Taylor with surviving Ca nadia n members
of No.6 Squadron .
177
An offici al squadron identifi cation markin g of a wh ite square on the
fuse lage side behind the cockade was alloca ted on 25th August 19 17 but as
the squadron was disbanded on the 27th Au gust it seems most un like ly that
this was taken up .
6: Airco D.H.4
The D.H.4 was only used f or working up, re-equippi ng and as a pra ctice
machin e fo r new pil ots init ial f am iliari sation fl ight s. It is the refo re most
unlikely that any markin gs other than the standard PC 10 upper surfaces and
clea r doped linen unde r surfaces were used.
7: Airco DH9
All of the squadron's DH 9s with one exception deri ved from the first batch
man ufactured by Westland , the exce ption bein g D27 83 manufa ctur ed by Shor t
Brothers.
Westland ' s first batch of 1U0 air craft was bui lt under con trac ts no.
AS 17570 and AS22 860 . The Westland mach ines were typi call y fini shed in
PC 10 on all upp er surfaces with the nose and engin e cov er in grey, cle ar
dop ed linen on undersurfaces and clea r do ped wheel cove rs . Var iati on s could
of course occur, some machin es havin g no grey pane ls at all and some dis-
playing much mo re grey . Th e only known photo graph of a D.H .9 used by
No.6 squadron sho ws the co nve ntiona l markin g describ ed above.
Short Brothers aircraft we re ge nerally fini shed in PC lO on all up per
surfac es , clear dop ed linen on und ersur faces and clea r doped whee l cove rs.
Wh en the squadro n become No .206 Squ adron RAF, a large white ide n-
tification lett er was ca rried on the fuselage side beh ind the coc kade . As No.6
Squadron used DH9 s for a ma ximum o f six wee ks, with most of the aircraf t
on strength for on ly four weeks before the squadro n becam e No .206 squad-
ro n RAF, it is doubtful if the lett er ma rk ing had been adopted be fore the 1st
Ap ril 1918.
2 Official Sop with drawings spec ify PC 12 to scheme A on all upper fab-
ric surfaces. Whil st Camel sub-co ntractors undo ubted ly used PC I0, it is a rea-
sonable hypothesis that the Sop with factory adh ered to their ow n drawin gs
and finishing instructions for the initial batch of 50 aircra ft.
 Ar r EN [) IX C

RO ST ER O F PI LOT S

Part I : 27/11/16 tn 2X/X/17

Ah hot t, Ed wa r d Dixon , FS L
Born 13t h Janu ary 1897. fro m Ea stbo urnc. Susse x.
RAcC Ce rtificate No .3452 . gained 28th Aug ust 19 16 at Eastchurc h.
Jo ined the RNAS on 4th Fe bruary, 191 7.
Unde r instruct ion at Crystal Pal ac e on 4th Fe bruary 19 17.
Unde r instruct ion at Eastc hurch fro m 7th Ap ril 191 7.
Under instruction at Cranwe l l fro m 2nd June 191 7.
Do ve r on 23rd J uly 19 17.
No . 12 Squadron from 9th Aug ust to 12th August 19 17.
i\:o .6 Squadro n fro m 13th Aug ust to 29 th August 19 17.
No . IO Squadron fro m 30th August 19 17 to 13th September 19 17. when shot do wn ncar Rou ters.
Abbot was wo un ded and beca me a prison er of war.

Combat record with No.6 Squadro n:

17/'1', 11 7 Sco ut 06 . 10 to 0'1', . 10 OO C

A lle n, A r t h u r Denni s Wi !(ntm. AF Cd r

Born 19t h August 1'1', 94 . at Bu rwo od , New So uth Wa le s, A lle n 's se nio r ed ucat io n was co m p le te d in En-
g land fro m I ~J 0 6 to 191 2 at S ummer Fields Sc hoo l. Oxfo rd and at St. l'ctcrs Co llege (now know n as
Rad ley Co llege) . O xfo rdshirc .
RAcC Certifica te No. 1746. guincd 1st Septembe r 191 5 at Easichurc h.
Abbott Courtesy RAeC Trust Se rve d with Australian Co m mo nwea lth Forc e s with ran k o f L ie ute nan t in 1914 .
Joined RNAS on 11th Jul y 19 15.
Unde r instructio n at Wha lc Island gunnery schoo l. Port sm outh . fro m 11 th July 191 5 to 7th August
19 15 .
Unde r instru ct ion at Ea sic hurc h fro m 7th August 19 15 to 20th Se ptember 19 15 .
No . 1 Wing fro m 20 th Se ptember 191 5 to 5th Jan uary 19 16.
Eas tchurch fro m 5th January 19 16 to 25th Marc h 19 16 .
Detached for du ty with RFC in France from 25th March 19 16 to 17th April 191 6.
A Squadro n. No .4 Wing. from 17th April 19 16.
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m 27th November 191 6 to 24 th April 1917.
Martlcsham Heath from 25th ApriI 19 17.
Directorate o f Ai rcra ft Production fro m 30 th Nove mbe r 19 1'1', to Ist Ap ril 191 9.
Trans ferred to unem ploy me nt list on Ist Ap ril 191 9.
DSC gaze tted on 12th May 19 17.
Air Force Cross guzcucd on 2nd Nove mber 191 g.
A fter leaving the RAE A llc n resumed his chosen caree r in the fa mi ly busin ess of Al len, Alle n and
Hemsley, So licitor s. being admitted as a so lici tor o n 2 1st Octobe r 1922 .
Hecam e c hairman of New England Airways in 1935.
Part owne r of the Victori a Derby winning racehorse "Advocate" in 1952.
Died on -lth Jun e 1967 at Double Bay. New So uth Walcs.

Bail c)'. C ha r lcs Leon ard , FS L

Born 23r d J une 1'1', 96. fro m Tor on to. Ontario .
ACA Certificate gained on 23 rd Febru ary 19 16 at Curtiss Schoo l.
Allen Courtesy RAeC Trust Jo ined Ri\:AS on 29th Feb ruary 1916 .

178
 Ap p endix C - Nost er 11 Pilots

Unde r instruct ion at Portsmouth from 23rd March 1916 to April 19 16.
Unde r instru ct ion at HI\IS Exce llent from Apr il to IOth May 1916.
Unde r instruct ion at Crys tal Palace from 10th May 1916 to 20lh I\lay 1916.
Under instruction at Chingford from 20th May 19 16 to l l th Augus t 19 16.
Under instruction at Cranwe ll from I Ith August 19 16 to 13th Se ptember 19 16.
Under instruction at Frciston from 14th Se ptem ber 10 l J th Oc tobe r 1916.
Do ver on I31h Oc tober 19 16.
A Squadron 1\0.4 Wing from 25th October 191 6.
1\0.6 Squ adron from 27th November 19 16.
i"0.4 Squadron fro m 7th June 19 17.
Canadia n leave from 15th Octobe r 1917. return ed to England on 9th January 1918.
Unde r ins truction at Cranwe ll, Instructor's cours e. from 2nd Feb ruary 19 18 to l J th Feb rua ry 1918 .
Chingford. instruc ting. from l J th Feb ruary 1918 to 3 1st March 19 18.
207 TDS Chingford fro m 1st Ap ril 19 18 to Feb ruary 19 19.
CL Bailey died on the 91h Febru ary 197 1.

C OII/!> lI t record with No .6 Squadron :

19/5/ 17 Albatros Northeas t of St. Quentin 11.50 Out of co ntro l

Beasley. Perc y Exeter, FLt

Born 9th October 1894. from Victor ia. British Co lumbia.
ACA Ccrtificare :-.10.349. gained 18th October 1915. at the Wrigh t schoo l.
Joined RNAS on 3 1st October 1915. CL Bailey Courtesy SK Toylo r
Under instruc tion at Chingford from Ist Decembe r 1915 to 7th April 19 16.
Under instruction at Eustc hurch from 7th April 19 161 0 29th Apr il 19 16.
No.3 Wing. Dcrling, from 30th April 19 16 to 29th I\lay 191 6.
:-.10.:1 Wing. M ansion from 30 th j\ lay 19 16 to 3 1st Jul y 19 16.
i"0 .:1 Wing. l. uxeuil from 3 1sl July 19 16 to 8th March 19 17.
No. 1 Wing from 9th Murch 19 17.
:-.10. 11 Sq uadro n fro m March 19 17.
i"0 .6 Squadro n from 16th Ap ril 19 17 to 18th Ju ly 19 17.
Leave to England and then Canada fro m August 191 7 to Octobe r 191 7.
:-.10. 1 Squ adron from 20th Octob er 191 7 to 5th Nove mbe r 191 7.
Mauston from 51h No vemb er 19 17 to 17th November 1917 .
Dunkerq ue on 171h Nove mber to 181h No vembe r 19 17.
i"0. 13 Squadro n from I th Nove mber 191 7 10 I Ith March 1918.
No. 11 Squadron as Flight Comman der fro m II th March 1918 to 3 1st March 1918.
No.21 1 Sq uad ron RAF from 1st April 1918 to 30 th June 19 1 .
l.cysdown as an instructor from 6th Jul y 1918 to 1st Oc tober 1918.
PE Beasley died on the 9th August 1976.

Ben'id ge Ra ymond Winchesler. FSL

Born 28th May 1897. from Gerrards Cross. Huck inghamshirc .
RAeC Certifica te i"0.:198 9. gained 30th Novem ber 1916. at Vend ome. Beasle y Courtesy EF Cheesmon
Pre viou sly served in R:-.I AS at White City with rank of A:V 1.1.
Co nfirmed as Probationary Flighl Sub Lie utenant on 27th August 1916.
Under instruction at Crys tal Palace from 27th August 1916 10 7th Octobe r 1916.
ndcr instruction at Eastbou rne from 7th October 1916 to 1st Nove mbe r 19 16.
Under instruction at Vendomc from Ist Nove mber 19 16 to 20th January 191 7.
Under instruction at Crunwc ll from 20th January 19 17 to 7th April 19 17.
Do ver on 7th April 1917.
No. 11 Sq uadron from 14t h Ap ril 19 17 to 1st May 1917
:-.10.6 Sq uadro n from 1st May 19 17 to 3rd May 19 17. when d ied of his inj uries after crashing at
Citadel Aerod rome. southwest of Albert.

Breese, C ha r les Dempst e r. SCd r

Bo rn 23rd Ap ril 1889. at Epsom. Surre y.
Entered Royal Navy in 1905.
RAeC Certi ficate 1\0.654. gained 16th Octobe r 19 13. at Central Flying School. Upavon.
With Royal Flying Corp s (Nava ] Wing ) in 1913. under instructio n at the Cen tral Flyin g Sc hoo l.
Upavon, in October 19 U .
Appoint ed Instructor in Theory a nd Con struction at Ce ntral Flying School. Upavon. o n I th Dece m-
ber 19 1:1 to Apri l 19 16.
Instructor in Theory and Co nstruction at C ranwell Cen tra l Depot and Tra ining Establi shme nt fro m
April 1916 10 11th Feb ruary 191 7.
Co mmanding Offic er of 1\0. 10 Squ ad ron fro m 12th February 19 17 10 l Jth Apri l 19 17.
Co mmand ing Officer of i"0.6 Squadron from 14 th Apri l 191 7 to 27th August I') 17.
At Cen tral Stor es Depot. Wor mwood Scru bbs , from 3rd September 1'9 17 to January 19 18 with rank
of Wing Co mma nde r.
Deputy Director of Train ing with the Air :V linistry from 1st April 1918 with ran k of Lieut enant
Co lonel.
Co mma nda nt of Centra l Flying Schoo l from 7th April 19 19. Berridge Courtesy RAeC Trust

/ 79
 A History o] No .6 Sq uadro n Royal Na \'(/I Ai r Se rvice ill \\'or ld \\'ar I

With HQ RA P Ind ia from 28 th Ap ri l 192 0 .

Co m ma nd ing Office r o f A ircraft dep ot . Indi a fro m 9 th Mar c h 19 2 1.
Co m ma nd ing O ffic e r o f Te chnic a l Tr ain ing sec tio n. 1'10. I So T !' (A ppre ntice s) from 9 th Ja nua ry
19 25 .
Co m ma nd ing O ffice r RAF Go spo rt fro m 3n l Se p te m be r 19 28 .
I IQ Iraq Co m ma nd fro m I Ith Ap ril 1930 .
Su pcn u uu crary. RA F De pot from I st Ju ly 19 32.
SASO . II Q Inla nd Ar ea fro m 15th Mar ch 1933 .
AO e. No .23 Group fro m 16th Ap r il 19 34 .
AO e. No .23 (T ra in ing) Group fro m Is t M arch 1936 .
AO e. No . 17 (T ra in ing) Group from 5th Ma rch 193 7 .
AOe. No. 18 (reco n nai ss a nce) Grou p from 27 th S e pte mbe r 1938
Ro se to ra nk of A ir Vice Ma rsh al in RA F and d ied in 1941 . w he n a n o bse rve r in a Co as ta l Co m ma nd
Loc khe ed lI ud so n w hic h cra s he d o n W ick Aerodrome .
A FC gaze lied o n 3 1st Ma y 19 18.

COli/ hal reconl with No .6 SIl l/a t/ ro il

1/6/17 2-s eate r St. Q ue ntin 0 8 .35 Ap pa re ntly o ut of co ntro l*
* S ha red w ith FS L A i\lcB Wal to n.

Brown Willi am No rma n no)'. FS L

Born 10 th Ju ne 189 7.
Join ed RNAS on 23 rd Janu a ry 191 6.
Unde r Ins truc tio n a t C ry sta l Pa lace fro m 27 th Fe bru ar y 191 6 . foll owed by an " E" co urse at Fish gu ar d .
Unde r in stru cti o n a t W h ite C ity fro m 171h A pril 191 6.
Breese Courtesy RAeCTrust Unde r inst ructi o n at C h ing for d fro m 25 th A pril 191 6 .
Unde r ins tru ct ion at Ea s tc h urc h from 3 rd Se pte m be r 19 16 .
Do ver o n 18th Se pte m be r 19 16 .
Ad m it ted to C ha tha m Ho sp ital on 6th Oc tobe r 191 6 s u ffe r ing from Go nor rhoea . d isc ha rged fit o n
27 th Oc to be r 191 6 .
0:0 .4 Win g fro m Nove m be r 1916 .
Ad m it te d to lI aslar Hospit al o n 12t h M ar ch 19 17 s u ffer ing from Nas o pha ry nx C ata rrh. S urve yed o n
30th Ap ril 19 17. fo und fit for instr uc tio na l dut ie s but u nfit for flyin g above 100 0 feet.
Ve nd om e fro m 2 1st May 19 17 .
Re sign ed Co m m iss io n o n 2 1st Ma y 191 7. re si gna tio n acce pted o n 23 rd Janu a ry 19 18 .

C a m p be ll-O r d e, A la n Co lin. FS L
Born 4th O c to be r 1898. from Loc hgil ph ead , A rgyl l.
Ed uca ted at Sherbo rn e. Dor se t.
Jo ined RNAS o n 17th December 191 6.
Unde r in stru ct ion a t Cry sta l Pala ce fro m 26 th Dec embe r 191 6 to 5th Fehru a rv 19 17 .
Unde r in stru ct ion a t Vcndom c from 5th Feb ruar y 19 17 to 5th May 19 17.
Unde r in st ruc tion a t Cra nwe ll fro m 5th i\lay 19 17 to 7th J u ly 191 7 .
Do ve r on 7th Jul y 19 17.
'0 . 12 Sq uad ro n fro m 15th J uly to 18th J uly 19 17 .
1'1 0 .6 Sq uadro n from 18th Jul y 191 7 to 26th Ju ly 19 17 w he n wo und ed du ring co m bat.
0:0 . 12 Sq uadro n fro m 10 th Se pte m be r 19 17 to 13th Septe m be r 19 17.
1'1 0 .9 Squadro n from l-Ith Sep te mbe r 19 17 to l -Ith O c tob e r 19 17 w he n brok e rig ht le g in a n ac c iden t.
Ad mi ra lt y A ir Dep art men t. sec tio n III . fro m l-ith Ja nuary 19 18 to 3 1st M a rc h 191 8 .
RAF D PD Ferry Pi lot fro m Ist A pril 191 8. fe rried del ega te s to th e Pari s Pea ce Co n fe re nce in 19 19 .
Co m me rc ia l Pil o t w ith A ir Tr an sp ort S: Tr a ve l from 19 19 .
Flyi ng Instru ct or a nd Av ia tio n Co ns u lta nt to the G o ve rn me nt Of C h ina in Pek ing fro m 19 2 1.
Campbell-O rde Courtesy EF Cheesman Fly ing Instru ct o r. late r bec o m ing C hie f Te st Pilo t. w ith A rm stro ng Wh itworth from 19 24 .
O pera tio ns Manager w ith British A ir wa ys fro m 1936. becom ing BOA C a fte r mer gi ng wi th Imper ia l
A irwa ys . D uring Wo rld War II res po ns ib le for lia iso n w ith RAF Tr an sp ort Co m ma nd .
Retired in 19 57.
AFC G a ze tte d on 22nd December 19 19 .
C B E aw a rded 194 3 .
E lec ted Fe llow of th e Roya l Aero nautica l Soc ie ty in 1954 .
AC Ca m pb e ll-O rde d ied in A pril 1992.
AC C a m pbe ll-O rde c la ime d 1 vic to ry w it h No.9 S q uad ro n.

C a r ro ll. I{alph E dward. FS L

Born 19 th Ja nu ar y 189 8. Fro m Toront o. O nta rio .
RA e C Ce rt if ic ate No.383 6 . g a ine d 10th No ve m be r 19 16 a t th e Cu rti ss sc hoo l. To ro nt o .
Jo ined the R1'IA S o n l Oth Nov e m be r 19 16 .
Unde r in st ruc tio n a t Cry sta l Pa lace fro m 14 th Jan ua ry 19 17 to 17th Fe brua ry 19 17 .
Unde r ins tru ct io n a t Vc ndom c from 17th Fe b ruary 19 17 to -lth i\la y 19 17 .
nd cr ins truc tio n a t Cra nwc ll from 5th i\lay 19 17 to 6 th J un e 191 7.
Unde r in s truct io n a t Fre isto n from 6th Ju ne 191 7.
Do ver o n 20 th J un e 19 17.
1'1 0 . 12 S q uadro n from 25th June 19 17 to 28 th Jun e 19 17 .

180
 Append ix C - Roster of Pilots

No .o Sq uadro n from 28 th Ju ne 19 17 10 27 th A ug ust 191 7 .

No . IO Sq ua d ro n from 29 th Au g ust 191 7 to 23 rd 'o ve m ber 19 17. w he n inju red le a ving Do ve r ae ro -
d ro me a nd tra nsfer red to Dea l infirmar y s uffe ring from co nc ussion a nd wo unds to fo re he ad . S uffe re d
insom nia as a re su lt of his inj uri es a nd e nte red hos p ital in Ca na da in i\lay 191 8 for o pe ra tio n to re lieve
problems a ss ocia ted w ith his inj ur ie s .
RE Carro ll d ied o n th e 2 1st March 19 87 .

COli/hili record with No .6 Squadron:

2 1/7 / 17 A lbarro s sc out Ea sl o f N ic uport 20 .05 Out o f co ntro l
17/ 8/1 7 2-s e a le r Ea st o f We ste nd e 18.1 5 C ra shed '
* sha red w ith M acgre gor a nd de Roe pe r
R E C a rro ll a lso c la ime d 2 vic to rie s with No . 10 S quad ro n.

C u r t is, Wilfr ed A us t ill, FSL

Born 2 1s t A ugust 189 3. from Ha vel oc k. O nta r io .
RAe C Ce n ifie ate No .339 I. ga ined 11th A ug ust 19 10 a l the Cu rt iss sc ho o l. Tor ont o.
Jo ined RNAS on 11th A ugust 19 10.
Unde r in st ruc tion at C rys ta l Pa lac e fro m 17t h Sep te mbe r 19 16 .
Unde r ins tru ct ion at C runwe ll fro m 14 th October 191 0 bUI per iod o f sic k le a ve 10 23 rd M a rc h 191 7.
Under instru cti on at C ra nwc ll from 23 rd Ma rc h 19 17 10 10l h J'vlay 191 7 .
U nder instru ctio n a l Do ve r fro m l oth J'vlay 19 17 10 141h Ju ne 191 7 .
No . 12 Sq uadro n from 141h Jun e to 24 th June 191 7.
No .o Squadron from 24 th Jun e to 27 th A ug usl 191 7 .
No . IO Sq ua dro n from 28th Au gu st 191 7 10 27 lh Ja nuar y 191 8.
Ca na d ia n le av e fro m 30th J a nua ry 191 8.
RAF II Q in Ca nada fro m 2 nd i\lay 191 8 . Carro ll Courtesy SKToylor
00 s ic k lea ve from 27 th May 19 18 10 10th O ct ob e r 191 8 .
Sc hoo l o f Spec ia l f ly ing in Ca nada fro m l Oth O c tob e r 19 18.
Po st wa r o pe ra ted the WA C urt is Insuran c e Co mpa ny.
A Fo under member o f the To ro nto fl ying C lub a nd its pres ide nt for three yea rs
Se rve d in RCA f d urin g Wor ld War II. risi ng to ran k o f A ir i\lar sh a l. Be came C hie f o f A ir S taff in
C ana da from 1947 10 195 3.
DSC ga ze tted o n 19 th Dece mb er 19 17 .
Ba r to DS C ga ze tte d o n 16 th i\lar ch 19 18.
O ther decor at ion s a nd honours incl ude Ord er of Ca nada. Co m ma nde r of the British Em p ire . Co m -
ma nd e r o f the Bath. U.S . Le g ion o f M erit . C ro ix de G ue rre ave c Palm . f re nch Le gi on o f Ho nour a nd
Co nu nc nda torc de ll Ordi ne i\ lili ta re dIta lia.
Wilfred C urt is d ied o n th e 71h Au gu s t 1977 .
WA C urt is c la ime d 13 vic to ries w ith No . 10 Sq ua d ro n.

Da rnt un , Rupert E d wa r d . FSL

Born 15th Ju ly 1895 . from Ro yston . He rtfo rd sh ire
RAe C Cert ific a te 1'10.228 9. ga ined l oth Ja nu ar y 191 0 a t Rcd car,
Pre viou s ly se rve d as a Sub L ie ute na n t RNVR wi th th e RNA S Ar mo u red C ar Divi sio n.
Jo ined RNAS o n 17th Se pte m be r 191 5 .
Unde r inst ruc tio n at C h ing fo n l from 17th Se pte m be r 191 5 to 2 nd Dec e m ber 191 5 .
Unde r in struc tion at Red ca r fro m 2 nd Dece mb e r 191 5 to 20th Ma rch 19 16 .
Unde r instru c tion at Ea stc hurc h fro m 26th Ma rch 19 10 10 25 1h Ap ril 19 16 .
Do ver o n 25th Apri l 19 10.
Admi tted to C ha tha m Hos p ita l o n 2 nd Ma y 191 0 s uffe ri ng fro m G o norr ho ea . di sc harged as fit o n the
24 th J\ lay 191 7 .
Turned ma chine o ver o n 20 th Ju ne 191 0. s us ta ine d a bra sio ns and co ntusi ons to le ft te m po ra l a nd
m o lar regi o ns. abra sion o f nose a nd upper lip and slig ht burn s to butt ock s a nd le ft le g .
Readmitte d to C hatha m Ho sp ital on 17t h Ju ly 191 7 with G on orrh oea. Disc ha rge d as fit o n 2 81h Ju ly Cur tis Courtesy SKToylor
19 10.
Adm itted to Il as la r Ho sp ital o n 23 rd Au gu st 191 0 s u ffe r ing from a n o ld inj ury to le ft le g . Di sc har ged
to sic k le ave on 25th A ug us t 19 10 a nd reponed fit on 8th Se pte mbe r 191 0 .
Dun ke rqu c o n l o th Se pte m be r 19 10.
4 Win g fro m 171h Se pte m ber 19 16 .
No .o S qua dro n from 27t h No ve mbe r 19 10 10 51h Ja nua ry 19 17.
No .7 sq uad ro n fro m ot h Janu ar y 19 17 to 5th feb rua ry 19 17 .
Adm itte d 10 C ha tha m Hospi ta l on 5 th f ebrua ry 19 17. di sch ar ged 10 sick lea ve o n 7th February 191 7 .
S ur veyed a nd found fit on 2nd June 19 17 .
Rep ort ed sic k with to ns illi tis o n 7th June 19 17 . De ve lop ed Dip hth er ia by 10 lh J une 19 17.
Sur ve yed o n 27 th A ugu st 19 17 a nd fo und fit for d uty.
Unde r ins tru c tio n at Mau ston from 271h A ug ust 191 7 10 15 th Se pte m be r 191 7 to rc -q ua lify,
i\lan sto n I la ndl e y Page Squad ro n from 151h Se pt ember 19 17.
A Sq uadro n. i\lan slo n from 5th Oc tob er 191 7 . be comi ng No . 16 Sq uadron o n Sth Jan ua ry 19 18 .
O n sic k lea ve suf fe ring from me a sles fro m 2 7th Jan uar y 19 18 10 15 th Febru ar y 191 8 .
Returned to No . l ri sq uadro n on 3rd Ma rc h 191 8 .

/ 8/
 A Histo ry of No.6 Sq uadron Ro va! Na n d Air Se rvice ill World \Var /

De Roep e r. B runo Phili p Hen ry, AFC d r

Born 2 2ml " la rc h 189 2. at Fo re st Gat e . Lon do n.
RAeC Ce rt ificate No. 1379 . ga ined Ist Jul y 191 5 a t He ndo n,
Served w ith Lo ndo n Rifle Brigad e from 8t h Se pte m be r 191 4 .
Jo ined R NAS o n 16 th A pril 19 15.
Unde r ins truc tio n at l le ndo n fro m 16th April 19 15.
Unde r ins truc tio n at C h ingfo rd Irom Sth Jul y 191 5 .
Rcdcar, hom e def en ce and instruc ting. from 22nd Oc to be r 19 15 to 16th Dece m be r 191 6.
Do ver o n 18th Dece mb er 19 16.
No.4 Win g from 4t h Janu ar y 19 17.
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m 6th Jan ua ry 19 17 to 25th M ay 19 17. whe n wo unde d in lowe r j a w by e ne my
fire.
No .6 Sq uad ro n fro m 19th J uly 19 17 to 27 th A ug ust 19 17.
C h ing for d . inst ru ct ing from 10th Se pte m be r 19 17.
Vc ndo me. inst ru ct ing from -lth Oct ober 191 7 to 16th Dece mbe r 191 7.
Ce ntra l Fly ing Sc hoo l.
Sc hoo l o f Phot og raph y fro m 15th Au g ust 19 21 .
AF C g aze lied on 3rd J une 191 9.
Gro up Ca pta in Brun o De Roep er d ied in SI. Andre w 's Ho spital . No rtha m pto n. afte r a lo ng illnes s o n
Ist A ug ust 196 5 .

COIII!"" record with No.6 Squadron :

20!5! 17 2-s ea te r Elinco urt 11.40 O ut of co ntro l a nd smo king
22 /7/1 7 2-seate r No rtheast of Di xm ude 20AO O ut o f co ntro l
15/ 8/1 7 A lba tro s sc o ut Gh istelle s 17.40 O ut o f co ntro l
De Roep er Courtesy EFCheesman 17/8/1 7 2-se ate r East of West cn dc 18 .15 C ras hed *
20/8/ 17 2-seater Moc re 10. 50 O ut o f co ntro l
* Shea red w ith C arro ll a nd M acg regor

Di!-:hy. Fra n k T ho mas . I' Ll

Bo rn 2nd A ug us t 1895 . from So uth Ha m pstead. Lo nd on .
RAeC Ce rt ifica te j'\o . 10 69 ga ined 1st Febru ary 19 15 at Hen d on.
Jo ined RNAS o n Ist Dece m be r 1914 .
Unde r instruc tio n at Ce ntra l Fly ing Sc hool fro m 12th Fe brua ry 191 5 .
Unde r inst ruct ion at II"I S Exce lle nt fro m 2 1st Ap ril 191 5 .
No.4 Sq ua dro n at Do ver fro m 15 th M ay 19 15 .
Dunkc rq ue fro m D rd Se pte mbe r 19 15 .
Eastc hurc h from 30 th Decem be r 19 15 .
No . 1 Win g from 24 th Fe bru ar y 191 6.
No.4 Win g fro m 25 th Ma rch 191 6.
No .6 Squad ro n fro m 27 th No ve mber 191 6 to 6th Janu ar y 19 17.
No .7 Sq uad ro n fro m 6th Ja nua ry 191 7.
Ma nsi on Ha nd le y Page Squ adro n from 30 th March 191 7.
Du nk erque fro m 5t h " la y 19 17.
Redeal' Hand le y Page Fligh t from 11th Se pte mbe r 19 17.
Ma ust on Hand le y Page Flig ht fro m 3rd Octo ber 19 17.
Ho me Esta blishme nt fro m 3rd June 191 8.
DSC ga ze tted o n 12th v lay 19 17.
DSO gaze tte d o n 26 th A pril 19 18.
Cro ix de G ucrre gaze lle d o n 10 th Oc to ber 191 8.

Din g wall , Go r do n Ca ulfield Wi lso n. FS L

Born 26th A pril 189 2. at Toro nto. O nta rio.
Jo ined RNAS o n 3rd Ma rch 191 6 .
RAeC Ce rti fica te No .n 7 1. gained 2(llh " lay 19 16 a t Eas tbo urne .
Unde r instr uc tio n at C ry sta l Pal ace fro m 27 th Feb ru a ry 19 16 to 12t h Ma rch 19 16.
In Il asla r I lo spital w ith d isea se of the eye lid fro m 12th Ma rch 19 16 to 20 th Ma rch 19 16.
Unde r instructi on at Fishg ua rd fro m 20 th Ma rch 19 16 to 17th A pri l 191 6.
Und e r instruc tio n a t W h ite C ity fro m 17th Ap ril 19 I() to 25 th A pril 19 16.
ndc r instruct io n a t Eastb o urne from 25 th April 19 16 to 19th A ugu st 19 16 .
Unde r instruc tio n a t East c hurc h from 19 th Au gu st 19 16 to 6th Se pte m ber 19 16.
Do ve r o n (ith Septe mbe r 191 6.
S ick fro m 20t h Oc to ber 191 6.
No .7 Sq uad ron fro m 27th No ve m be r 19 16.
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m I Ith Dece mb er 19 16 to 25 th Feb ru ar y 19 17 wh en crashed a N ic upo rt 12 a nd
inju red s pine. S ick lea ve to Ca na da . still unde r treatm e nt in Janu ar y 19 18 .
GC W Di ng wa ll d ied o n the 7th No ve m ber 19 70.

