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Aviation History
1931
1931 - 0377.PDF
FLIGHT. APRIL 24, 1931 NO. 101 (BOMBER) SQUADRON By MAJOR F. A. de V. ROBERTSON, V.D. 'HERE is only one day-bomber squadron in theWessex Bombing Area which is equipped with twin-engined aeroplanes. That is No. 101(Bomber) Squadron, which is stationed at Andover, Hants., and the type which it flies is the Boulton& Paul " Sidestrand," driven by two Bristol mark 8F geared " Jupiters," with four-bladed propellers. The use oftwin engines in a day-bomber aeroplane makes this squadron unique among all the units of the Royal AirForce. By kind permission of the Air Ministry, representativesof FLIGHT were recently permitted to pay a visit to No.101 B.S., and were most hospitably received by Squadron Leader F. H. Coleman, D.S.O., who has commanded thesquadron since January, 1930, and by his officers. It may be added that the mess at Andover is a very pleasantand comfortable place, where the officers of the H.Q. Wessex Bombing Area, the Staff College, the Station H.Q.,and the two day-bomber squadrons, Nos. 12 and 101, live together as a very happy family. Naturally, as No. 12o.S. has very recently exchanged"the famous " Fox " type for the still more formidable " Hart," there is a good dealof friendly rivalry between the exponents of the single engine and the twin as a medium of day bombing ; butsuch rivalry is all for the good of the Service. The only reeling of regret which one experiences when visitingAndover is awakened by having passed Camberley on the tat, I and seen the palatial style in which the Army StaffLoliftge i s housed. The contrast between that and themakeshift erections with which the Royal Air Force Staff College is fain to be content makes one wish for a certainsvwlhng of the Works and Buildings Vote in an early M-'-ion of the Air Estimates. History of the Squadron ••>;o. 101 Squadron has an honourable war history. Twin- -n :ned bombers were not thought of for use by day when „ squadron was formed at South Farnborough in July, im WaS the ^'^ PrinciPle invariable for night use. ihbbi d b hV i S the ^'^ Princi le invariable for night use. • ' 101 was formed as a night-bombing squadron, but the' W^ wmcn i(: was originally sent to France was In th d tii iti bhtfo p'p gy' •^•p-6-. In those days training was intensive, both pgards pilots and also squadrons, but few units can have got themselves into fighting shape so rapidly as didNo. 101. The formation commenced in July, 1917, and on the 25th of the same month the squadron went acrossto France. Its first CO. was Major the Hon. L. J. E. Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, who is now a WingCommander and is Air Attache at the Washington Embassy. He must have done great work in getting hissquadron ready for the front so quickly. The first aero- drome which No. 101 occupied in France was St. Andr6-aux-Bois. Of course it was moved a good many times before the war was over, but there would be little interestin recording here all the names of its aerodromes. The names of the successive Commanding Officers, however, arean interesting and honourable list. At the end of October, 1917, Major W. B. Hargrave took over the command.He is now a Wing Commander and an O.B.E., and he actually commands Andover station, where his old squadronlives. In July, 1918, Major E. L. Gower succeeded, and a month later he made over to Major J. Sowrey, now aWing Commander, decorated with an Air Force Cross, and employed on the staff of the Air Defence of Great Britain.In January, 1919, Major S. W. Price took over, but only for a few days. Major W. J. Tempest commanded untilNo. 101 returned from France on March 16, 1919. Its last station in the war zone was Morville, in Belgium. InDecember, 1919, it was disbanded at Filton. Before that happened the squadron went through stirringtimes. The work of setting off on bombing raids by night in a single-engined machine must always have been stirring.One wonders how men could have been found to make that their regular duty, night after night, for months on end.Of course, night-bombing squadrons were not likely to lose many men from combat in the air, but the uncertaintyof what would happen if an engine failed must have been an ever-present nightmare. We find that the squadron inits 15 months at the front only lost seven men killed or died of wounds, 10 wounded, and 13 killed and seveninjured from accidents. There were, however, 23 who were taken prisoners of war, which seems to indicate that thepilots of the squadron were very skilful, or else very lucky, in landing a F.E.2.B. at night behind the German lineswhen they could keep in the air no longer. The honours awarded to the squadron while at the front included four 353
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