Photos Airco

[Bertrand H]

Hi Clint,

Yes you are right for 1919. N°205 sqdn posted to La Louveterie -eastern side of Liège - Belgique -as noted at bottom right of the last link from 1/1919 to 3/1919

Bertrand

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Clint

Yes, I am positive they were all taken postwar, most likely Feb-March 1919, at La Louveterie.

Unit was not equipped with DH-9A until August 1918 and the two fully visible aircraft have one with snow (F1001, note last digit) and the other without but weather still cold (E716), so most likely March since unit went back to UK later that month.

Cheers
Stig

PS: Ah, I see Bertrand beat me to it...

[musec04]

Bertrand, Stig


Thank you both for the information about La Louveterie.


Stig, a triumph for your eyesight. I definitely wasn't able to decide on what I was seeing and as you're aware a number of DH.9A with serials beginning F100* served with 205 Squadron. So good to have clarification.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Clint, do you want to know a secret??

Look at the flipside of the postcard of F1001....
I actually checked the Air Britain book first, so did not really use my usual X-ray vision....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a small photo of Airco DH.1A of 14 Squadron at :


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Small-Photo...IAAOSwNHZe2l0R


Regards,


Clint

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

De Havilland 1a 4608
No.14 Sqn RFC.

Date on Sqn: 24/07/16
Date off: 05/03/1917

Shot down by enemy aircraft* while on recce mission.

5 Wing carried out a continuous offensive against Turkish troops withdrawing from Weli Sheikh Nuran, The first clue that a major withdrawal was in progress came on 5 March when the early reconnaissance by Lt Floyer and 2Lt CV Palmer failed to return. Search flights found the wreckage of the aircraft at Tel el Jemmi, but no sign of the crew. It was later learnt that they had been shot down by the German Ace, Hauptmann G(erhard) Felmy (!)*, and had been taken Prisoner of War ...

2Lt E A Floyer
2Lt C V Palmer

Both POW.

* Although other records indicate that they may have been shot down by anti-aircraft fire (fn.21: p.63)

See:
Winged Crusaders The Exploits of 14 Squadron RFC & RAF 1915-1945.
Napier,Michael.
Barnsley:Pen & Sword Aviation,2012.
pp.38-9, 63 (fn.21) & 294.

Col.

[musec04]

Morning,


Thanks for the response and the very complete information.


Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Very interesting update (as usual) Col

However Oblt Gerhard Felmy, who belonged to FA 300, was neither an ace nor on duty on March 5th 1917.
He had arrived to Palestine 11 Sep 1916 and been wounded on 2 Dec 1916 (when he also claimed his only victory) and transferred back to Germany. Officially he was transferred out from FA 300 on 16 Aug 1917 and while in Germany he was not declared fit again until 9 Jan 1918.

As far as I can see neither FA 300 nor any other German unit made any claim on March 5th.

There was another Felmy in FA 300, Hptm Hellmuth Felmy who was the Abteilung leader from 23 Aug 1916 to 1 Nov 1917. He made a total of 4 claims during his period of duty with the unit.

Thus none of them were any ace as such. To me it seems Michael Napier simply lumps them together and making 1 + 4 into 5.

Checking Henshaw he firmly states the British crew was on a low level patrol, shooting up "everything in sight" and were hit by groundfire. Oddly enough Henshaw has not managed to identify the serial number of the DH.1A. He had obviously not read Napier's book....

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay isa photo of Airco DH.9A E714 of 110 Squadron, at:


https://www.ebay.it/itm/WW1-RAF-Roya...YAAOSwZ19e5gdi


Regards,


Clint

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay is a photo of an Airco DH.6 at:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/WWI-British...oAAOSwlvVe9O2p


The serial appears somewhat unusual.


Regards,


Clint