[Graham Boak]

One additional loss for every combat loss is not unusual. Any air force of this period lost many aircraft in non-combat missions, whether specifically in training units, during non-operational flights, or non-combat-related on operational flights. Reliability was not up to modern standards, nor was the average standard of the pilots. Flights took part in poor weather conditions, and with what nowadays would be regarded as a lamentable (or even actionable!) lack of flying discipline.