Ira Jones and men of A Flight identities, 74 Squadron

[Grid]

I'm looking for the identities of the men in this an A Flight photograph from a Frederick 'Freddy' Gordon photo album. Ira Jones is seated and Freddy is on the far left. Looking for names of the remaining trio. Any assistance greatly appreciated.

[Trebrys]

The one standing at the back left seems to be in an American uniform. In his "Tiger Squadron" Jones lists a few Americans who joined them early on in September 1917 for training in England...which could help further search: Ken Curtis, Fred Stillman, Alexander Roberts, Clarence Fry, H.G. Shoemaker, C. Matthiessen, W.V. Waite, A.F. Morrison.

Stillman died during training.

It seems that Alexander Roberts was a native of Havana, Cuba but an American even so. He joined the squadron mid-1918 and flew with C Flight.

Jones was given command of A Flight on June 20 1918. Was the photo taken to celebrate this?

"Tiger Squadron" tells of patrols over the lines "with Clem, and Swazi, Gauld and Roxburgh."

Clem appears to be a Clements , a Canadian.

Gauld is George Gauld from Mimico, Ontario...so Canadian. Freddie Gordon was from Hillsboro, Auckland...and his sister was Grid Caldwell's wife (but you probably know that!).

June 25 has him flying over with Battell, Swazi and Roberts...could this make him the American in the photo?

July 1918 Jones states that there were now four Americans in the squadron with the arrival of F.E. Luff from Cleveland, Ohio.

Shoemaker was killed.

October 1918 and American, Lt. J. Ferrand from 332 Newbury Street, Boston joins them.  Also had 504 East 8th Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee as his address. "He made history on his first offensive patrol, shooting down three forkers and winning the Distinguished Flying Cross." This was on October 26.

 

The above is all I could find by Jones in his "Tiger Squadron" that could be of help.

Edited 24 March by Trebrys
Add further detail

[Trebrys]

All of the following is from "King of Air Fighters" by Ira Jones:

Roxburgh was probably Roxburgh-Smith, a former bank clerk from Bromley in Kent. Aged over thirty and a married man with a family.

Swazi was "Swazi' Howe, a 17-year-old from Bremensdorp, Swaziland.

H.G. Clements from Leicester. always flew on Mannock's left when with Mannock's A Flight. Did he remain with A Flight when Jones took over? He is the same as the above...he emigrated to Canada when young, only to return permanently to England after the war. Both sons of his were killed with Bomber Command during WW2. He died in 1983.

 

A further look at the previous book:

A Flight on  7 March 1918 when it was first formed...

Mannock...Roxburgh-Smith, Lt. Hamer, Lt. Dolan (killed before Jones led A Flight), Swazi Howe, Lt. Clements (Canadian!), Lt. Atkinson (a Scot).

Edited 24 March by Trebrys
Correction

[Trebrys]

After looking at a variety of photos I don't believe the American is Luff nor Alexander Roberts (who was born in Mexico City, but brought up in Havana and Mississippi).

Following struggled look at the 74 Squadron group photo found in another of Ira Jones's books "An Airfighter's Scrapbook"...the tall one at the back looks a bit like Lt. Edward Atkinson, the Scot...I might be wrong. He is listed as being with A Flight in "Tiger Squadron" but not a member of the squadron in the Shores, Franks, Guest book "Above the Trenches".

 

Roxburgh-Smith had a moustache which cancelled him from the equation.