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Description: | British officer served with York and Lancaster Regiment in India and on Western Front, 1913-1915; served as observer with 12 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps in France, 1915-1916; served as pilot with 36 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps in GB, 1916-1917; served with 33 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps in GB, 1917-1918; commanded 100 Sqdn of Independent Air Force in France, 1918
REEL 1 Visit with Officers' Training Corps to Farnborough, 1907. Recollections of period as major with 1st Bn, York and Lancaster Regt in India and Western Front, 1913-1915: failed attempt to join Indian Air Force; recruitment to Royal Flying Corps, 9/1915; activities of German air observation aircraft and opinion of Royal Flying Corps. Recollections of period as observer with 12 Sqdn, Royal Flying Corps at St Omer, 9/1915-2/1916: difficulty in using and moving Lewis gun with 'candlestick' gun mountings; reconnaissance missions; question of adequacy of observer and pilot training; relationship between pilot and observer and question of influence of rank.
REEL 2 Continues: varied aircraft; types of flying missions; opinion of Captain Lawrence; story of diversionary flight in RE7 piloted by Lawrence over Lille including attack by German aircraft, Immelmann's tactics, difficulty in using Lewis gun, with 'candlestick' gun mountings, Lawrence's refusal to withdraw and degree of damage to aircraft; effect of weather on flying; frequency of reconnaissance missions; problem in fitting machine guns to aircraft; effect on morale of success of Fokker Monoplane DR1s; question of effectiveness of bombing missions.
REEL 3 Continues: bombing missions in BE2 Cs; story of Newall extinguishing fire in bomb store. Aspects of flying training with Maurice Farman Longhorn aircraft at Farnborough, 3/1916-4/1916: value of observer experience; dual instruction prior to solo flight. Advanced flying training at Montrose, 4/1916-5/1916: story of recovering from flat spin illustrating value of learning by experience; flying characteristics of Avro 504, BE2 C and Curtis. Recollections of period as instructor flying Avro 504 with 36 and 33 Sqdns, Royal Flying Corps in GB, 1915-1917: setting up Cranlington airfield, 5/1915; fog problem and consequent crash landing.
REEL 4 Continues: fog problem and consequent crash landing; training and home defence roles of 36 Sqdn; nature of night flying; training pilots in night flying; flying anti-Zeppelin night patrols in response to warning of Zeppelin approach and tactics employed; cooperation with Royal Naval in experiments to determine visibility of submarines from air and bombing test on wreck.
REEL 5 Continues: question of lack of contacts with Zeppelins; absence of Gotha raids; anti-Zeppelin armament and tactics; story of cross country flights in BE12 and subsequent discovery of design fault in engine. Recollections of period as commander of 100 Sqdn, Independent Air Force in Nancy area, 2/1918-11/1918: posting; role bombing German airfields; moving airfield as result of German bombing; improved German air defences; use of FE2 Bs. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Lance, David G | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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