Draper. C h r isto p he r, AS C dr
Bo rn 15t h Ap ril 1892 . in Behin gton . C he sh ire .
RAeC Ce rt ificate No. 646. ga ined 9th Oc to be r 19 13 at the Graha me-Whi te sc hoo l. lI e nd on.
D ingwall Courtesy SK Taylor Jo ined RF C (Nava l Win g ) as a S ub Lie ute nant RN R o n the 25th Ja nua ry 19 14 .

/ 82
 Append ix C - Roster of Pilots

Under instructio n at RFC Ce ntral Flyin g Schoo l. Upavo n fro m 25th January 1914 to 26th April
19 14.
RNAS Eastchurch from Ju ly 19 14 to end October 19 14 .
Fort Grange from end Octobe r 1914 to 19th Nove mber 19 14 .
Gos forth (Newcastle on Tyn c ) from 19th Nove mber 19 14 10 8th July 19 15.
RNAS Dundee from 8th Ju ly 1915.
RNAS Scarborough unt il 7th Ap ril 191 6.
Com mand ing Off icer of the Eastchurch War Flight from 7th April 1916 to 24t h Jul y 19 16.
No.3 Wing (initially at Manston. then Luxeuil) from 24t h July 1916 to 7th March 19 17.
No. 1 Wing from 7th i\larch 19 17.
No. 11 Squadron from 15th March 19 17 to 2 1st April 19 17.
No.6 Squadron from 22ml April 191 7.
Commanding Officer of the Eastchurch War Flight from 11th June 19 17 to 28th July 19 17.
No.8 Squadron RNAS from 28th July 1917.
Co mmanding Officer of No.8 Squa dro n RNAS from 28th October 191 7 to 3 1st Marc h 19 18.
Co mma nding Officer of 208 Squadro n RAF fro m Ist April 1918 to 14th Jan uary 19 19.
Draper wrote an autobiography titled "The Mad Major". publ ished in 1962.
Christo pher Draper died on 16th Ja nuary 1979.
DSC gazetted o n 26th April 19 18.

COli/bat reco rd with No.6 Squa dron:

6/6/ 17 Albatro s sco ut northwest of Cambra i 12.00 Destroyed
6/6/ 17 Albatro s sco ut north west of Cambrai 12.00 Out of co ntrol
Draper also made the fo llowing c laims with other squadrons:

3 Wing 4
No.8 Sq uadron 2 Dr aper Author's collection
1'10.208 Squadron RAF 2

Ed wa r ds . Ste a r ne Til-:hl'. I'Ll

Born 13th February 1893. in Carlton Place. Ontario.
ACA Certificate 1'10.350. gained 11th Octobe r 1915 at the Wright schoo l. Dayton. Ohio.
Joined RNAS on 3 1st October 1915.
Under instruction at Chingford to 'Ith April 1'11 6.
Unde r instru ct ion at Eastchurch from 9th Ap ril 19 16 to 30 th Apr il 19 16.
No.3 Wing fro m 30th April 1916 to 19t h March 191 7.
1'10. 11 Squadro n from 20t h March 191 7 to 18th April 19 17.
No.6 Squadro n from 19th Ap ril 1917 to 29th Jun e 19 17. Left sq uad ron for period in hospital fol -
lowed by leave.
No.9 Squadron from 10th August to 3 1st Ma rch 19 18.
No.209 Squadro n RAF from Ist Apri l 1918 to 23rd i\lay 19 18. when he suffered fro m nervous
ex haustion and was hospitalised.
Instructor at No.2 Fighting Schoo l. Mar skc. from 3rd Ju ly 1918 to I I th August 19 18.
38TDS in charge of trai ning Amer icans from 12th August 1918..
Critica lly inj ured in a fl ying accide nt on 12th Nove mber 19 18 and subseque ntly d ied on 22 ml No-
vember.
DSC gaze tted on 2nd Nove mber 19 17.
Bar to DSC ga zetted on 2 1st June 1918.
Edward s made the following claims with o the r squadrons:

No.9 Squadro n Edwa rds Courtesy SK Taylor

'0.209 Squadron RAF

Fi nd lay. J\ la xwcll Hut ch eon , FSL

Bor n 17th Febr uary 1898 . in Aberdee n. spent his early life in Ca nada.
RAeC Certificate No.6566. gai ned 6th Decem be r 1918 at Freiston.
Served with the 1st Highland Cyclist Batta lion as a Lance Co rporal from the outbrea k of war.
Joined RNAS on 26th Nove mber 19 16.
Unde r instruc tion at Crystal Palace from 26th November 191 6 to 11th Janu ary 19 17.
Under instruct ion at Vcndo me fro m 11th January 19 17 to 14th April 1'117.
Under instruction at Cran wc l l from l -Ith April 191 7 to 6th Ju ne 1917.
Dover on 6th June 19 17.
No. 12 Squadro n from 10th June 1917 to 23rd June 191 7.
No.6 Squadro n fro m 23 rd June 1'11 7 to 27th August 1917.
No. 1 Squadro n from 29th August 191 7 to 3 Ist March 19 18.
Ad mitted to No .3 General Hospita l o n 4th Oc tobe r 19 17. transferred to 1\'0 .5 1 Ge nera l Hospital.
Discharged to duty o n 4th November 19 17.
No.20 1 Squad ron RAF from l stA pril 19l S.
Posted to Horne Estab lishment on 30th Jun e 1918.
1\'0.4 Fighting Sc hoo l fro m 6th Dece mber 191 8.
No.7 Gro up from 19th i\lay 19 1'1.
No.2 Squadro n RAF fro m 10th Ju ly 19 19. Findlay Courtesy EF Cheesman

/ 83
 A History of No .6 Squ adro n Royal Na val A ir Service ill World War 1

Pos te d to Ind ia. HQ a nd No .3 1 Sq uad ro n RAF from I Ith Dec embe r 19 19 .

No .20 S q uad ro n RA F from 2nd January 1920 .
No .3 Gro up from 15 th A p ril 19 2 1.
No .20 7 Sq ua d ro n RA F fro m 4 th Ma y 19 2 1.
No.3 9 S q uad ro n from 1st Ju nc 19 2 1.
In I9 3()' s becam e sa lcs m anage r a nd Ily ing inst ructo r a t Broo k land s Sc hoo l o f Fly ing .
To ok pa rt in the Joh an ne sbu rg A ir Race in O cto be r 1936 . fl ying a n Airspee d En vo y. C ra she d a nd
wa s ki lled w he n tak ing o ff from a n a irfi e ld in No rthe rn Rhod e si a .
DSC Ga zc llc d 17th A pril 19 18 .
D FC G a ze ucd 3rd A ug us t 19 18 .

Co mba t reco rd with No .6 Squ adro n:

22 /7 /1 7 A lba tro s SCO UI Wcs t o f S tee ne 17.50 O ut o f co ntro l
20/8 /1 7 A lba tro s sco ut M idd lck crk e 0 7.20 O ut o f co ntro l
Findl ay a lso mad e th e foll o wing c la ims w ith o the r sq uad ro ns :

No . 1 Sq ua d ro n 7
No .20 1 Sq ua d ro n RA F 5

Fletc her, A lber ! II arT)' Viet o r, FS L

Bo rn 24 th May 189 3 . a t Durban . Na ta l.
RAc C Ce rtific ate No .285 3. ga ine d 10th 1\lay 19 16 at C h ing fo rd .
Joi ncd RN AS o n I Ith Feb rua ry 19 16 .
Under inst ruc tion a t C hing for d fro m 14 th Fe br uary 19 16 to l Sth Ju ne 19 16 .
Unde r instru cti on a t Eastc h urc h fro m 18th Jun e 19 16 to 3rd Ju ly 19 16.
Do ve r o n 3rd Jul y 19 16 .
No .4 W ing fro m J uly 19 16.
No .6 Sq ua d ro n fro m 27th No ve mbe r 19 16 to 29th Apri l 19 17 . with a peri od o f sic k le a ve from 3rd
Fe bruary 191 7. S ho t do w n cas t o f Ha rcou rt o n 29th Ap ril 19 17 . injured a nd becam e a pri son er o f wa r.
Eve ntua lly rep atri ated a nd ba c k in London on the 20th Jan ua ry 191 8.

C OIII /U ll record with No .6 So uadro n:

29/4/ 17 A lba tro s sco ut Eas t o f Harco urt 13. 15 Ou t o f co ntro l*

* S ha red w it h Nor to n

Fo rman , J u mes Hen ry, FSL

Bo rn l s t Fe b rua ry 189 6. in Kirk ficld . O nta rio .
Trai ned a t the C urt iss sc hoo l. To ron to b ut fai lc d to ga in c ert ific at e .
Jo ined RNA S o n 17th Nov e m be r 1'116 .
U nde r ins tructi o n a t C rys ta l Pa lacc from 17th Dece mb er 1'116 to 20 th Ja nuary 19 17 .
Unde r ins tru c tio n a t Vc ndo mc fro m 20 th Janu ar y 1'117 to 2 8th A pril 19 17.
Flet cher Courtesy EF Cheesman Unde r in struc tion a t Cra nwc ll fro m 28 th Ap ril 1'117 to 2 nd Jul y 1'117 .
No . 12 S q ua dro n fro m 12th Ju ly 191 7 to 18th J uly 1'117 .
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m 18th J u ly 19 17 to 28th Jul y 191 7. wh e n wo unded in right shou lde r by bur st o f
fire from a G e rma n o bse rver 's m ach ine g un.
No . 1 S q uad ro n from 29 th Se pte m ber 1'117 to 3 1s t March 1'118 .
No .20 1 Sq uadro n RA F fro m l s t A pril 19 18 to 2 1st Ma y 19 18 .
With 70 sq ua d ro n RA F a s " A" Flight Co m ma nde r fro m 2 1st 1\lay 19 18 to Sth Se pte m be r 1'118 . w he n
he wa s sho t do wn a nd be ca me a priso ne r o f wa r.
Served w ith the RC A I' as a n ad m ini st rat io n o ffice r in the Sc co nd World War.
D FC G a ze tte d 3rd A ug us t 191 8 .
JII Fo rc ma n d ied o n th e 12 th O c tob e r 19 72 .

COlli /W I record wi th No .6 Sqtuulron:

26 /7/1 7 A lba tro s sco ut SI. G eo rge 17 .50 Ou t o f c ont ro l
27 /7 / 17 A lba tro s sco ut No rthe as t o f N ic u po rt 17 .10 Destroyed
28/7/1 7 A lba tro s sco ut South o f Wilsk erke 16 .15 O ut o f co ntro l
Fo rm a n a lso m ade the fo llo win g c la ims w ith o the r sq uad ro ns :

1'\0. 1 Sq ua d ro n 3
1\'0 .20 1 Sq ua d ro n RA F 4
No .70 Squadro n RA 1' 1

Fram e, Rohcrt Bruce, FSL

Born 25 th Jul y 1891 . fro m e w Ze a la nd .
Jo ined RNA S o n 4 th Jun e 1'116 .
U nder ins tru ctio n a t Cr ysta l Pa lace from -lth Jun e 19 16 .
U nde r ins tru ctio n a t Eas ic hurc h from 24 lh J une 19 16 .
U nde r in st ructi o n a t Ea src hurc h G u nne ry Schoo l from Sth O ct ob er 1'116 .
Do ver o n 4 th No ve m be r 19 16 .
Forem an Courtesy SK Taylor No.4 Win g fro m Nove mbe r 191 6 .

184
 A flflelldix C - Ros ter of Pilots

Admitted to Dun kc rquc Ho spital on 27 th Apri l 191 7. suffe ring from a ner vo us co ndition.
Grain fro m n th June 19 17 performin g gro und duties.
~ I an s t o n Figh ting Sc hool fro m 24th Oc tob er 191 7.
Under instruct ion at Cr an we ll from 17th No vember 1917. training as an instru ctor.
C h ing for d , instruc ting from 29th No ve m be r 19 17.
Rcdcar lnstructors Schoo l fro m 29t h April 19 18.
Co mme nce d 6 months leave to ;>': cw Zealand from I81h ~ I ay 19 18.

C aj( n icl·. Oliv er J oseph , FSt.

Bo rn 13th Ja nuary 1896. from Mon tre al. Qu ebe c,
RAcC Ce rtifica te ~ 0 . 3 3 9 7 . ga ine d 15th A ugu st 19 16 at the Curtiss schoo l. Toro nto.
Joined R:"A S on 15th August 191 6.
Undc r instr uct ion at Cr ysta l Palace fro m 17th Sept emb er 19 I6 to l-Ith October 19 16 .
Unde r instru cti on at Cran wc ll fro m 14th O ct ob e r 191 6 to 7th Februa ry 19 17.
Dover on 7th February 19 I7.
~ o . 6 Squadron from 241h f eb ruary 191 7 to II th :-'Iay 19 17. when shot do wn and ove rturned in ~o
Mans Land at Villers Outrcaux, was ser ious ly inju red wi th gunsho t wo unds to arm and chest and had to
have his le ft arm amputated.
Sick lea ve from 11th May 19 17 to 10th Aug ust 191 7.
Ca u e wa ter . gro und d uties from 10th Augu st 19 17 to December 191 7.
Canadian Lea ve fro m December 19 17 to ~ I a rc h 19 I8.
Canada as memb er o f recrui ting party fro m 13th J uly 191 8.
Ass ista nt to the Pro vost Marsha l for the RAF in New York from 28th Se pte mber 19 I8.
Tra nsferred to unem ployed list o n 17th Octob er 19 19. Gagnie r Courtesy SK Toylor
OJ Gagni er d ied in Nove mber 194 2.

Combat record with No.6 Squad ron:

10/5/17 A lbat ros SCO UI ~W o f Fresnoy lc Grande c ras hed

G ib h», Victnr Richard. FSt.

Born 131h October 1893. from Finsbury Park. London .
RAeC Ce rtificate ~ 0. 25 65 . ga ined 17th March 19 16 at Hendon.
Previoux service as a Sub Lie utenant R:"VR w ith the R ~ A S Ar moured Car Division.
Joined R ~ A S on 22ml January 19 16.
Unde r instruction at Hend on fro m 30 th January 191 6.
Undc r instruction :II Wh ite C ity fro m 25t h March 19 I6.
Undc r instruct ion at East bo urne fro m 141h Apri l 191 6 .
Admit ted to Haslar Hospita l o n 23rd May 191 6 suffering fro m Go nor rhoea . d ischarged as fit on the
24 th J uly 19 16.
Unde r instruction at Cra nwcl l from 1st Sep temb er 191 6.
Eas tchurc h War Fligh t from 23rd October 1916.
Resu rveyed on 5t h No vember 19 16 and found to be unfit for duty. d ischa rged as fit on the 19th
No vem ber 19 16.
Dover on l Oth January 191 7.
No .« Squ ad ron from Ist Feb ruary 19 17.
No .7 Squ ad ron from 12th Februa ry 191 7.
No , 14 Squadro n fro m 9th December 191 7.
Adm itted to ~ o . 14 Genera l Hospital Wimcreu x on 18th Febr uary 19 I8.
Ad mitted to No. 5 1 Genera l Ilosp ita l Eiuples on 2 1st Febr uar y 19 I8.
Rep orted to Medical Board o n 14th May 19 17.
DSC gazetted o n 17t h Nov ember 19 17.
Cro ix de Guerrc wi th palm . Gibbs Courtesy RAeC Trust
Ser ved in RAF durin g Wo rld War II with rank o f Wing Commander.

G uode rh um, G ru nt A rms t ru ng, FIA

Born Sth January 189 2. from Tor on to . Ontario,
RAeC Ce rtifica te :"0. I522 . gained 12th J uly 19 15 at the Curtiss School. Toron to .
Jo ined R ~ A S on 131h July 19 15.
Unde r instructio n at Ching ford from 8th Au gu st 191 5 to 17th Septem ber 191 5.
Whitley Bay fro m 17th Septe mber 191 5 to 2 th March 19 16.
A Squadro n I Wing from 291h Apri l 191 61 0 6th Dece mber 191 6 .
No. I Squadron from 6th December 191 6 10 10th February 19 I7.
Sid from 10th Fcbruury 191 7. re ported to Ad miralty for survey on 14th March 19 17.
NAD Section o f the A ir Depa rtment o f the Ad mira lty from 17th March 19 17.
Martlesham Heath as test pilot from -lth Junc 191 7 to 6th June 19 17.
No .6 Sq uadron fro m 7th J une 191 7 to n Ih August 191 7.
~ 0 . 2 Squ ad ro n (A Fligh t) from 3rd Se ptember 19 17 to 28t h Jan uar y 191 8.
Rcdcar fro m 29th Janu ary 19 I8 to 24th Apri l 1918.
Cra nwc ll on instru ctiona l slaff from 7th :-'1 ay 19 I8 .
203 T DS from 12th Au gust 19 18 to Decemb er 19 1 .
GA Gooderham took his own life on the 2nd May 19 19.
Cro ix de Gu crre (France) gazetted on 2 1sl Septem ber 19 1S. Gooderham Courtesy Fleet AirArm Museum
DFC gazetted o n Ist Januar y 191 9.

/ 85
 A Hist o ry I!{ No .6 Squadron ROYIII N il 1'111A ir Se rvi ce ill World \\{Ir I

COIIII"'1 record 1\';111 No.6 Squadro n:

23 /7 /1 7 A lhat ro s sco ut Moerc 20. 15 O ut o f co ntro l

lI all . A r th u r Ed win. FS L
Born Sth Jan ua ry 189 8. fro m Ba lham . Lo ndon .
RAc C Ce rt ifica te 1'1 0.4 118. ga incd 15th No ve m be r 19 I6 at C ra nwc ll.
Jo ined RNAS o n 20 th J u ly 19 I6 .
ndc r ins truc tio n a t C ry sta l Pa lace fro m 23rd Ju ly 19 I6 to 12t h A ug ust 19 16 .
Unde r ins truct io n a t C ra nw c ll fro m 12th A ug us t 191 6 to 15th Ja nua ry 191 7 .
ndc r ins tru c tio n at Eas rch urc h from 15th Ja nua ry 19 17 to 22 nd Fe bruary 19 17.
Do ver o n 22 nd Fcbruar y 191 7.
No .6 Sq uadro n from 8th Ma rc h 191 7 to 5 th A pr il 19 17 .
1'10, 11 Sq uadro n from 2 1st A pril 19 17 to 5th May 19 17 . crashcd N ic upo rt 2 1 aft er p rac tice Il ig ht.
fra ctu re d th ig h a nd ho s pital iscd

H umilt ou -B o wyc r, S ta n ley A r t h u r. FSL

Born 28th A ugu st 1895 . Fro m Lo ndon .
Jo incd the RNA S o n 1st O c tobe r 19 16 .
Unde r ins truc tion a t C rys ta l Pa lacc from l st O c to be r 19 16 .
Unde r Ins truc tio n a t C h ing fo rd from 11th Nove m be r 19 16 .
Unde r ins tru c tion at Cr a nwc ll from I I th A pr il 191 7.
Unde r instru ctio n at Frc is to n fro m I I th J uly 19 17 .
Do ve r from 23rd J uly 191 7 to 13t h A ug ust 19 17.
Hall Courtesy RAeC Trust 1'10. 12 S q uadro n fro m l-lth A ug ust to 22 nd A ugu st 19 17 .
No .6 Sq ua d ro n from 22 nd A ug us t 19 17 to 27 th A ug us t 19 17 .
1'1 0 , 10 Squ adro n fro m 30 th A ug us t 19 17 to 29 th Nove m ber 19 17. tran sfe rre d to C ra nw c ll w hilst o n
lea ve .
C ra nwc ll fro m 15 th Decembe r 19 17 to 27 th Decem be r 19 17.
Ma uston Wa r f-lig ht fro m 30 th Dec e m ber 19 17 to 3 1st M a rc h 191 8 .
Ha mi lto n- Bo wyc r made th e fo llow ing c la ims w ith o the r sq uad ro ns :

1'10. 10 Sq uad ro n

H u rt u ill . G c o rgc Lc igh . FS L

Born l-lth A p ril 1889 . fro m Fcil d ing . No rth Is la nd . Ne w Zca la nd.
RAc C Ce rt ifica te 1'1 0 .2 245 . ga inc d 29 th Dece mb e r 19 15 a t Ea stc hurch.
Jo ined RNA S on 22 nd Nove m be r 19 15 .
Undc r ins tru ctio n a t Eas tc hurc h fro m 22 nd Nove mbe r 19 15 to 10th Fe b rua ry 191 6.
No .4 Wing at Eas tc h urc h fro m 10 th Fe b rua ry 19 16.
Ea stc hurc h Wa r Flig ht fro m 19 th J une 191 6 .
D unk crq ue on 26 th June 191 6 .
4 W ing fro m 26 th Jun e 19 16 .
No .6 Sq ua dro n from 27 th No ve mbe r 191 6 to 3 1st Ma rc h 191 7 , Pe riod in I lo spita l fo r o pe ra tio n o n
Icg fro m 30 th Janua ry 19 17to 3rd M arc h 19 17 .
Ad m itte d to ho spita l w ith a hern ia o n 3 1st Ma rc h 19 17.
Ro syth , g ro und du ties fro m 23 1'£1 Au gu st 19 17 to 18th O c tob e r 191 7 .
Ro syth Scap la uc Dcp o t from l Sth O c to be r 19 17 to 18t h Fe bru ary 19 18 .
Tu rn ho use from 18th Fe b rua ry 19 18 to 1st l\ lay 19 18 .
Hartgill Courtesy RAeC Trust Co m ma nd ing O ffic e r o f Flee t A irc ra ft De po t fro m I st May 1918
Po sted to une m ploye d list o n 17th Ma rch 191 9 .
C ivilia n occ upatio n s hee p ta n ner,
Ad m inistra tio n O fficc r w it h RNZA F In itia l T rain ing W ing in Wor ld War II.
G L I lart g ill d ied o n 17t h Ma y 1964 a t Pal me rsto n No rt h. Ne w Zc a land .

Holym au , Victu r C live , FS L

Bor n 27th A ug us t 1894 . from De vo nport , Tasmania.
Jo incd RNA S on 18th Ju ne 191 6.
U nde r instruc tion a t C ry sta l Pa lacc fro m l Sth June 19 16 to Sth Ju ly 19 16 .
Under in st ru c tio n at C hing ford fro m Sth Ju ly 19 16 to 231'£1 Oc tob er 191 6 .
Unde r instruc tio n at C ra nw c ll fro m 23 rd O cto ber 19 16 to 17th Nove m be r 19 16 ,
No .3 W ing fro m 17th No ve m be r 191 6 to 9 th Mar c h 19 17 .
1'10 , 11 Sq ua d ro n fro m 10t h Marc h 19 17 to 26 th May 19 17 .
No .6 Sq ua d ro n fro lll 27th M ay 19 17 to 14 th Ju ly 19 17 . on sick lea ve unt il 2 nd O c to be r 191 7 .
Manston Wa r Sc hoo l fro m 2nd O c tobe r 191 7 to 29 th O c to ber 191 7 .
Ma rtlcsh a m Hea th fro m 29 th O c to ber 19 17 .
In 19 32 fo unded Hol ym a n Bro thcr s PT Y Lt d in co nj unc tio n w ith his bro ther Iva n Ho ly man . A me rger
w ith L McK Joh nston fo rme d Ta s ma nian Ae ria l Se rvice s Ltd .. w hic h thc n bec a me l lol ym a n 's A irways
PTY o n 1st O c tob er 1934 .
Vic tor Ii o ly ma n d icd o n 19th O c tob er , 1934 . o ve r Ba ss S tra it in " Mi ss Hoba rt" . a D118(, w hic h
bc lon gcd to hi s a irl ine ,

Holyman Courtesy SKTaylor

186
 Apn endi» C - Roster of Pilots

Kee ble, LOllis C leme nt, FLt

Born 22 nd July 1893. fro m Kensington. Lond on.
RAcC Ce rtificate No . 153 1. ga ined 29th July 191 5 at lias tbo urn c .
Joi ned RNAS on 12th i\lay 19 15.
U nder instruction at Eas tbo urne fro m 12th i\lay 191 5 to 2nd Se pte mbe r 19 15.
Dct ling from 2nd Se ptembe r 19 15 to I Ith April 191 6.
Du nkerqu c on II th April 19 16 .
Chingford to 8th Janu ary 191 7.
Do ve r on Sth Jan uary 191 7.
No .6 Sq uadro n from Fe bruary 19 17to 24th Ap ril 19 17.
Man ston from 25 th April 1917 to 22ml April 191 8.
Rcdcar, instruct ing . from 22ml Apri l 191 8 to 6th May 19 18.
Mau ston from 6th May 191 8.

Ke nd al l, Edward II cxt . FSI.

Born 6th Ju ly 1895. fro m l leswall. Cheshire.
RAcC Certificate No.45 28. gai ned 2 1st April 191 7 at Chingford .
Previously se rve d in the T hird Batta lion o f the Duke o f Cornw all's Light Infantry with thc rank o f
2nd Lieut enan t.
Joined RNAS on 14th January 191 7.
Under instructi on at Crysta l Pa lace fro m 14 th Januar y 19 17 to 17th February 19 17.
Under instruction at Ching ford fro m 17th Feb ruary 19 17 to 15th June 191 7.
Dover on 15th June 191 7. Keeble Courtesy Fleet Air Arm Museum
No . 12 Squadro n fro m 27th J une 191 7 to 4th J uly 19 17.
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m 4th J uly 19 17 to 12th Ju ly 19 17. killed whe n shot down in flumes ncar S lypc.

Kin!:sfonl. Mnurice Rooke, FSI.

Born 7th April 1892. from To ron to. Ontar io.
RAcC Ce rtifica te No .2537 . ga ined 5th March 19 16 at the Gra ha mc-Whitc schoo l. Hendon ,
Previously se rve d in the 30 th Batta lion o f the Ca nadian Expe d itionary Force with the rank o f Lieu-
tenant. -,-
Joined RNAS on 15th Decemb er 191 5 .
Unde r instruction at He ndon fro m 6th Januar y 19 16 to 16th March 191 6.
Unde r instruct ion at Wh ite C ity fro m 16t h Xla rch 191 6 to 14 th Ap ril 191 6.
Unde r instr uction at Eas tbournc fro m 14 th April 191 6 to 8th July 19 16.
Unde r instruction at Cranwc ll fro m Sth J uly 19 16 to 22nd August 191 6.
No .3 Wing fro m 22 nd August 19 16 to 7th Mar ch 191 7.
No . 1 Wing from 7th i\larch 191 7.
No. 11 Squadro n fro m Mar ch 191 7 to 2nd Ap ril 191 7
No .6 Sq uadron fro m 3rd Ap ril 191 7 to 5th April 19 17. whc n brok e leg in crash fo llowin g eng ine
failure.
Sick fro m 5th Apr il 19 17 to 17th July 19 17. at 14th Genera l Hospital. Boulognc.
Dover on 17th July 19 17.
Walm e r De fence Fligh t from 24th July 191 7.
No . 12 Squadro n from 23 rd September 19 17 to 26 th Septe mber 191 7.
No.8 Squadro n fro m 27 th September 191 7 to 30th Janu ary 19 18.
Unde r instruction at Cranwe ll Instructor 's Schoo l fro m 30th Jan uary 19 18 to 14 th Febru ary 19 18.
Man sion , instructing. from 14th Feb ruary 19 18 to 12th Se ptember 19 18.
No.3 Tra ining gro up as ass istant instructor fro m 12th September 191 8. Kendall Courtesy RAeC Trust
55T DS Iro m l J th September 191 8 to 7th Octo ber 19 18 to 11th Febru ary 19 19 . with a period in
hospi ta l fro m 7th Octob er 19 17 to I Ith Octob er 19 18.
M R Kingsford dicd on the 30 th Au gu st 197 3 .

Kirk pa tric k. C enrge Deni son , FLt

Born 25 th August 1896. fro m Tor on to. Ont ario .
RAcC Certificate No .320 1. ga ined 19 th J une 19 16 at Eastbo urnc .
Joi ned RNAS on 7th Feb rua ry 191 6.
Unde r instructi on at I IMS Victory fro m 27 th Febru ary 19 16 .
Unde r instr uction at Fishguard fro m Marc h 19 17 to 17th Ap ril 19 16.
nder instructio n at Wh itc C ity from 17th April 19 16 to 25 th April 19 16.
Unde r instru ction at Eastbournc fro m 25 th Apr il 19 16 to 22ml July 19 16.
Under instruction at Eastchu rc h from 22 ml Jul y 19 16 to 6th August 191 6 .
Under instruction at East For tun e fro m 7th August 19 16 to 28th August 19 16.
Unde r instruct ion at Aberdee n from 29th August to 23 rd Septembe r 19 16.
No.3 Wing fro m 14 th Sep tember 19 16 to 7th March 191 7.
No . 1 Wing on 7th j\ larch 191 7.
No. 11 Sq uadro n fro m 8th March 191 7 to 4th April 19 17.
NO.6 Squadro n from 5th Ap ril 19 17 to 19th Aug ust 191 7. wounded in acrash landin g and hospita lised
in Eng land.
Slough o n co mpass co urse on 5th No vembe r 19 17.
Ca nad ian leave from l Sth Dece mber 19 17.
Yarmout h from l Sth May 19 18. Kingsfor d Courtesy RAeC Trust
Yarmout h. No .4 G roup from Sth Aug ust 19 18 to 14th February 19 19.

