Pilot Side Arms

[Cam_s]

Just wondering what a British/Commonwealth Pilot would have carried as a side arm during the Great War. Since most of them were officers would they have bought thier own or would they have been provided.

What type of holster would they have carried this in? Would it have been just a standard holster on a Sam Brown Belt or would it have been some thing pilot specific.

Also would the different services have provided different side arms? Would the RNAS have a different one than the RFC?

Thanks,

Cam

[armourersergeant]

I think that the Webley automatic pistol had some 'fame' with the air boys, however I would have thought that like thier infantry counterparts they would have had a selection of Webley variants.

regards

Arm

[PBI]

I would have thought that many of the flyers would have had their own personal choice of Handgun ranging from Revolvers to Automatics...a matter of personal choice,as indeed i am sure Infantry Officers would have their own personal choice of Handgun.

[TonyE]

Whilst it is true that many pilots would have carried a personal side arm, and that could have been almost anything, the issue weapons were:

RNAS: early in the war they purchased a number of .45 Colt Government Models (1911s) that had 20 round magazines supplied by Beesley. They also purchased 66 Webley-Fosbery automatic revolvers.

Later the RNAS also had the Webley Mark I self loader issued.

RFC: The RFC issued a mixture of pistols, including the standard Webley Mark VI and Smith & Wesson revolvers. The principal pistol though was the Colt Government Model in .455 S.L. calibre. Approximately 13,000 of these were supplied by Colt between July 1915 and April 1919 when the contract was cancelled. The pistols were serial numbnered in a separate range with a "W" prefis for "Webley".

Price was $16.87 each (about £4) and over 40,000 spare magazines were ordered.

Pictures of Beesley magazine and Webley-Fosbery attached.

Regards

TonyE

[TonyE]

Here is the Fosbery picture - no room in previous post!

TonyE

[James A Pratt III]

According to my notes from the book "Barker VC" Canadian Ace William Barker carried a .32 automatic.

[Cam_s]

Thanks guys,

Cam

[mcderms]

Mannock and Ball both carried std Webley .455 revolvers. Mannock always said he'd shoot himself rather than burn on the way down. Ball carried his a std from a 'they'll never take me alive' perspecitive but gave it to his batman sometime before his death. This, as well as some personal effects (I remember a battered cigarette case) is on display as part of the IWMs permanent VC exhibition.