A
in
Early Days of the War,
Communications to
The Editor. "Ypres Times,"
9 Baker Street, London, W.l.
POST FREE 7d.
Vol. 5, No. 8
Published Quarterly
October, 1931
T the beginning of August, 1914, the Royal Flying Corps, Military, Wing consisted
of four complete squadrons, Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5, and another, No. 6, in the process
of formation.
On August 12th, Nos. 2,3 and 4 were concentrated at Dover, and the next morning,
the 13th August, started to fly across to Amiens, with the exception of one flight of
No. 4 Squadron, which remained at Dover to provide air patrols over the Straits. There
was considerable competition amongst pilots as to who should be the first to land at our
destination. Actually it was Lieut. Harvey Kelley, of No. 2 Squadron, who just man
aged to beat his Squadron Commander, Major Burke. Both were killed later
in France. There were one or two forced landings and a few people lost their way
but the majority arrived safely. No. 5 Squadron followed on the 15th. Sir David
Henderson was our Commander.
It may be interesting to take a brief glance at the equipment of those days. All
our engines were not only of French design but also of French make, the same also
applied to twenty-two of the aeroplanes. The maximum speed was about 80 miles
per hour, whilst some of the aeroplanes could barely reach 50 these latter could make
but little progress against even a moderate head wind. As weapons, rifles or revolvers
were carried. Tests had been carried out before the war of carrying machine guns in
aeroplanes, but with the exception of one experimental aeroplane it was not until
September that we had any out in France. For bombs we had hand grenades and a
few 20-lb. bombs which we borrowed from the R.N.A.S. These were merely held over
the side and dropped there was no form of bomb sight or bomb carrier. Only two
machines were fitted with wireless for carrying out observation of fire for artillery.
All other machines had at first to make use of coloured Very lights fired from the aero
plane or of signalling by means of an Aldis lamp.
Our transport consisted chiefly of subsidized civilian vehicles which had been called
up on mobilization. We had every imaginable type of lorry one especially will always
remain in my memoryit belonged to the firm who dealt in some popular sauce. It
had a big covered red body with the words The World's Appetizer in bold lettering.
Actually it formed a very useful distinguishing mark from the air for identifying R.F.C.
transport.
If the material of August, 1914, seems strange to-day, still more does our pre war