187
 II History of No.6 Squa dron Royal Na val Ai r Ser vice ill I\'o rld I\'ar I

La wson . Ha rold, FSL

Born 15t h Ap ril 1897 . From Gos fort h. Nort humber land .
Joined the RNAS on 11th June 19 16 .
Unde r inst ruct ion at Crysta l Pa lace 2 1st J une 191 6 to Ist J uly 191 6 .
Unde r instructio n at Eas tbo urnc Ist Jul y 191 6 to Ist Sept ember 19 16 .
Under instru ct ion at Cranwc ll from 1st Sep te mber 191 6 to 22IH! January 19 17.
Do ver on nIH! January 191 7.
6( N) fro m I Ith February 191 7 to 27 th Augu st 191 7.
10(N) from 28th Augu st 19 17 to 19t h September 191 7. tran sferr ed to I Wing.
Dover n IHI No vember 19 17.
Unde r instruct ion at Cranwe ll, instruc tor s co urse . fro m 26th Novem ber 191 7 to 16th Dece mber
191 7.
Ching ford , instructing. from 16th December 191 7. 20 7T DS afte r Ist Apri l 19 18.
On RAF une mp loyed list 23rd January 191 9.

j\ l a q .:regor, Nor m a n i\ l i~ rs , FS L
Born 29th May 1896 . From Lond on .
RAeC Certifica te No . 3 135. ga ined 1st June 191 6 at Chingford .
Joined the RNAS on 12th February 191 6 .
Unde r instru ction at Fishguar d from 27 th Februa ry 191 6 .
Under instruction at White C ity fro m 17th April 1916.
Under instruc tion at Ching ford from 25th Ap ril 19 16.
nder instruetion at Eastchurch fro m 8th July 191 6.
Kirkpatrick Courtesy EFCheesman 3 Wing from Ist August 19 16.
I Wing from 9th ~ I arch 19 17.
NO. I I Sq uadro n fro m 15th March 191 7.
No .6 Sq uad ron from 22nd April 191 7to 27 th Aug ust 19 17.
No . IO Sq uadron from 28th August 19 17 to 28th January 19 18.
Eastchurch fro m 28th Ja nuary 1918 for disposal.
Martlcsha m Hcath from 26 th Feb ruary 1918 to 16th April 1918.
Furious on 16th Apr il 19 18 for dispo sal.
Eastchurch and Leysdown . instructor. fro m 27th April 19 18.
DSC ga ze tted on 22 nd Fe bruary 19 18.

COli/hat record with No.6 Squad ron:

2817117 2-sea ter Nicup or t 16.00 Crashed "
17/811 7 2-seater E of Wcstcndc 18.15 Cras hed **
20/8/ 17 2-seater Mocrc 10 .50 Ou t of co ntro l***
22/8/ 17 A Ibatros scout N of SI. Pie rre 09A5 Destroyed
Cappel Ie
* sha red with Winter
** share d with de Roepe r and Carro ll
*** shared wi th de Roeper
Lawson Courtesy EFCheesman Macgregor also made the fo llowing claims with other sq uadro ns:

No. IO Sq uadron 3

:'\ la c La r~ n.
C olin Templ e, Fed l'
Born 27 th April 189 1. from Ric hmond . Sur rey. Wor ked as a Cotto n Broker in Bomb ay.
RAeC Cert ifica te No . 1306. ga ined 6th Jun e 19 15 at C hingford .
Pre viou s ly served in the Lahore Divis ional S igna l Co mpany in Augu st 191 4 as a Mo tor Desp atch
Rider with the rank of Cor pora l.
Join ed RNAS on 16t h Ap ril 191 5.
Under instru ction at l lendon fro m 16th April 1915 to 22IH! Ju ly 19 15 .
At Do ve r o n nl1(! J uly 19 15.
At Du nkcrquc on 23 rd Septe mber 191 5 .
Eastchurch from 30th Dece mber 19 15 to 12th January 19 16.
Ce ntral Flying Sch oo l fro m 12th Jan uary 191 6 to Ist April 19 16 .
Cranwe ll from 1st Ap ril 19 16 to 26th Ap ril 19 16.
Yarmouth fro m 26th April 191 6 to 5th ~l a y 19 16.
No A Wing at East church fro m 5th :'\Iay 1916t o 16t h Se pte mbe r 19 16
Do ver on 16t h Sep tembe r 1916 .
NoA Wing from 16th Sep tember 191 6.
No.7 Squadro n fro m 27th Novembe r 191 6.
NO.6 Squa dron fro m January 1917 to 14th August 19 17.
Command ing O fficer of the Wa lmer De fence Flight fro m 14th August 191 7.
Co mma nd ing O fficer of No .6 Squad ron from Ist January 191 8 to 3 1st Murch 191 8.
Command ing Offi cer of No .206 Sq uadron RAF from 1st Ap ril 19 18 to 23rd May 19 19.
Cro ix de Gucrre (B) gazetted on 15th July 19 19.
a BE gazetted on 15th Ju ly 191 9.

Macgregor Courtesy EFCheesman

188
 App end ix C - Roster oj Pilots

~ la eLe nnan, George G or d on. FCdr

Born 26th January 1886. fro m Euge nia, O nta rio.
RAeC Ce rtificate No .205 8. ga ined 8th No ve mber 19 15 at the Curtiss school. Toro III o .
Jo ined RNAS on l l th Nove mbe r 191 5.
Under instr uction at Centra l p lying Sc hoo l fro m Decem ber 19 15 to l l th March 19 16.
Ce ntra l Flying Schoo l as an Ass ista nt Instructor from l l th March 19 16 to II th April 191 6 .
Unde r instruction at Eastchurch fro m l l th April 191 6 10 30lh April 19 16.
No.3 Wing (initially at Del ling) fro m 30 lh Ap ril 191 6 to 7th March 191 7.
No. 1 Wing on 7th March 19 17.
No. 11 squadro n fro m 71h March 19 17 to 18th April 191 7 .
No.6 Squadro n fro m 19th April 1917 to 20th Jul y 19 17. killed in ac tion d uring an e ngageme nt with
ene my aircra ft over M iddl c ke rk e.
Cro ix de Guerrc (France) .

Combat record with No.6 Souad rou:

1/6/1 7 A lba tros scout Eo I' Tcmpl eux Lc Gu erard 18.55 Out o f co ntro l
20/7/1 7 2-sea ter NW o f Wilskerkc 14 .30 Out of co ntro l

~ I a u nd ,
lI ug h Bing ham, FSL
Born 30lh Mny 189 6. From Hampstead. Lon don .
Se rved in Sth Batta lion . Canad ian Expeditionary Force. with ra nk o f Lieu tenant.
Joined the R lAS on 6th Nove m be r 191 6 . Macl aren Courtesy Erme Jupe
Under instr uction at Crystal Palace fro m l Uth Decemb er 19 16.
Under instructio n at Eastchurch from 27th Jan uary 191 7.
Admitted 10 Cha tham Hospit al on 91h Apri l 191 7, with head in juries.
Under instruction at Cranwe ll fro m 13th Ap ril 191 7.
Dover on IOlh May 191 7.
No . 12 Squadron from 2 1st July 19 17 to 26th Jul y 191 7.
No .6 Squadro n fro m 26th July 1918 10 27th August 191 8.
No. IO Squadro n from 28th August 191 7 to 3 1st Ma rch 1918 .
No .2 10 Squadro n RAF from I st April 191 8 10 28 th May 191 8. when wo unded in hands.
No .204 Squadro n RAF fro m Jan uary 19 19. becom ing Command ing Offi ce r on 23rd Jan uary. to 3 1s t
December 191 9.
Maun d made the follow ing c la ims wi th other squadro ns:

No. IO Squadro n 2
No .2 10 Squ ad ron RA F 9

No r ton, E rn es t Wi lliam , FCd r

Born l-lth May 1893. From Mon tgom ery, Po wys,
RAeC Certifica te No . 1476. ga ined 291h J uly 19 15 at Ce ntral Flying Sc hoo l. Upavo n.
Joi ned RNAS o n 25 th Muy 19 15.
Under instruction at Eastbo urne fro m 25 th May 191 5.
Under instr uction at Ce ntral Flyin g Schoo l. Upavon to 281h August 19 15 .
No .5 Squadro n at Dov er. as Eng ine Off icer. fro m 281h Au gu st 19 15.
A Squadron. I Wing from June 191 6 10 6t h December 19 16 .
No. 1 Squadro n from 6th Decem ber 191 6 to 3 1st January 19 17.
No .6 Squadron fro m 3 1st January 19 17 10 l-lth May 191 7. Macl ennan Courtesy EF Cheesman
No . 12 Squadro n. Command ing Officer from Ist J uly 191 7 to 15th Sep tember 191 7.
No.9 Squadron. Co mmand ing Of fice r from 15th Septembe r to 12th Jan ua ry 191 8.
Cranwc ll from 12th Jan uar y 191 8.
No.204 Sq uadro n RAE Co mma nding Of fice r from 27th Ju ly 19 18 to 10th Dece mber 19 18.
Gra nted pe rmanent co mmission in RAF on the ISl August 191 9. reached the rank o f Air Co mmo-
dore.
School of Tec hnica l Tra ining (boys) on sta ll fro m 2 1st Febru ar y 1920.
No.6 Armoured Ca r Com pany. Co mmanding O fficer from 15th December 1924 .
No .70 Squadron Commandi ng O ffice r fro m I st Decem ber 1925.
No .58 Squadro n. Co mma nding O ffice r from 28th July 1927.
RAF Worthy Dow n. on staff fro m 7th Decemb e r 1928. temporary Co mmanding Officer fro m Ma rch
192 9.
No.58 Squadro n. Command ing O fficer fro m 181h Ap ril 1929.
RAF Upa von, Co mma nding Office r from 18t h Aug ust 1930 .
1\0.5 FTS . Co mmanding O ffice r fro m 23rd J uly 1932.
AOA IIQ Coastal Co mmand. fro m 15th February 1937.
AOA HQ RAf Far East. from 28th Decem ber 1937.
Ret ired in 1944.
DSC. gaze tted on 1st January 191 7 .
Cro ix de Guerre (Belg ian) gaze tted on 151h Ju ly 191 9.
Cro ix de Guerre (Fre nch).

Maund Courtesy EF Cheesman

/ 89
 A History of No.6 Squa dron Royal Na vul Air Service in World War I
No rt o n Courtesy Les Rogers
O rmerod Courtesy EFCheesman
Paynter Courtesy EF Cheesman
COli/hat record wi th No .6 Sq uadron:
S/2/17 2-seate r Ho uthulst Forest O ut of co ntro l. smo king
5/4/17 A lbatros scout W of Dou ai 17.0 0 Destroyed in fla mes
5/4/ 17 A lba tros scout W o f Dou ai 17.00 Out o f co ntro l
<)/4/ 17 Al ba tro s scout Cam brai 11,45 Dest roy ed "
<)/4 / 17 A lba tros sco ut Ca m brai 12.00 Out of co ntrol
2<)/4/ 17 A lba tros sco ut E of Ha rco urt 13.1 5 Out of co ntro l t "
29/4/ 17 A lba tros scout G uis e IS.55 Dest ro yed in fla mes
29/4/ 17 A lba tros scout Gui se IS.5 0 O ut of co nt ro l
" sha red with Th orn e
"" sha red wi th Flet che r
No rton al so mad e the fol low ing cl aims wit h othe r sq uadro ns:
I Wing
Or m erod . Leo nard Willi a m . FSL
Born 25 th June IS96 . from Ru ssell Square. Lo nd on .
RA eC Certi ficat e ;'\0.26 31 ga ined 30 th Ma rc h 19 16 at I iall sc hoo l. l lc ndo n,
Jo ined RN AS o n 3rd A pri l 19 16.
nde r instructio n at W h ite Ci ty fro m 10 th Apri l 191 6 .
Unde r instru c tion at C hingfo rd fro m 20t h May 191 6.
Unde r ins truc tio n at C ra nw c ll fro m 30 th J une 191 6.
Do ver o n 17th Oc tob er 19 I(,.
4 Win g from Oc to ber 191 6
No .6 Sq uadron fro m 27 th Nov em ber 19 16.
i':o .7 Sq uadron fro m (,th Jan ua ry 191 7.
No .5 Squadron from 15t h A pril 19 17 to 16 th March 19 IS whe n ki lled in actio n. bu ried a t Lc Cat ca ll.
DSC gaze tte d on 2nd Nov e m ber 19 17.
Paynt e r. J oh n de Cum phou rn e. FSL
Born 17th Ma y IS9 8 . Fro m Souih sca . Ha mpsh ire.
RA eC Ce rtificate i':o .3659 . ga ined 16th Se ptember 19 16 at C h ingford .
Unde r ins tr uc tio n at C rys ta l Pa lace from 25th Jun e 191 6 .
Unde r ins truc tio n at Chingford from 15th J uly 19 16.
Unde r ins truc tio n at Cr an wcl l fro m 13th No vem ber 1916.
Do ver o n 29 th No vember 191 6.
No.6 Squadron fro m Janu ary 1917 to 91h Ap ril 19 17. whe n ho sp itali sed wi th a n inju red back foll ow -
ing a crash during a storm .
;'\0 .12 Squ ad ro n from 9 th to 151h O c to ber 19 17.
:"10. 10 Squ ad ron from 16th Oc tob e r 191 7 to 25th Oc to ber 191 7.
No .9 Squ adron fro m 25 th Oc tob er 19 17 to 26 th Octob e r 191 7.
Dun kc rqu c . gro und d ut ies. from 26 th October 191 7 to 2n d Ja nua ry 19 IS
Seapl an e defe nce Squ udr on /N o .l J Sq uadro n from 2nd Ja nua ry 19 IS to 3 1st Mar c h 19 1S.
i':o.2 13 Sq uad ron RAF from Ist April 191 8 to 1\ th June 19 1S. when fat all y wounded by bomb
fra gm e nts duri ng an a ir ra id o n 2 13 Sq uad ron 's ae rod ro me . Admitted to Q ueen A lex andria ho spital. di ed
o f pe rfo rat ed live r.
() FC ga ze tte d o n 17th April 19 IS.
COli/hat record with No .6 Squ udro n:
1/3/17 2-sea te r G histcl lcs Out o f co ntro l
Pa ynter a lso made the fo llo wi ng cla ims w ith o the r squadro ns :
No .9 Squa dro n I
i':o . 13 Sq uadro n 4
;'\0 .2 13 Sq uadron RA F 5
Perre tt. C la ud e. FSL
Born 11th Novem ber IS96. from G rea t Yarmo ut h. Nor fol k.
RAe C Ce rtificate i':o . 1473. ga ined o n 27 lh J uly 1915 at Eas tc hur ch,
Pre vio usly se rved wi th Ro ya l Aus tra lian i':ava l Reser ve in 19 14.
Jo ined Ri':AS o n 12th /l. lay 1915.
nder instruc tion a t Winde rmere fro m 12th ~I a y 1915 .
ndc r instructi on at Ch ing ford .
Eustc hurch War Flight fro m 21 sl Jul y 1915 .
i':o ,4 Wing from 3rd Sept ember 191 5.
:"10.7 Sq uadro n from 27 th No vem ber 19 16 .
i':o.6 Squ ad ron from 16th Ja nua ry 191 7.
No.7 Squ ad ron fro m 23 rd January 191 7.
:"10.2 Squ ad ron from 23r d Ap ril 19 17.
190
 Appendix C - Roster of l'ilots

Petre, J ohn .losc ph, SCdr

Born I Ith April 1 8 9~ . Fro m Ingall ston c. Essex .
RAeC Certificate :\ 0 . 9~ 2 . ga ined 141h Octobe r 191 ~ at East bourne .
Jo ined RNAS on 171h Se ptember 191~ .
Under instruct io n at Eastbourn c fro m 17th Septe mber 1914 to 27lh Octo be r 1914 .
Under instruct ion at Eastc hurch from 27th October 191~ to 121h January I'J 15.
At RNAS Grain from 12th January 1915 to 12th February 1915.
To I Wing Dunkcrqu e on l Zth February 1915.
Inj ured in inciden t with FilA Flyin g Boat seria l Ll l-l on 2~ t h Muy 1'J15.
Commandin g O ffice r o f Il Group I Wing from 30th Dece mber 1915.
A Squ adron I Wing from earl y June 191 6 to 6th Decemb er 1916.
No.1 Squadron from 6th Decem ber 1916 to 3 1st Decemb er I'J 16.
No.4 Wing in Jan uary 1917.
Co mmandi ng Of ficer of :\0.6 Sq uadron fro m February 191 7 to l J th April 1917, killed when his
Nieu port broke lip whi lst divi ng at a target on a gunnery range.
DSC gazetted on nnd Ju ne 1916.
Cro ix de G ue rre (Fra nce) .
Pe tre made the follow ing c laims with o the r squadrons:

A Sq uadron I Wing

Pluist o wc, David . FSL

Born 28th March 1898. from Wakefield . Yorkshire.
RAeC Certi ficate No.3667. ga ined lst October I'J 16. al Chingford.
Pre viously served in RNAS with rank of A,\ 1.2 at Roehampto n.
Co nfi rmed as a probationary Flighr Sub Lieuten ant on the 18th July 19 16. Pet re Courtesy Mike O'Connor
ndc r instru ct ion at Crystal Palace from 23rd Ju ly I'J 16 to l Zth August I'J 16.
Unde r instru ction at C hing ford from 12th Augu st 191 6 to -lth Decemb er 19 16.
ndcr instructi on at Cran wcll from ~th Decem ber I'J 16 to 30t h December I'J 16.
Westgate fro m 30th Dece mbe r I()16 to 10th January I'J 17.
At Do ver on lOth Ja nuary 1'J17.
NO.6 Squa dro n from l Zth Febru ary I'J 17 to 25t h Apr il 1917. then to hosp ita l in Eng land .
Hendon fro m 6th Jun e 191 7 to 9t h April 1918.
Martlcsh am Heath from 91hApri l 19 18

Puwles. G corl:c Pa ul et, FSL

Bo rn 121h March 1897. from Ken singto n, London .
RAeC Certificate 1'0 .2560 . ga ined 16th March 191 6 at the Gracme-White scho ol. Hendon.
Pre viously served with rank o f Private in the London Regime nt.
Joined RNAS on 24th Dece mber I'J 15.
nder instr uction at Hen don from 19th Jan uary 19 16to 23rd ;"Iarch 19 16.
Under instr uction at White C ity from 23rd Marc h 1916 to l-Ith Ap ril 19 16.
Under inst ruction at Eastbournc from l-lth April 1916to 151h Ju ne 19 16.
Under instruction at C ranw ell from 15th Ju ne 1'J16 to 28th Augu st 1'J16.
Dover on 28th August 19 16.
No.4 Wing from Se pte mber I'J 16.
No.6 Sq uadro n from -lth February 1917 to 26th Febru ary 1917. when intern ed in Holland afte r suf-
fer ing dama ge from ground fire and makin g a forced land ing at Cadza nd. Zee land.
Plaistowe Courtesy RAeC Trust
Redpath , Ron ald Fru ncis, FLt
Bo rn 7th Ju ly 1888. Fro m Montreal. Canada.
Unde r instruct ion at Curtiss schoo l. Toro nto. from 30th August I'J 15 to 3rd Nove mber 1915. did not
finish co urse hut j oined RNAS on lst Dece mher I'J 15 as a Probationary Flight Sub Lieu ten ant in Ottawa
without an I'AI Ce rtificate.
Under instruct ion at Ching ford from 20 th Decemb er 1915. RAeC Cert ificate 24 18 gained on Sth
Febru ary I'J 16 at Chingford .
Under instruction at Crysta l Palace from lsI I\lay 1916 to 20th I\lay 1916.
Under instruction at Eastchurch Gunn ery choo l from 20t h ;"Iay 191 6 to 6th August I'J 16.
:\0.3 Wing from 7th August 1'J16 (at M a nsio n ) 10 14th March 1917.
:\0. 11 Squadro n fro m 15th Murch 191 7 to 21s1April 1'J17.
:\0.6 Squadron from n lHf Ap ril I'J 17 to l J th Augu st 1917 . Sick from 2 1st June to 5th Augu st.
1'0. 11 Sq uadron from 15th August to Ist September 1917.
No.3 Squad ron. temporary atta chment from 2nd September to 23rd Sept ember 191 7.
No. IO Squadro n from 23r d Sep temb er to 141h Dece mber I'J 17.
20 I T DS Cra nwe ll from 27th Dece mber I'J 17 to 10th June 19 18.
Rcdca r 10t h June 1'J 18 to 22nd June 1'J18.
Cranwc ll n nd June I'J IS to 18th No vember I'J 18.
No.20'J Sq uadron RAI' from 18th Novc nrbc r I'J 18 to 'Jth :-'Iarch I'J I'J:
Cra nwc ll 'Jth March I'J I'J to 2~ lh Apri l I'J 19.
To unem ployed list on 2~ t h Apri l I'J I'J.
Became a post-war d irec tor of the Canadian Air Force .
Red path died o n 11th January 1970. Powles Courtesy RAeC Trust

/ 9/
 A Histo ry of No.6 Sq uadron Roya l Na val Air Se rvice in \\'orld Wa r I

Comhtu record with No.6 Squadron:

6/6/ 17 A lba tro s sc o ut i'\W of C a m brai 12. 00-1 2.1 5 Ou t o f co ntro l
Red pa th mad e the foll o win g c la im s w ith o the r sq uad ro ns :

No .3 S q uadro n

Ree ves . Fa h ia n Pemb er, I'Ll

Bo rn 12t h De ce mb er 189 5. from Lo ndo n.
Jo ined RNAS o n l Sth J u ly 19 15 .
Pre viou s ly se rve d with the OT C fro m 19 14 to 19 15 .
Unde r ins truc tio n a t H MS Vic to ry fro m l Sth Ju ly 19 15 to 15t h Au gu st 191 5 .
Unde r instru c tio n a t Ea stch urc h from 15th A ug us t 19 15 to 1s t O c tob er 19 15 .
i'\o 4 Sq ua dro n fro m Is t O ct ob er 19 15 to 23rd No ve m be r 191 5 .
I le ndo n fro m 23rd Nov e m be r 191 5 to 22 11(1 f e b rua ry 19 16 .
Ya rmou th from 22nd Feb ru ar y 191 6 to 15t h Ju ly 191 6 .
Ea stc hu rc h fly ing sc hoo l as a tempor ar y in stru c tor from 15th Ju ly 19 16 to 2 nd O ct ob e r 19 16.
Adm ira lty A ir Dep a rt me nt. M S ectio n from 2nd O cto be r 191 6 to 10 th Marc h 191 7.
Do ve r o n 10 th Ma rch 19 17 .
'0 .6 S q ua d ro n from II th Ma rc h 191 7 to 6th June 191 7. w he n his N ic upo rt 17 Bis br ok e up in th e a ir
d uring c o m ba t o ver Mo e vrc s.

Ru th ven. .lnhn Ed ga ,·. FSL

Born 2 2nd Ju ly 1895 . from Ke nda ll. We su uo rland
Redpath Courtesy EF Cheesman RAeC Ce rt ific a te 1'10.360 6 o bta ine d o n 26th S e pte m be r 1916 at Ch ing fo rd .
Jo ined RNAS o n 14 th M ay 19 16 .
Unde r ins truction at C ry sta l Pal ace from 14th Ma y 191 6 .
Unde r instru c tio n at C h ingfon l from 3rd Ju ne 19 16 .
Unde r instr uction at C ra nwc ll fro m -lth No ve m be r 19 16.
Do ve r o n 17t h Nove m be r 191 6 .
No.4 Win g from 18th No ve mbe r 19 16 .
No .? Sq uad ron fro m Ja nuary 19 17 .
Admitted to Chartharn Ho sp ital o n 24 th A pril 191 7 s u ffe ring from C onj unc tivitis. Disc harged fit o n
20 th June 19 17 .
Do ver o n 27 th Ju ne 19 17.
S ur ve ye d o n 12t h Se pte m be r 191 7 a nd fo und unfit. Re su rve yed o n 12 th No ve mbe r 19 17 a nd fo und
un fit for furth er fly ing b UI fit for g ro und du ties .
nd e r instr uct io n at S lo ugh o n Co m pas s c o urs e fro m 19 th Nove m be r 191 7 .
Ea s t Fo rtu ne A irs hip S ta tio n fro m 2 8th December 191 7 . initiall y se rvi ng a s Co mp ass O ffice r a nd
late r as a n Adj uta nt with the RA F.
T ra nsfer red to une m p loyed list o n 22nd O c tob er 19 19 .

S h a w. J am es A le xa nde r, FS L
Bor n 23rd Se ptember 1893 .
US A Ce rt ifica te No .382 ob ta ine d o n 25th Dece mb er 19 15 at Wri ght sc hoo l. A ug usta .
Join ed Ri'\AS on 1st Ja nuary 191 6 .
nde r in stru ction at Rcd ca r fro m Ist Janu ary 191 6 .
Unde r in s tr uct io n at C runwe ll fro m 5 th J une 19 16 .
Shaw Courtesy EF Cheesman Do ver o n 11th Se pte mbe r 191 6 .
Admitted to C ha tha m Hos pit a l o n 28th Se pte mber 19 16 su ffe ring from S yph ilis . Di sch arge d fit o n
24 th O ctob er 19 16 .
Re -ad m itted to C ha tha m Hos p ita l o n 27 th O cto be r 19 16 s u ffe ring fro m sec o nda ry Sy ph ilis.
No .4 W ing from No ve m be r 19 16 .
No .8 Sq uad ro n from Fe brua ry 191 7.
No .9 Sq uad ro n from 17th M ar ch 19 17 .
Adm itted to Chatha m Hos p ita l o n 13th A p ril 19 17 with inju ry to knee .
Walmer Defe nce Fligh t fro m 28t h April 19 17 .
M an s to n D II Sc hoo l fro m Janu a ry 191 8 .

S ied le. Gcotf'rcy Erne st, FSL

Bor n 23 rd Nove mher 1898 . a t Sw a nsea .
Siedle Courtesy RAeC Trust
RAeC Ce rt ifica te 1'10.4 73 8 . ga ine d 28 th Ma y 19 17 at C h ing for d .
Join ed RNA S 41h Februa ry 19 17 .
U nde r instr uc tion at C rys ta l Pa la ce fro m 4 th Februar y 19 17 10 12t h Ma rch 191 7 .
Unde r in struc tio n at C h ing for d from 12th Ma rc h 191 7 to 9th June 19 17 .
U nde r instru ct io n at C ra nwc ll fro m 9 th June 191 7 to 23rd J uly 19 17 .
Do ve r o n 23rd Ju ly 19 17 .
No . 12 Squad ro n from Il lh A ugust 191 7 to 14th A ug us t 19 17 .
No .6 Sq uad ro n from 14 th A ug us t 191 7 to 27th A ug ust 191 7.
Ad m itte d to C hatha m Hosp ita l o n 3rd Se pte mbe r 19 17 s u ffe ring from Bron ch itis.
Man s to n fro m 15th Nove mbe r 19 17 to 28 th Decembe r 19 17 .
Du nk crque o n 28th December 191 7 .
No . 12 Sq uadro n from 29 th Dece mb e r 191 7 to 6 th Ja nu ary 19 18 .

192
 Appendix C - Roster of Pi/OIS

No .5 Squadro n from 7th January 191 8 to 3 1st Ma rch 19 18.

Sied le made I indec isive c laim wi th No.5 Squadro n.

Sieve ki ng, Va lcn ti nc Edg ar', FSL

Born 51h Feb rua ry IX92. from Ma ry le bon c, Lon don .
Pre viou s serv ice as Proba tion ar y FSL fro m I Ith Se ptember 191 5 to 8th December 191 5 (te rm ina ted
as sho wed no ability to lea rn to fly at Eas tbo urne) and as an Observer with the rank o f S I. RNVR fro m Sth
December 1915 to 15th February 19 16 (te rminated as too heavy for an observer and poor perfor mance).
Was not recomm ended for fur ther pi lot tra ining .
Rejoined RNAS on 16th February 191 6.
Under instru cti on at C ranwe ll fro m 16th Feb ruary 191 6. Suffered acc ident w ith two shee p at take o ff
in RE7 224 1 rece iving abrasions on both legs. bru ises on face. broke n nose and shock . Sicvc king was not
hel d responsible for the acc ide nt.
Sur veye d on Ist Se pte mber 19 16 and pron oun ced fit.
Do ver on 29 th Se pte m ber 19 16. O ve rt urne d Nieupo rt 10 serial 3966 whe n landing on 2nd No vc m-
her 19 16. suffe red mi nor injuri es and shoc k.
4 Wing from No ve mbe r 19 16.
No .6 Squadro n fro m 27 th Nove mbe r 19 16.
No .7 Squadro n fro m 7th Janu ar y 19 17.
NO.14 Squadron from 9th December 19 17.
No .2 14 Sq uadron RA F fro m Ist April 19 1Xto 18th May 191 8 when killed in action.
DSC gaze tted on 221111 J unc 19 17.
Bar to DSC gazc tted on 17th Apri l 1918.

S im ps on , .Ja mcs Orro h, FS L

Born l st Se pte mber 1896. Sieveking Courtesy EF Cheesman
Joi ned RNAS on 4t h March 191 7 .
Previous se rv ice in RNAS as AM I .
Unde r instructio n at Crysta l Palace from -lth Mar ch 19 17 to 17th Ap ril 19 17.
Under instruct ion at Eastchurch from 17th Apri l 191 7 to 16t h Ju nc 191 7 .
U nder instruction at Cra nwc l l fro m 16th J unc 19 17 to 28 th J uly 19 17.
Dovcr o n 27th Ju ly 19 17.
No. 12 Sq uadro n fro m 12th Aug ust 19 17 to 14th August 191 7.
No .6 Squadro n from 15th Aug ust 191 7 to 27 th Au gust 1917.
No . 1 Squadro n from 29th Au gust 191 7.
Ad mi tted to Chatha m Hospital on 13th Ma rch 19 18 suffering from Chancro id . d isc harged to dut y o n
27 th April 1918.

