SE5 and Sopwith Camel

[RobL]

It also a favourite trick of USN 'Black Cat' Catalina crews operating in the Pacific, although with empty coca cola bottles instead

[stuartcphillips]

I'd like to hear the sound of falling bottles then! It must be a pretty realistic sound for people to have actually used them like that in war. Good old Biggles.

[squirrel]

I should have added that the bottles referred to in Gibson's work had been used by the aircrew as there was no Elsan chemical toilet provided on that particular aircraft.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Recycling, chemical warfare and subterfuge!

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I suspect that this whole exercise is a red herring.

No it was the expression of my views at time of posting which after reflection I am modifying. I accept that the BE2 was a good aircraft for its day, which was as you point out pre war; I also have come round to the view that what I have seen as a failing (that it was still in service to 1918) was no mean feat, given the conditions of the theatres, especially Palestine it was working in. You're both right it doesn't deserve my initial comparison to the 2 WW2 aircraft mentioned.

However, I still think it was produced in greater numbers than it deserved and having it as a front line aircraft on the Western Front was to say the least wildly optimistic.

[4thGordons]

Not WW1 but IIRC in Guy Gibson's book "Enemy Coast Ahead" it mentions dropping empty beer bottles down the flare chute in a Hampden bomber to frighten people with the noise which apparently sounded just like a bomb descending. Maybe the idea came from a Biggles book?

My grandad (Flying in Wellingtons and Stirlings in WWII) told me about doing the same thing, dropping empty bottles out of the flare chute - along with leaflets etc

[andiS]

I believe Biggles' pal was called Wilkinson...

Correct - generally known as "Wilks" and he appears in stories far earlier than any of the characters who are better known - Algy being the only one who dates from the earliest stories: but I think Wilks predates even him. Tragically, I may know more about Biggles than is really good for one...