Day Squire Knight Flier

Louis P. Wooldridge DFC

I was born in Stalybridge, Cheshire in 1921 and at the age of 18 years I entered regular RAF service before the outbreak of World War Two as a Ground Staff Mechanic. After initial basic training I completed my technical training as a Mechanic at RAF Locking. Before going on to servicing fighter aircraft at 46 M.U.RAF Lossiemouth I spent a short time assisting in the Watch Office (later named Flying Control). While there I met Amy Johnson (of England to Australia fame) she was one of the many female pilots flying with Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA). Also during this time a German Heinkel 111 was shot down by Base Ground Defence and the crew given a full military funeral. The fighter aircraft I serviced during the Battle of Britain included Hurricanes, Defiants and Beaufighters. Shortly afterwards I received an overseas posting where embarkation was delayed by Luftwaffe bombing action at Liverpool.

L o u i s P. W o o l d r i d g e D F C

Day Squire Knight Flier

Copyright L o u i s P . W o o l d r i d g e

The right of Louis P. Wooldridge to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 84963 307 9 www.austinmacauley.com First Published (2013) Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd. 25 Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5LB

Printed & Bound in Great Britain

Knights of the Air

Amidst the night sky, studded with stars bright to fair, Sometimes graved by a brilliant silvery moon at other times bare, The RAF Knights of the Air, Upon their wood, fabric and metallic steeds, Like their counterparts, the bold Knights of Old, Rode out to give battle, Not with shield and Lance, But to the accompaniment of cannon and machine gunfire rattle, The fortune few returning, albeit covered in surrounds of glory, Whilst alas, the unfortunate many, by fates decree their frames so bloody glory. Thus all ye persons of the peacetime future who dare, To visit the various wartime airfields, hangars, messes, and find them, silent, derelict and in disrepair, Listen intently, and give imaginative thought to that which once had been, And it is possible, that once again the events of those years, May yet again unfold and be seen, Allowing perhaps to be heard, oer the faint eerie sounds of cannon and machine gunfire rattle, The ghostly echoes of aero engines, mingling wit h the voices of the Knights of the air, As they once more fly the skies in the spectral battle.

Louis Patrick Wooldridge, DFC ex-No. 51 & No. 578 Halifax Squadrons, RAF No. 4 Group Bomber Command 1943-1944

The Fighter Airmans Lament

(Tune of: Home on the Range)
Oh! give me the sky With a fighter aircraft to fly And the clouds, to weave around all day, To dive down to earth in a heavenly mirth And return towards the sun in rash play Oh! give me the right To take part in such flight And if ever dawns the day To my country, my debt I must pay Let it be, during the course of a fighter affray

Louis Patrick Wooldridge, DFC Ex-No. 51 & No. 578 Halifax Squadrons, RAF Snaith and Burn, Yorkshire Bomber Command No. 4 Group 1943-1944 Also, ex-Technical, Maintenance, Training, Fighter and Coastal Commands 1939-1946

The Coastal Airmans Lament

(Tune of: Bury me down on the Lone Prairie)
Oer the deep green sea During the day or night We maintain our search With unfailing sight Seeking enemy craft Of deep or shallow draught Whether they maybe Upon, or beneath the sea And if by chance After being led a dance Fate is to us so kind, That we are fortunate to find The enemy unseen Whether surfaced, or submarine It will become for us, The climax of our searching team

Louis Patrick Wooldridge, DFC Ex-No. 51 & No. 578 Halifax Squadrons, RAF Snaith and Burn, Yorkshire Bomber Command No. 4 Group 1943-1944 Also, ex-Technical, Maintenance, Training, Fighter and Coastal Commands 1939-1946

The Bomber Airmans Lament

(Tune of: Empty Saddles in the Old Corral)
Phantom bombers on the old airfields Where do you fly tonight Are you off to visit Berlin, Hamburg, Nuremburg or Mannheim Or somewhere in the Ruhr, east of the Rhine Phantom bombers on the old airfields Where do you fly tonight Through a moonless or full moonlit sky Giving battle as you fly Returning shrouded, but with your spirits aces high Ghostly engines, silenced by time Outlined at dispersal by rings of rime With ghostly guns of noiseless rattle Patiently waiting the phantom hours of battle Phantom bombers on the old airfields Where do you fly tonight If you will only air for me to join you In the air battles of long ago It will be in the company of my old air crew Louis Patrick Wooldridge, DFC Ex-No. 51 & No. 578 Halifax Squadrons, RAF Snaith and Burn, Yorkshire Bomber Command No. 4 Group 1943-1944 Also, ex Technical, Maintenance, Training, Fighter and Coastal Commands 1939-1946