S late r, Rob ert Kenn et h. FS L

Born 18th Nove mber 1893 in Ottawa .
RAcC Ce rtificate No .359 3. gained 2 1st Septe mbe r 191 6 at Redcur,
Join ed RNAS on Sth April 191 6.
Originally served with the 23 rd Batta lion o f Canadi an Infa ntry.
Under instruct ion at the Whitc C ity fro m 25th April 19 16 to 20 th May 191 6 .
Under instruct ion at Rcdcar fro m 20th May 191 6 to 23 rd September 191 6.
Under instru ct ion at Cranwc ll from 23rd September 191 6 to 10th January 191 7.
At Dover on 10lh Janu ar y 19 18.
No .6 Sq uadro n from Ja nuar y 19 17 to 5th Ap ril 19 17 when he was shot do wn ncar Arra s at Ig,45 and
becam e a prison er of wa r.
RK Slater died in 1984 . Slate r Courtesy SKTaylor

S teve ns, Gcorgc Lcs lic E uge ne , I' Ll

Born I I Decemb er 189 2 at Peterborough , Ont ario.
RAc C Certi fica te No . I724 . gained 4th Se ptembe r 191 5 at the Curtiss schoo l. Toro nto .
Jo ined R I AS on 6th Se pte mber 19 15.
Under instru ction at Chingford from 4t h Se ptember 19 15 to 1st Decemb er 191 5.
Under instruction for night flyin g at Eastch urch from 1st December 19 15 to 27th Decemb er 19 15.
S ick and Canadian leave from 27 th Decemb er 19 15.
Undcr instruct ion at Rochford fro m Ist Marc h 19 16 to 5th Ju ne 19 16.
Undc r instruct ion at Detl ing from 6t h June 191 6 to 28th Ju ly 19 16.
Sick and Canadian lea ve from 29 th Ju ly 191 6.
Red ca r for re-qu alif icati on on 7th December 19 16.
Rcd car War Flight from 9th January 19 17 to 10t h March 19 17.
Do ver from 10th Mar ch 191 7 to 29 th March 19 17.
No . 11 Squadro n fro m 29th Marc h 191 7 to 2 1st April 19 17.
No .6 Squadro n from 22nd April 191 7 to 26th June 19 17.
S ick from September 19 17.
Mau ston fro m 13th Nove mber 191 7 to 30th Nove mbe r 191 7.
Dun kerquc on 30 th No vember 19 17.
!'-:o. 12 Squadro n fro m Ist Decem ber 191 7 to 6th Decem ber 19 17.
Sea plane Defen ce Squadro n from 7th Decem ber 191 7 to 10th February 191 8.
No .f Sq uadro n from Janua ry 191 8 to 3 1st March 191 8. Stevens Courtesy EF Cheesman

/ 93
 II History of No .6 Squadron Royal Na val Air Se rvice in Wor ld War I

No. 206 S q uadro n RAF fro m I st A pril 191 8 to 17 th A ug ust 191 8.

No .9 G ro up . g ro und d ut ies from 17th A ug ust 191 8 to 6 th October 19 18 .
No. 24 1 Squ ad ro n fro m 7 th Octo ber 191 8.
G LE S te ve ns d ied in 1963 .

Combat record with No.6 Squadro n:

6/6 / 17 A lba tro s sco ut N W o f C a m b ra i 12 . 15 O ut o f co ntro l
S tev e ns a lso m ad e th c fo llo w in g cl a im s w ith o thc r sq uad ro ns :

No .206 Sq uadro n RA F 2

S tru t h y, F ord S t ua r t, FSL

Born 2 nd Sep te m be r 189 7. from To ront o . O nta rio .
R A cC C e rt ific a te No .3832. ga ined 5 th Nove m ber 191 6 a t th c C urt is s sc ho ol. To ron to .
J oi ne d R N A S o n 5 th Nove m be r 191 6 .
U nde r instru c tio n at C rys ta l Pal ac e fro m 17 th De ce mb er 19 16 to 5 th Fe bru ary 191 7 .
U nde r ins truc tio n a t Ve ndo me fro m 5 th Febru ary 19 17 to 28 th A pril 191 7 .
Unde r instruc tio n at C ra n wc ll fro m 28 th A p ril 19 17 to 2 nd Ju ly 191 7 .
Do ver o n 2u d Jul y 19 17.
No . 12 Sq ua dro n from 13th Jul y 19 17 to 18th J u ly 19 17.
N o.6 S q uad ro n fro m 18 th J ul y 191 7 to 17th A ug ust 191 7. w he n sho t d ow n and ki lle d ove r Zcvco tc .

Combnt reco rd with No.6 Squadron:

15/ 8117 A lba tros Sco ut N ic u po rt 16 ,45 - 18 .35 Dest royed

Strathy Courtesy EFCheesman Thorn e, A lfred Lewis, FSL

Born 19 th J an uar y 1894 . fro m Ki ngc rs dorp . Tra nsv aal.
R Ac C Ce rt ifica te No .2 4 4 7. ga ined 12 th Fe b ruar y 19 16 a t C h iug fo rd.
Jo in ed R N A S o n 19 th O c to be r 191 5 .
Unde r instru ct ion a t C h ing ford fro m 22 ml Oc to be r 19 15 to 2 1st Fe bruary 19 16 .
Und er inst ru cti on a t tbc C e ntra l F ly ing Sc hool fro m 2 1s t Feb ruary 191 6 to 9 th A pri l 191 6 .
Ea st c h ur c h fro m 9t h A pril 19 16 to 30 th A pril 191 6 .
Grain fro m 3 0 th A pril 19 16 to 5 th Ju ne 191 6 .
C ra nwc ll from 5 th Jun c 19 16 to Is t A ug ust 19 16.
Do ver o n I st A ug ust 191 6 .
B Sq ua dro n 4 W ing/ No .7 Sq ua dro n
N o .6 Sq uad ro n fro m Fe brua ry 19 17 to 9 th A pril 191 7. ki lle d wh en he c ras he d d ur in g a s tor m .

Combat reco rd with No.6 Squadro n:

5/411 7 U nkno w n
., 'J
O ut o f co ntro l
9/411 7 A lbatro s sco ut C a m bra i 11,45 Destroyed "
* Shared w ith No rto n
Wa lker, Frederic C loe t e. FSL
Bo rn 2 1st A pr il 1898 . fro m Lo ndo n .
RA c C Ce rt ifica te 368 4 ga ined l s: O c tob er 191 6 a t C h ing fo rd .
J oi ned R N A S o n 18t h Ju ne 19 16 .
U nde r inst ructi on a t C ry sta l Pa lacc fro m 18th Ju nc 191 6 to 8th Jul y 191 6 .
U nde r instru cti o n at C h ing fo rd fro m 8 th Ju ly 191 6 to 26th Nove m ber 19 16 .
Thorne Courtesy RAeC Trust Unde r inst ruc tio n at Eusic h urc h fro m 26t h Nove m be r 191 6 to 22 nd Dece m be r 191 6 .
" G" C o urse fro m 2 2 ml De cembe r 191 7 to 30 th Dec e m be r 19 16
We s tg at e fro m 3 0 th Dece mb er 19 16 to 10th J an ua ry 191 7 .
A t Do ver o n 10 th J a nua ry 191 7.
No .6 Sq ua dro n fro m l l th February 191 7 to 17 th M a rch 191 7. d ied at Savy a ft e r sta lling h is m ach in e
at 40 0 te et a nd c ra shing .

W a ltnn, Art hu r i\ lc B u l'lll'Y, FSL

Born 17 th O c to be r 1896 . in Ne w York C ity o f Ca na d ia n Pa ren ts. Sc ho o led a nd re s id e nt in To ro nto .
RA cC Ce rt ifica te No .34 0 4 ga ined 18 th A ug ust 19 16 a t thc C urt iss sc ho o l. Toronto .
J oi ne d R N A S a t Otta w a o n 18th A ug ust 191 6 .
U nde r instruc tio n a t C ry sta l Pa lace 17 th Se pte m be r 191 6 .
U nde r In stru cti o n a t Cran w c ll 14th O ct o be r 19 16 .
Do ve r fro m 3 rd Ma rch 19 17 .
N o . 11 S q uad ro n from 26th M a rch 19 17 .
N o . IO Sq uad ro n fro m l s t A pr il 191 71 0 4 th A pri l 19 17 .
N o .6 S q uadro n fro m 5 th A pri l 191 7 to 4 th Jul y 19 17 .
Ad m itted to C ha tha m Ho sp ital o n 20 th Ju ly 191 7. A ftc r d isci pl in ar y pro bl e m s , sub m itte d req ues t to
te rm inat e Co m m is sio n o n 25 th J ul y 19 17. G ro und s were tha t he fe lt u nwort h y o f bci ng re ta ine d in thc
R N A S . Rc s ig nat io n w as acc e pte d o n Ixt Au g ust 191 7 .
A M c B Walt o n d ied o n th c 17th Feb rua ry 196 2 .

Walker Courtesy EFCheesman

194
 Appe ndix C - Roster oj Pilots

Combat record with No. 6 Squad ron:

1/6/1 7 2-sea ler St. Qu entin 08.35 App arentl y ou t o f co ntro l"

* Shared with SCdr C D Breese.

Wint e r. Rupe rt Ra nd olph. I'Ll

Born 24th April 1896 in Woods ide Park . North London .
RAeC Ce rtifica te 1'1 0 .3066. ga ined 141h Ju ne 191 6 at Chingford .
Formerl y se rve d as a Private in the 28 th Lond on Regiment.
Join ed RNAS on 25th Apr il 1916.
Under instru cti on at Fishgu ard from 27 th Febru ar y 1916 10 17th Apri l 1'11 6 .
Unde r instru cti on at While Ci ty from 17th April 1'116 to 25th Ap ril 191 6.
Unde r instru cti on at Chingford from 251h April 191 6 to 22n d J uly 191 6.
Unde r instru ction at Eas tchurch from 22 ml J uly 19 16 to 7th Au gust 1'11 6 .
Eastc hurch from 7th Au gust 1'116 to 2 1st Sept emb er 191 6.
East Fort une and Lon g side from 2 1st Sep tember 191 6 10 30th Decemb er 1'11 6 .
At Do ver on 30th Decemb er 1'11 6.
No.4 Wing on 17th Januar y 1'11 7.
No.6 Sq uadro n fro m 171h January 1'11 7 to 271h Au gust 1'117.
Walmer Defence Flight from 2'1lh August 1'117 10 3 1st October 1'117.
1'10.'1 Squadro n fro m 181h Nove mber 1'117 to 3rd February 19 18. whe n sho t down and killed so uth-
we st of Ro ulers.

Combat record with No .6 Squadron:

2914/1 7 A lbatros sco ut Guise 18.50 Out of contro l
2 117/17 A lha tro s scout Wcstcn dc 20.05 Destroyed W alton Courtesy SK Taylor
2817/1 7 2-sea ter Nie upor t 16.00 Destroyed
Winter also c laimed the followin g victories with other squadro ns:

No .9 Squad ron 2

Woo d. Phil ip. FS L

Born 9th July 189 7. From Shrew sbury. Sa lop.
Joined the RN AS on 2nd Ju ly 191 6 .
Unde r instru cti on at C rys ta l Pala ce fro m 2nd J uly 19 16 .
Unde r instru cti on at Eas tc hurc h from 22 ml July 191 6.
Unde r instru cti on at Cran wcl l from 7th Oc tober 191 6.
Dover from 23rd Febru ar y 19 17.
No.6 Squ ad ron from IOlh Marc h 191 7 to 27th Augu st 19 17.
1'1 0. 10 Squ adron from 2nd Se ptember 191 7 to 17th Se ptemb er 19 17. when suffe red a very se vere
sc alp wo und and shoc k.
Cranwe ll Instructor 's sc hool fro m 30lh Janu ary 1'11 8.
Rcdcar from 13th Febru ar y 19 18.
II~ I S Furi ous on 27 th Apr il 191 8 for disposal.
Turnhou se fro m 25th Sep temb er 191 8 to 27 lh Ja nuary 191 9 .
Lcuchars from 27 th January 1'11'1 10 2 1st Februa ry 19 19 .
Tran sferred to Une mploy me nt List on 19th Feb ruar y 1'119.
Edi nburgh Cas tle Dispersal Ce ntre on 2 1st Febr uary 191 9.

Combat record with No .6 Squadro n: W inter Courtesy Justin Young

2317/ 17 A lbatros scout E of Di xrnud c 20 .30 Out o f contro l

Pa rt 2: 1st J anuary 1915 to 3 1st Marc h 1915

lIaill'~'. Eric He n ry Pla tt . FSL

Born 25th Mar ch 1898. from Enf ield. ~ I iddle s ex .
RAeC Ce rtificate 1'10.5603 ga ined 30 th Janu ary 1'11 8 at Cranwc ll.
Previously served in RN AS for 12 month s as AC II.
Joined RNAS on 22nd April 191 7.
Unde r instruct ion at Crystal Palace fro m 22m l April 1917.
Unde r instruc tion at Rcdcar fro m 8th Se ptember 1'11 7.
Unde r instruction at Cranwe ll and Frciston fro m l Uth November 1'11 7.
Unde r instruc tio n at Munston DI14 sc hoo l fro m 261h Febru ary 191 8.
Dun kcrqu e on 13th March 191 8 .
No.6 Squa dron from 241h March 1'11 8 to 3 1Sl March 1918.
1'10.206 Squ adron RAF from Ist Ap ril 191 to 27 th April 1'11 8 when tran sferr ed to hospit al at St.
Orner suffering from Scab ies.
1'1 0.206 Squ ad ron RA F fro m 23rd July 19 18 10 II th Au gust 1'118. shot down and killed to the north
of Lille.
Wood Courtesy SK Toylor

1\15
 A History oj No .6 Squadron Royal Na val Ai r Service ill world lVar /
EHP Bailey Courtesy RAeC Trust
Burn Courtesy A Price via Chris Myers
Ste ven s (L) and Christian (R) Courtesy EF
Cheesman
Bannat yn c. A n d re w :\ Ia ns lic ld . FS L
Born 3rd Ju ly 1899 . from Bed fo rd .
Jo ined R lAS o n 8th Ju ly 19 17 .
Unde r instruc tio n at C rys ta l Pal ac e from 8th Ju ly 19 17 to 11th A ug ust 19 17.
Unde r instr uction at C h ing fo rd fro m 11th A ug us t 19 17 to 29 th Se pte mbe r 191 7.
Unde r instruc tio n at C ra nw c ll fro m 29 th Se pte m be r 191 7 to 3rd Dec embe r 19 17.
Und er in stru cti o n at M unsto n from 3rd Decem be r 19 17 to 12th Ja nu ar y 191 8.
Du nkcrque o n 12th Janua ry 19 18 .
No .(i S qua d ro n from 19 th Jan uary 19 18 to 9th M ar c h 19 18 . wh en wo unded during bo m b ing raid .
Ad mi tte d to C hatha m Ho spit al wi th m ultipic gu ns ho t wou nd s.
C ro ix d e G uc rre w ith pa lm ( Fre nc h) guzc uc d o n 15th J uly 19 19 .
Bcw cll. Rob ert Llo yd . FSL
Bo rn 20th A ug us t 1898. fro m Reg ina. Sa sk at c hew a n.
Pre vio usly se rved w ith the Ca na d ia n Re se rve Cycl is ts a nd De spat c h Ride rs .
Jo ined RNAS on 4 th Ju ly 19 17 .
Unde r ins truc tio n a t Cry sta l Pala ce fro m 4 th Ju ly 19 17 to 2 1st J u ly 19 17 .
Unde r ins truc tio n a t Rcd car fro m 2 1st J u ly 19 17 to 29 th Sep te mber 191 7.
U nde r instr uctio n a t C ra nwc ll fro m 29 th Se ptem be r 19 17 to 14 th Februa ry 191 8 . Fa iled to g ra d ua te
o n firs t fo u r a tte m pts.
Unde r ins truct ion a t Ma uston War Sc hoo l fro m 14 th Fe br uary 191 8 to 26th Febru ar y 19 18 .
Du nkcrq uc on 2(ith Fe b ruary 19 18 .
No . 12 Squad ro n fro m 27 th Fe br ua ry 191 8 to 9th Ma rc h 19 18.
No .ti Sq ua dro n fro m 10th Ma rch 19 18 to 3 1st Ma rch 191 8 .
No .20 (i S q ua d ron RA P fro m Ist A pri l 191 8 to 15th A pri l 19 18 . ad m itte d to the G e nera l ho sp ita l at
Eta ples . Disc ha rged as fit on 7th i\lay 19 18 .
Burn. E ld o n Ab r a ha m , Lt
Bo rn 22 11(1 Ju ly 189 3 . fro m Wa terl oo . O n tar io .
No .l03 Sq uadro n R FC o n 2 3rd O c tobe r 191 7.
No .ti Sq uadron from 3 1st Ma rch 19 18 .
No .206 Sq uad ro n RA P fro m I st A pr il 191 8 .
Ad m itted to Hosp ita l o n 27 th A p ril 19 18 .
Ad m itte d to I lo sp ital o n 4 th Se pte m be r 191 8. d isc ha rged o n 9th Se pte m be r 191 8.
No . 123 S q uadron RA F fro m 3rd Ma rc h 191 9 .
Ad m itted to Pc tro g rad Il o sp ita l . Lo nd on . o n 12th Ju ne 19 19 . di sc ha rged on 13th Ju ly 19 19 .
Ad m itte d Ca nad ia n Red C ros s Offi ce r 's Ho sp ita l o n 13th J uly 19 19 .
Re pat ri ated to Ca nada o n 25th Se p te mb e r 191 9 .
Burn c la imed 2 vic to ries w ith 1' 0 .20 6 Sq uadro n.
C h r ist ia n. L co A r th ur. Ohs Lt
Born 9 th O cto ber 189 2. fro m A rms tro ng . British Co lum b ia
Jo ined RN AS o n 19t h A pri l 19 17 .
Under in s tru cti o n at C ry s ta l Pal ace fro m 19th A pr il 19 17.
Unde r in s tru c tio n at ,\ (a nsto n fro m 2 1st Ma y 191 7 .
A fter ga in ing hi s ce rt ific a te was " was hed o ut" a s a pi lo t. A ppo in ted as Pro ba tio na ry O bserve r Of-
fice r o n 25 th A ugu st 19 17 .
Unde r inst ru c tio n at Eas tc hurc h fro m 2 5th A ugust 19 17 .
Dunkerquc o n 18th Janu ar y 19 18 .
No .(i Sq uadro n fro m 19th Ja nu ar y 191 8 to 3 1st Ma rc h 191 8 .
No .20 (i Sq uadro n RA P from Ist A pr il 191 8 to 24 th A ug us t 19 18 .
1' 0 . 14 Ge ne ra l Hospi ta l from 24 th A ug us t to Se pte m be r 19 18.
D FC gaz c ttc d 2 1st Sep te m be r 19 18 .
Pos t war re turn ed to Bri tis h Co lum b ia to b reed ho rse s.
Jo ined RC A I' in W W 2.
LA C hr istia n di ed in 194 8 .
9 vic to rie s c la imed with No .20(i Sq uad ron RA F.
C la rke, Ir win Na p ier C o li n . FC dr
Bo rn 8th A pril 189 3. from Fo o tscra y. Me lbo urn e .
Jo ined RN AS o n 14 1h A ug ust 19 15 .
RAcC Ce rt ificate No. 202 6 ga incd 3rd O c to be r 191 5 at Ea s tc hurc h.
Unde r instruc tio n. navigatio n co urse fro m 141h A ug ust 191 5 .
Unde r ins truc tio n at Ea s tc h urc h from 11th Se pte m be r 19 15 .
Post ed to Dard an e lles from 9 th Decem be r 1915 . not co ns idered to be su ita b ly tra ine d a nd a rrive d
bac k in E n ~ l a n d o n 7th Fc bru ar v 19 1(i.
R cpri~ll a ndcd a nd nea rly I,',s t h is c o m m issio n fo r h is co nd uc t at G ihra ltar d ur ing his re tu rn fro m th c
easte rn Med ite rran ea n.
Unde r ins truc tio n at Eas tbo urnc fro m 9t h Fe b rua ry 191 6 .
Do ve r on 4t h Mar c h 19 1(i.
No .5 Sq ua dron from May 191 6 to 28 th O c tober 191 7 . Re mo ve d a s Plig ht Co m ma nde r a fte r a d is-
agre e me nt w ith Co m mandi ng Officer,
/ 96
 Ap pendix C - Roster III Pilots

Dover from 28t h Oct ober 191 7.

No .o Squ ad ron from 19th Ja nu ary 19 18 to 3 1st M a rc h 1918 .
No .200 Squad ron RAF from l sI Ap ril 191 8.
No .1 Co m m un ica tio ns Squ ad ron from Ju ly 1918 .
To un employ ed lisl in Ju ne 191 9.
Returned 10 Au str al ia o n 5th Sep tember 191 9.
RAAF with ra nk of tempora ry Fli g ht Lieuten ant on 3 1st Ma rc h 192 2.
Fir st aeri a l sur ve y o f Lak e Eyr e in i\ la rc h 1922 .
Resigned Co m m iss io n in RA A F o n 17th Ap ril 192 3.
Enlisted in RA F o n sho rt co m m ission wit h ra nk of Flyin g Officer o n 3r d July 19 23.
nder instr ucti o n a t C FS Upa vo n, rem ained as an ins truc to r until 19 25.
No.6 Squ ad ro n RAF a t Mosu l. Me sop ot ami a from Janu ar y 1920 .
Ho me Air c raft Dep ot . He nlo w, from Janu ary 1928 .
DS C ga ze tte d o n 12th May 19 17.
Bar to DS C gaz e tte d on 141h Se ptember 19 17.
Dir ector and C hief Pilo t of Personal Fl yin g Service s LId .. d ied in a n ae roplane cra sh at S tranraer in
193 2.
I vic to ry c laime d wi th No.206 Squadro n.

C o n n o p. lI a mld A r no , FSL
Bo rn 6t h Jun e 1899. from I o ttingha m .
A tte nded No tti ng ha m lI ig h Scho o l a nd wa s Sc hoo l Ca pta in in 191 7.
Was e lec ted 10 a c lass ica l sc ho larshi p a t Cor pus Christi Co llege . O xfor d but joi ned RN AS o n 51h
August 191 7 instead .
Unde r instr uc tion a t C rysta l Pa lace fro m 5t h A ug ust 19 17.
Unde r instruc tio n a t Rcdcar fro m Sth Septem be r 191 7. Clarke Courtesy)MB/GS L Collection
Unde r instru ct io n at Cran we ll from 19th Nov em ber 19 17.
Unde r instruc tio n a t Ma nsto n DII4 Sch ool from 19th Fe bru ary 191 8.
Dunke rqu e o n l-lth Ma rc h 19 18 .
No.1 2 Squ adron fro m 17th Ma rc h 19 18 10 18th Ma rc h 19 18 .
No.o Squad ron from 19th M arc h 191 8 to 3 1st Ma rc h 191 8. C ra she d D.11.9 wh en lea v ing ae rodro me
a nd subse q ue ntly died o f his inj ur ie s in the ev e ni ng.

C u t mo re, W illi am C ecil. FSL

Bo rn 9th Au gu st 189 9. from Cr ick lewood , London .
Served with C ade t C o rps in 191 6.
Joined RNAS o n 27 lh Augu st 19 17.
nd er inst ru ct io n a t G reen wi ch fro m 27 th Aug us t 191 7.
nd er instruct ion a t Ven do me from 28 th Sept ember 19 17.
nd er instru cti on a t C ra nwe ll from 4 1h No vem ber 19 17.
nd c r instru ct ion a t Ma uston D.II . Sch ool from 26th Februa ry 19 18.
Dunkc rq ue on 131h M arc h 191 8 .
1"0 .12 Sq uadro n fro m 20 th Ma rc h 19 18 to 30 th M arc h 191 8 .
No .6 Squadron o n 3 1st March 19 18.
No .206 Sq uadron RA F on Ist April 19 18 to 24 1h J une 191 8. fa iled 10 re turn from lo ng reconn ai s-
sa nce. reported dead by te legr am from Cope nha gen .

Hysl op , C lella nd Mackcnz le. FSL

Born 2 51h Se pte m ber 1897. from Dum fries.
Jo ined RNAS o n 29th April 19 17.
Under instruc tion a r C ry sta l Pa lace from 291h Ap ril 191 7.
Under instru ct io n at Vcnd o rnc from 20 lh May 19 17.
Un der instruc tion at Cra nwe ll fro m 28th July 191 7.
nd e r instruc tio n at Munsto n Wa r Sc hool from 9th No ve mb er 19 17. Connop Courtesy Nottingham High School For
M Dunk crq ue o n 91h Janu ar y 191 8. Boys
No .o Squ ad ro n by 27th January 19 18 .
NO.20 6 Squadro n RAF fro m Ist Apri l 191 8 .

l\lacLaren . C o lin Te m p le. SCd ,·

Born 27 th April 1891 . fro m Ric hm ond. Surrey . Wo rked as a Colt o n Brok e r in Bombay.
RAeC Ce rti fic ate No. 130 6. ga ined 6 th June 1915 ar C h ingford .
Pre viously se rved in the Lah o re Di vision al Si gnal Com pan y in Au gust 19 14 as a Moto r Desp atch
Rid er w ith the ran k of C or por al.
Join ed RN ASon 161hApri1 1915 .
nd er instruc tio n at lIe ndo n fro m 161h Ap ril 19 15 to 221H1Ju ly 191 5 .
A t Dover o n 22nd Jul y 191 5 .
At Dunker qu e on 23r d Sept em ber 1915 .
Eas tch urc h from 30 lh Dece m be r 1915 10 12th Janu ar y 1910.
Ce ntra l Fly ing School fro m 121h Jan uary 191 6 to 1st April 19 10.
Cr a nwe ll from 1st Apri l 19 161 0 20th Ap ril 1916.
Ya rmo uth fro m 20 lh April 19 10 to 5th Ma y 19 16.
No.4 Wing at Eas tc hurc h from 51h ,\ Iay 19 16 .

/ 97
 A Il is/OIJ of No .6 Squadro n Royal Nand A ir Se n -ice in Wor ld lVi /r I
Maclare n Courtesy A Price via Chris Myers
Pitt Courtesy A Price via Chris Myers
Robinson Courtesy Hal Giblin
Do ver on l oth September 19 16.
No.4 Wing from Sep te m ber 19 16.
No.7 Squadro n from 27th Nove mbe r 1916.
1'\0.6 Sq uadron from Jan uary 19 17 to 14th August 19 17.
Co mmand ing O fficer of the Wa lmer De fe nce Flight from 14th August 19 17.
Command ing Office r of No.6 Squa dro n from Ist January 19 18 to 3 1st March 191 8.
Commanding Offi ce r of No.206 Sq uadro n RAF from Ist April 1918 to 23rd j\ lay 19 19.
Croix dc Gucr rc (B) gaze tted on 15th Jul y 1919.
O BE gazetted on 15th Ju ly 19 19.
Oakcsh ott . Lenna rd E nglnud . FSL
Born 23rd April 1899. from Stroo d. Kent .
Pre vio us ly se rve d in the 32IH! Training Rese rve Batta lion w ith rank o f Private .
Jo incd RNAS on 23rd Julv 191 7.
. Under instruct ion at Cryxtu] Palace from 23nl Ju ly 191 7 to l l th August 19 17.
Unde r instruction at C hing ford fro m l l th August 19 17 to 6th Octo be r 19 17.
Under instruct ion at Cranwc l l from (,th October 191 7 to I st Jan uary 19 18.
Under instruction at M ansion War Schoo l from I sl January 19 18 to 20th February 191 8.
At Dunkcrque on 20th Feb rua ry 191 8
1'\0. 12 Sq uadro n fro m 22IHI Fe bruary 1918 to 10th Ma rc h 191 8.
No.6 Squadro n fro m II th March 1918 to 3 1st March 19 18. Died fo llowing a crash in B7600.
Pit t. (;co rJ,:c Albert, FS L
Born 23rd M ay 1899. from Sw iss C ottag e, London .
RAcC Ce rtifica te No.5360. gaincd -lth Sep tember 191 7. at Eas tbournc .
Jo incd R1'\AS on lOth June 1917.
Under instruction at Crys ta l Palace from lOth Jun e 191 7 to 7th Jul y 1917.
Unde r instruction at Eastbo urnc from 7th July 19 17 to 22 nd September 191 7.
Under instruction at Crauwc ll from 22nd Se pte mbe r 19 17 to 7th No vember 191 7.
Under instruction at Man ston War Schoo l from 7th November 19 17 to 9th January 191 8.
Du nk crqu e on 9th January 19 18.
No.6 Sq uadron from 13th Jan uary to 3 1st March 19 18.
No.206 Sq uadro n RAF from 1st April 19 18.
DFC gaze tted 3rd June 19 19.
Roh iuson , Ra lp h. FS L
Born 24th May 1899. from Northampton.
Joincd R -AS on lOth Jun e 19 17.
U nder instruction at Crys tal Palace from 10th June 19 17 to 14th July 191 7.
U nder instruction at Ching fo rd from l -Ith July 19 17 to 15th September 191 7.
Under instruct ion at Cranwc ll from 15th Se pte mb er 1917 to 30th January 1918. Fai led to g rad uate
o n first two atte mpts.
Unde r inst ruction at Mauston War Schoo l from 30th Janu ary 19 18 to l J th March 191 8.
Dunkcrq ue on l J th March 191 8.
No. 12 Squadro n from 17th Ma rch 191 8 to 19th March 19 18.
No.6 Squadro n from 20th March 19 18 to 3 1st March 19 18.
No.206 Squadro n RA I"' from Ist April 1918 to 12th April 191 8. killed when crashed ncar aero drome
and bomb s exploded.
Ro la ndi , Viet or Frede r lck A lbe r t , FS L
Born 26th August 1897 in Lon don. resi de nt at Brighton. Sussex .
Previously serve d for 3 years as a cade t with Roya l Na vy Salonica transport.
Joincd RNAS on 19th August 191 7.
Unde r instruction at Crysta l Pa lace from 19th August 19 17 to 22IHI Septem ber 19 17.
Unde r instruction at Rcd car from 22nd September 19 17 to 25 th Nove mber 191 7.
Unde r instruction at Cranwc ll from 25th November 1917 to 14th Fe bruary 19 18.
Under instruction at Manston War Sc hool from l -Ith February 19 18 to 26t h February 191 8
Dunkerquc on 26th Feb rua ry 1918 .
No. 12 Sq uadron from 27th February 19 18 to 9th March 191 8.
No.6 Squadro n from ltith March 1918 to 3 1st March 19 18.
No.206 sq uadron RAF fro m 1st April 1918. Wounded on 17th April 19 18 and invalided to Eng land
on the 24th April 19 18.
494 Flight. 250 squadron RA F at Padstowc fro m l l th Nove mbe r 19 18.
Tran sferred to unempl oyment list on 23rd March 19 19.
St eve ns, (;co r J,:c Les lie EUJ,:c nc. A FC d r
Born I I Decem ber 1892 at Pete rborough . Ontario.
RAcC Ce rtifica te No. 1724. gaincd 4 th Septem ber 19 15 at the C urtiss school. To ronto.
Joined RNAS on 6th Septem ber 1915 .
Unde r instruction at Ching ford from -lth Se pte mber 19 15 to lst Dece mbe r 1915.
Under instruction for night fly ing at Eastchurch from 1st December 19 15 to 27th Dece mbe r 19 15 .
Sic k and Ca nad ian leave from 27th Dece mber 19 15 .
198
 Appendix C - Roster of Pilots

Unde r instruction at Roch ford from l st March 19 I6 to 5th Jun e 19 I6.

