Capt KS Henderson RAF

[Guest stevebec]

Terry,

Hear are two airman lost during the war that were granted commisions in the British Army from the AIF.

Ken Selby Henderson ex 5 ALHR to 2/Lt RFC.

He is shown as having died in France 2nd June 1918 with 1 Sqn RAF

Do you known how, by whom and any other details of his career like victories?

Also Eric Hughes 2/Lt ex 5 ALHR to 2/Lt RFC.

He's is shown as having died in the UK 14th November 1917

Do you have any details on which unit he was in or any other details on his death.

Thanks again for all your help

S.B

[Terry Denham]

I assume you have already got the CWGC data on these men.

HENDERSON

From Yanaka, Qld Age 24

1 Sqdn, RAF

Failed to return from patrol in S.E.5a (serial C1113) on 02.06.18

Last seen over Bailleul

Name on Arras Flying Services Memorial

HUGHES

From Eidsvold, Qld Age 24

77 Sqdn, RFC

Killed in air crash in UK while flying B.E.2e (serial B4011) on 14.11.17

Buried in Edinburgh (Comely Bank) Cemetery

[MartinWills]

Henderson was flying SE5a C113 on an offensive patrol and last seen near Bailleul around 3.55 pm.

A combat claim was made for an SE5 SW of Bailleul around 3.30pm by Oblt. H-E Gandert of Jasta 51.

Hope this helps

[Terry Denham]

Martin

Serial was C1113.

[MartinWills]

Terry,

You are quite right - my typo. Thanks

Martin

[Dolphin]

Captain Henderson had a varied career in the RFC and RAF, as indicated in Trevor Henshaw's 'The Sky Their Battlefield':

on 1 July 1916, while a Second Lieutenant, and flying BE2c 2578 of No 15 Sqn, with 2Lt N P Tucker as his observer, his aircraft was shot up during an infantry contact patrol over the Serre-Thiepval area;

on 9 September 1916, still a 2Lt, but flying a single-seat FE8 7613 of No 40 Sqn, a Lewis gun ammunition drum damaged his propeller during combat with an enemy aircraft near Arras (the FE8 was a pusher, so the drum would have gone backwards from the cockpit and then into the prop);

on 3 March 1917, 2Lt Henderson was flying FE8 6419 of No 40 Sqn when his aircraft was damaged in combat with four enemy machines over the Annoeullin-Oppy area.

He seems to have emerged unscathed from the above.

There are no further mentions in the book until his death, which probably indicates a spell away from the Front as an Instructor.

As Martin indicates, Henderson was brought down by Oblt Hans-Eberhardt Gandert of Jasta 51 - the commander of both that unit and Jagdgruppe 6. He was the fourth of Gandert's eventual eight victories.

I hope this helps.

Dolphin

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks for the many details.

I take it that hughes was under training when he crashed with 77 Sqn?

Also was it normal for RFC Officers to be in so many Sqn's as Henderson?

I mean, 15 Sqn to 40 Sqn to 1 Sqn is some career.

S.B

[Dolphin]

No 77 Sqn was (in modern terms) a night fighter unit on Home Defence duties, ie against raids by German Gotha bombers. It was not uncommon for newly qualified pilots to be posted to Home Defence units for operational experience prior to being transferred to frontline squadrons.

With respect to Capt Henderson, my guess is that he showed promise as a potential scout (fighter) pilot while with with No 15 Sqn, hence the transfer to single seaters at No 40 Sqn. After a period with the latter unit, he was probably posted back to the UK as an instructor, or something similar, before returning to France as a Flight Commander with No 1 Sqn.

[Guest stevebec]

Sounds right for Hughes.

He transfered to the 4 DAC in France from the 5th ALHR and granted his commision in the RFC 16th Febuary 1917.

He must have been still under some training or posted to the 77th Sqn when he died in the crash.

As I would surpose a new Pilot would not be in a night Fighter Sqn? That he could have been an observer.

It all sounds very interesting.

Thanks again for the info

S.B

[Guest stevebec]

Sorry to do this again.

Do you know anything about the career and capture of ex AIF 6 ALHR granted commision in RFC officer Graham Campbell Body.

I have he was captured 1st July 1918 while flying with 104 Sqn RFC.

Do you know how and where this happened?

Thanks

S.B

[Dolphin]

I'll try to answer both of your questions in one message.

2Lt Hughes was most likely posted direct from flying training to No 77 Sqn as an operational night fighter pilot. The Home Defence units were often seen as something like the Operational Training Units of the 1939-1945 conflict - places where air crew could gain experience chasing Zeppelins and Gothas across the dark skies of the UK before moving on to the tougher environment of the Western [or other] Front.

Lt G C Body of No 104 Sqn RAF [the RFC and RNAS were combined into the RAF on 1 April 1918] was flying DH9 C6262 with Lt Walter George Norden (ex Royal Engineers) as observer, when brought down by anti-aircraft fire on a raid to bomb railways at Karthaus. Lt Body was repatriated on 13 December 1918. He had joined the squadron on 19 May 1918.

