Contact Patrol - Hinged Board

[MikeMeech]

Hi All

I am looking for detailed information on how the 'Hinged Board', used as one of the Contact Patrol Markings, by the RFC, was attached to the trailing edge of Corps aeroplanes. The attached 'close' ups are from two different RE.8s, but these were used on other Corps machines as well. The photos show the 12 inch by 18 inch board of 3-ply wood painted black, there were smaller sizes as well and sometimes two on a wing, but the 'join' would have been the same. I can make a good guess on how it was done but what is needed is how it was 'actually done'. Other sources are being looked into but has any Forum member come across any documentation or close up photos of the fitment of these panels. Please note that if the board is 12 inches in width then judging by the photos the 'hinge joins' to the trailing edge will be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide, a gap appears between the trailing edge and the board between these 'hinge joins'. The hinge in fact may be on the board itself as in the second image the 'shiny hinge join' does not appear to go onto the main part of the board. They would have been attached to the wing ribs in some way at the 'wing end' of the fitting.

Many thanks

Mike

[MikeMeech]

Hi

Further to previous. Attached is an image of RE.8 'E20' of 4 Sqn. with the attachment points for the 'Hinged Board' without the board fitted. They stick out from the trailing edge, which can also be seen in the shadow. The 'eye of faith' may also note a hint of 'fasteners' going through this item, but again has anyone come across details of this?

Mike

[fetubi]

Hi Mike,

I must say I'd never seen one of these panels on any RE8 before, let alone known about them. I expect you know all about what I'm about to tell you, but your topic got me searching in a few documents and contemporary pamphlets, and the following quote comes from p.5 of S.S. 135 Appendix B, April 1918 "Co-operation Between Aircraft and Infantry." It might be of interest.

Under Section A - Contact Patrol

Section 3 Recognition of Contact Patrol Aeroplanes

"Aeroplanes detailed for special contact work must have special markings, which should be known to all ranks of the infantry with which they are working.

Suitable markings are:-

(i) Pieces of 3-ply wood painted black about 12" x 18" attached by hinges to the trailing edge of each lower plane about 8 feet from the fuselage.

(ii) A long narrow wind vane attached to the rudder."

So I now know what the actual purpose was - to let those on the ground identify that particular a'c as the one doing the contact work. Interesting.

It does look like something that could very easily be fashioned at squadron level. I'll keep an eye out for it in future. Interesting to think how the need for a fitted pair of hinge eyes to accommodate the panel would tend to separate the RE8 so adapted to be the one (one of the ones) involved predominantly in Contact work.

Trevor

[MikeMeech]

Hi Trevor

Thanks for the comments. I do have that document, earlier documents just state that the Contact machine would be marked with 'special Markings'. The 'narrow wind vane fixed to the rudder' was in use in 1916, there is a contemporary painting in the RAF Museum Collection that shows a BE.2c with it, also there is a photo of a 46 sqn. Nieuport 12 (JMB/GSL collection) with it. A whole range of markings was used including 'flags' from the wings, 'black lines' painted under the wings or a combination of different markings. The famous series of photos of RE.8 'A4267' of 52 Sqn. which show the squadron markings also shows the black lines painted under the wings, also looking closely at a starboard rear view of the machine one can see a couple of light patches on the trailing edge which looks like the attachment for a panel. This would have continued the black line out beyond the trailing edge.

These markings were still in use post war, AP 1176 'Employment of Army Co-Operation Squadrons' of 1926, has the following on page 30:

"AC aeroplanes have black strips twelve inches wide painted under the surface of the lower planes from the leading to the trailing edge about eight feet from the fuselage. When specially employed to locate the position of our own troops these strips are continued by flaps of three-ply wood 18 inches long which are attached by hinges to the trailing edge."

By the way Trevor my talk at the CCI 2014 Seminar will be on this very subject.

Mike

[fetubi]

Hi Mike,

Very much looking forward to your effort at the Cross and Cockade Seminar next summer.

Do you think this note about banding would also explain the sometimes-discussed mystery black foot-wide strip painted lengthways down the underside of the lower wing on BE2e 7195 of 9 Sqn, lost on 24 April 1917? It extends from the wing tip, right through the central disc of the cockade and on at least 2/3 of the way to the fuselage. It might actually be wider than a foot - 15 inches perhaps. The machine was on a bombing op.

I don't have an image I can post, but others might, if you don't know it.

Regards,

Trevor

[MikeMeech]

Hi Trevor

Yes I have seen the photo of '7195', it also appears in Les Rogers' book on Squadron Markings, where I think he comments; "note the black line" and nothing more. I have looked at the 9 Sqn. ORB for the period and there is no mention of the markings. However, the squadron was involved with Cavalry Support operations, during the advance to the Hiddenburg Line after the German retreat at the beginning of 1917, before this aircraft was lost. However, at the date this machine was lost only one Flight was involved in Cavalry Support (which would have needed special markings) and this aeroplane was not on it (the flight has a separate section in the ORB). The squadron had in previous days been involved in Infantry Contact patrols (including this machine if I remember correctly) so the marking could be from that or left over from the Cavalry role. I suspect that as the paint was temporary they just left it to 'remove itself', which could explain some of the rather faint markings that appear to be on other photos.

Interestingly, 9 Sqn., in 1918, was used to drop re-supply of ammo to the Australians, for this role they carried special wingtip black markings that went about 2 1/2 feet in from the wingtips on the lower planes, this would have also gone over the roundel partly I suspect.

Mike