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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 1554.PDF
642 FLIGHT, 25 October 19 7 1 916 R .E. 8. 1917 BRISTOL FICUT££ Mt. 3 19Z0/Z) W£STLANP WAPITI 1 9 31 No. 5 SQUADRON A History of the "Fighting Fifth" 19 By JOHN YOXALL PART 2 IN February 1916 there was some re-arrangement of units andin the St. Eloi actions in the following month No. 5 wasworking with the Fifth and the Canadian Corps. It was from their work with the Canadians that the squadron derived themaple leaf motif on its badge. At this time the unit was noted for its photographic skill. To quote official records, "Admirablephotographs of the St. Eloi craters were taken by No. 5 Sqn., R.F.C., at 8.30 a.m., and were developed and printed with greatpromptitude. These photographs were joined up into a map which was in the brigade commander's hands the same afternoon."In those days plates—not film—were used and had to be processed separately. The Battle of the Somme opened on July 1, 1916, but therewas much preliminary work to be done by the R.F.C. along the whole line. On June 25 and 26 an offensive was launched againstthe enemy observation balloons. For this purpose Le Prieur rockets, fired from the interplane struts of Nieuport Scouts, andphosphorus bombs, dropped from B.E.2cs flown as single seaters were used. The squadron sent out four B.E.s so equipped—butwith no success, owing to low cloud. For interdiction work, with a composite unit operating from No. 60 Squadron's airfield at VertGaland, three B.E.2cs were allocated. Their work in the Cambrai area was very effective. Preparations were made for quick movement forward if theexpected breakthrough materialized, and the squadron's aircraft strength was brought up to 18. Just before the battle opened theCO., Maj. Vaughan, left to take over command of No. 7 Sqn. and his place was taken by Maj. F. J. L- Cogan. It was part of the strategy of the Somme struggle that theremainder of the line should be kept busy in order that the Germans should be denied quiet areas where battle-weary troopscould be sent for a rest. Although No. 5 was not in the actual Somme area, the period to October, 1916, was spent in a varietyof labours with interdiction bombing most prominent. Occasion- ally aircraft of the unit joined in what were for those days verylarge formations comprising 18 B.E.2cs for bombing with 11 fighters (F.E.2ds and D.H.2s) as escorts. The outcome of the Battle of the Somme was not as was hopedfor, and in the early part of October No. 5 was sent into the area, leaving Droglandt for the airfield at Marieux, which it took overfrom No. 15 Sqn. Here there was less bombing to be done but a lot more artillery observation. The squadron received congratula-tions on its ranging from Gen. Longcroft, who commanded the Fifth Brigade, R.F.C., to which the unit now belonged. But allflying over the enemy lines, especially by such outdated aircraft as the B.E.2cs were by then, was at a price and air fights, withresultant casualties, were frequent. No. 5 pilots, however, often gave a good account of themselves in these battles. When 1917 opened the squadron had another change of com-mand, Maj. G. L. P. Henderson taking over. One of the flight commanders at the time was Capt. T. Leigh-Mallory, who in die1939-45 war became Allied Air C-in-C. under Gen. Eisenhower. Within a month, command had passed to Maj. Lewis, his pre-decessor having returned to England, and the squadron moved in March, first to La Gorgue and then to Savy, near Arras. TheB.E.2cs had given way to B.E.2es—an improvement, but only a slight one. A glimpse of war as it was then is given in the squadron diaryfor this time. "Lts. Buckton, pilot, and Barritt, observer, were on 'line reconnaissance' over Oppy when two enemy single-seatersattacked. Barritt returned the fire but his gun jammed. Buckton contrived so to dodge as to allow his observer to overcome thejam and bring