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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Per Ardua


stan

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If you can get hold of it - get it. "Per Ardua" - the rise of British Air Power

1911-1939 by Hilary St George Saunders, Oxford University Press 1944.

Marvellous, simply marvellous.

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Well, since you asked,

Some very interesting pics, Facsimilies of combat reoprts, discusses all theatres, sort of a mini "The War in the Air" and very readable.

post-2145-1145086342.jpg

post-2145-1145086355.jpg

post-2145-1145086366.jpg

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Ooooh! I like the use of rockets from the aircraft, can't quite ID the aircraft though. Would've been interesting see in them employ their use in the air!

Cheers,

Tim

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Adrian/Stan

I love the bottom photograph of No 15 Sqn's RE 8s near Albert on 25 March 1918. It's a classic atmosphere shot of the RFC during the Great Retreat of the Kaiserschlacht. If you look very closely, the fuselage of captured Fokker Dr.I 147/17 can be seen on the right between the trucks on the road.

Best wishes

Gareth

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Adrian/Stan

I love the bottom photograph of No 15 Sqn's RE 8s near Albert on 25 March 1918. It's a classic atmosphere shot of the RFC during the Great Retreat of the Kaiserschlacht. If you look very closely, the fuselage of captured Fokker Dr.I 147/17 can be seen on the right between the trucks on the road.

Best wishes

Gareth

And its only 2 quid on abebooks!

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Ooooh! I like the use of rockets from the aircraft, can't quite ID the aircraft though. Would've been interesting see in them employ their use in the air!

Cheers,

Tim

The rockets are Le Prieur (spelling?) fired from a BE 2c (I think) I'm sure someone will be able to check the serial number for us (5407). I think I once saw an in flight shot of one being fired - can't remember where though (bloody Kraft desease!!).

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The rockets are Le Prieur (spelling?) fired from a BE 2c (I think) I'm sure someone will be able to check the serial number for us (5407). I think I once saw an in flight shot of one being fired - can't remember where though (bloody Kraft desease!!).

This could be a minor mystery. 5407 was a Curtiss JN transferred to the RFC from the RNAS, not one of the BE 2 family. The serial 6407 could look rather similar, but that machine was an FE 8.

A5407 was a cancelled order; A6407 was an FE 2b. B5407 and B6407 don't fit, nor do C5407 and C6407, and the BE 2 series had disappeared from the order books by the time that D serials were allocated.

The man in the right foreground looks more RNAS than RFC.

Was there a Great War conspiracy to obscure aircraft serial numbers, or paint them incorrectly, to frustrate those who might be interested 90 years later?

Gareth

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This could be a minor mystery. 5407 was a Curtiss JN transferred to the RFC from the RNAS, not one of the BE 2 family. The serial 6407 could look rather similar, but that machine was an FE 8.

A5407 was a cancelled order; A6407 was an FE 2b. B5407 and B6407 don't fit, nor do C5407 and C6407, and the BE 2 series had disappeared from the order books by the time that D serials were allocated.

The man in the right foreground looks more RNAS than RFC.

Was there a Great War conspiracy to obscure aircraft serial numbers, or paint them incorrectly, to frustrate those who might be interested 90 years later? Gareth

Graeme over at the aerodrome suggests:

I read the serial as 8407, in which case it's a BE2c. According to Royal Navy Aircraft Serial and Units, it was delivered to East Fortune via Chingford on 27 December 1916. It was transported to Cranwell and arrived via Leeds in the week-ending 15 February 1918. Became 201/2 TDS Cranwell 1 April 1918 and 58 TS Cranwell 27 July 1918. Spun in from a gliding turn 16 September 1918 (2nd Lt A A E Voght).

Certainly sounds about right.

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Stan

8407 must be the aeroplane in question. The serial still looks more like 5407 or 6407 to me though.

Cheers

Gareth

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Stan

8407 must be the aeroplane in question. The serial still looks more like 5407 or 6407 to me though.

Cheers

Gareth

In our defense it is much clearer on the original!

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