Memoir Tribute to the RAF Ground Staff of World War II

In September 1939, when war was declared The RAF, in men and machines was vastly unprepared Reinforcing the Regulars, came members of the Auxiliary, Volunteer Reserve, and duration of War men, Who by previous preference, volunteered to donate to the RAF their civilian technical Gen. Initially initiated into military-style drills They progressed thereafter to the RAF technical skills Supplementing these men, the women of the country entered the RAF Providing also, addition skills under the title of the WAAF. Together these men and woman in all weathers Serviced and maintained all types of aircraft from Barrage Balloons, Bombers to Fighters, Working to all hours, be in Hangars or Heathers With the occasional light relief, of making from discarded cartridge cases cigarette lighters. During the Battle of Britain period of 1940 When the Luftwaffe Huns became very haughty The RAFs Ground Staff personnel being in fine fettle Began to show their technical mettle Repairing damaged aircraft, manning defences including Barrage Balloons To cause the Luftwaffe air crews, such anxiety at sight, to enter into aeronautical swoons Although some personnel went to the Middle East to confront the Might of Rommels Africa Korps Other went further eastwards, to India, Hong Kong, and Singapore To combat the ambitions of the Japanese Tanaka folklore. Meanwhile, in Britain, after its 1940 survival battle The RAFs Bomber Command, mounted its campaign of causing Germany to rattle Repairing, servicing, arming the RAFs Bo mber might The Ground Staff daily toiled for each Operational night. After D-Day in June 1944 The RAFs men and women, were prominent to the fore In the cause of Freeing all the Continental folk From the brutal tyranny of the Nazi German volk With the ending of the European and Far Eastern wars in the year 1945 All the RAFs men and women since 1939, who had remained alive Made their preparations to leave the service of the RAF To return to civilian life, with fond memories of many a Service gaff or laugh. So, in memory of the RAFs Ground Staff of those now distant war years

Let us remember, those of us who flew That without their toil, sweat, swears and tears Not one aircraft would have left the ground to soar into the blue As I know only too well, this to be true Because I, amongst others, was a former Regular Ground Staff Rigger who later became a member of a Bomber Command air crew.

Louis Patrick Wooldridge, DFC, Ex-No. 51 & No. 578 Halifax Squadrons, RAF Snaith and Burn, Yorkshire Bomber Command, No. 4 Group 1943-1944 Also, ex-Technical, Maintenance, Training, Fighter and Coastal Commands 1939-1946

Foreword
Shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the introduction of Christian names by the Normans caused the various singular Anglo-Saxon names in use at that time, to come into general use as surnames, as surnames were not in use in either England or Scotland before that date. After the customary use of the Christian names had been introduced by the Normans, over time it became a symbol for a gentleman of the noble class to have but a single name. In consequence, surnames, as we know them today, came to be known within Europe between the eleventh and fifteenth centuries (with variations in the spelling of the surname arising through the centuries) and the practice amongst all people in England becoming general during the reign of Edward II, 1307-1327. The surnames were of four categories; local obtained from the place of origin, occupational obtained from the persons trade or profession, nickname obtained from the persons type of clothing, complexion, mental or physical characteristics, and patronymic obtained using the Christian name of the father as the surname of the children. It is possible, therefore, that through the passage of time and variations in speech, the joint reference term used towards the Anglo-Saxon people, classed as serfs by the Normans, derived from the serf name into the surname. In medieval times, an Esquire, later derived to Squire and of the serf class, attended on the person of a Knight, following him into war bearing his knights shield with his coat of arms, caring for his armour and other needs. Consequently, the squire had to be very versatile in his duties for which, in turn, he received many privileges enabling him to eventually anticipate the coveted degree of knighthood being bestowed upon himself, thereby allowing him to have his own Coat of Arms which was the insignia painted on his shield and embroidered on his surcoat worn over his armour, the only method of the knights identification to his followers on the battlefield or at tournaments.

