70 Sqn. Casualty on X date - ?

[yossarian]

Hi John,

Thanks for all your efforts on this, it is turning into a bit of a mystery. Arthur was with 70 Squadron, he left to (briefly) join 45 (Strutters) as a Flight Commander before returning to Home Establishment to instruct again. We will get to the bottom of this eventually.

Thanks for the photo and the text, we have it but it was good of you to search it out. Likewise thanks to Lars and everyone else for your efforts.

Here is Arthur just before he left for France, at this stage he had been teaching for a while at Montrose and elsewhere so had enough experience to give him a fighting chance of survival past the first phase of vulnerability on seeing action.

[John Beech]

Hi youssarian

Happy to help

Regards

John

[Clear Bell]

I am interested in Leslie Archibald Norris who was first reported missing before confirmed dead at a later date. He was an observer and I suppose "Butler" mentioned on his casualty card was the pilot who died. Am a novice with this kind of research - how is it possible to find out whether his two seater Sopwith was shot down, or crashed due to other reasons?

Thanks with any help on this.

[nieuport11]

He was observer in Sopwith Strutter A884 lost on 25.3.17 (Lt H Butler pilot)

Casualty report says 'Last seen over Cambrai at opening of combat with 9 HA on recce'

The casualty cards can be viewed online at:

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/?7000281393

OffSt E Nathanael of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith nr Velu and a Sopwith single seater nr Beugny at 09:20

Ltn H Gontermann of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith at 09.25 nr Haplincourt, and

Vzfw Hoppe of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith nr Beugny

70Sq lost 5 aircraft that day

[Clear Bell]

On 11/11/2014 at 21:08, nieuport11 said:

He was observer in Sopwith Strutter A884 lost on 25.3.17 (Lt H Butler pilot)

Casualty report says 'Last seen over Cambrai at opening of combat with 9 HA on recce'

The casualty cards can be viewed online at:

http://www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk/archive/?7000281393

OffSt E Nathanael of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith nr Velu and a Sopwith single seater nr Beugny at 09:20

Ltn H Gontermann of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith at 09.25 nr Haplincourt, and

Vzfw Hoppe of Ja5 claimed a Sopwith nr Beugny

70Sq lost 5 aircraft that day

Should have thanked you for this - which I followed up.

 

I now think that Butler had a different observer with him the day before he (and Norris) were lost. On the 24 March Butler flew and returned with an aircraft riddled with bullet holes (it went off to be repaired). But the observer was injured during the mission. Perhaps, Norris was his replacement on the recce of 25 March.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible to find out how many times a pilot and observer flew together, or even how many times any named individual actually flew a mission by a given date?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

I am researching the life of 2nd Lieutenant William Victor Gray born 1893 in Leigh, Lancashire. He was a private in the 4th Battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment before getting his commission on 20 Dec 1915 and then attached to the Royal Flying Corps. From the records I've found so far he served as an observer in 70 Sqn on the Sopwith Strutter 1 1/2 (110 hp Clerget engine). I found his Casualty Record Card that stated he was wounded on 9 Sep 1916 and trying to get more information on how he was wounded and his service while on 70 Sqn. After his flying service he was transferred to the Royal Air Force, and no doubt due to his injury, had a ground job as the Embarking Officer to Port Detachments at Avonmouth, Southampton and London before his demob at the end of 1919.

 

I  am very grateful to the previous threads as for references at The National Archives which I will investigate although I live in Northern Ireland. In addition, I notice a reference to a book called 'A Short History of 70 Sqn, RFC/RAF 1916-1919' that I can not find on Amazon or eBay. Does anyone know how I can obtain a copy of this book or point me to other publications in order to fill in my ancestors history on 70 Sqn? I was a serving member in the RAF myself for 35 years and to find an ancestor in the RFC/RAF for me is fantastic. I look forward to hearing back from members on the forum and thanks in advance.

[randlec]

I am trying to find out exactly what happened to 2 Lt. RSCD Ashby 70 Sqdn. who was WIA and crash landed on 15th September 1917.  A Dutch site lists him being a victim of the ace Berthold, but other sources say he was not the victor ... can anyone shed any light on this ... The RFC log just gives the Date, WIA and Injury. 

Edited 5 May , 2022 by randlec

[Perth Digger]

According to Trevor Henshaw, The Sky Their Battlefield II, p.116, Ashby in Camel B2341 left at 4pm on an Offensive Patrol covering Menin-Roulers (roughly S-E of Ypres). He was involved in combat with possibly Ltn H. Adam of Jasta 6 at 6pm and was forced to land (crashed) at Map Reference Sheet 28.G.25. He was WIA injured in the crash. Trevor is a member of this site, so he may comment.

This is my précis of the details on Ashby available from Airhistory.org:

Mike

[topgun1918]

The map reference places the site of the crash some 2,500 yards south of Poperinghe and about 12,000 yards south-west of Ypres.  It is not clear who tangled with Ashby since the claim by Ltn d L Hans Ritter von Adam of Jasta 6 was for a 'Sopwith 1' north of Ypres at 18:00 (British Time), both the time and location probably ruling him out; Oblt Rudolf Berthold of Jasta 18 can also be discounted since his claim was for a Sopwith over Zillebeke Lake at 13:10 (British Time).  

Graeme