2nd Lt Alfred Frederick PERRY RFC/RAF

[Perth Digger]

2nd Lt Alfred Frederick PERRY was reported missing on 28 October 1918 and is commemorated on the Arras FS Memorial. All the CWGC has is that he was in "N" Flight. Does anyone know which squadron he was in, please?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[busterfield]

This may shed some light.

https://www.casualtyforms.org/

 

[MikeMeech]

2 hours ago, Perth Digger said:

2nd Lt Alfred Frederick PERRY was reported missing on 28 October 1918 and is commemorated on the Arras FS Memorial. All the CWGC has is that he was in "N" Flight. Does anyone know which squadron he was in, please?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

Hi

'N' Flight was not part of a squadron it was one of a series of flights, L, M, N, O, and P, that provided long-range artillery spotting with two-way W/T.  This was fitted in Bristol Fighters with one flight with each Army.  On 11th November 1918 as based at Estourmel commanded by Capt C E Barrington, with 3rd Brigade RAF. (details from Appendices Volume of WitA).

TSTB II has the aircraft serial as D7919 has the pilot as Lt J Thomson (Canadian) as well as 2Lt A F Perry, aircraft MIA but both classed as KIA.  They took off on their Artillery Observation mission at 10-40 am.

 

Mike

[Perth Digger]

Thank you both very much. The Casualty Archive site looks very useful for me. It looks as if Perry was attached from 59 Squadron to N Flight. 

 

Mike

[josquin]

2nd Lieut. Alfred Frederick Perry was born on 5 December 1899, at Sileby, Leicestershire, U.K., which was his residence when he joined the RFC in 1917.

His civilian occupation was a hosiery apprentice from 1915-17.  Commissioned a Temporary 2nd Lieutenant (Observer) on 3 August 1918, his Casualty Form

states that he was posted to 12 Wing on 25 August and to 59 Squadron, on a temporary assignment, on 29 August.  The Casualty Form gives no

date for his posting to N Flight, so it may have been around the time he began his temporary posting with 59 Squadron.  His RAF Officers' Service

Record, in the Air 76 file at the National Archives, Kew, gives no information about his squadron postings (no identification of the squadrons nor

the dates of postings).

2nd Lieut. Perry's pilot on his final flight was Lieut. John Thomson, born on 10 June 1894, at Mildmay, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada.  A Toronto

resident when he was commissioned in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Thomson served with the 124th Infantry Battalion prior to being attached

to the RAF.  After completing pilot training, he embarked to France on 14 September 1918, was posted to No. 2 A.S.D. on 14 September, and was

posted to N Flight on 2 October 1918.  Thomson and Perry flew Bristol F.2b D7919 on their final flight.

 

Josquin

 

[Perth Digger]

Thank you for the additional information, Josquin.

 

Mike