1
The Early Years to World War I
Since time immemorial, differences between mankind have been settled on an individual, clan, tribal or national basis by force of arms, either by land or sea battles, or a combination of both. In consequence, weaponry has advanced throughout the ages for aggression or defensive purposes in both military and naval categories. As a result of such battles, or of an incident connected with it, the area concerned was either named after the battle or forever linked with it, Marathon and Trafalgar, to quote examples. Lying in the vale of the River Tame, formed by the counties of Yorkshire, Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire, adjoining each other in that area, is the town of Stalybridge, Cheshire, my home town, situated seven miles east of Manchester and now part of the Greater Manchester area. The town nestles at the foot of the west side of the Pennines, a chain of hills through which passes, by way of tunnels, the Leeds and Huddersfield to Manchester canal linking up with the Manchester Ship Canal nearer to Manchester, and the Liverpool, Manchester to Yorkshire area mainline railway. The earliest known settlement in the Stalybridge area was by an ancient Celtic tribe known as the Brigantes, followed by the Romans who built several roads in the area from Mancunium (Manchester) to Eburacum (York) by way of the Pennine Hills. One of these roads in Stalybridge, now named Staley Street, crosses the River Tame at Staley, a former fording point in the town. The town, however, does not derive its name from this but from a later occasion, in about 1318, when an ancient Norman family by the name of Staveley resided in the Manor House of the area. The origin of the name Staveley is stated as being a combination of the words Stave, meaning a stave or staff, and Ley meaning a pasture or open ground. The country at that time, being traversed by rough tracks called leys and being marked by sighting lines called staves, ancient roads, consequently became known as staveleys. The word ley, pronounced lay, is also of comparable similarity with the Chinese word li, pronounced lay in the Cantonese dialect which refers to a measure of distance equal to one-third of an English mile. Ying-lay, in Cantonese dialect, is the equivalent translation of an English Mile. Although the name Staveley, as previously stated, is of ancient Norman origin, I might add, at this point, that my own surname originates from the pre-Norman period as it is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name of Wulfric, meaning Wolf Master or Wolf Ruler. In later times, November 1745 to be precise, Stalybridge and the Manchester area in general was visited by the Scottish army of Charles Edward Stuart, known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, during the era of the second Jacobite rebellion against the rule of Englands King George of Hanover, Germany. A large number of local residents (about two hundred) became recruits of the Scottish army, and were known as the Manchester Regiment. It is not known, however, if there is any connection between the present day Manchester Regiment and the Manchester Regiment of that period. In more direct relation with martial connections, however, Stalybridge can be quoted as being the origin of that most famous of all war songs, Its a Long Way to

Tipperary, in as much that on 30th January 1912 at the Grand Theatre, Corporation Street, Stalybridge, Cheshire, the song was written and sung by a man named Jack Judge as a result of a five shilling wager. The song did not gain popularity at that time but gained favour later during the 1914-18 war when it was sung by the British and Allied troops whilst on the march throughout France and Belgium. After July 1909, when French aviator, Louis Blriot, flew across the English Channel in his type XI aeroplane, civilian views on Britains isolation and defences being wholly protected by the sea barrier was altered, although they did not affect the bloated defense views of the respective Army and Navy chiefs. Although balloon and airship programmes were continued, no doubt to counterbalance the structure set up in 1884 by the Germans when they created the Luftschiffer Detachment (Lighter and Air) of the Eisenbahntruppe (railway troops), a Dirigible Battalion in 1901 under Graf (Count) Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a General Staff Technical Section in October 1908 under Hauptmann Thomsen, General Erich Ludendorff, Major Grau and Hauptmann de le Roi, no funds were made available for aeroplane (heavier-than-air) development. Three Royal field artillery officers, however, Captains Bertram Dickson and J. D. B. Fulton, with Lieutenant D. L. Gibbs, learnt to fly aeroplanes in a private capacity, although the War Office at that time did allow army officers to have flying lessons, if they so desired, to enhance their original army function, i.e., reconnaissance, artillery spotting, etc., rather than perform a specialist function such as a fighting or bombing role. Dickson later left the Army to join the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company (later known as the Bristol Aeroplane Company) and arranged for some of the companys aircraft to take part in the army manoeuvres of 1910. In July 1910, however, due to the Hon. S. C. Rolls being killed in a flying accident during an air display at Bournemouth, the War Office stated that they were discontinuing the practice of army officers being given flying lessons, although they would not prevent army officers from learning to fly aeroplanes at their own expense. As a result, army officers who could afford flying lessons, and most of them were able to do so due to their respective parental financial backgrounds, learnt to fly aeroplanes in a private capacity. Another outcome of the air display tragedy was that the aircraft shed at Larkhill, Salisbury Plain, owned by the War Office, was assigned to Captain J. D. B. Fulton and became his property. On 1st April 1911, the air battalion of the Royal Engineers came into effect with the initial equipment of one Blerior, one Wright, one Farman, one Paulham and one Farham Experimental Type 1 aeroplane. In charge of the battalion was Major Sir Alexander Bannerman, with Captain E. M. Maitland in charge of No. 1 Company (Airships) and Captain J. D. B. Fulton in charge of No. 2 Company (Aeroplanes). The total strength of the battalion was fourteen officers and about two hundred other ranks to take control of the growing number of a airships and aeroplanes being manufactured and allocated to the two services, the Royal Army and the Royal Navy. The Armys first airship, built in 1907 and designed by Colonel J. L. B. Templer, was named the Nulli Secundus after a racehorse owned by the then reigning monarch, King Edward VII. The airship was 122 feet long, by 25 feet diameter and powered by two French 40hp Antoinette engines. Colonel Templer, then in charge of the Balloon School at Aldershot, Hampshire, was formerly the Officer-in-Charge of the Armys balloon detachment in South Africa during the Boer War at the beginning of the twentieth century, when balloons were first used by the British forces during warfare as observation equipment. In contrast, the Royal Navys first airship, built in 1911 at

