No. 52 Squadron

[MAWatson012]

My grandfather was a pilot (RE8) with the 52nd squadron Expeditionary force. I am new to this forum. I would like to find some information about the 52nd in 1917 France. His name was Lieutenant John Kenneth Watson.

Any advise on how I should proceed would be appriciated. I plan on using this forum to it's fullest.

[the gunners dream]

Here is some general info on 52 Sqn:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h52.html

http://www.rafweb.org/Sqn051-55.htm

There is a good possibility that places like the RAF Museum at Hendon will be able to help you and there is also the National Archives.

Steve

[MAWatson012]

Steve, thank you for your reply. The information was helpful. I would like to let you know that I have a transcription of my grandfathers flight log and diary kept during the war. My father did the transcription with comments. The typing is rather crude but the information is all there. If someone would like to read it, I could email the MS Word document or attach it to a post. Please let me know.

I also have some original pictures of that period. I hav attached one of a captured German plane.

Again thanks for the reply.

Regards Mark Watson.

[Doc2]

Lovely photo, Mark. If you have others of aircraft, I'd love to see them. Doc2

[MAWatson012]

Doc2,

Here are a couple more pictures. Some others haven't been scanned yet. Most of those are recon arial photos my grandfather took. The German plane in the previous post was shot by my grandfather in the gas tank. It made a safe landing but the German pilot was captured by my granddad.

The last picture here is of Captain G C Rogers grave at the time of his death. He is mentioned in grandad's diary. The CWGC shows his cemetary looking very different than this photo. I'm not sure if the picture is a temporary cemetary or if the use of plane props for markers didn't last.

Regards, Mark

[MAWatson012]

Doc2

I'm not to good at adding photos to the posts yet so I'll have to do them individually.

[MAWatson012]

Doc2,

Here's the last. If you have any advice on picture attaching let me know. I have about 10 other photos. I've read the beginners forums but havn't got it down yet.

Regards, Mark

[Doc2]

Mark, those are some excellent photos. Thanks for sharing. As far as posting photos goes, it's not too difficult. Just hit the "reply" button and then scroll down to the bottom of the page. Type your message in the empty box. Then scroll down to the bottom of the reply box where it says "Attachments" and click on "choose file". It will then allow you to identify whatever photo file from your computer you wish to attach. Then click "add this attachment". If you want to add another photo, click again on "choose file", then after selecting the photo you want, click "add this attachment" again. When all photos are added, you can either click "add reply" or "preview" (at the bottom of the page). That should work. Good luck, and again thanks for the photos. Doc2

[Dolphin]

Mark

Thanks very much for sharing your photographs with us; they're great.

In case you don't have the information, the German aeroplane in your first photo is Pfalz D.III D4184/17 of Jasta 15; the tail and fuselage markings are reported to have been chocolate brown in colour, with the rest of the aircraft in the standard Pfalz aluminium doped finish. It was flown by Vizefeldwebel Hegeler when he was shot down and captured near Bonneuil at 0900 on 26 February 1918. Vzfw Hegeler had joiuned Jasta 15 on 12 February after serving with Jasta 24s from 23 September 1917. D4184/17 was allotted the British captured aircraft serial number G141.

A victory over D4184/17 was claimed by 2Lt (later Captain) Andrew Cowper of No 24 Sqn RFC flying SE 5a B664. It was the 8th of the eventual 19 to be credited to Capt Cowper, who was from Sydney, Australia.

Although the victory was credited to 2Lt Cowper, it's not unlikely that your grandfather may have played a part in the capture of the enemy machine.

I hope that this helps.

Regards

Gareth

[Dolphin]

Mark

Further to my earlier post, I noticed that there's a brief mention of your grandfather in Trevor Henshaw's The Sky Their Battlefield. On 29 March 1918 he was flying RE 8 B5015 of No 52 Sqn, with 2Lt J W Benton as observer, on a bombing mission when his aeroplane was badly shot up, but the crew were uninjured. The RE 8 had left No 52 Sqn's aerodrome at Abbeville at 1400 and returned at 1605.

The airman whose grave is photographed was Capt George Clarence Rogers of No 52 Sqn, who died of wounds on 30 October 1917, after being fatally wounded on 27 October 1917 while flying RE 8 A4267 on an artillery observation mission with Lt H E Judge as his observer. The RE 8 crew battled 3 or 4 Albatros D.Vs over Nieuport and Lt Judge was also wounded. A victory was credited to Vzfw (later Leutnant) Franz Hemer of Jasta 6; it was the first of his eventual 18 victories.

I hope this is useful.

Gareth

[MAWatson012]

Gareth,

Thank you so much for that information. Your information on Capt. Rogers and my grandfather's plane being shot up were very exciting. That information is confirmed by the very brief entries into my grandfathers log and diary. (I could send a transcription if you would like.)

It made my day to finally find some information and I thank you for that. I have searched the internet frequently but have only had minor success until your response.

Where did you find such detailed information?

I will be posting more photos that I have ( in the photo section of the forum ) They may contain some information or person that someone in the forum is looking for.

Thank you again.

Best regards,

Mark

[Dolphin]

Mark

I'm very pleased that I was able to help. The information came from a number of sources, including:

The Sky Their Battlefield by Trevor Henshaw

Airmen Died in the Great War by Chris Hobson

The Jasta Pilots by Norman Franks et al

The Jasta War Chronology by Norman Franks et al

Above the Trenches by Norman Franks et al

Above the Lines by Norman Franks et al

Plus various other publications gathered during 40-odd years' interest in the subject.

I'd love to see more of your grandfather's log and diary!

Best wishes

Gareth