Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 A1493

[Clint]

Hello,

There is currently a photo of Armstrong Whiworth F.K.3 A1493 at :

https://www.delcampe.net/fr/collections/militaria/1914-18/photo-aviation-anglaise-raf-avion-biplan-guerre-1914-1918-1306384265.html

Can anyone say which unit operated this particular machine?

Regards,

Clint

 

 

 

 

[pierssc]

Airhistory.org.uk, which is a pretty comprehensive digest of surviving official records, simply notes that it was an FK3 but has no further info.  Other aircraft with numbers not too far from that seem to have been flown by training squadrons in the UK.

[Clint]

Hi Piers,

Thanks for the response. I feel that you are almost certainly correct in suggesting that A1493 belonged to a training unit.Alas,I guess the lack of identical geographical features in the background renders identification of the location unlikely. I take it that the personnel are all British, though I'm no expert on uniforms. The only reason I pose the question being that it strikes me as unusual that a photo of a British trainer is being sold by a french seller.

Regards,

Clint

 

 

[pierssc]

The location is tricky I agree - I suppose it might be possible to identify it if one could find photos of identified airfields which flew FK3s.  Trouble is that because hangers were of a standard pattern one place looks much like another, but someone might know.  The uniforms seem to be British as far as I can tell - some are wearing overalls but have the RFC type cap.  Its a pity the vendor doesn't show the back of the card - presumably it is blank, or they would have shown it.  Ideally it would have been sent to someone with a franked stamp that might help with the location.  Or a signature or name so that one could identify the pilot or photographer and thereby trace the location.

It was quite feasible at that time for people to get their photos printed as post cards for sending to friends, of course, so this doesn't have to have been commercially available.  Maybe it was sent, or given, by the pilot to a friend in France, or maybe it was bought in Britain more recently by a French postcard collector or dealer.

[mickdavis]

From my AW file (50 TS was at Narborough, then Spittlegate from 30.11.1917, then Crail on 15.7.1918, disbanding into 27 TDS at that station on 15.8.1918.

 

A1493          50 TS by 5.7.1917 until @ 11.7.1917 (2Lt G. March) and photographed with undercarriage wiped off (noted as ‘Warby’s first solo’).

[Clint]

Thanks Mick.

Regards,

Clint