his gun into action again. Unfortunately it stopped again immediately and the B.E. was raked at point-blank range.The petrol tank, engine, wireless set, airscrew and planes were repeatedly hit and the elevator control-cables shot away. Thereremained little else to do but land. This Buckton did, with the result that the B.E. struck the ground without flattening outand was completely wrecked; but neither occupant, miraculously, received injury. . . . Salving their two Lewis guns, Buckton andBarritt left the wrecked aircraft and started off to seek the shelter of a sunken road. They had not progressed far when they en- Commanding Officers of No. S Squadron from Maj. J. F. A. Higgins Maj. A. C. H. MacLean Maj. A. G. Board Maj. J. G. Hearson ... Maj. R. M. Vaughan Maj. F. J. L. Cogan ... Maj. G. L. P. HendersonMaj. R. E. Lewis Maj. E. J. Tyson Maj. C. H. Gardner Maj. G. Knight laj. D. F. Stevenson Disbanded S/L. P. C. Maltby ... S/L. A. J. Capel S/L. O. C. Bryson ... S/L. W. K. Mercer ...S/L. A. B. Ellwood ... S/L. C. N. Ellen S/L. P. F. Fullard S/L. H. R. McL. Reid S/L. L. W. Cannon ... S/L. H. J. G. E. Proud . 26/7/13 . 18/11/14 . 19/4/15 . 22/12/15 6/5/16 . 16/7/16 . 26/1/17. 14/2/17 . 16/5/17 . 11/3/18 . 4/11/18 . 2/3/19 . 20/1/20 . 1/2/20 . 12/1/24 . 9/11/28 . 13/10/31. 12/12/32 . 21/11/33 . 15/7/35 . 25/2/36 . 18/4/37 . 9/12/37 from S/L. W. T. H. Nichols S/L. N. F. Simpson . S/L. E. T. T. Nelson . S/L. A. J. Young S/L. J. R. Mating S/L. J. H. Giles S/L. W. Pitt-Brown .S/L. P. Bond ... S/L. G. J. C. Hogan . S/L. J. M. Cranstone S/L. L. H. Dawes . S/L. F. Rothwell Disbanded ... S/L. D. H. L. Farmer S/L. A. F. Wilson . F/L. M. W. Huggins . Disbanded ... S/L. V. G. Daw S/L. C. S. West S/L. P. V. Ayerst S/L. T. P. Fargher . Disbanded ... . 12/11/38 5/1/40 . 16/8/40 . 14/11/40 . 21/2/41 • 2/3/42 . 23/5/42. 17/10/42 . 13/3/43 . 15/6/44 . 20/1/45 . 6/6/46 1/8/47 . 11/2/49 . -/10/50 • 1/1/51 . 24/9/51 . 8/4/52 . 7/4/53 . 19/1/54 . 23/2/56 . 12/10/57 countered a patrol of eight German infantrymen, whom theyengaged with machine-gun fire, dispersing them in all directions. Shortly after, another patrol was observed, but this one approachedfrom the west and was composed of Canadians. On their way back to the British lines they found the remains of an R.E.8and succeeded in obtaining identifications from the bodies of the two officers lying under it." If No. 5 had missed the worst of the Somme fighting in 1916,it had its full share of the fighting at Arras in April 1917. The Germans here were very strongly entrenched, and only the mostdevoted work was rewarded by successful artillery shoots. By June the main centre of the fighting on the British fronthad moved north to Messines, away from No. 5's front; but there remained plenty of fighting to occupy the squadron pilots andobservers. For the summer, "B" Flight was detached to work with Fourth Brigade, R.F.C., operating from Moeres in the north. Theflight rejoined its parent unit in December. At this time the squadron was again re-equipped. The lastof the B.E.s had gone and R.E.8s had taken their place, a con- siderable improvement. The latter were the first aircraft to havea tail trim. In a variety of accounts of work done by individual crewsthere appears this note in the diary. "Capt. J. C. Slessor, with Lt. J. Tymms, observer, distinguished himself by a fine contemptof the enemy's trench machine guns, carrying out wire reconnais- sance from under 200ft in conjunction with most thorough artilleryobservation." Capt. Slessor, it will be remembered, has become a Marshal of the R.A.F. and was Chief of the Air Staff. Having excelled at artillery observation, day bombing and othertasks, No. 5 is next heard of in the night bombing role—on the Third Army front prior to the Cambrai operations which opened Bristol Fighters of "A" Flight over the Molakand Pass, on the North- West Frontie^of India, in 1927.
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