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Remembered Today:

59 squadron Oct 1918 operations


wulsten

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Looking through the national archives discovery site there are operation reports for 59 squadron, however they are not digitized.  Can anyone provide what is held within the records, trying to find out what squadron engaged in prior to 27th October 1918, William  Harris Adderley observer within Bristol fighter died of wounds from German anti aircraft fire,

Any help appreciated 

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18 hours ago, wulsten said:

Looking through the national archives discovery site there are operation reports for 59 squadron, however they are not digitized.  Can anyone provide what is held within the records, trying to find out what squadron engaged in prior to 27th October 1918, William  Harris Adderley observer within Bristol fighter died of wounds from German anti aircraft fire,

Any help appreciated 

Hi

 

No. 59 Squadron at this time was the Corps Squadron for IV Corps, commanded by Maj. C. J. Mackay, MC, and based at CAUDRY.  It was equipped with RE.8 aircraft. Trevor Henshaw's, indispensable, 'TSTB II' p.238 has Adderley wounded on 24th October, 1918 and DoW on the 27th, he was an observer on RE.8 C2865, hit by heavy AA, the aircraft returned the pilot Lt. L. M. Glover was OK.  What the aircraft was doing that day is not mentioned but Corps squadron's were involved in Artillery Spotting, photography, Contact and Counter Attack Patrols.  IV Corps orders dated 21 October, 1918 for Operations on the 23rd has No. 59 Sqn. to "... arrange for a contact patrol plane at the following hours :- 0700, 0945, 1100, 1430 and the usual counter attack machine from daylight."  There were relatively minor operations on the 24th (see WO 95/719/1 IV Corps War Diaries for October for details)  Adderley may have been involved in Contact or Counter Attack patrol that day but I do not have that information.

 

Mike

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2 hours ago, MikeMeech said:

Hi

 

No. 59 Squadron at this time was the Corps Squadron for IV Corps, commanded by Maj. C. J. Mackay, MC, and based at CAUDRY.  It was equipped with RE.8 aircraft. Trevor Henshaw's, indispensable, 'TSTB II' p.238 has Adderley wounded on 24th October, 1918 and DoW on the 27th, he was an observer on RE.8 C2865, hit by heavy AA, the aircraft returned the pilot Lt. L. M. Glover was OK.  What the aircraft was doing that day is not mentioned but Corps squadron's were involved in Artillery Spotting, photography, Contact and Counter Attack Patrols.  IV Corps orders dated 21 October, 1918 for Operations on the 23rd has No. 59 Sqn. to "... arrange for a contact patrol plane at the following hours :- 0700, 0945, 1100, 1430 and the usual counter attack machine from daylight."  There were relatively minor operations on the 24th (see WO 95/719/1 IV Corps War Diaries for October for details)  Adderley may have been involved in Contact or Counter Attack patrol that day but I do not have that information.

 

Mike

Hi

Further to above, here are some examples of what No. 59 sqn was up to in August 1918, from IV Corps War Diary.

 

Mike

WW1augNo59sqn001.jpg.88c7cd56c3f43267e37318c6a4612212.jpg

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Mike many thanks for the info, I will download the war diary, would not have known where to look for that, also interesting that he was flying in an re8 I never knew the type he was on, the only pics I have of him is standing with a Bristol fighter which was probably in training in the UK 

Very much appreciated 

Geoff 

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16 hours ago, wulsten said:

Mike many thanks for the info, I will download the war diary, would not have known where to look for that, also interesting that he was flying in an re8 I never knew the type he was on, the only pics I have of him is standing with a Bristol fighter which was probably in training in the UK 

Very much appreciated 

Geoff 

Hi

I should mention that AIR 27/558 file for No. 59 Sqn.  is not much use for the WW1 period.

 

Mike

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13 hours ago, MikeMeech said:

Hi

I should mention that AIR 27/558 file for No. 59 Sqn.  is not much use for the WW1 period.

 

Mike

Mike, again many thanks, have downloaded the hq wo95 and agree don't provide much more info, though local newspaper has some interesting info, even a letter extract from the pilot who stated that Adderley was struck in the head, he being slightly hit in shoulder, no doubt more to find

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