Under instr ucti on at Det ling fro m 6th JuncJ 91 6 to 28t h J uly 1916 .
Sick and Ca nadian leave fro m 29th July 191 6 .
Rcdcar for rc-q ualifi cation on 7th Decembe r 191 6.
Rcd car War 1'1 ight fro m 9th Janu ary 19 I7 to 10th i\ larch 19 I7.
Do ver fro m 10th Ma rc h 19 I7 to 29th Ma rc h 191 7.
No . 1 I Squa dro n fro m 29th March 19 17 to 2 1st Apri l 19 17.
NoJl Sq uad ron fro m 22 nd April 191 7 to 26th June 19 17.
S ick fro m Se pte mb e r 19 I7.
Mauston fro m 13th Nove mbe r 19 17 to 30lh Novem be r 19 I7.
Dun ke rquc o n 30 lh Nove mber 19 I7.
No . I2 Squ ad ron from I st Decem ber 1917 to 6t h Decemb er 191 7.
Seapl ane Defe nce Squadron from 7th Dece mbe r 19 17 to IOlh Feb ru ary 19 I8 .
No .6 Squ adron from January 19 1 to 3 1st Xlnrch 19 18.
No .206 Squadron RA F from I st April 19 I8 to I71h Augu st 191 8.
No .9 Group . gro und duties from I71h Au gu st 19 18 to 6th Oct ob e r 19 I8.
No .24 1 Squadron fro m 7th Octo ber 191 8.
Gt E Steven s died in 196 3.

Combat record with No.6 Squadron:

6/611 7 Alb atro s SCOUI NW of Camhra i 12. 15 Out of co ntro l
Stev ens a lso mad e the follow ing c lai ms with o ther squadro ns:

No.206 Squadron RA F 2

St. .lohn, Gl'Urgl' Ron al d ', FI.t .O hs

Born 1888 al S hank lin. Isle O f Wigh t.
Joi ned RNAS on 20lh Octob er 1915 .
Previous se rvice as Lt RNVR at II:"\I S Ellida.
Under instru cti on at Por tsmo uth from ISl No vem ber 19 I5 10 3 1st January \91 6.
Talb ot Wor ks with wrr du ties from 3 ISl January 19\6 to 7th Febru ary \ 9 I6.
Dover on 7th Feb ruary 19 I6.
Admitted 10 lI aslar Hospita l o n 23 rd Octob er 191 6 wi th fractured right c lavicle. disc harged tit on
18th Nov e mber 19 I6 .
NoA Squadro n in February 19 17.
Appointme nt te rmin ated on Ist April 19 I7. appointed Tempor ary O bserver Lieute nant on same dale.
Dover on 2nd Apri l 19 17.
No.5 Wing fro m Apr il 19 I7.
No .7 Squa dro n fro m 23rd Ap ril 19 17.
No .5 sq uadron from 28th Ju ne 19 \ 7.
Appo inted to rank of Fligh t Observer on 3 1st December 191 7.
No .6 Squ ad ron fro m 3 Ist December 191 7 to 3 1st J\ larch \ 9 I8.
No.206 Squadro n fro m I st Ap ril 19 I8.
nitcd States Nav al Service headqu arters. Paris from \51h August 191 S1. John Courtesy jMB/GSL ColleGion
Adm itted ( 0 Ho spital on 28th Oct ob er \ 9 I .
Tran sferr ed 10 England on 12th No ve mb er \ 9 \ 8. pronou nced ti l for light ground d uties o nly.
Tran sferr ed 10 unemploym e nt list on 24th J une 19 I9.
Gran ted a per manen t Co mmiss ion on the Ist Augu st 19 I9 but notification ca nce lled on 11th No vem-
ber 19 19.
DSC gazetted 29th August 19 17.
Ron a ld SI. Joh n died of Black water Fe ver in Burm a on 3 1st March 1940.
I victory c laimed with No .5 Sq uadron .

Stucker. Edward C ut h ber t. FSL

Bo rn 23rd Au gu st 1899. fro m Lon g Ash ton. Somer set.
RAeC Certifi cate No A306 . ga ined 28th Febru ary 191 7 at Bourn cmouth Aviation Scho ol.
Join ed RNAS o n 27th Au gust 191 7.
nder instruction at Green wich from 27 th Au gu st 1917 to 28th No vemb er 19 I7.
nder instructi on at Vendom c from 28th No vember 19\ 7 10 30lh Octob er 19 I7.
nder instruct ion at Cra nwc ll from 30th Octob er 19 I7 to 30th January 191 .
ndcr instructi on at :"\I anslon Fighti ng Scho ol from 30th January 19181 0 20 th Febru ary I <) I8.
Dunkcrqu e on 20lh Febr uary 19 I8.
No . 12 Squadro n from 22 nd February 19 I8 to 241h February 19 18.
No .6 Squadro n from 251h Fehruary 19 I81 0 20th :"\ Iarch 19 18.
No .5 Squadro n from 20lh M arch 19 I8 to 27 lh M arch 19 18. when killed in action.

T iur ks. Victur Cha r les l\lonis. FSL

Bo rn 241h :"\I ay 1898. from Wakefi eld. Yorkshi re.
Joined RNAS on 24th June \ 9 I7.
Unde r instructi on at Crysta l Palace from 241h J une 191 71 0 281h July 191 7.
Unde r instructi on al Ching ford from 28th Ju ly 191 7 to 22nd Septem ber \9 17.
Unde r instruct ion at Cra nwcl l from 22 nd Sept e mber 191 7 10 25th November 19 17. Stocker Courtesy RAeCTrust

199
 A llistorv oj No.6 Squadron Royal Nava l Ai r Se rvice ill World War I

Unde r instruction at Mauston Fighti ng School from 251h Nove mber 191 7 to 91b January 1918.
Dunkcrquc on 9th January 1918.
No.6 Squ adron fro m January 19 18 to 3 1st March 1918.
No.206 Squ adron RAF from Ist Apri l 1918.
Admitted to No.l -t Ge nera l Ilospital o n 29th ~ I a y 1918.
Admitt ed to Hospital at Wimereux on 15th August 1918.
Invalided to England and struc k of streng th of Expedi tionary Force on 7th Septemb er 1918. Rated as
fit for grou nd du ties only.
-t9-t Flight. 250 Squa dro n RAF at Pad sto we from 7th Novem ber 19 18.
Transferred to unemploym ent list on 19th Feb ruary 1919.
Post War became a co tton planter and jo ined the Sudan Plantation Syndicate. returned to Eng land in
19-t5.

Wa r rcn . Lesli e RCl-:imlld . FS L

Born 2 1st Janu ary 1899. from Leamin gton Spa. Warwickshir e.
Tiarks Courtesy Sarah Whitmore
RAeC Cert ificate No.5 19-t. gained 26th August at Chingfo rd.
Pre viou s ser vice with Royal Navy.
Joined RNAS o n Sth Apr il 191 7.
Unde r instruction at Crys tal Palace from 8th April 19 17 to 19th Muy 191 7.
Unde r instruct ion at Chingford from 19th May 191 7 to 25th August 1917.
Under instruction at Cra nw c ll from 251h August 19 17 10 15th Oc tobe r 1917.
Under instruction at Mau ston Fighting Schoo l from 15th O cto be r 19 17 to 9th Janu ar y 19 18.
D unkcrq ue o n 9th January 1918.
No.6 Squadron from Februar y 19 18 to 3 1st March 19 18.
No.206 Sq uadro n from 1st April 1918 to Octo ber 19 18.
DFC gaze tted o n 2 1st Septe mb er 19 I8.
8 victori es were claimed with '0.206 Squadron RAE

W r il-:ht. J ohn Sou t hey, AFCdr

Born 1898. from G rea t Amwe ll. Ile rtford shire.
Joined RNAS on 18th Jun e 1916.
nder instruction at Crys tal Palace from 18th Jun e 191 6.
nder instruction at Eastchur ch from Sth Jul y 191 7.
nder instru ction at Crunwc ll from lSI Sep tem be r 191 6. Inj ured knee on 9th October 19 17 whe n
cras hed a BE. machine dam aged and thr ee shee p killed.
Do ve r on 29t h Novem ber 1916.
Manston Flying School from -tth June 1917.
Do ver on 27th June 1917.
No.5 Squad ron from 2nd July 191 7.
No.6 Squadron from Ist Janu ary 1918.
i\'0.206 Squa dro n from 1st April 19 18 to 27th May 1918. reco rded as unfit for flying fro m 7th May
1918.
Adm itted to London Hospital o n 27th May 1918 suffering from " flying sic kness".
20-t TDS from 12th June 1918. instructing.
203 TDS from 2nd July 1918. instru ctin g.
-t5 TDS from 2nd Nove m be r 1918.
2 1 Wing Wireless Flight fro m 2nd January 19 19.
W arren Courtesy RAeC Trust 6 1 TDS fro m 11th Jan uary 1919.
DSC gaze tted on 2nd No ve m be r 191 7.

i\'OTE
I There is considerable co nfusion surro unding St. Joh n's Christian names. In his I{NAS record his full

name was given as Ronald George St. John. howe ver. in other RNAS paperwork he appears as RS St. Joh n.
In the 1901 Census and in his obituary in The Times his name is stated to he George Ronald St. John.

Wright Courtesy JM BIGSL ColleCtIon

200
 APPENDIX D

ROSTER OF NON -FLY I NG OFFICERS

Part I : 3 1st December 191 (i 10 291h Augu st 1917

Ad li nuto n, C la ud e G eorge. SL. I~~V I~. Reco rd ()flkcr

Bo rn 8th M a y 1890. from Strat ford. Lond on .
Previous se rv ice with RNAS as Aircru ft sman 2.
Jo ine d se rvice o n 20th January 191 7.
Dove r on 20 lh Januar y 19 17. perf orming inte llige nce dut ie s.
No .6 Squ ad ron from Ap ri l 191 7 to 27 th Au gu st 191 7 .
Du nkcrqu e fro m Is t Se ptember 19 17 to 20 th Nove mber 191 7. wh en co m miss io n terminated d ue to
ad verse rep o rt s from his Co mma nd ing O fficers.

Ca se. Albe r t Edward , WO It, S to rc s

Bo rn 20 th Au gu st I 887 , fro m Po rtsm ou th. Ha m psh ire .
Joined RN AS on I st M arch 19 16.
No .I O Squadron fro m 12th Fe bruary 191 7 to 19 th Ap ril 191 7.
No .6 Sq ua dro n from 20 th Ap ril 191 7 to 27 th A ugu st 191 7 .
R N AS Wormwood Scr ubb s fro m 5 th December 191 7.
Re c ommended fo r co m m iss io n as Lt. in RNVR o n 23 rd Janua ry 19 18 bu t wa s not a ppo inte d .

Da m p ie r, Ernest Patrick, WO II , St ores ,,\: E ng inc c r in g

Bo rn 23 rd M arc h 189 7, from Gillingha m. Ken t.
Jo ined th e RNAS o n 1s t Ju ly 191 4 .
Eas tbou rne (in c ha rge o f stor es and lec tures o n ae rop la ne e ng ines ) from 6 th Jun e 191 6 .
No .6 Sq uadro n from Feb ruar y 191 7 to 22m! A p ri l 19 17 .
1'0. 10 Sq ua dro n from 23 rd Ap ril 191 7 10 23 rd J u ly 19 17. tr an sferred to A D.

l\ l n lic n. .la m es William, i .r, RNVR , Recor d O fficer

Born 30th No ve mber 1875 . from Leed s, Yor ksh ire
Previo us se rv ice wit h Rl': A S as A,\ 111
Joined R N AS o n 23 rd M arc h 19 17 w ith intelligence dut ies .
Du nkerqu e o n 23 rd M a rch 191 7 .
No. 6 Sq uadron fro m April to 27 th A ug us t 19 17.
RNAS Fc li xsto we from M a rc h 191 8 .

'!C IlI. William , S L RNVR, A rnuuneut s Ornt'c l'

Jo ined RN A S o n 14 th :,> Iay 191 6 ,
Unde r instruct io n at C rys ta l Pal ace fro m l -Ith M a y 191 6 .
Unde r instruct io n at Eas tbo ur ne fro m -lth J une 191 6 .
Re s ig ned Comm iss io n o n 23rd Au gu st 19 16 . as he wa s "i ncapab le o f le arn ing to Ily d ue to nerve s" ,
Appointed as S ub Li e utenant in R:,<VR o n 20 lh September 191 6 .
No. 6 Squad ron from Februa ry 191 7.

Part 2: l st .la nua ry 191810 3 1s1 Marc h 1918

Beddn ll, .loh n i\turduch , Lt R~V R. Ar ma m en ts Officer

Born 3 rd Februar y 18 80 . from Finc hl c y. Nort h London .
Pre vio us se rvic e a s a sup pe r I W T, Royal En gi neers.

20 1
 A History of No.6 Squadron Royal Na val Air Servi ce in World War I

Joined service o n 9 th Ju ly 191 7.

Eas tc hurc h fro m 9 th J uly 191 7.
Ad m itted to Chat ham Hospital on 6 th Nove mbe r 191 7. retu rned to d uty o n 7th Decem ber 191 7.
Dover o n 2 1st Dece mbe r 191 7. arma me nts du ties.
No .6 Sq uad ron fro m Ist January 19 18 to 3 1st March 19 18.
No .206 Squa dro n RA F from I st April 191 8.

Berry, Alfre d S idney, WO, Sto res Officer

Pre viou s se rvice with rank of C PO Ill .
D unkerquc o n 15th January 191 8.

Bri st ow, Whiston Alfre d . Lt Cdr R NVR , Englneer lng Offic er

Born 20th Jul y 1898. from Hendo n. Middl esex
Appointed as Lt RNV R 10 the Air Departmen t Secti on Eon 3 rd June 191 5.
Attac hed to the Air Board fro m I st Ap ril 191 7.
No .6 Sq uadro n du ring March 191 8.
No.206 Sq uadro n RA F from 1st April 19 18.
Attac hed to the Air Ministry fro m 20 lh May 19 18 for liai son du ty with unit s.

C oyle, P, WO. S tores Officer

No.6 Sq uad ron d uri ng Feb ruary 191 8.

Milner, Percy Vic tor, WO , Cupentry

Pre viou s service with rank o f C PO II
Dunkcrque o n III 011 7
0.6 Sq uad ron from January to 3 1st March 19 18

Rook , Ba sil Henry, S L, RNVR , Rec ord Officer

Born 3rd Octob er 1894. from De venport . Dev on .
Previo us se rvice as Petty Office r.
Join ed serv ice o n 7th Janua ry 19 18.
No .6 Sq uadro n fro m 7th January 19 18 to 3 1st March 19 18.
'0.206 Squ ad ron RAF fro m Ist April 19 18

Tuc k, Robert, WO, E n ~ i n ee r i ng Officer

Dunk erqu c on Ist Octob er 191 7.
Under instructi o n at Sidde ley Dea sy work s from 3 1st Dece mber 19 17.
No .6 Sq uadro n from January 10 3 1st Mar c h 191 8.
Rook CourtesyA Price via Chris Myers No .206 Sq uadron RAF fro m Ist Apr il.

202
 APPEND IX E

PARTIAL RO STER OF OTHER RANKS

Please note that the following list does not claim to be definitive but has been compiled fro m the informa -
tion available.

Na m e Rank Fu nct ion

Allwor k. Charles Henry Octavio us AC.I AGL

Atkinson AGL
Bank s AG L
Bates. William Thom as 1'0 Eng ine fitter
Bau lf OS 2
Bence. Stuart Ja mes AC.I AGL
Bergford, Lester N (USAS) Private Aeri a l Gunne r
Better idge. Geo rge AC. I AGL
DFM . CdeG( B) & OL(B )
Blyth. William Slate r AC. I AG L
Borland AM
Branch AC I
Brill. Arthur L (USA S) Private Carpe nter
Bush AS 2
Ca rmean. Harry P (USAS) Sgt Major C lerk
Chapman. James AC. I AG L
DFM & CdeG (B)
Coo k LM
Co ombs
Costen. Cha rles Frederick AM.2 AGL
Co usin AGL
Dailey AM Betteridge CourtesyA Price via Chris Myers
Dicks AC. 2 AG L
Dray. Herbert Walter AC. I AGL
Died w hen crashed in B7600
Ellis AM
Farley AG L
Fo uning AM
Gascoy nc 1'0
Harris AGL
Hayes AM
Ho llingsbcc, RA AGL
Wou nded in leg du ring bombing raid on 9th March 19 18.
Holmes. Raymond. D (USAS ) Private Draught sman
Horn by AM
Jarvis. FE AC. I AGL
Jenni ngs AM I Engine fitter
Jouning AM I
Jones AM Engine fitter
Kend all AM
Kent. Hartwell B (USAS) Sergean t Ste nograp her
Kette r, John C (USAS ) Private Ca rpe nte r
Kinsc lla. Phi llip J (USAS) Cor pora l Acr ial Gunner

203
 A History of No. 6 Sq uadro n Royal Ni/\'(I! Ail" Service ill II'II/·ltl \\'111" I

Lal or . Vincent G ( US AS ) Privat e Co ppersmith

Mabbs Mechanic
Mason . Th om as I ( USAS ) Pri vat e Ae ria l Gunner
Matt he ws LM
Mill e r ANI I C
Morris C PO Mechanic
M othe rell AM
Na sh. Pe rcy Wil fred AC.2 Lab o urer
Newsha m. Herb e rt Willi a m AC. I AGL
No rma n AG L
No rth. A lfr ed Leo na rd AC. 2
O · Br ien . E AG L
Ott ley 1'0
Pace y. Jo se ph Wood ley AC.I AGL
Pea rce LM
Pease . Tod II (U S AS) Sergeant C lerk
Pie rce. Ro be rt Will ia m AM
Pike . C M Rigger
Price. Jo hn B (US AS ) Private Aerial Gunner
Proct or AGL
Pugh LNI E
Ra lph . Art hur S (U S AS) Coo k
Reid el. Geo rge A ( US AS ) Private C a rpe nte r
Reill y M AA
Re yn o lds . Sa muel Geo rge LM Rigge r
CPO Mo rris Courtesy A Price vio Chris Myers Rose . Rob e rt Stanle y 1'0 RN Rigge r
Ryan PO AGL
Sc ho fie ld . La ne A ( SAS ) Private Ae rial Gunne r
cr
She lle nbe rge r. (US AS) Private Welder
Sh eph e rd AGL
Skinner AGL
Sm ith , Co lin Geo rge AC I AGL
Sorter . Ma tth e w B ( US A S) Private Ca rpe nte r
S pa ld ing AG L
S u mmers C PO
Tr c bi l. Ma yn a rd (US AS) Priva te Aeri a l G unne r
Trcn o wd cn OS 3
Went wo rt h AG L
Westcott . George He nry A N!. I Eng ine fitte r
Weston AGL
W hee ler ANI
Whi nh am A NI
Wiggin s NIAA
Wilkin son AGL
Willi am s. Ho race Walt er AN!. 2 AGL DF NI
Wood ga te M I
Woo lf. G ilb ert Den nis AC.I AGL

204
 APPEND IX r

SQ1)AD RO N CLA IMS

Dat c Pilot Se r ia l Dl'l ail s

'iI/2 /17 FC d r EW No rto n N3 1'i14 Aviat ic 2-se ater o ut o f co ntro l and smo king . Iio uthuist For est.
1/3/1 7 FS L 1deC Paynt er N3 1'i14 2-seate r in vert ica l d ive at G histelles.
5/4/1 7 [T d r EW No rto n N3 1'i17 A lba tro s sco ut sho t do wn in fl am es. west o f Dou ai . 17.00 .
5/4 / 17 FCdr EW No rto n N3 187 A lba tro s sco ut ou t of co ntro l west o f Do ua i. 17.00.
5/4/1 7 FSL A L T horn e N320 5 Enem y machine ou t of co ntro l.
9/4/ 17 FS L A L T horn e N32 05 A lba tro s sco ut sho t do wn at Cambra i, 11.45. shared w ith N3 187.
9/4/ 17 FCdr EW No rto n N3 1'i17 A lbatra s sco ut sho t do wn at Cambrui, 11.45. shared w ith N32 05 .
9/4/1 7 FCdr EW No rto n N3 1'i17 A lba tro s sco ut ou t of co ntro l at Ca mbra i. 12.00.
29 /4 / 17 FSL A ll Y Fletc her N3 192 A lbat ro s sco ut o ut of co ntro l 7 m iles cas t o f Harcourt, 13. 15. shared w ith N32 0'il.
29/ 4/ 17 FCdr EW No rto n N32 0 'il A lba tros sco ut out of co ntro l 7 m iles cas t o f Harco urt. 13. 15. shared wi th l\'3 19 2.
29 /4/1 7 FCd r EW No rto n N3208 A lba tra s sco ut sho t dow n in Fl ames at G uise . 18.55 .
29/ 4/ 17 FCd r EW Norto n N3 208 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntrol at G uise. 18.55. T hi s was U II H Go ring o f .1 26 .
29/4/ 17 FSL RR Wint er N3 199 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at G uise. 18.5 0.
10/5/1 7 FSL 0 1 Ga g nier N3 189 A lbatros sco ut di ved and cras hed no rthwest o f Frcs no y lc Gra nde .
20/ 5/ 17 FS L C Bailey N3 199 A lbat ros out o f co ntro l nort hea st of St. Q ue ntin . 11.50 to 12.00 .
20 /5/1 7 FL BII I' de Roe per N3 209 A lbat ros 2-se ate r OUI of co ntro l and smo king at Elinco urt. north west of Bohai n. 11.40 .
1/6/1 7 FS LA MeB Walt on N3 199 2-sea ter a ppare ntly o ut o f co ntro l. St Q uenti n. 08.35. shared w ith l\'32 08 .
1/6/1 7 FCdr C D Breese N320'il 2-seate r a ppa rently o UI o f co ntro l. St Q uentin. 08.35. shared w ith l\'3 199 .
1/6/1 7 FC dr GG Mac Lennan N58 60 A lba tros sco ut cras he d 10 the cas t o f Tcm plcu x Lc Gu e rard at 19 .00 .
6/6/1 7 FS L RF Redpath N5'i16 1 A lbat ros sco ut out of co ntro l nor thw est of C ambra i, 12.00 - 12.15.
6/6/ 17 I' Ll G LE Ste phens N58 65 A lbat ro s sco ut out of co ntro l nort hwest of C ambrai, 12.15 .
6/6/ 17 SC dr C Drap er N3 10 1 A lbatros sco ut ou t o f co ntro l nort hwest of C ambr ai. 12.00 .
6/6/ 17 SCdr C Dra per N3 10 1 A lba tros sco ut sho t do w n and cras hed no rth we st o f Ca mbra i. 12.00 .
20/7/ 17 FCd r GG M acL enn an N6360 Aviatic 2-seate r o ut of co ntro l to nort hwe st of Wil skerk c at 14 .30 .
2 1/7/ 17 FS L RE Carro ll N6 355 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l and in fl umes to ca st of Nicuport at 20. 05.
2 1/7/ 17 FS L RR Winte r N6 379 A lba tro s sco ut brok e up at \\'estende at 20 .05.
22 /7/ 17 FS L M H Find lay N6 339 Albatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l wes t o f Steene at 17 .50.
22/7/ 17 I' ll BHI' de Roep er N6 34 1 DFW 2- se ate r o ut of co ntro l 3 mil es northeast o f D ixm ude at 20.4 0.
23/7/ 17 I' Ll GA Gooderham N6373 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l ncar Moore at 20. 15.
23/7/ 17 FS L I' Wood N6 334 A lba tro s sco ut o ut o f co ntro l to ca st o f Dixrnud c at 20.3 0 .
26/7/ 17 FS L 111 Fo rma n N63 58 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at St. Geor ge . 17.50 .
27/7/ 17 FS L 111 For ma n N6 358 A lba tros sco ut dest royed in fla mes. crashe d in sea nort heast of Nieupo rt at 17.10. For man's victim was
a lmo st ce rtainly Viflll O tto Brant of MF/ I who wa s repo rted as killed in ac tio n betwe en
Midd lck erk c and West end e.
28/7/ 17 FSL RR Win ter B382 1 O F\\' 2- seate r crashed ncar Nieu po rt at 16.0 0. sha red with B3833.
28/7/ 17 FS L N M Macgrego r B3833 DFW 2-sea ter crashed near Nie u po rt at 16.00 . shared with B382 1.
2'i1/7/17 FS L 111 For ma n N6 358 A lbatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l so uth o f Wi lskerke at 16 .15.
15/ 8/1 7 FSL FS Stra thy N6359 Ho st ile mach ine destro yed. broke up in air ov e r Nicupo rt, 04.4 5 1006.45 pa tro l.
15/ 8/1 7 I' Ll BliP de Roep er B3882 A lba tros sco ut o ut of co ntro l at G histe lles, 17.40 .
17/ 8/1 7 FS L ED Abbott B39 19 Ene my mach ine o ut o f co ntro l.
17/ 8/1 7 I' Ll BHp de Roe per B38'i1 2 Avia tic 2-sea te r cras he d I mile ca st of Wcst cnde at 18.15. shared with B3833 and N63 5 1.
17/ 8/1 7 FS L Nivl Macgrego r B3833 Avia tic 2-seater cra she d I mi le cas t of Wesl ende at 18. 15. sha red w ith B3882 and N63 5 1.
17/ 8/1 7 FS L RE Carro ll N6 35 1 Aviatic 2- sea te r cra shed I mile cast o f West ende at IS. 15. shared with B3833 and B3882.
20/8 /17 FS L M H Find lay N6339 Albatros sco ut out o f co ntro l .u M idd lck crke. 07.20 .
20/8/ 17 I' Ll BHP de Roep er B38'i1 2 Albatros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at Mocrc, 10 .50. shared wi th B3833.
20/8 /17 FS L NM Macgrego r B3833 Al batros sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at Mocre, 10 .50. shared w ith B3 'i1 'i12.
2 2/8 /17 FS L NM Macg regor B3833 A lbatros sco ut brok e up in the a ir north o f St. Pie rre Ca ppe llo at 09.4 5 . Macgregor 's victim
may ha ve been Flgobmt Luitjen Lu itjcn s o f M FJ I .
9/ 3/ 18 FCd r Le Mesu rier B759 1 Sc o ut (cl aimed as A lbatro s but possi bly Pfalz of /vlF / II) sho t do wn and crashed o n edge of Ilood s.
and PO AG L Ryan ap pro x 14.00 .

205
 CASUALT IES. CRASH ES AN D INCI DE NTS

Pa rt I : 271h No vem ber 191 6 10 211l h Augu st 19 17 5/4/1 7 FS L OJ Ga gn ier N 3 18'1

Be cam e sepa ra te d from the ll ight ove r Arras a nd ev e ntu a lly landed a t Bus.
Dal e I'i lut Se r ia l
5/4 /1 7 FCd r EW Nort on N 3 I87
2'1/ 1/1 7 I'SL G L Ha rtg ill 3'188 Fo rced landing a fte r com ba t a t Bouque Mai so n. Lowe r plane da m aged .
Bent ax le o n land in g . H it road w he n makin g a second land in g.
5/4 /17 FSL~IR Kings fo rd N 3\9\
3/2/17 FSL V R Gi bbs 3 1S5 Eng ine failed a nd c ras he d fro m 200 fe e t. FS L King s for d injured.
C ras hed and wrecked.
5/4/ 17 I'S L RK Sla te r N 3202
4/2/1 7 nkn o wn 39 88 S hot d o w n ncar Arras at 18.4 5 . Slater beca me a p rison er o f war.
C o ll ide d w ith a not he r N ie u po rt .
5/4 /1 7 FS L H La w son N3 1'14
25 /2/1 7 FSL GC W D in g w a ll '!206 Lo w o n fue l. lan ded at A ux Ie C ha tea u.
C ra she d and da m age d .
7/ 4 /17 I'SL OJ G agni er N 31 8'1
26/2/17 FSL GP Po wl e s 3'18 1 D a maged wh e n landing .
Fa iled to re turn from pho to rcco nna issance escort m iss io n 10 Zecbrugge , ta nk
hol ed . for c ed la nd ing a t Cad za nd , Zee land . FSL G P Po w les inte rned in Hoi - 7/4/ 17 FCd r C T Xlact.aren 1':3204
land. M ac h ine su ffe red from fai lur e o f bo th mec hanical a nd hand pre ss urisa iion
syste ms .
11/3/1 7 FSLRKSlatc r 1':3202
C ras he d and d a maged on lan di ng . 8/4 /1 7 FCdr CT M ac l. nrc n 1':3204
M ach in e aga in su ffe red com p lete fa ilure o f fue l prc s suri sati o n syste m s.
I 1/3/1 7 FS L C L Ba iley N3 186
C ras hed on tak e -o ff. '1/4/1 7 FC d r EW No rto n N3 187
Cras hed d ur in g s to rm a nd burn t a t M ar ic ourt . FCd r No rto n inj ured .
13/3/1 7 FS L A II V Fle tche r N3202
C ras he d on landing a nd d a maged . '1/4 /1 7 I'SL Jd eC Pay nt e r N3 1'10
Crashed d uri ng st or m a t Hinges . FSL Pay nte r inj ure d .
17/3/1 7 FSL FC Wa l~ e r N 3 201
St all ed a t 400 fee t and cr ashed a t Su vy, I' S L Wa lke r kill ed. '1/4/17 I'SL A L Th orne 1':320 5
Cra shed du rin g st orm. I'SL Th orne kil led .
18/3/1 7 FS L R K Sl at e r N31 '18
C ras he d a nd written o ff. I 1/4 / 17 I'Ll F P Re e ves N 320 7
La nd ed at M co u l, damage d w hee l.
28 /3/17 FSLA E Hall N3 1'17
For ce d la nd ing a nd s lig ht ly dam a ged machi ne at S us St. Le ge r. 11/4 /1 7 I' Ll B li P de Roep e r N3 1'16
Eng ine fa ilu re a nd for ced lan d in g .u Ba ill eul.
5/4/1 7 FS L AE lI a ll N 3 l97
I iall broke the ta ilsk id w he n lan d in g a fte r a le st fli gh t. 13/4 /1 7 S C d r JJ Pet re N3206
Bro ke u p in d ive at tar ge t on g un ne ry ra nge . SCdr Pe tre killed.
5/4 /1 7 FSL Jd eC Pa ynt er N 3 1'10
Dam aged th e e le va to r a nd ta ilplanc w he n land ing . 1'1/4 /1 7 FSL OJ Ga gn ier N 3 I S'I
Del ivering despatc he s w he n developed trou b le wi th the e ng ine 's hi g h le n-
5/4/ 17 I'C d r C T M ac l. a re n N 3 207 s io n lead s. la nded at M atig n y.
Engi ne CUI a nd petrol floo ded o ut of th e pres sure rel ief val ve .

