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Description: | Three albums relating to the Royal Air Force School of Aerial Fighting, subsequently No.5 Fighting School at Heliopolis, Egypt, 1918-1919 and service with the Royal Air Force during the interwar period. Numerous photographs from the training schools at Heliopolis depict crashes involving many of the aircraft types flown. There are also photographs of extant aircraft at Heliopolis. Types shown include: Airco DH6, Airco DH9 (serial D2929), Airco DH9A, Armstrong Whitworth FK8 (serial C8472), Avro 504J (serials A9807, C4456), Avro 504K (serials B4284, E1755, E3585), BE2c (serials A3077, A3102), BE2e (serial 6802), Bristol F2B Fighter (serial C4653), Bristol Scout D (serial 5321), Bristol M1c (serial A5142), Caudron G6 bomber, Handley Page O/400 (serial C9700), Martinsyde Elephant (serial A3989), Nieuport scout (serial A6792), RE8 (serial B6584), SE5a (serials B8535, B8538, B8548, B8535, B8559), Sopwith 1F.1 Camel (serials C1592, F1908, F6318), Sopwith Pup (serials B6043, C477), Spad 7 (serial A8965). Also shown are a captured German Albatros scout and a LVG two-seater (named 'Kaiser Bill') in RAF markings. There is also a nice aerial photograph of all the aircraft used at the school. The air fighting school material also includes a number of air to air shots taken during training flights, along with a small number of camera gun images taking during aerial gunnery training. Also on the subject of aerial gunnery is a photograph showing a ground instruction rig made from the fuselage of an old scout aircraft and one showing the top wing mounting for a Lewis gun. First World War images not related to training show British dead being buried after the First Battle of Gaza (26-27 March 1917), the bombing of a Turkish rail depot in Palestine and the crew of an RAF two-seater with German and Austro-Hungarian officers after being shot down in Palestine. Also included is a photograph of the Mount of Olives and one of the mosaic commemorating the visit of Kaiser Wilhelm II to Jerusalem in 1907. Finally from the Middle East are copies of the No.5 Fighting School Christmas card for 1918 and the RAF Middle East Training Brigade calendar for 1919, which includes cartoon artwork.
For the interwar period there are photographs taken at RAF Cranwell (1934-35) showing Avro Tutor training aircraft, a Handley Page Hinaidi bomber, Hawker Demon (serial K3778), Hawker Hart I (serial K2991), Vickers Valencia (K3601), Vickers Victoria V (serial K2344), an Armstrong Whitworth Siskin fighter, an autogyro in flight and a display of model aircraft made by members of the Cranwell Model Aero Club. Photographed at RAF Henlow in 1937 are a Blackburn CA15 Monoplane (serial K4241 - formerly G-ABKV), a Fairey IIIF, Gloster Gauntlet, a Miles M2H Hawk Major (serial G-ADAS) and a BAC Drone de Luxe powered glider (serial G-AEKT). Non aircraft subjects at Henlow are also covered by images of trainee engineers working at lathes, a football team, RAF personnel on parade and during an anti-gas course. There are also images of Slingsby gliders at Dunstable Downs. Other civilian aircraft types featured in the collection include a British Aircraft Swallow L25C Mk.2 (serial G-AEKG), a De Havilland Dragon Rapide and a HM 14 Pou-Du-Ciel "Flying Flea" (serial G-AEJC). The photographs also cover the 1937 Hendon Air Pageant showing the shooting down of an observation balloon, massed formation flying, aerobatics and a static Saro A19P Cloud amphibian (serial K4300). | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Egypt Training aircraft training Royal Air Force 1919-1939 Training Establishments Aerial Warfare Royal Air Force Training British Army Royal Flying Corps combat Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force 1912-1918 Palestine and Arabia 1914-1918 | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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