Does anyone know the origin of this photograph

[Simon Birch]

I have seen this somewhere before but for the life of me cannot think where.

Any help would be appreciated.

Simon

[Dolphin]

Simon

It's the RFC's 'Concentration Camp' at Netheravon in June 1914.

Regards

Gareth

[Simon Birch]

Simon

It's the RFC's 'Concentration Camp' at Netheravon in June 1914.

Regards

Gareth

Thanks for that Gareth. could you please identify the aircraft in the bottom right hand corner?

Simon

[centurion]

Row a appear to be all Maurice Farman 'Shorthorns' as do row c (the number of aircraft is also consistent with the number in service at this date), row b are mainly Bleriots and rows d and e BE2s edit except for the 80 hp Sopwith which was at Netheravon at this event.

[Rockdoc]

The photo is in the booklet Air Fighting 1914-18, published by the IWM in 1978. The image is from the IWM collection, unsurprisingly, and the caption reads "Aerial view of the so-called "Concentration Camp" at Netheravon in June 1914 at which the squadrons of the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps were brought together for trials and tactical exercises. The aircraft in the two rows on the left include Henri Farman F20 biplanes and Bleriot XI monoplanes. Three Maurice Farman S11s are in the centre row, while the two rows on the right mainly comprise BE2s and BE2as. Q67690"

Keith

[Dolphin]

Thanks for that Gareth. could you please identify the aircraft in the bottom right hand corner?

Simon

It's the single-seat RE 5 (No 380) with extended wings for high altitude flight. Flown by Capt J H W Becke, it made it to 17000 feet in June 1914.

Cheers

Gareth

[centurion]

As far as I know neither of the single seat high altitude RE5s was at Netheravon.

[Simon Birch]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the above.

According to "Flying Fury" by McCudden on pages 17 and 18...

"June 1914, came along and with it the famous concentration camp at Netheravon, were practically the entire RFC were present and certainly all our aeroplanes. Various tests were carried out here, and I think some valuable data acquired. Captain Becke here secured the British height record for a while on an RE5 going up over 17,000 feet, which was a wonderful climb for those days."

J H W Becke CMG, DSO, AFC retired from the RAF Feb 1920 with the honary rank of Brigadier General.

Simon