206
 Appcndi» C - Casualties. Crashes and incidents

23/4/1 7 FS L ST Ed wa rds 1'1 3200 5/6/1 7 FL t ST Ed wa rd s N5S 62

C ras hed a nd da ma ge d o n lan din g a t C h ipilly, C ras he d at Sl. Pol.

24/4/1 7 FSL ST Ed war ds 1'1 320 I 6/6/1 7 F Lt FP Ree ves 1'1 32 04

En g ine fa ile d . fo rced la nding a t an RF C ae rod rome nc a r Doull en . S hot dow n a nd lo st w ings nca r Moc vrcs. I'll Re ev e s killed .

2S/4 /1 7 FSL H La wson 1'1 31 94 13/6 /1 7 I' Lt RF Red pa th N5 S61

C ra shed a nd da ma ged a t Flez. Atte m pted to re turn ma chi ne 10 A D D h ut e ng ine troub le and mad e for ced
landing at M a ricu x. damaging strut.
2')/4/1 7 I'SL RR Wi nter 1'1 3 199
In co m bat a nd sho t-up 22/6117 FLt ST Edw ard s 1'6331
Co w l ca me o lT d ur in g a le st fl ight . da ma ge d e ng ine. ce ntre sec tion. up per
2')/ 4/1 7 FS L A HV Flet c he r 1'1 31 92 pla ne and brok e prope lle r.
Sh ot d ow n cas t o f H arcou rt. FS L F le tche r wounded a nd be c a me priso ner of
wa r. By L/II Gorin g o f J26 . 27/6/1 7 FC d r M ac l. a rc n 1'637 1
Pr e ss ure va lve fell olT a nd d ropped down ins ide the co c kpit.
30/ 4/1 7 FS L N ~ I Macg re gor N3 100
P ipe to pre ssure ga ug e fa iled . 11/7 /1 7 FSL E ll Ken dall 1' 6 33 1
Tu rne d o ve r o n la nd ing a nd w re cked ma c h ine .
1/5 /1 7 FSLA MB Wa lto n N32 0 3
Lan ded at Mont did ier wit h e ng ine trou b le. 12/7 /1 7 I' SL E ll Ke nda ll 1'6350
S hot do wn in flam e s ne a r S lype . Kendall k illed .
3/5/1 7 FSL C L Ba ile y N5S 62
Co lle c ted fro m the Depo t a t 09 .30 b ut su ffe red a broke n push rod a nd wa s 15/7 /1 7 FS LI'Wood I' h33 4
for ced to la nd a t Vi l lers Hcn onncux. For ced land ing ncar aerodrome w hen eng ine seized til take o ff.

3/5/1 7 FS L P E Bea sle y N3 1S6 20 /7 /1 7 FCdr GG M ac l. cnn an i\'6 3hO

For c ed land ing at La Bell e vu e . S ho t do wn a nd b urn t out on the g ro und. M acl . cnn a n killed .

3/5/1 7 FS L R\\' Be rri dge N3 195 25 /7/1 7 F Lt Bill' de Ro ep e r 1'1634 1

S tall ed and crashed a t Ci tade l ae ro dro me immediatel y a fte r tak e o ff. FS L Force d lan di ng in fie ld . o ve rt u rned a nd dam aged machine .
Berri dge killed .
26/7/ 17 FSL AC Ca m pbe ll-O rde 1'1 6 356
4/5/ 17 FS L RI' Redpath N5S6 1 Sho t up during co mbat . e ng ine a nd tank s d am aged a nd FS L Campbc ll-O rdc
Starboa rd bottom p la ne tw ist ed in a d ive . Redp at h wa s a b le to lan d sa fe ly. wo u nde d in three place s on hi s left s ide .

4/5/ 17 SCd r C D Br ee se N31 96 2S/7/ 17 FS L Fo re man 1'635

Pre ssure sys te m fai led . Gunfire wo und in right sho ulde r. For ced land ing in fie ld. ma c hi ne turn ed
over.
5/5/17 FS L ST Ed wa rds N3 102
T hrott le fell o lT an d the e ng ine s to ppe d . fo rced lan d ing . \J /S/ 17 FSL ED A bbot 1'1 635 6
Tu rn ed mac h ine o ve r w he n lan d ing a fte r a pra ctice !li ghl.
11 15/17 FS L O J Ga gni er N3 1S9
Sh o t dow n and o ve rt urne d in No M an s La nd a t Vill ers Outrcaux . FS L O J 16/S/17 FSL FS Struihy 1' 6 359
Ga gn ie r se rio us ly wounded d uring the comba t. For ced land ing at R.29 d 6.0

14/5/17 I'SL ST Ed w a rd s N3 102 171S117 FS L FS S tra thy 1'1 6 33 4

Pre ssu re sys te m fa ilure . o il tank rea d ing e m pty. S ho t do wn a nd kill ed o ve r Zc vccoi c.

I S/5 /1 7 FS L Red path N5 S6 1 I S/S/I7 F Ll G D K irk patrick 1' 6 35 7

L o wer wi ng tw isted during a d ive, Ov ert u rne d w hen taxyi ng in aft er patrol.

20/5/ 17 FS L A Mc B Wa lto n N3203 I S/S/I7 I' Ll G D Kir kp at ric k N6 35 7

C ras he d a nd wr eck ed at Flc z. Cr as he d in fie ld durin g a te st flight . Kir kp at ric k injured .

25/5/1 7 FS L P Wood N3 193 1915117 FSL E D Abbott N635 1

C ra s hed a nd w rec ked at Flez. Crashe d o n la nd in g a fte r lo sin g a w hee l in the a ir.

25/5/17 I' L B H l'de Roeper N32 09 I')/ S/1 7 FS L GE Si edl e 1'1 6 35 9

FLt d e Roe pe r wo unded in j a w by e ne m y lire . Crashe d in fi eld a nd co m ple te ly wr ec ked .

1/6/ 17 FS L VC Ho lyrnan N3 1S6 22 /S/I 7 FSL E D Abbott B39 19

Dam aged by a nti-a irc ra ft li re. e ngi ne s to ppe d a nd for ced lan di ng made at C rashed in field an d da maged .
A th ic s, lo we r plane damaged a nd pro pell er sm a shed .
231S117 FLt RR W inte r BJ.' 2 1
1/6/ 17 SCd r C D B ree se N320S Da maged wh e n lan di ng .
Badl y s ho t up dur ing c o m ba t. SCdr Bree se sl igh tly wo unde d.

207
 A History of No .6 Sq uadron Royal Naval Air Se rvi ce in World \I f/r I

Pa rt 2: 1st Janua ry 1918 to 3 1st Ma rch 1918

Da te C rew Type S erial

28/ 1/ 18 FSL Pitt and AGL Wool f DH4 DI 754
Propeller brok en by mud thrown up at tak e off.

17/ 2/1 8 FSL Pitt and AG L Bett er idge DH 4 N640 4

Pitt attempted a prac tise lan ding on the beach at Loon Plage and broke prope ller and rad iato r.

2 1/2/1 8 FS L Pill and AG L Ban ks DII4 D 1751

A n o il uni on wor ked und on e ca us ing o il to leak all over the machi ne 's co ntrols.

9/3/18 FS L Ban natyne and AGL Holl ingsbee DII9 B759 2

Pilot and g unlayer wou nded by e ne my fire . for ced landing o n beach between Oost Dunkerqu e and Co xyde .

10/3/1 8 AFCdr G LE Steve ns and Obs.S L I. E C hristia n D H9 B7589

Engi ne failure. force d landing made at Bray Dun es.

18/3/1 8 FS L LE Oak cshott and AG L HW Dray DII9 B7600

Eng ine fa ilure and cras hed .

26/3 /18 A FCd r G LE Steve ns and O bs.SL LE Christian DII 9 B7589

Eng ine fa ilure. forced landi ng 0 11 beach at La C lipo n.

3 1/3/1 8 FS L LE Oak eshott and AG L HW Dray DH9 B762 2

Pilot mad e a n at turn into the wi nd and cras hed the machi ne . Oakeshott died o f his injuries later that day and
Dray succ umbed to his wo unds on the 4th Ap ril 191 8.

3 1/3/18 FSL HA Conn o p D.H.9 B7590

Cras hed at take off from Pe tite Synthe. Conno p subse q ue nt ly di ed of his injuries in the eve ning.

208
 APPEN[) IX H

HISTORY OF AIRCRAFT USED BY NO.6 S~ADRON

Ca ud ron G IV, 2-scatcr, 2 X 100hp Anza ni

9 113 27/1 1/ 16to Ja n 17 Wi th 10 Pil A S quadro n. Take n o ve r by '0 .6 Sq ua dro n from 27 /1 1/ 16. To A D D by 1/2117.

9 119 27/1 1/1 6 to Jan 17 Wit h 10 Pil A Squadro n. Take n o ver by No .6 Sq uadron from 27/ 11/ 16. To A D D by 1/211 7.

9 120 27/1 1/1 6 to Ja n 17 Wi th 10 Flt A Squadro n. Tak e n o ver by No .6 Sq uad ron from 27/1 1/16. To A D D by 1/2/ 17.

9 12 1 27 / 11/16 to Ja n 17 Wi th 10 Fil A Squadron. Ta ke n o ve r by No .6 Sq uadron from 27111/16. To ADD by 112/1 7 .

9 123 27111/16 to Jan 17 With 10 Pil A Squ ad ro n. Tak en o ve r by No .6 S quadro n from 27 /1 1/ 16. To AD D by 1/2/ 17.

9 130 27/1 1/1 6 to Jan 17 With 10 Pil A Squad ro n. Tak e n o ve r by i 0 .6 Sq uadron fro m 27/ 11/ 16. To A DO by 112/ 17 .

ieuport to 2-scatcr, HOh p Le Rh one

3 185 27 / 11/16 to 2/2/17 Si ng le sea t co nve rs io n. Wit h 10 Fli gh t A Squadron 4 Wing from 2819/ 16. Tak en o ve r by No .6 Squ adron o n 27/11 /1 6 .
C ras he d o n 3/2/17. FSL V R Gibbs. Del eted at A D D o n 24/3/17.

396 2 27 / 11/1 6 to 15/3/17 W ith 10 n ig ht A Squadro n 4 W ing fro m 28/9/16. Ta ken o ve r by No .6 Sq uadron o n 27 /12/ 16. To No . 11 Sq uad ro n
o n 15/3/1 7 .

396 5 27 /1 1/1 6 to 2/2/17 S ing le seat conve rs io n. Inh e rited from A Sq ua d ro n 4 Wing o n 27/1 1/1 6 . To No .9 Sq uadro n o n 2/2/17.

Nieu por t I I Single sea ter, HOhp Le Rhone

398 1 11/1 /1 7 to 26/2/ 17 Fro m AD D by 11 /1/ 17. Fai led to retu rn fro m Zeebru gge ra id . forc e d la nd ing at Ca dz a nd. Zee la nd. 26/2/ 17.
FSL G P Pow les int erne d in Ho lla nd . Machi ne used by Dut ch A ir Force ,

3987 1/2/17 10 8/3/17 Pro m ADD o n 1/2/ 17. To No . 11 Squadron on 8/3/ 17.

39 88 11/1/17 to 4/2/17 Prom ADD by 11/1 /1 7 . Ax le bent in he a vy la nd ing . FSL Hartg ill. 29/1/1 7. Co ll ide d with a no the r Ni c upor t, 4/2/17.
De let ed on 24/3/17.

398 9 1/2/ 17 to 1513/1 7 Pro m A DO o n 112/1 7 . To No . II Squadron by 1513/1 7 .

399 1 11/1/1 71 0 1/ 2/1 7 Fro m A DD by 11/1 /17 . To AD D fo r rep air by 112/1 7.

4/3/17 to 1513/17 From AD D by 413/1 7. To I I( N) by 15/3/1 7 .

39 94 6/2/17 to 25/3/ 17 To No .6 Squadron by 612/ 17. To I I(N ) by,25/3/17.

87 46 27/ 11/1 6 to 813/17 W ith A Squad ro n 4 Win g in Ju ly 16. inh e rited by No .6 Squad ro n on 27/ 11/16. To 11(1'1 ) by 8/3/17.

874 7 812/1 7 to 8/3/17 From A D D o n 8121 17. To II (N ) o n 8/3/ 17.

209
 A History oj No.6 Squadron Royal Naval Ai r Se rvice ill World War /

Nieupor t 12 2-seater, IlOhp Cler get

85 12 2S11 111 6 to 15/3117 Co llec teu from A D D on 28/ 11/ 16. S ing le se a l co nve rsio n. To No . 11 S q ua dro n by 15/3/1 7.

87 12 2711 1116 to 15/3117 Fro m No .5 Win g o n 27 111116 . Si ng le sc at co n ve rsio n.' To No . 11 Sq uadron o n 15/3117.

8726 2811 1116 to 15/311 7 Co llec ted fro m A D D on 2S/I I/l6 . To No . 11 Sq ua dro n by 15/3117 .

873 4 2711 111 6 to 8/311 7 Wit h A Sq ua dro n 4 Wi ng o n 17110/1 6 . Inh er ited by No .6 Squ ad ro n o n 27/1 1/16 . To No . 11 Sq ua dro n o n 8/3 /1 7 .

92 05 2711 111 6 to 24/211 7 From No .5 Win g o n 27/1 1/16 . Si ng le se at co n ve rsio n. To No . IO Sq ua dro n o n 24/211 7.

92 0 6 28 / 11116 to 25/211 7 Co llec ted fro m dep o t o n 2 8/1 1/16 . C ras he d o n 25 /2/1 7. G C W Din gwa ll.

Nieupor t 17Bis Single sea ter, BOhp Cler get

N3 100 22 /4/ 17 to 13/611 7 De li ver ed from A DD via No . II Squadro n o n 22/411 7 by FS L Macgr ego r. To AD D o n 13/6/1 7 .

N3 10 1 22/411 7 to 15/611 7 De live red fro m A D D via No . 11 Sq ua dro n o n 22/411 7 by AS Cdr Dra per. Two red ba nd s aro und fuse lage.
A lba tro s sco ut shot do w n a nd c ra shed a nd another o ut o f c o ntro l. no rth we st o f C a mb rui, 12.00 . 6/6 / 17 . SC d r
C Drap er. C ras hed ncar aerodro me a nd w re c ke d. 15/ 6/1 7 . I' Ll GA G oo de rha m. To A D D on 15/611 7. d e le ted 27/611 7.

N3 10 2 24/ 4/ 17 to 13/6/ 17 From No .2 A D o n 24 /4/1 7. Ma rked w it h co c ka de o n side o f fuse lage . To AD D o n 13/6117 .

N3 184 1/2117 to 27/311 7 Fro m A D D by 1/211 7. Avia tic C o ut o f co ntro l and s mok ing . Hou th u lst Forest. 8/ 2/17. I' Ll EW Norton . 2-seater in
ve rt ica l d ive a t G h istc lle s. 1/ 3/1 7. FSL Jde C Pay nte r. Te sted ag a ins t S o pw ith Trip lane o n 3/ 3/1 7. To I I (N) by 27 /3 / 17 .

N3 186 2/3117 to 15/311 7 Co llec ted fro m Paris 15/ 2/1 7 by I' Ll A lle n a nd de live red to dep ot. Co lle c ted from A DD o n 2/ 3/ 17. FSL T ho rne .
A t No . 1 A D S t. O rn er o n 6/311 7. Cra she d o n ta ke o ff. 11/ 3/1 7. FSL C L Ba ile y. To A DD by 15/3111.

26/4117 to 1/6117 Del ive red fro m A D D via No . 11 S q ua dro n o n 221411 7 by FS L Stevens . Co de d " 12"" a nd marke d with a di ago nal red s tripe
beh ind the coc kp it. Da maged by am i-a ircra ft fire. e ng ine s topped a nd fo rc ed la nd ing ma de a t A th ics, lo we r pla ne
dam aged a nd prop e lle r s ma shed , 1/611 7. FSL Hol y ma n. To AD D o n 2/611 7 a nd de le te d 27 /6117 .

N3 187 24 /2 / 17 to 9/411 7 Co llec ted fro m Paris 15/ 2/1 7 by I' Ll Norto n a nd de live re d to de pot. Fro m AD D by 24/2/1 7. A lbatros D II in flam e s a nd
a no ther o ut o f co ntro l we s t o f Dou a i, 17. 00 . the n for c ed lan d ing at Bou qu e Ma iso n. 5/4 /1 7 . A lba tro s D il l o ut o f co ntro l.
11.45 a nd an ot he r o ut o f co ntro l. 12 .00 . bo th C a mb ra i, 9/4/ 17. FCd r lOW Nor to n. C ra shed and bu rnt a t M ari co ur t.
9/ 4/1 7 . FCd r EW No rto n injured . De le ted 27/4117 .

N3 1S9 S/3117 to 11/5117 From A D D by S/3 / 17. C oded " 6" . Alb at ros sco ut d ived a nd c ra she d no rth west of Frc s no y Ic G ra nd. 15 .15 . 10/5117.
FSL O J Gagni e r. Sho t do w n by 4 e ne my a irc ra ft a nd ove rt urne d in No M an s Land a t Ville rs O utreax , 19 .30 . 11/5117.
FSL O J Ga g ni er se rio us ly wo und ed . Del e ted 14/5/ 17 .

N 3 190 9/3/ 17 to 9/4 / 17 Fro m A D D o n 9/3/1 7 . Crashe d at Hin ge s. 9/4/1 7. FS L Jd cC Paynt e r injured . To A D D by 12/411 7.

N3 19 1 I 1/3117 to 5/411 7 Co llec ted fro m A D D on 11/ 3/1 7 . I'Ll Kee ble. Eng ine fa iled a nd c rashe d fro m 200 ft aft er co m ba t. 5/4 /1 7.
FSL Kingsford injure d . To A D D by 12/4/1 7 .

N3 192 24/3/ 17 to 29/4/ 17 Co llec ted from A D D on 10/ 3/1 7 . FLt W int er. Coded " I S". Alba tro s sco ut o ut o f co ntro l 7 m ile s ca st o f Ho nnec o urt,
13 .15 . s ha red w ith N3 20 8. thcn s hot do w n ca st o f Ha rcou rt. 29 /4/ 17 . FSL A HV Fle tc he r wo unde d a nd mad e prison er
o f wa r. De le ted 11/5/1 7 .

N3 193 12/3117 to 3 1/5117 Co llec ted from Pa ris 4/3117 by SC dr Pe tre a nd de liver ed to de po t. Co llec ted fro m A DD on 12/311 7. SCd r Pet re. C ras hed
a nd w rec ked a t Flcz. 25 /5/1 7. FSL P Wood . To A D D by 3 1/5/ 17. de let ed 27 /6 / 17 .

N3 194 10/ 3/1 7 to 28/4117 Co llec ted fro m Pa ris 4/ 3/ 17 by I' Ll de Roep e r a nd de livered to dep o t. C o llec ted fro m AD D o n 10/3117 . FS L Payn ter.
Cras he d a nd dam age d a t Fle l.. 28/4117 . FS L H La wson . To A D D by 3/511 7.

N3 195 9/311 7 to 3/5117 Fro m A D D o n 9/3/1 7 . Co de d " I" an d " 16 ". Crashed a nd w recked a t 5 2 S q ua dro n RFC aero d ro me at C itade l.
so uthea st o f A lbe rt, 3/5/ 17. FSL RW Be rr idge d ie d o f inj uries , To A D D a nd de le te d 27/6117 .

N3 19 6 10/3117 to 5/611 7 Co llec ted fro m A D D on 10/3/1 7. FCdr A lle n. Coded " 2"" . To A D D o n 5th Ju ne 191 7 .

N3 197 I 1/3/ 17 to 13/611 7 Co llec ted fro m A D D o n 11/ 3/ 17 . FS L Fletc he r. Force d lan d ing a nd slig htly d a maged a t S us S t. Le ge r. 2S/ 3/ 17.
FS L Hall . To A D D o n 13/611 7.

N3 198 9/311 7 to IS/3117 From A D D on 9/311 7. C ra she d IS/3117. FS L RK S later. To AD D by 22/311 7. de let ed 24/3 / 17 .

N 3 199 15/ 3/1 7 to 13/6117 Fro m A D D by 15/311 7. Co de d " S" . A lba tro s sc o ut o ut of c o ntro l at G uise . IS.50 . o w n ma c h ine s ho t-up. 29/4117 .
FSL RR W int er. A lba lros ou t o f c o ntro l nort heast o f S t. Q ue ntin, 11.50 - 12 .00 . 20/5117. FSL C L Ba iley.
2-seater a ppa rc ntl y o ut o f co ntro l. 1/6/1 7 . FS L A Mc ll Wa lton . shared wi th N 3208. To A D D o n 13/611 7.

2/0
 Append ix II - l l isto ry of Aircra]: Used I))' No .6 Sq uadron

N32 00 I 1/ 3/1 7 to 26/,:;/\ 7 Fro m A DD o n 11/3/1 7. Code d "9" . Crashed o n land ing at C hipilly. 23/4/1 7. FSL ST Edw ar ds. To A D D by 26/ol/l 7.

N320 1 10/3/1 7 to 17/3/1 7 Collected from A DD o n 10/3/1 7. FS L Fletc he r, Sta llcd at 400ft and cras hcd at Suvy. 17/3/1 7. FS L FC Wal ker killed .
To A DD o n 22/3/17 . de leted N /3/1 7.

N320 2 11/ 3/1 7 to 13/3/1 7 Co llected from A DD o n 11/3/ 17. I'Ll de Roe per. C rashed o n landi ng. 13/ 3/1 7. FS L A II V Fletcher. To A DD by 15/3/1 7.

29/ 3/ 17 10 5/ol/17 From A D D o n 29/ 3/ 17. Sho l down near Arras. 18A5. 5/ol / 17. FS L R K Slat er mad e priso ner of wa r.
Del el ed 11/5/1 7.

N3203 22/3/ 17 to 20/5/1 7 From A DD o n 22/ 3/1 7. Cod ed "3" . Crashed and wr eck ed at Fle/. 20/5/1 7. FS L A:\Ic B Wa lto n. To A DD by 2ol/5 / 17.
de leted 27/6/1 7.

N3200l lol/3/1 7 10 6/6/ 17 Collected from A DD o n lol/3/1 7. I'Ll 1'1' Ree ves. Red ban d behi nd coc kpit . Shot down and lost wings nea r Moe vrc »,
12.00- 12. 15. 6/6/ 17. I' Ll 1'1' Ree ves killed . Delet ed 25/6/1 7.

N3 205 15/3/1 7 10 9/ol/l 7 Co llec ted from A DD o n 15/3/1 7. FS LA L Thorne . Enem y machine o ut of contro l. 5/ol/l 7. Enem y machi ne OUI o f co III ro I.
then c ras hed in stor m. 9/ol/l 7. FS L A l.Thorn c kill ed . To A D D by iavv t .

N3 206 24/3/17 10 13/4/1 7 Co llec ted fro m A D D o n l ol/3/1 7. FSL Payn ter. C ras he d d uri ng gunne ry practice. 13/4/1 7. SC d r JJ Petre killed .
ToA DD by 19/4/1 7. del eted 27/4/1 7.

1 32 07 3 1/5/1 7 10 13/6/1 7 From A DD by 3 1/5/1 7. To A D D o n 13/6/1 7. deleted 27/6/1 7.

N3208 5/4 /17 to 13/6/1 7 A l 6(N) by 5/4/1 7. A lbatros sco ut o UI o f co ntro l 7 mil es eas t of Ho nncco urt, share d with N3 192 . 13. 15. 29/ol/l 7. A lbatro »
scout sho t d o wn in flam es a nd ano the r o ut o f co ntro l at G uise . 18.55. 29/4/1 7. A ll FC d r lOW No rto n. 2-sea ter a ppa re nt ly
o ut o f co ntro l. 1/6/1 7. SC d r C D Breese . shared w ith N3 199.To A DD o n 13/6/1 7.

N3209 13W I7 to 15/4/1 7 Collected fro m No .2 AD o n 13/4 /1 7 by FLt LC Kee ble . De live red to No.2 A D o n 15/ol/l 7 by FS L Bailey.

29W I7 to 1/6/1 7 Col lec ted from :-':0 .2 A D o n 29/ol/ 17 by FS L Winter. In co mba t with 2-seater to the Sou th o f St. Qu entin . 0 7A 5. 25/5/17.
I'Ll BI'II de Roe per wounded in jaw. Bad ly shot -up in co mbat wi th 2-se ate r. 1/6 / 17. SC dr C D Breese s lightly wo unded .
To A D D by 5/6 / 17. de leted 27/6/1 7.

N5860 26W I7 to 19/6/1 7 De live red from A DD via No .1 1 Squad ro n on 22/ol/ 17 by FL t Mac l. cnnan. ToA D D o n 19/6 /1 7.

N5 86 1 22W I7 to 13/6/ 17 De live red fro m A DD via No .1 1 Squ ad ron by FSL Red pat h o n 22/ol/l 7. A lbatros SCO UI o ut of co ntro l. northwe st of
Camb rai . 12.00 - 12.15. 6/6/1 7. FSL RF Redp at h. At te mp ted to return ma chin e to AD D but mad e forced lan d ing
at Maricux. dam aging strut. 13/6/1 7. I'Ll RF Redpath . Mac hine di smantled and ret urned to dep ot.

N5 86 2 3/5/17 to 5/6/ 17 From A D D o n 3/5/1 7. To A DD o n 5/6/1 7 where crashed o n lan d ing after run ning into a d itch . I'Ll ST Edward s.

N5 865 5/5/17 to 19/6/ 17 From A DD o n 5/5/ 17. A lba tros scout o ut of co ntro l. nort hw est of Cam brai . 12. 15. 6/6117. FLt G LE Ste ve ns .
To A DD on 19/6/1 7.

Sopwith Ca mel, l311hp C ler get

N633 0 22 /S/ 17 to 29 /8/1 7 From A DD o n 22/ S/l 7. To IO(N ) o n 2S/S/l 7.

N6 33 1 20/ 6/1 7 to 111711 7 Flo wn from ADD o n 19/6/1 7 by I' Ll ST Edw ards but made an ove rn ight soc ial ca ll 10 No .3 Sq uad ron at Furn es be fo re
del iverin g to No .6 Squadro n o n 20/6/ 17. Co w l came o il du ring a lest fligh t. da ma ge d engine. centre se ctio n. upper plan e
and bro ke pro pell er. 22/6117. FLt ST Edwards. O vertu rned whe n land ing afte r a patro l and wrecked . 11/7 / 17. FS L El l
Ken dall . De leted al A DD on 16/7/1 7.

i\'6 33 ol 16/6/1 7 to 17/ 8/1 7 From A D D o n 16/6/1 7. Fo rce d landing ju st a fte r lak ing o ff wh e n engine se ized. 15/7/1 7. FS L I' Wood . A lbatros sco ut
destroyed east o f Dixmude, 20 .30. 23/7 / 17. FSL I' Wood. Shot dow n near Zcvccoie . 17/ S/ 17. FS L FS Str at hy killed .

N6 339 25/6/ 17 to 30/8 / 17 Co llec ted fro m A DD o n 25/6/17 by FSL Fi ndla y. A lb.uro s sco ut o ut of co ntro l wevt o f Steene. 17.50. 22/7 /1 7. Alb at ros
scou t out o f contro l at M idd lckc rkc. 07 .20. 20/S/l 7. bot h FS L :\111 Find lay. To No. 10 Squadron on 28/8/1 7.

N6 30ll 121711 7 to 2517117 From AD D on 12/7 / 17. 2-seater out of co ntro l 3 mi les NE o f Di xmude. 20AO. 22/7/1 7. FLt Bill' de Roep er. For ced
land ing in fie ld. o ve rturned and damaged . 25/7 /1 7. I'Ll B HI' de Roe per. To A D D o n 26/7 /17 .

i\'6 3ol2 20/6/17 to 29/ /1 7 From A DD o n 20/6 / 17. To No . IO squad ro n o n 28/8/17 .

