Seeking date of undated 11 Sqn combat report

[Errol Martyn]

The following are details of a combat report that, strangely, lacks a date. Can anyone here pin down what it might be, please? Checking the serial entry in the CCI published FE.2b book indicates that it must be sometime between 6 Feb 1917 and 17 Mar 1917

FE.2b A5472 (presentation machine Gold Coast No 1) with Pilot Captain C. N. Lowe. Reconnaissance. 3.25 pm. Thelus, Bailleul-Oppy to Adinfer. 8000 feet.

2 L.V.G. two-seaters. Engaged separately.

3 Type “M”

While on Photographic reconnaissance and shortly after crossing the lines near THELUS I saw a hostile machine type L.V.G. coming from the direction of DOUAI. I fired a double drum at long range and it immediately turned round and made off in a north easterly direction.

        A few minutes after this another L.V.G. machine appeared quite close to the formation and I fired two double drums at it. I saw a number of my tracers hit the machine and it turned and dived in the direction of OPPY, where it crashed on landing.                                                                                        

        A little later I observed three hostile machines apparently type “M” east of the formation. One of these disappeared but two followed the formation to ADINFER. I fired one drum into it when the machine turned and made off in the direction of QUEANT, losing height fast.

(Sgd Second Lieutenant ‘Geo. Masters’ and squadron CO).

 

TIA,

Errol

[topgun1918]

Possibly 15 March 1917; RFC Communiqué No 79 records "A patrol of 11 Squadron destroyed a hostile machine near Hoppy, and drove down a second machine out of control"

And in my list of claims for the day, I have: Lieut Cyril Nelson Lowe & 2nd-Lieut George Masters, FE2b, 11 Sqn, two-seater destroyed Bailleul

The lack of detail for the claim shows I obtained the information from a 'secondary' source rather than a combat report; note that Bailleul-Sir-Berthoult is just a short distance south-west of Oppy.

The only other claim I have for this pair in March 1917 was on the 24th, by which time A5472 had been struck off charge.

Graeme

 

[Errol Martyn]

Many thanks Graeme, that looks like a chocolate fish-award winning answer!

Cheers,

Errol