Air Raid Beaurevoir area 08.10.1918

[Guest apisani]

I posted this topic some time ago - but now I have recived new information that makes me want try again.

Son of a Norwegian cavalry officer, Pte. Halfdan Reidar Johnsen (15136), was killed on tuesday 08.10.1918. In a note from War Diary of Machine Gun Squadron Canadian Cavalry, October 8th 1918 one can read the following:

Location: Vermand

"At 3 am squadron moved to Brigade consentration!? point in valley S W of Joncourt. At daylight squadron moved to Beaurevoir area in support to 1st Cav Div + returned after dark to Nauroy area. 1 OR killed + 1 OR wounded by arial bombs"

Seargent John A. Haglund (Hagland) writes in a letter regarding Pte. Johnsens death: "I was about 20 meter away when he was hit by a bomb dropped by an enemy plane".

Anyone know anything about this air raid? What time of day, how many planes, which squadron and what were their targets?

Thanks,

Antoni

[Dolphin]

Antoni

Unfortunately for your research, at that stage of the War there were lots of German air raids on targets behind the Allied lines, so finding the information you seek is difficult. It was a very common occurrence for Friedrichshafen and Gotha twin-engined bombers, or single-engined two-seaters, to bomb ammunition dumps, troop concentrations, railway stations, aerodromes, etc.

Volume VI of 'The War in the Air' (the Official History of the British Air Services) has this sentence about the night of 8/9 October 1918 (after details of RAF bombing): 'German night bombers were also operating, particularly in the Fourth Army forward area.'

In the hope that it might help, I've looked in a number of books for details of British night fighters engaging enemy aircraft during that night but, so far, without success.

I hope someone else can help you.