:-':6350 16/6/1 7 10 1217117 From AD D o n 16/6/1 7. Shot down in flumes near Slypc. 10 .50. 12/7/ 17. FS L Ell Kendal l kill ed .

i\'635 I 16/6/1 7 to 18/ /1 7 From AD D o n 16/6/1 7. 2-sea ter crashed I mile east of Wcs tcnde. 18.15 . I7/S/I 7. FSL RE Carro ll. shared wit h B3S33
and B3SS2. C ras hed on land ing afte r whee l fel l o tf. IS/S/l 7. FS L ED Ahbott. To No .10 Squ adron on 2S/S/l 7.

2 11
 A History oj No .6 Squadron Royal Na val Air Service ill World War /

N6355 26/6/ 17 to 30/8 / 17 From A D D on 26/6/17 . A lbatro s sco ut o ut of co ntro l and o n fire ea st of Nicupo rt, 20.05. 2 1/7 /1 7. FSL RE Ca rro ll.
To No . IO Sq uadron o n 28/8/1 7.

N6 356 8/6/ 17 to 15/8/1 7 Co llected from A DD by FLt Ed wa rds o n 8/6/ 17. S hot up d uring co mbat. e ng ine and tank s dam aged and FS L Ca mpbe ll-
O rdc wo unde d in three places o n his left ha nd side . 26/7/1 7. Machine turn ed o ve r w he n land ing a fter a pra cti ce ni g ht.
13/8/ 17. FS L ED Abbo t. To A DD o n 15/8/1 7 .

N6357 8/6/17 to 20/8/1 7 Co llected from A DD by FSL Kirkp atri ck on 8/6/1 7. C ras he d in fiel d 18/8/1 7. FLt G O Kirkpatr ick injured.
To A DD o n 20/ 8/1 7.

N6358 8/6/17 to 30/7/ 17 Co llected from A DD by FSL Winter o n 8/6/1 7. A lba tro s sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at St. Ge o rge . 17.50. 26/7 /1 7. Al ba tro s
sco ut in n am es and cra shed int o the se a no rtheast of Nie upo rt. 17. 10. 27/7 /1 7. bo th FSL .II I Fo rema n. A lba tros o ut o f
co ntro l then made fo rced land ing in a fie ld and ov erturned. so uth ofW ilske rkc . 16 .15. 28/7 /1 7. FSL .l1 1 Forem an
injured . To A DD by 30/7/1 7.

N6359 8/6/ 17 to 19/8/1 7 Co llected from A DD by FSL Ho lyman o n 8/6/17 . Ene my machine bro ke up in the air o ver Nicupo rt. 15/8/1 7. FSL FS
Strathy. Fo rced land ing at R.29 d 6.0 . 16/8/1 7. FSL Strathy. C ras hed in field and co mplete ly wrecked. 1918/1 7. FS L GE
S ied le. ToA DD o n 2 1/8/1 7.

N6360 8/6/1 7 to 20/7/ 17 Co llected from A D D by I'Ll Mac l.c nnon o n 8/6/1 7. Bur st both tyrcs a fte r test ni ght . 12/6/1 7. FLt Mac l. cnn an . Aviatik
o ut o f co ntro l north west o f Wi lskerk e at 14.30. then shot do wn. FCd r G G Ma cl.eun an killed. 20/7/17 .

N637 1 25/6/ 17 to 30/8 / 17 Co llected from A D D o n 25/6/1 7 by FCdr Macl.a rcn . To No . IO Squa dro n o n 28 /8/1 7.

N6373 25/6/1 7 to 30/8 /17 Co llected fro m A DD o n 25/6/17 by FSL Goo derham. A lba tros sc o ut o ut o f co ntro l near Mocr e. 20. 15 bu t bad ly sho t up
in the process. 23/7 /1 7. FL t G A Goo derham . To No. 10 Sq uad ron o n 28 /8/1 7 .

N6379 25/6/ 17 to 30/8 / 17 Co llected from A DD o n 25/6/1 7 by SC d r Breese . A lba tros sco ut dest royed at Wcstcnd e . 20 .05 . 2 1/7 /1 7. FLt RR Winter.
'Il ) No . 10 Sq uad ron o n 28/ 8/1 7.

B382 1 2 1/7/ 17 to 23/8/1 7 prom A DD o n 2 1/7 /1 7. 2-seate r cr ashed near Nieupo rt, 16.00 . 28/7/1 7. I'Ll RR Wint er. shared w ith B3833. Damaged on
lan d ing . 23 .8/17. FLt RR Wint er. To A DD o n 27 /8 /17.

13 3833 12/7/ 17 to 30/8 /17 Fro m A DD o n 12/7/ 17. 2-s eate r cras he d at Nic upo rt, 16 .00. 28/7/ 17. sha red w ith B3821 . 2-sea te r cra shed I m ile east o f
Wcstcnd c, 18. 15. 17/ 8/1 7. shared w ith N6 35 1 and B388 2. A lba tro s sco ut o ut of co ntro l at Mocrc , 10.50 . 20/8/1 7. shared
with B3882. A lba tros sc o ut des tro yed nort h o f St Pierre Ca pe lle. 09.4 5. 22/ 8/1 7. A ll FSL NM Macgrego r. 'Jl ) No . IO
Sq uadro n o n 28/8/ 17.

B386 9 30/7/ 17 to 28/7/ 17 pro m A DD on 30/7 /17. Prese nta tion mach ine "Bu suto la nd No .5 l.erotho li". To A DD o n 28/7 /17 .

8 3882 26/7/ 17 to 30/ 8/1 7 prom A DD on 26/7 /1 7. A lbatro s sco ut o ut o f co ntro l at G histe llcs, 17.40. 15/8/ 17. 2-sea te r cras hed I m ile ea st o f
Westcnd c, 18. 15. 17/ 8/ 17. shared w ith B3833 and N635 1. A lbatros sco ut o ut of co ntro l at Moere . 10 .50 . 20 /8/ 17. shared
with B3833. A ll FLt BHp de Roep er. To No . IO Sq uadro n o n 28/8/ 17.

B39 12 7/8/17 to 30/ 8/ 17 prom A DD o n 7/8/17 . 'Il ) No . 10 Sq uadro n o n 30/8/17 .

13 39 19 14/ 8/1 7 to 23/8/1 7 prom A D D o n 14/8/1 7. Sco ut o ut o f co ntro l. 06. 10 to 08. 10 pat ro l. 17/8/ 17. FSL ED A bbo tt. Turned ove r when ta xying.
18/8/1 7. FS L ED Abbott. Cra shed in a fie ld and dam aged. 22/8/17. FS L ED Ab bott. To A DD o n 23/8/1 7.

B3933 18/ 8/1 7 to 30/8 /1 7 Fro m A DD o n 18/8/ 17. To No . IO sq uad ro n o n 28 /8 / 17.

B395 0 23/ 8/ 17 to 30/8 / 17 prom A DD o n 23/8/1 7. To No . 10 Sq uad ro n o n 28/8/1 7.

A irco D.HA

N6 390 20/3/18 to 3 1/3/1 8 Fro m AA P Do ver o n 20/3/18 . Wit h No .206 Squ adro n fro m 1/4/1 8.

N64 04 1711 /1 8 to 7/3/18 From ll endon by 17/1 /1 8. To No. 11 Sq uadron o n 7/3/1 8.

B9498 20/3 / 18 10 25/ 3/ 18 Fro m A A p Do ver o n 20/3/ 18. To No . I I Sq uadro n 22//3/ 18.

B9499 19/1 /1 8 to 11/3/ 18 Fro m A A P Do ver o n 13/1/18. To No. 11 Sq uadro n o n 11/3/1 8.

D 175 1 13/1 / 18 to 11/3/1 8 Fro m AA P Do ver o n 13/ 1/1 8. To No . 11 Sq uad ro n o n 11/3/1 8.

D 175 2 19/1/1 8 to 11/3/ 18 From A DD o n 19/1/1 8. To No . 11 Sq uadro n o n 11/3/1 8.

D 175 3 3/1/1 8 to 11/3/1 8 Fro m AA P Do ver o n 3/1/18 . To No. 11 Squad ro n o n 11/3/1 8.

D 1754 27/1/1 8 to 11/3/1 8 From AA P Do ver o n 27/1 /18 . To NO. I I Sq uad ro n o n 11/3/1 8.

2 /2
 App endix H - Hist ory ofA ircraf t Used hy No.6 Squadron

Ain'Il D. H .9

B7583 16/2/1 8 to 3 1/ 3118 Prom AA I' Do ver o n 16/2 /1 8. Wilh 206 Squadron fro m 1/4 / 18

B75 86 23/2 / 18 to 3 1/3118 From AA I' Do ver o n 23/2118 . Wit h 206 Sq uad ro n from 1/4 / 18 .

B758 7 19/ 2/1 81 0 3 1/3118 From AA I' Do ver o n 19/2/ 18. Wilh 20 6 Squ ad ro n fro m 1/4/1 8 .

B7588 2 1/ 2118 10 3 1/3118 From AA I' Do ver o n 2 1/2118. To 2 11 sq uad ro n by 6/4118.

B7 589 18/2/1 8 10 31/ 3118 Prom AA I' Do ve r o n 18/2118. En g ine fail ur e. forc ed lan d ing a t Bray Dun es on 10/3/1 8 . FCd r Steve ns a nd Ob s SL
Christian. Eng ine failure. for ced lan di ng o n beac h al La C lipo n on 26/3118. FC d r Steve ns and Ob s SL Christian.
Wilh 206 sq uad ro n fro m 1/4/ 18 .

B7590 29/3/ 18 to 1/4/1 8 Fro m NO.II Sq uadron o n 29/ 3118. Cras hed o n 3 1/3118. FS L II A Con no p killed .

B759 1 16/2/1 , to 3 1/3118 Fro m AA I' Do ver o n 16/2/1 8 . Alba tros seo ul shot down , spi ra l nose d ive . obse rved 10 c rash an d burn in flood s be tween
SI. Pie rre Capcl le a nd lines. 14 AO. 9/3 / 18. FCdrTF Lc Mcsurie r and 1'0 AG L JJ Rya n. With 206 Sq uadro n fro m 1/4/ 18.

B7592 26/2/1 8 10 3 1/3117 From A A I' Do ver o n 26/2/18 . For ccd land ing o n beac h bet we en OOSI Dun ke rq uc a nd Coxyd , 9/3/1 8.PSLA I\I Bann aty ne
and AC I AGL RA I lo llingsbee bo th wo unded . With 20 6 sq uadro n fro m 1/4/1 8.

B7 594 29/3 /18 10 3 1/3118 From No. 11 Sq uad ro n o n 29/ 3118. Wilh 20 6 sq uadro n fro m 1/4 /1 8.

B7 595 29/3/18 10 3 1/ 3118 From No . 11 Sq uadron o n 29/3/18 . Wil h 206 Squ ad ron fro m 1/4/ 18 .

B7 596 26/ 2/18 10 3 1/ 3/1 8 From AA I' Do ve r o n 23/2/ 18 bUI retur ned d ue 10 bad wea ther, fina lly ar rived 26/2118 . With 206 Sq uadro n from 1/4 /1 8.

B75 9 7 28/2/18 10 3 1/ 3/ 18 Pro m AA I' Do ver o n 28 /2118 . Wilh 206 Squ ad ron fro m 1/4 /1 8 .

B7599 2 1/2/18 10 31/3 / 18 Fro m AA I' Do ver o n 2 1/2/ 18. Wilh 206 Squ ad ron from 1/4/ 18.

B7600 27/2/18 10 3 1/3 / 18 Prom AA I' Do ve r on 27/2118. Crashed o n 18/ 3/1 7. FSL LE Oa kcs ho u a nd AGL II W Dray. Flyin g aga in by 22/3 /18 .
Wilh 206 Squ adro n from 1/4/ 18.

B760 2 8/3/ 18 10 3 1/ 3118 Fro m AA I' Do ver o n 8/3118 . Wilh 206 Sq uadro n from 1/4118 .

B760 3 2 1/2/18 10 3 1/3/ 18 From AA I' Do ve r o n 2 1/2/ 18. wun 206 Sq uadron from 1/4/1 8 .

B7604 8/ 3/ 18103 1/3118 From AA I' Do ver o n 8/3118 . To A DD by 26/3/1 8 .

B7605 8/3/ 18 10 3 1/3118 Fro m AA I' Do ver o n 8/ 3118. Wilh 206 Squa dro n fro m 1/4118 .

B76 15 3 1/3118 10 3 1/3/ 18 Pro m No . 11 Sq uadron o n 3 1/3118. Wilh 20 6 Squ ad ro n fro m 1/4/1 8 .

B761 7 23/3/ 18 10 1/4118 Pro m No . 11 Sq uadron o n 23/3 118. Wil h 20 6 Sq uad ro n from 1/4/1 8.

B761 8 29/3118 10 1/4118 Prom No . 11 Squadro n o n 29/3 118. Wilh 206 Squad ro n from 1/4 /1 8.

B76 19 29/3 / 18 10 3 1/3/18 Pro m No . 11 Sq uadro n o n 29/3 118. Wilh 206 sq uadro n fro m 1/4118.

B76 22 29/3 /18 to 3 1/3/18 Fro m '0. 11 Sq uadron o n 29/3/ 18. Mad e flnt tu rn into wind and c rashed. co mpletely wrec ked, 3 1/3 /18 . FSL LE Oakcshotl
and AG L HW Dray bot h di ed o f the ir injuries . To No A AS D o n 2/4/ 18 a nd delet ed o n 8/4/18 .

D27 83 24/3118 10 3 1/3/18 Fro m AA I' Do ver o n 24/3 / 18. W i th 206 Squadron from 114118.

l\'OTE
I G L l lartg ills log book refers 10 thi s machine as a sing le sea ter

2 /3
 APPEN DIX I

C ROSS REFER ENC E - AI RCRAFT TO PI LOT

C a ud r o n G .IV 8746 FCdr AD W Allen, FSL C L Bailey. FLt BlI pDc Roeper, FSLG C W
Ding wa ll. F5 LA IIV Fle tc her. F5L G L lIartgill. FCd r EW Norton. FSL JdcC
9 113 FS L VE Sic vck iug Paynter, FSL D Plaistowe. FSL G p Powles. FSL R K Slate r, FSL A L Tho rne.
FS L FC Walkcr. ru RR Winter
9 119 FSL RE Darnton . FSL LW Or merod
8747 FCd r ADW A lle n. FSL C Bai ley. FLt Bli P Dc Roep e r, FSL OJ
9 120 FSL A I IV Fletcher, FSL JE Ruth ven Ga gnier, FLl LC Keeble, FSL II La wson. FCdr J.I Pet re, FSL D Plaistowc.
FSL G p Powle s, FS L RK S later. FS L AL Thorn e. FS L FC Wal kcr. FLt RR
9 12 1 FLt 1'1' Digby Winter

9 123 FSL RB Fra me, FSL VE Sievc king

N ie u pu r t 12
9130 FSL RE Darnton
87 12 FSL D Plai sto wc . r SL AL Th orn e. FS L FC Walkcr

N ieu po r t rn 8734 FCdr ADW A lle n, FCdr CT Macl. a re n. FCdr EW Norto n. SCdr
JJ Petre,
3 185 FSL VR G ibbs. FSL A L Th orne
n 05 FSL LW Ormero d. FS L RK Slater, FS L AL Th orne.
396 2 FS L A IIV Flc tc hcr. FSL OJ Ga gni er, FSL VR Gibbs. FSL II
Lawson. FS L AE Hall. FSL GL lIartgi ll. FSL D Plaistowe. FSL RK Slater, l)206 F5 L II Lawson. FS L D Pla isto wc, FSL AL Thorne. FSL FC
FS L AL T hornc. FSL FC Walkcr. FS L I' Wood Walkcr.

3965 FCdr CT i\laciarcn

N ie u po r t 17Bi s

Nie u po r t II N3100 FSL Ni\1 Macgregor

398 1 FSL C Bai ley. I'Ll Bi ll' Dc Roeper. FSL GCW Dingwal l. I'Ll LC N3 10 I SCd r C Draper, I'Ll GA Gooderham. FS L H Lawson . I'Ll RF
Keeble, FSL II Lawson . FSL JdcC Paynter, FSL G p Powles. FS L A L Thorne. Redpath
FLt RR Wintcr
N3 102 FLt ST Edwards. FS L VC lIolyman
398 7 FCdr ADW Alle n. FSL C L Bailey. FSL GCW Dingwa ll. FS L G L
lI artg ill. FS L II La wson. FCdr EW No rto n. FSL JdcC Payn ter. FS L D N3 184 I'LL ADW Allen, FSL C Bai ley. FLt Bli P Dc Roeper, F5L A HV
Plaistowc. FSLG p Powles, FSL RK Slater, FS LA L Thornc. FLI RR Winter Fletcher, FSL 0 .1 Gagnier, FLt LC Keeb le, FLt CT Macl. arcn, FLt EW Norton.
FSL JdcC Paynter, FCdr JJ Pe tre. FS L G p Powles, FSL ALT horn c. FS L FC
398 8 FSL G L Ilartgili. FSL AL Thornc Wa lkcr. FLt RR Winter

3989 FCd r ADW Allen, FLt Bi ll' Dc Roeper, FSL GC W Dingwall. N3 186 FLt ADW A llen, FS L CL Bailey. FLl p E Bcaxley. SCdr C Draper,
FSL OJ Gagnier, FLt LC Kccb le. FCdr CT Mac l.arcn. FCdr EW Norton. FS L VC Holyman , FLt GG Mac l. ennan . r Lt G LE Stevens, FS L A L T horne
FSL JdcC Payn ter, FSL D Plaistowe. FSL G p Powles. FSL RK S tater, FS L
A L Thorne. FSL FC Wa lker N3 187 FLt EW No rto n. FCdr JJ Pet re, F5 L AL Thorne

399 1 FSL A II V Fle tc hcr. FSL OJ Gagnier, FSL AE lI al l. FSL GL N3 189 FSL OJ Gagnier.
Ilartgili. FS L II Lawson. FSL JdcC l'ayntc r, FS L R K Slatc r. FS L I' Wood
N3 190 FCdr A DW Allen, FS L JdcC Payn ter,
3994 FS L A IIV Fletc her, FS L OJ Gag nier, FSL I I Lawson . FCdr EW
Norto n. FS L RK Slate r. FS L AL Thor ne, FLt RR Winter N3 19I FSL M R Kingsford

2 /4
 Appendix / . Cross Refe rence . Aircraft to Pi/ot

N3 192 1'51. A Hv Fletche r, 1'51. GO Kirkpa tric k N6 341 SCd r C D Breese . FL t BH I' de Roe pe r, 1'5 1. NM Mac grego r, FLt
RR Winter
N3193 SCdr CD Bree se , SCdr JJ Pe tre.. FLt RR Winte r. 1'51. I' Wood
N6342 FSL R E Carro ll. FSL WA Curti s. FSL N~I Mac grego r, FL t RF
N319-1 FCdr C D Breese. I' Ll BHI' De Roeper, 1'5 1. G O Kirkpatri c k. 1'51. Red path . 1'5 1. GO Sim pso n
H La wson . I' Ll I' E Bea sle y. FL t R R W int e r
N635 0 FS L E D Abbott. S Cdr C D Breese. 1'51. WA C urtis . 1'5 1. E H
N3 195 FCdr A D W A lle n, 1'51. RW Berrid ge, S Cdr C D Bree se . FCdr 11 Kendall. FCdr CT M acL ar c n. FSL A Mc B Wal ton
Petre . 1'51. Thor ne, I'Ll RR Wint cr
N635 1 FS L E D Ab bott . FLt PE Be a sl e y. SC d r C D Br ee se , FS L R E
N3 196 I'Ll PE Bea sle y. SCd r C D Bree se. FLt B HI' Dc Roep e r, 1'5 1. II Ca rro ll. FS L WA C urtis. FSL N M Macgregor
La wso n. I' Ll G LE Stevens, FSLA Mc B Walt on . FLt R R Wi nte r. 1'51. I' Wood
N635 5 FSL R E Carro ll . FSL ~I H Fi ndl ay . FS L H La w son . 1'5 1. J O
N3 197 FSL RW Berridge. FSL AE Hall . FSL G O Kirkpatri c k. FSL H S imp so n. FLt RR Winter
Lawson . FCdr EW Norton . SC dr JJ Petre. FLt G LE Stevens . 1'51. I' Woo d
N6356 I' Ll ST Edwards . FSL ED Abbo t. I' Ll P E Beasl e y. SCd r C D
N3 198 1'51. RK Slatcr. Breese. 1'5 1. AC Cam pbel l-Orde . FS L ~IH Find lay. FCd r GG M acL c nnan

N3 199 FC dr C O W A lle n. 1'51. C L Ba ile y. 1'51. GO Kirk pat rick . 1'51. H N6357 FSL E D A bb ott. SC dr C D Bree se . 1'5 1. R E C arroll. 1'51. AC
La wson . SCdr JJ Pet re , I' Ll lOP Ree ve s, FSL A Mc B Walt on . I' Ll RR Wintcr Ca m pbc ll-Orde, I'Ll G O Kirkpat rick . 1'5 1. GO S im pso n

N3200 FC d r C D W A llen, I'Ll ST Edw a rds. FSL 0 Pluist o we , I'Ll 1'1' N6358 1'51. M H Find lay. 1'51. JH Fo rma n. FLt G O Kir kpa tric k. FLt RR
Ree ve s. 1'51. A Mc B Wa lton . W in ter , SC d r C D Bre e se, AS C dr C Drap e r

N32 0 1 FC d r EW Norton. 1'5 1. FC Walk cr N6359 1'5 1. v C lI o lyma n. FLt GO Kirkpat rick . 1'51. GE S icdl c. FS L 1'5
S tra thy. I' Ll RR W intcr
N3202 SC d r CD Bree se, FSL A Hv Fletc her. 1'51. 1'1' Ree ve s, 1'5 1. RK
Sl at er N6 360 FCd r GG Mac l.ennan. SCdr C D Breese

'3 20 3 FSL C L Bail cy. SCdr C D Breese. FLt LC Keeble, I'Ll lOP Ree ves. N6371 SCdr C D Breese, 1'51. RE Ca rro ll. FSL MH Find lay . FCd r CT
1'5 1. A Mc B Walt o n Macl. aren. 1'51. GO S im pso n

N 320-l SC d r C D Bree se , FL t CT MacL a rcn . FLt 1'1' Ree ve s N6373 FLt GA G oo de rham . FC dr CT M acL ar cn

3205 FS L A L Th orne N6379 S Cdr C D Breese, FLt. G A Goode rham. FCdr CT Macl.arcn , 1'51.
H B M aund. FLt RR W int c r
N 3206 FC d r ADW A lle n, I'Ll P E Bea sle y, I'Ll 13 111' Dc Roeper, 1'5 1.
JdeC Paynter. SC dr JJ Petre. FL t 1'1' Reeves 13 3821 S Cdr C D Breese. FLt RR W int cr

3207 FC d r AD W A llen , I' Ll I' E Beasle y, SCd r C D Bre ese. 1'5 1. vc 133833 SCd r Bree se. 1'51. MH Fin d lay. I'Ll GA G ood erham. 1'51. H
Ho ly ma n. 1'51. GO Kir kp at ric k. FCdr CT MacL ar c n. I'll FP Ree ves. FSL P Lawson . FSL N M Mac gregor , FLt RR W intc r
Woo d
133869 1'5 1. E D Abbott . SCdr C D Bree se . 1'51. SA Ha m il to n- Bo w ye r,
' 320 8 SCdr CD Breese. FLt GA Gooderham, 1'51. H Lawson . FCdr EW I'Ll GO Kir kp at rick. FS L H La wso n. I' Ll RF Red path , FSL GE Si cd lc. I'Ll
o rton. I'Ll RR W int er RR W int e r

3209 FSL C L Ba ilc y. SC dr C D Breese , FL t BPH Dc Roe pe r, FLt LC 13 3882 SCdr CD Bree se, FS L R E Carroll. I' Ll BliP de Roe per
Kee bl e. FSL II La wson . FLT GG Mac Lcnna n. FC dr EW l o rto n. FLt RR
Wi ntc r B391 2 SC d r C D Breese . FSL M H Find lay. FSL II Law son . FSL G O
S imp so n
N5860 I' Ll I' E Bea sle y. FSL H Lawson . FLt GG Ma cL cnnan
13 391 9 1'51. E D A bbo tt. S Cdr C D Bree se
N586 1 1'51. RIO Re d path , FLt G LE St e ven s
13 39 33 1'5 1. ED Ab bott. S Cdr C D Bre e se, 1'5 1. R E Carroll
N5862 1'5 1. C L Ba iley. FLt ST Edwa rds . FS L H La wso n. FLt FP Ree ve s.
I' Ll GLE Ste ve ns 13 3950 SCdr CD Bree se. FLt RR Wi ntc r

1 58 65 I' Ll GA Gooderham , FSL G D Kirk patrick . I'Ll 1'1' Ree ve s, FL t

G LE S tev e ns A i rco D.HA

N6 390 FS L vC M Ti arks
Sopwith 1'1 Ca mel
N6-IO-l FSL C M Hyslo p. SCdr Mac l. arcn , FS L GA Pitt. FSL v CM Ti ark s,
N6330 S Cdr C D Breese, FS L S A Ham ilton -B o w ye r, I' Ll RR Win tcr FSL LR Warr en . FC d r 1S Wri g ht

N633 1 FSL RE Ca rro ll. I'll ST Edwards. FSL E ll Kendal l. FCdr CT B9-19 8 1'51. E HI' Bailey. 1'51. HA Co nno p. FSL G A Pitt . 1'51. R Rob inson .
Mac l.aren, FCdr JS Wri ght

N6334 FS L I\IH Fi nd lay. 1'5 1. 1'5 S trathy. FLt I' Wood 13 9-199 FSL A M Ba nn at ync. FCdr II C C la rke, FSL C M Hy slo p. FSL
GA Pitt . FCdr G LE S teve ns , 1'51. v C~ 1 'ri ar ks. FSL L R Warre n
N6 339 S Cdr CD Bree se. FSL MH Fi nd lay

2 /5
 A Histo ry of No .6 Squadro n Royal Nav al A ir Service in lVorld IVa I' /

I) 1751 FSL AI-I Han nat yn e. FCd r INC C larke. FS L CM Hyslo p. SCdr B7596 FCd r INC C larke . FS L LR Warre n
CT Ma cL arcn . FSL GA Pill . FCdr G LE Ste vens. FS L VCM Tiark s. FSL LR
Warr en. FCd r JS Wr ight B7597 FSL EC Stock er. FS L VC M T iarks. FCdr JS Wri ght

I) 1752 FCdr INC Clarke. FS L CM Hys lop. FS L G A Pitl. FCd r G LE 13 7599 FS L Bannutync , FCd r INC C larke . FS L CM Hys lo p. FS L GA
Steve ns. FSL Tiarks. FS L LR Warr cn Pill. FS L VFA Rolan di. FS L VC M Tiarks

I) 1753 FS L AI\I Ban natync , FSL CM Hyslop . SCdr CT Macl. aren, FSL B7600 FCd r INC Clarke. FS L C M Hyslo p. SCd r CT Mac l.arcn, FS L LE
G A Pill. FCdr G LE Ste vens. FS L Stocker. FS L VCM Tiark s. FCd r JS Wright Oa keshn u . FSL VCM Tiar ks.

I) 1754 FS L AM Ba nnaty ne, FCdr INC Clarke. FS L C M Hyslop . SCd r B7602 FCd r INC Clarke. FSL CM Hyslop . SCd r CT Mac Laren FCd r
CT MacL aren. FS L GA Pill. FS L EC Stoc ke r, FS L VCM Tiark s. FS L LR G LE Steve ns. FSL LR War ren .
Warren . FCd r JS Wright
B7603 FS L RL Hewe ll. FS L CM Hyslop . SCd r CT Mac Laren. FCdr GL E
Stevens. FS L EC Stocker. FSL VCM T iarks. FS L LR Warren
A irel) D. H.9
B760 4 SCd r CT MacL are n. FSL GA Pill. FCdr G LE Ste vens ,
B7583 FCd r INC C larke , SCdr CT Mac Laren . FCdr G LE Ste vens. FSL
VCM Tiarks. FCdr JS Wright. B760 5 FS L AM Ban nat yne. FS L RL Bowe ll. FCdr INC C larke. FS L CM
Hys lo p. FS L VFA Ro land i, FCd r G LE Ste ve ns
B7586 FS L EC Stocke r. FSLTiarks. FCdr JS Wright
B76 15
B7587 FS L G A Pill. FCdr G LE Stevens FS L Stocker. FS L VCM Tiarks
B761 7
B7588 FSL AM Bunnat yn e, FCdr INC C larke, FSL VFA Ro land i, FS L
VCM Tiarks B76 18

B7589 FSL 1\1\\ Ban na tyne . FS L C M Hyslop . SCdr CT Mac l.are n, FS L B76 19
G A Pill. FCdr G LE Steve ns
B7622 FS L LE Oa keshott
B7590
1)2783 FS L LE Oukcshott
B759 1 FS L AM Ba nnat ync. SCdr CT Mac Laren. FS L EC Stocker. FCdr
JS Wright

B75'J2 FS L AM Ban natync . FS L GA Pill . FS L EC Stoc ke r. rca- JS

Wright

B7594 FS L C M Hyslop

B7595 FS L LR War ren

2 /6
 APPEN D IX J

C ROS REFERE NCE - PI LO T TO AL LOCATED A I RCRA FT

Wh ilst a pilo t o fte n fle w man y di ffer ent air e raft d ur ing his per io d o r se rv ice with No .6 Sq uadro n. he wo uld
ge ne ra lly be allocated a sing le machine at a ny o ne time whe n Ily ing o pe ra tio na lly. O ther airc ra ft mi g ht be flo wn
occasio na lly o n prac tice a nd test fl ights. or wh ilst the a lloca ted machine wa s un se rviceable . T he inte ntio n o r
this app e nd ix is to re fe re nce the mach ines tha t eac h pilot normally Ilew o n o pe rations . nam e ly the Nic upo rt
17B is. Sopwi th Ca me l a nd D. H.9. T he Nieuport 10. I I a nd 12 ty pes. as well as bein g used wh ile " wo rking up" .
were flo wn operat io na lly b ut we re not di sce rn ibly alloca ted to any pa rt icu lar pilo t.
The severity o r S idd c lcy De usy Pu ma en gine problem s e xp erience d by the c re ws in 191 Xmea nt tha t pi lots
ra re ly tle w a single D. II.9 fo r more than a fe w day s at a ti me . In pra cti ce, most or the pilot s flew wh atever was
se rvicea ble .