Along with Nos 55 (DH4) and 99 (DH9) Sqns, No 104 Sqn was part of the day bombing 41st Wing, 8th Brigade, of the Independent Force, RAF, a strategic bombing command based behind the French lines at Azelot, near Nancy, well away from the rest of the BEF. They were later joined by No 110 Sqn with DH9As.

[Dolphin]

I've now had a chance to look for more references to Lt G C Body, and noticed that he was wounded in the leg during air combat when flying an RE8 of No 6 Sqn RFC over Messines on 18 June 1917. His observer's name seems unrecorded.

[MartinWills]

No 77 Sqn was (in modern terms) a night fighter unit on Home Defence duties, ie against raids by German Gotha bombers. It was not uncommon for newly qualified pilots to be posted to Home Defence units for operational experience prior to being transferred to frontline squadrons.

&& Sqdn was a home defence unit - based at Edinburgh from formation on 1 Oct 1916 with detachments at Whiteburn; New Hagerston and Penston. They relocated to Turnhouse on 13 Apr 1917 and Penston from (late) April 1917 to disbandment on 13 June 1919.

They flew BE2c and BE2e aircraft at first (Oct 1916 - Jan 1918), then BE12 and BE12b aircraft as well from Oct 1916 to Feb 1918. Avro 504Ks were adopted in January 1918 and lasted till disbandment.

From move onwards to Turnhouse the squadron flew uneventful anti-Zeppelin patrols and presumably did much the same while Headquarterd in Edinburgh using the airfields on the SE coast of Scotland.

I am sure someone will correct me but I don't think that the Gothas ever got to Scotland.

Martin

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks that was great.

What I meant by Hughes being posted to 77 Sqn was why would an inexpirenced pilot be in a night fighter Sqn when there should be only expirenced pilots because of the night/instrument work.

I surpose British command throught of it different by posting such inexpirenced pilots to such work. But I surpose you soon lean to use what little instruments you have and to map read.

Thanks again for the replys.

S.B

[Dolphin]

Martin is quite correct about Gothas not having the range to bomb targets in Scotland. I was perhaps guilty of over-simplifying things. By the time of Lt Hughes' death, raids by Zeppelin (and Schutte-Lanz) airships were pretty much - though not entirely - a thing of the past. The main concern for the UK's aerial defenders in late 1917 was the Gotha bomber, with Zeppelin-Staaken R-type aircraft (the 'Giants') to be added in 1918. So, while No 77 Sqn was primarily established as an anti-airship unit, the airships had more or less had their day.

Posting new pilots to night flying units was something that was done under wartime conditions. They were just on a steeper than normal learning curve.

[Guest stevebec]

I did find this document form the the Adjt of 77 Sqn on the death of Eric Hughes.

It appears he was circling the areodrome when his plane had a mid air collision at 500 feet with another aircraft. Both planes spinning down and pilots were killed.

Shown buried in Craigleith Edinburgh Scotland

Signed Lt/Adjt B.A.R. Shore 77th Sqn

Do you know the pilot of the other plane killed with Hughes?

S.B

[Dolphin]

Lt E Hughes, in BE2e B4011, collided with Sopwith Camel B6262 of No 73 Training Squadron, flown by 2Lt H M Armstrong. Like No 77 Sqn, No 73 Training Squadron was based at Turnhouse; 2Lt Armstrong was practising landing at the time of the accident.

[Malcolm]

2nd Lt Eric Hughes RFC is buried in grave K 901 Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh.

Son of Mr R and Mrs E Hughes, Woongara Street, West Bundaberg, Queensland.

I suspect he was alive when recovered and may have died at 2nd Scottish General Hospital, Craigleith. There is no Craigleith Cemetery as far as I am aware.

Turnhouse is adjacent to Edinburgh Airport in the same perimeter.

Aye

Malcolm

[Guest Pete Wood]

Hughes, along with 302 others is buried in Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh.

From the CWGC....

During the First World War, Edinburgh was headquarters to the 4th,5th,6th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Scots, with the 7th Battalion at Leith. The 2nd Scottish General Hospital (1,000 beds) occupied Craigleith Poorhouse, the Edinburgh War Hospital (2,600 beds) was in the Asylum buildings at Bangour and the Leith War Hospital (585 beds) in the infirmary at Leith. The port of Leith was used by hospital ships from north Russia and about 4,500 officers and men passed through it. Second World War military hospitals were in Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Bangour. The city was also Scottish Command Headquarters. Edinburgh (Comely Bank) Cemetery contains 225 burials of the First World War, most of them forming a war graves plot in Section D. The Second World War plot is immediately in front and contains more than half of the 75 Second World War burials. The cemetery also contains a Finnish war grave and two non-war service burials.

[Guest stevebec]

Thanks Pals your a font of info

S.B