Pa rt I: 27/11/1 6 tIl 2!!/!!/17

FSL Ed wa rd Di " "1 Abbott

Sopwith C a me l B39 19 From 15th A ugust 191 7 to n nll Au g ust 19 17
Sopwi th Cam el B39 33 From 20 th August 191 7 to 281h A ugust 191 7

F Cdr Art hur De nn is W igra m A llen

Ni cu port 17 Bis N 3206 Fro m 24 th Ma rc h 191 7 to 13th Ap ri l 19 17

I'S L C h a r les Lenn a rd Bail ey

1 ieu po rt 17 Bis '3 19 9 Fro m 25t h Ma rc h 19 17 to 20t h Muy 19 17

I' Ll Percy E xe te r Bea sl ey'

j ie upor t 17Bi s N3 1X6 Fro m 29 th A pri I 19 17 to 12th May 19 17
Nic upo rt 17 Bis N3 196 Pro m 29 th J\ lay 191 7 to 5th Jun e 191 7
Nie upo rt 17 Bis N5X60 Fro m 6th Jun e 19 17 to 12th J une 191 7
Sopw ith Ca me l N63 56 Pro m 13 th J un e 191 7 til 11th Ju ly 191 7

I'SL Raymond Winch est e r Berrid ge

Nie upo rt 17 Bis 3 19 5 3n l May 191 7 (k illed )

S C dr C h a r les Dempst er Br eese

Nicu po rt 17B is N32D9 Prom IDth I\lay 191 7 to 3 Ist Ma y 191 7

FS L A la n Co lin C u m p hell-O r d e
So pwi th Ca mc l N6356 Fro m n nd July 191 7 to 26 th July 191 7

FS L Ral ph Ed ward C a r ro ll
Sopwith C ame l N635 1 Fro m 29th Ju ne 191 7 to 19 th Au gust 191 7
Sopwit h C ame l N5342 From 23rd A ugust 191 7 to 25t h Au gu st 19 I7

FS L Wil fr ed A us t in C urtis
Sopwit h Ca me l 1 6 34 2 From 26th Ju ne 19 I7 to 28th Aug ust 19 I7

A I' C dr Brun ll Philip lI en r y De Roep er

Nieuport 17 Bis N 31 96 Fro m 7th April 19 17 to 13 th Muy 19 17
N ic upo rt 17 Bis N 3209 Fro m 141h I\lay 191 7 to 25 th Ma y 19 17
Sop w ith Ca me l N634 1 Fro m Zln h J uly 19 17 to 25th Jul y 19 17
Sop w ith Ca mc l B3XX2 Fro m 2Xlh J u ly 19 17 to 2Xth A ug ust 19 17

2/ 7
 A Histo ry of No .6 Squadro n Royal Na\'(1! Air Service in \Vorld \Var !

AS C dr C h r isto p her Dr aper

1 ieuport 17 Bis N3 101 From 22nd Apri l 19 17 10 10 th June 101 7

F Lt S tearne Tighe Ed wards

Nieupo rt 17 Bis N3102 From 241h Ap ril 191 7 to 13th June J 9 I7

FS L M uxwell Hut ch eon F ind lay'

So pw ith Came l N6 339 Fro m 251h J une 19 17 10 28 th Au g ust 191 7

FS L A lbe r t Harry Vic to r Fle tc her

Nieu por t 17B is 3 192 Fro m 23rd March 19 17 10 291h A pri l 191 7

FS L J am es Hen ry Fu r ma n
Sopwi th Ca me l N635 8 From 20 lh Ju ly 19 I7 to 28th July 19 I7

FS L O liver Joseph Gagnier

Nieup ort 17Bi s N3 I89 From 24 1h Mar ch 191 7 10 11th May 191 7

F Lt G ra nt Arms t ro ng Gooderha m
Sopw ith Camel N6 373 Fro m 25 th Jun e 191 7 10 28th A ug us t 19 I7

FS L Art hu r Ed win lIall

Nieupo rt 17 Bis N3 197 Fro m 27 th mar ch 19 I7 10 28th March 19 I7

FS L Sta n ley Art h u r Hamilt on-Bow yer

Sopwi th Camel N6330 Fro m 22ml Aug us t 191 7 10 281h Au gust 19 I7

FS L Victor C live Hol ym an

Sopw ith Ca mel N63S9 From 8th June 191 7 to 12th July 1917

F I.t Lou is C lem ent Keehl e

Nieuport 17Bis N320 3 From 24th March 19 I7 10 22nd Apri l 19 I7

FSL Ed ward Hext Kcnd all

So pw ith Camel N6 33 1 Fro m 51h J uly 191 71 0 11th Jul y 191 7
So pwi th Ca mel N6 3S0 121h Jul y 191 7 (killed)

FS L M au rice Rooke K in gsford

Nie uport 17 Bis 1"3 191 Sth April 19 17 (c rashe d )

FLt Gcorgc Deni son K irkpat r ick

Nieuport 17Bis 1"3 197 From 7th April 191 7 to 5th May 19 17
Nieu po rt 17 Bis N5 865 From 7th May 191 7 to 5th June 19 17
Sopwith Ca me l 1"635 7 From 81h Jun e 191 7 to 18th August 191 7

FSL lI arold Lawso n

Nie uport 17B is 1"319 4 Fro m 23 rd March 191 7 to 22 ml Apri l 191 7
Nie upo rt 17Bi s NS862 From 4th May 19 17 to 29 th May 191 7
Sopw ith Ca me l N63S5 Fro m 28 1h June 191 7 to 28 th Aug ust 191 7

FS L l o r m a n Micrs l\ la eg regor
Nicuport 17Bi s 1"3100 From 23 rd Ap ril 19 17 to 13th June 191 7
Sopwith Camel 1"383 3 From 15th Ju ly 191 7 to 281h Aug us t 19 I7

F Cdr Co lin Te mp le Mae l.a ren

Nie uport 17 Bis N3204 Fro m 14 th March 19 I7 to 251h May 19 I7
Sopwit h Ca mel 1"637 1 Fro m 11th July 191 7 10 13th Aug ust 19 17

FCd r Gc orgc Go rdo n l\ laeLc n na n

Nicuport 17B is 1"5860 From 24 1h Aprii 191 7 to Sth June 191 7
Sopw ith Ca mel N6 360 From 8th Jun e 191 7 10 20th Ju ly 191 7 (killed)

FSL Hu gh Bingham I\la u nd

So pw ith Ca mel N6 379 From 28 1h Ju ly 19 17 to 28 1h A ug ust 19 17

FCd r Erncst Willi am No r to n

Nie upor t 17B is N3 187 From 18th Mar ch 19 I7 10 9th Apri l 19 17
Nicu port 17 Bis N3208 From 22 nd Apri l 191 7 10 29 th Ap ril 19 I7

FS L J ohn d e Ca m pho u rnc Pa ynter

Nicuport 17 Bis '3 190 From 24th March 19 I7 to 91h April 19 17

2 18
 Apperuli» / - Cross Refe rence - Pilot /(I Allocat ed Aircraft

FSL Duvid Pla is towe

Nieuport 171lis ' 3200 From 241h M arch 19 17 to I 91h April 191 7

FI.t I{oua hl Frun cis Red pa th

Nieuport 171lis 586 1 Prom 22 ml Apri l 1917 to 13th Jun e 1917

F t .t Fahia n Pem hn Reeves

Nieuport 171lis 3207 Fro m 281h March 19 17 to 281h May 1917
' ieuport 171lis ' 3204 From 281h May 191 7 10 6th June 19 17 (killed)

FSL (; eol'l"n,)' Ernes t S ied le

So pwi th Camel 1'13869 Fro m 15th August 19 17 to 20 lh August 191 7

FSL .la me s Orru h Si m pso n

Sopw ith Ca me l N637 1 From 16th August 19 17 to 281h August 191 7

FSL Ro bert Ke nnet h Slater

Nieupor t 171lis 1'1320 2 Fro m 5th April 19 17 to 6th April 19 17 (s ho t down, POW )

I' Ll G eorge Lesl ie E u~e n e

S teve ns
Nieuport 171lis N3 186 Fro m 131h May 19 17 10 27th May 1917

FS L Ford St nart Stru thy

Sopwith Ca mel N6359 From 20th Ju ly 19 17 10 161h August 1917

FSL Alfred Lewi s T horne

Nieuport 171lis N3205 From 27th March 19 17 to 91h Apr il 19 17 (killed)

FSL Art h ur Mc ltur ney Wa lton

Nieuport 171lis N3203 From 30th April 19 17 10 20th May 1917
Nieuport 171lis 1'13 199 From 23rd May 191 7 to 131h Jun e 1917
Sopwi th Ca mel N6350 From 26th Jun e 1917 to 2nd Ju ly 19 17

I' Ll Ru pert Rand olph Wi n ter

Nicuport 171lis N3 195 From 27lh Marc h 1917 to 291h April 191 7
Nicuport 171lis 1'13 208 Prom 251h May 19 17 10 5th Jun e 19 17
Sopwi th Ca mel N63 58 From 8th Jun e 1917 to 5th Jul y 19 17
Sop wi th Ca mel N6379 Fro m 5th Ju ly 19 17 to 241h Ju ly
Sopwith Ca mel B382 1 Fro m 24th Jul y 19 17 10 24th August 1917
Sop wi th Ca mel N3950 Prom 25th August 19 17 to 28th Augu st 191 7

FSL Phi lip Woo d

Nieuport 17B is N3 193 From 5th April 19 17 to 25th May 19 17
Nieuport 17Bi s 1'1320 7 Pro m 261h May 19 1710 28t h May 1917
Nieuport 17Bi s N3 197 Fro m 29t h May 191 7 to 13th Ju ne 19 17
Sopwith Ca mel N6334 Pro m 26th Ju ne 1917 to 14th August 1917

Part 2: 1st J anua ry 1918 to 31st March 1918

FSL And rew Ma nsfie ld B unnut yn c

0 ,11 .9 B7592 9th March 19 18 (Wounded in ac tion)

FSL Ro bert L loy d Hewe ll

0 .11 .9 B7603 Fro m II th March 1918 to 18th March 191 8
D.II .9 B7605 Pro m 23rd March 1918 to 3 1st March 191 8

FCdr Irwin Na pie r Colin C la r ke

D.l 1.9 B7583 Fro m 9th March 1918 10 18th March 191 8
0 .11 ,9 B7600 Pro m 22 m) March 1918 10 3 1st Mar ch 191 8

FSL C lella nd Mac ke nzie Hys lo p

D.IL9 B7602 Fro m 9th March 191 8 10 3 1st March 191 8

FSL Leon a r d E ng la n d Ou kes hutt

D.II.9 B7600 Pro m Illh March 19 18 to 18th March 19 18
D.H.9 D2783 Pro m 24th March 19 18 10 25th March 19 18
D.H.9 B7622 3 1s1 March 191 8 ( Killed)

FSL George A lbert Pitt

D.H.9 B7587 Fro m 91h March 19 18 to 3 1st March 19 18

219
 A Histo ry ojNo.t) Sq uadron Royal Na\'{/I Air Se rvice in World War!

FSL Victur Frede rick Albert Rola nd i

D.H .9 13 760 5 Fro m 17th Ma rch 191 8 10 2 1st Ma rch 191 8
D.H .9 13 7588 From 26th Ma rch 191 8 to 3 1st March 191 8

AFC d r G ellr~e Leslie E u~e ne Ste vens

D.H .9 13 760 2 From 181h Ma rc h 191 8 to 22ml Mar ch 19 18
D.H.9 13 75 89 Fro m 23 rd Ma rc h 191 8 til 3 1st Ma rc h 191 8

FSL Ed ward Cuthbert Stocker

D.H .9 13 759 7 From 91h M arch 19 181 0 11th Mar ch 191 8
D.H .9 13 759 1 From 18t h Mar ch 191 8 to 20 th Mar c h 191 8

FSL Victllr Cha r les i\llIrris T i:lrks

D.H .9 13 7603 From 22 ml Mar ch 191 8 10 23 nJ Mar ch 191 8
D.H .9 13 7599 Fro m 24t h March 19 18 10 3 1Sl Mar ch 19 18

FSL Leslie Reginuld Warren

D.H.9 B7603 From 91h M arc h 19 18 to 10th Mar c h 191 8
D.H.9 13 7596 Fro m 121h Mar c h 19 18 to 3 1st Mar ch 191 8

"FCdr .lo hn Sou they Wri~ ht

D.H.9 13 759 1 Fro m 9th Ma rc h 19 18 10 31 st Ma rch 191 8

220
 APPEN DIX K

T HE N l EUPO RT SESou IPLA N E'S 0 ESIG N FLAW

T he N ieupo rt's ses q uiplane w ing arra nge me nt pro ved to be its Achilles Hee l
in se rvice and has g ive n the ty pe s I I. 17 and the ir variants a deg ree of not-
undeserved not o riet y w ith stude nts o f Wor ld War I av iation.
It wa s the Nieu po rt Co mpany 's inte ntio n that the ang le o f incid en ce of
the lo wer w ings co uld be adj us ted as req uired a nd then c lamped and secured
by means of an annular cla mp attac hed 10 the botto m o f the w ing strut. T he
c la mp e nc ircle d the lo wer w ing 's spar and o nce lightened . prevented any
axia l tw ist fro m occ ur ring. In practice howe ver. it wa s foun d that the lo wer
w ing' s inc idence ang le co uld change in fli g ht. part icu lar ly a fter vio lent
manoeu vres. In ex tre me cases. the lo wer plane co uld sna p or ev en break
away.
If the w ing brok e away c leanly. a pilot mi g ht bc able to get the air craft
down safely, bo th Majo r Mann ock and Co urt ney Ca mpbe ll survived such an
occ urrence . If the w ing re mained attached. the result ing d rag and un ba lan ce
cou ld g ive the pilot lillie chance of retaining co ntro l.
The fo llow ing co m munication is typi ca l of the co ncern that was bein g
ge nerated by bo th the RFC and the RNAS :
b ) Th at the inside of the co lla r ins te ad of ha vin g g rooves running
ci rcumfcrcn tially sho uld IUII'e dia gonal g rooves so as to g rip the wood
mon' fi rm ly.
c ) Thot the two light ening holes ill the co llar. sh o uld he so punch ed as
to lea ve a slight dep ression Oil the inside.
3. I should he glad to know Mess rs Nicuports opinio n Oil the whol e quest ion
and also wh et he r they conside r it pos sible tofit so me fo rm of positive lock -
illg d evice inst ead of o r ill a ddi tion to the colla r:
I may odd that in non e of the cases ill wh ich the 100I'er pla ne has tu rned.
ha s th e machi ne co llapsed. 111 ""l' ry case the pilot has lan ded saf ely.
Brigadi er Ge nera l
o.«. & Q.M.G.

c.n.rc. 2154 Q. Roya l Flving Co rps

B.A.S.D .
Pa ris III the Field
10 th Ja nua ry 191 7
I . Three cases ha ve recently occurred of the lo wer plane ofNie upo rt SCOlltS,
revolvin g slightly ill the ail; wh en th e ma chin e has been di ved steeply. Ano the r prob le m w ith the desig n as we ll as so me ra ther o m ino us q uality
The 100I'er pl anes ha ving o nly one sp ar; ha ve a ten den cy to do th is 11I1- co ntro l pro blem s we re ide ntifi ed in the foll o w ing letter:
less the metal lock ing co //ar to which the tll'O stru ts a re sec ured, grips the
packing blo cks round the main sp a r very se cu rely. E.O .
So long as a reallyfirm g rip is o btained here it is no t co nside red pos - 13th Willg
sible for the spa r 10 turn but o wing to the f ac t that this twisting has taken R FC
pl ace 1II0 re than OIlCe. it wo uld app ea r that thefitting is not entirely sa tisfac-
lo ry. Herewith. please, repo rt 011 the bottom plun c sockets 011 Nicupo rt Sro ut A6669
It see ms pos sib le that the woo de n packing bl ock s m ay so me time s he rece ive d fro m No. I A f) today.
ma de of un sea so ned materia l a nd that when they dr y and shrink. the blocks The flan ge of socke t.I' instea d of all equal o verlap ha s 1/ 8 " clea rance
a re not suffi ci entlv la rge fo r th e met al col la r to grip them befo re th e 111'0 Oil the aile side and is hu tt ing into the wo od Oil till' other:
halves of the m eta l colla r bun III' against each othe r. III this case the only This wo uld most cc rtainlv slip ill a d ive.
resu lt of tight en ing th e nu ts of th e securing holts is to b ring the two hal ves of Till' fixing holts ofhath f rolit and rear gunmounting should I" , inserted
the co //ar III' against olle ano ther without p rop erl y g rip ping th e woo d. [ro m the 101' 10 al lown uts bein g tak en offfor tile purp o se offi xillg .fillillgs 10
There is also (J g ru b sc rew ill the lower co llar; which goes into one of A ldi s sig ht.
the wood en packing block s IJlII ill its present form this does no t affo rd milch Th e fro nt gunmount ing is reve rse d cll/Isillg the gun relea se to he to th e
additional safe g uard . right inst ead of lef t luuul .
These detai ls a re beillg rem ed ied ill Squadron.
2. I ha ve thefollo wing suggest ions to ma ke with a l'iew to ensu ring a better
fast ening: Signed
FO Gibbon. 2 Lt
a ) That a slig htly la rger gal' be leJi bet ween th e two halves ,,( the col - E. O. f or Ma jo r
la r so as to allo w f o r the wood shrinking ,
O.C No.60 Sq ua d ron R FC
22/4/ 17

22/
 A History oj No. 6 Squadro n Royal Nava l A ir Ser vice ill World 1I'llr I

Th e Nic upo rt Co mpa ny re fuse d to acce pt that there was anyt hi ng wro ng
with the hasic de sign co nce pt and per sev ered w ith it fo r far too lo ng. Som e
officia l repl ies fro m Nieuport went so far as to sugges ted that the ca use of
the pro blem wa s incompet ence o n the part of the RFC and RNAS fitte rs .
At o ne stage in 19 17 fail ures we re so pro lifi c tha t the RFC wa s se ri-
o us ly co ncerne d tha t it wou ld no t be able to maintai n its Nieupo rt 17 sq uad-
ro ns at full streng th. No .6 Sq uadron RNAS a lso suffered its share of inc i-
dents w ith the Nieupo rt 17 13is:

FS L Red pat h re po rte d that a lo wer wi ng shifted tw ice in a matt er

of days. de sp ite a new wi ng be ing fitt ed a fter the first inc ident. Red path
was for tu nat e to land sa fely o n both occas ions.
SCd r JJ Petre was kill ed when his machine brok e up whilst d iv-
ing at a ground ta rget. Petre wa s ve ry experie nce d and had bee n fly ing
' ie upo rts si nce 19 16.
Seve ra l unexpl ain ed cras hes we re may wel l have been due to lower
w ing failure.
A sketch prepared by 2Lt FO Gibbon of N o.60 Squadron RFC. The note
Th e Nieuport Co mpa ny stu bbo rn ly clung to the scs q uiplanc co nce pt and it reads: Section thro ugh A B showing how packing piece of bottom plane was
wa s not unt il thc introd uct ion of the type 28 th at Nicupor t ad mitted de feat riding on flange of locking ring.
and ado pted a mo re co nve ntio na l biplan e structure .
Unlike the Ro yal Flying Cor ps whic h employed a num ber o f d iffer ent
sco uts. the Ro ya l Na va l Air Se rvice de c ided to standard ise o n the new ly
int rod uced Sopwi th Camel and sq uadrons sta rte d thc co nve rs io n process in
Ju nel9J 7. 1"0 .6 Squ ad ro n wa s the seco nd unit to co nve rt and had d ispo sed
of a ll the Nie upo rt 17 Bis machines by the end of June. T hese were the last
Nieupor ts in RNAS se rv ice o n the Western Fron t. a ll surv iving ma c hin es
we re rel egated to train ing and Ho rn e De fen ce du ties in Eng land .

222
 APPE N DIX L

WAR RAVE AN D MEMORIALS

Ll Eli I' lIail cy F C d r Geo rge Go rd o n M acLennan FSL Valanti ve Edgar Si cvck ing
Linsc llcs Co mm u na l Ce me te ry O o stc ndc New Co m m u na l Ce me te ry Zcc b ruggc C hurc hya rd
Lill c O oste nd e Bel giu m
France Wcst- Vlaand cr e n Gra ve ref: 16 9
Gra ve rtf." D5 Belgium
G ra ve ref: A, 18 FS L Ed ward C u t h b e r t S toc ke r
FS L RW IIc r r id l:c Arras Flyi ng Servi ces Me morial
Bra y M ilita ry Ce me te ry F5L Leonard E ng la nd O akesh ot t Pas de C ala is
Bra y-sur-Somme Ha zeb ro uc k Commu na l Ce mete ry Fra nce
France Nord
Grave r"l ll . G. 21 France FS L Fo r d S t ua r t S t r a t h y
Gra ve refr lll, E. 4 Ram sca ppcll c Ro ad M ilitar y Ce met ery
FS L W C C u t m o re N icuw poort
Bou c hoi r New British Ce met ery F5L LW Orm e rod West-V laauderen
So m mc SI. So uplet Br itish Ce me te ry Bclg ium
Fra nce France Grave ref: VI. D, I
Co m memorated o n Laboissicr c Gcrm an Cem etery Gra ve ref: III. D. 5
Me mo rial FSL Al fre d Lewi s T ho r ne
FSL John d e C a m p bo u r ne Paynt er Caye ux M ilitary Ce mete ry
FS L lIa r old A r no C o n nop Dunkerquc To w n Ce me te ry So m mc
Dunk e rqu c Town Ce me te ry Fran ce Fra nce
Dun kc rq uc G ra ve ref: IV, A. 78 Gr{/\'" r"l l, c.
France
Gra ve r"l lv' A. II A SCd r John Joseph Petre FSL Fr ede r ic C lo cte Walkcr
Ce risy-Gailly M ilitar y Ce me te ry Aubigny Co m m una l Ce me tery Ex te ns io n
AG L Herbert Walter Dray So m mc Pas de C ala is
Ha ze br ou ck Co m m una l Ce me tery Fra nce Fra nce
o rd Gra ve ref: I, D, 39 GHIl'e re]: v A,36
France
Grave r"l lll. E. 6 F5 L Fah ian P ember Ree ves I'Ll Rupert I{andolf Wint er
Arr as Fly ing Serv ice s Me mo ria l Ha rle bc ke Ne w British Ce me te ry
FS L Ed wa rd lI ext Kendall Pas de Ca lais Wcst Vlaa ndc rcn
Lar ch wood ( Railwa y CUlling ) Ce mete ry Fra nce Belgium
lep er Gra ve ref: II, A. 8
Wcst - Vlaand e re n F5 L Ralph Robinson
Be lgium Lon gucn cssc So uve nir Ce mete ry
Gra ve Hi ' I. n. 10 SI. Orne r
France
Gra ve ref: v'A. 35.

223
 BI BLIOG RAPHY
Bo ok s
Sopwith Came l Squadrons, I. Roge rs. Alba tros Produ ct ion s
B ritish Aviation Squ adron M ark ing . of wo rl d 1I",r l . I. Roge rs. Schiffer Pub-
lishing
SO!,II'ith Aircraft 1912- 1920. II F King. Putnam
SO!,II'ith Aircraft , :-'1 Davies. C ro wo od
Sop with Camcl -: King ojCombot , C Bowyer. A sto n
The Camel r il l'. Sturd iva nt & Page. Air Brit ain
Tl u: /)114/ /)119 r il l'. Sturdi va nt & Page. Air Britai n
Nicupo rt A ircruft '~f \\( ,rld lVa rl . Ray Sanger. C rowood
Ro va l Na va l Aircraft Serials and V IIits. Stu rd ivant S: Page. Air Britain
A!Jo l'l' the Trench es , Coles. Fra nks & Gu est . Grub Street
A!Jm 'l' the 1I" r Fronts. Franks. Gu es t and A lc gi , G rub S treet
Fight er Pilot 011 The II'l'st l'm Front , ED C rundall. Kimber
I Chos e the Sky . Lli Rochford. Kimber
Canadian A irm en AI/(l Th e 1,\1 \l'o rld I\l o·. FS Wise. nivcrsity of Toron to
Th e Ju sta \l'a r Chronolog y, Fran ks . Bailey & Duivcn, Gr ub Stree t
Nr C COIII/ll l/ ll itII U:,I' 1917- 1918. C Bowyer. Grub Street
Na val A via tion ill tlu: Fi rst 1I" rld lVar. RD Layma n. Cax ton
Ti ll' \\(/r ill the Air. IIA Jon es. Imperia l War Museum
Till' Roya ! Na val A ir Service, B King. Hik ok i
Botnb crPilm 1916-18. C PO Bart let!. Ian Alla n
Th e Nava l Air Service, Navy Recor ds Socie ty
Na ug ht Escapes V.I. Peter Gu nn, Th e 206 Squadron Association
Airfi elds An d A irmen - Arras. M ike O 'Conno r. Pen & Sword
Airf ields AI/(l Airmen - Camb ra i. Mike O'Conno r. Pen & Sword
N,A .r: Sq uadrons, AC Jell or d. Airli fe
Till ' Fring es of the Fl ee: & the Disti nguish ed Service Cro ss, RC Wille. Di.\
Noo nnn Webb
A llis to rv oJNo , 10 Sq uadron NNA S ill \l'o rld lI"' r l . :-' Iike Wcstrop, Schiffer
Puh lish ing
.Jou rn al s :
Cro ss & Coc kade ( I n te rna t i o nal)
Cros s s: Co c kade (US )
F I ~'in l.: Lo l.: Book s :.
FS L SA Hami lton- Bow yer
FSL WA C urtis
FLt RF Red path
FLt ST Edward s
FSLGA Pill
FSL GL lI artgill
AG L G Betterid ge
FSL VA Ro landi
Xu tin nu l A rchi ve Filcs :
A D:-' I27 3. Ad miralty : Roya l Nava l Air Se rv ice: Regi sters of Offi cers ' Ser -
vice s
Air119211S191228. RNAS I. 6. 8. 9. s. 10 squadrons co llec tive comb at re-
ports
224
Air 119 I 312041S18S I. Pol icy and organ isation o f R,N,A,S, squadro ns on loan
to R.F.C
Ai r76. Air Mi nistry: Departmen t of the Master-Genera l of Personne l:
Offi cers' Servi ce Record s
A irI /43/ ISI9/ 16. :"0 ,6 Squad ron RNAS Da ily Report s o f O perations
Ai ri /S I /I SI9136. :"o.-l Wing RNAS Daily Report o f O pera tio ns
Airl /64 111 711221228. S Wing R1"AS report s of bo mb raids and uuacks to
19 18 March
Air 1/849/ 2041S1388, Per sonn el Cas ua lty rep orts. 19 17 Janu ary to J uly
A ir I /S7I1SI9IS4. List o f Non-Effec tive Officers, 19 16 Decemher to 191 7
December
Ai rl /121 7/2041S12634, 6 Nuval Squ adro n Co mbat Rep ort s
Air I/ 2 1091207/49/4 . Disposi tion of RNAS Offi ce rs. Oet - Dec 19 16
Air 1/2109/207/49/S, Disposition of R:" AS Officers. Jan - Mar 191 7
Air 1/2 11 01207149/6 . Dispos ition of RNAS Offic ers . Apr - Jun 19 17
Air 1/2110/207/4917. Disposit ion of RNAS Officers. Jul - Se p 19 17
Air I/2 111/20 7/49/8 . Disposition of RNAS Off ice rs, Oct - Dec 19 17
A ir 1/2 111/207/4919. Dispos ition of RNAS Offi cers. Jan - Scp 19 18
Air III OSI ISI91277. RNAS Dunkcrquc - me moranda from se nior o fficer
Air 1/96/1S19126S, RNAS Dunkcrq ue - se nior of fice r, sec re t co rres po ndence
Air1 /6411S19186. RNAS sq uadrons operati ng wi th RF C - ops re po rts &
sum ma ries
Air 11lS7 11204/S0/60 . 14 Wing Summary. Ap ril 191 7
Air 1/ 1S 7 1/204/80/S0. 14 Wing Summa ry. May 191 7
Air lllS 7 11204/80/SI. 14 Wing Summary. Jun e 191 7
Air 11lS72/204/S0/6 1. 14 Wing Summar y. July 19 17
A ir 11lS66 /204/80/S2. 14 Wing Su mma ry. Augu st 1917
Air 1/23 14/223/12. Nava l sta ll op eration reports o f RNAS with RFC/R AF
A ir 1/3911 SI9IS. RNAS Co mmuniques vo lume 2
Air 1/S IIIS19136. RNAS 4 Wing su mma ry
Air III 0811 S191288. RN AS Dunk e rq ue - ca s uul rics . p ro mo t ion s a nd
com mi vsio ns
Air I12247/209/43/4. 4 Brigad e War Diary. Ap r 17
Ai r I12247/209/431S . 4 Brigade War Diary. May 17
Air I122471209/43/6. 4 Brigad e War Diar y. Jun 17
Air I12247/209/4317 . 4 Brigade War Diary. Jul 17
Air I12247/ 209/43/8. 4 Brigade War Diary. Aug 17
Air l/23 14/22311 2. Nava l sta ff operation reports o f RNAS wi th RFC/R AF
Air III 0911 S128. RNAS cas ualties to officers
Air III 088/204/S11 742. Reports & tests on Nic uports
Oth er:
Datab ase of the Com monwealt h War Gra ves Co mmiss ion
Datab ase of the London Ga ze lle
Database of the Royal Nethe rland s Air Force Ilistor y Unit
Free Bi\1D da tabase
190 I Census dat aba se
T imcs database
Toro nto Star database
206 Squadron Associat ion arc hives