Barrow-in-Furness by the engineering firm, Vickers Ltd, was named the Mayfly and was 512 feet long by 48 feet diameter. In September 1911, the airship, R1, of the Royal Naval Air Service crashed and as a result, the service was disbanded in January 1912, about the time of the inauguration of the song, Its A Long Way To Tipperary. On 13th April 1912, the title of Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers was dispensed with when, by order of Royal Warrant, the title Royal Flying Corps. Military Wing and Royal Flying Corps. Naval Wing came into existence, to absorb the following month the Air Battalion and Reserves into the newly-created RFC. In addition to the individual Wings and Reserve, a Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough and a Central Flying School were established for the training of pilots from both Wings. Captain Godfrey Paine, RN, became the first commander of the Central Flying School. The RFC Military Wings first commander was Captain F. H. Sykes, with Lieutenant B. H. Barrington-Kennett as adjutant of seven squadrons, each with thirteen aircraft (twenty-four pilots two to each machine) and extra aircraft for the personal use of the squadron commander. The Reserve had the same complement of personnel. All pilots were of officer rank, but this situation altered during the course of World War I. The seven squadrons concerned were: No. 1 Squadron No. 2 Squadron Personnel operating Army airships under the command of Captain E. M. Maitland. Personnel operating various types of aeroplanes under the Command of Captain C. J. Burke, Royal Irish Regiment, based at Farnborough. Personnel operating various types of aeroplanes under the command of Captain R. Brooke-Popham based at Larkhill, Salisbury Plain, specialising in artillery spotting and reconnaissance duties. Formed from a flight of No. 2 Squadron in September 1912. Formed from the flight of No. 3 Squadron in August 1913. Formed during the course of 1914.

No. 3 Squadron

No. 4 Squadron No. 5 Squadron Nos. 6 & 7 Squadrons

In early 1913, King George V, the reigning monarch, approved the wearing of an aircraft pilots cloth-based distinguishing badge of a pair of outstretched wings with the initials RFC surmounted by a crown, and ringed by laurel leaves, to be worn on the left breast of the recipient. The award was made twofold thus: (a) All military officers of the Royal Flying Corps. (b) All non-commissioned officers and men of the Military Wing Royal Flying Corps. or of the military establishment of the Central Flying School (CFS) as long as they remain efficient as first or second class pilots. Additionally, in the case of commissioned officers if they were airship pilots, was the proviso that provided they had qualified as aeroplane pilots and remained efficient as airship pilots. In comparison, the flying badge of a pilot of the Royal Navys Naval Wing, which was introduced later that same year in December, comprised of an anchor

surmounted by a crown, with an eagles wings outstretched. It is comparable to note, at this point that only the Navy pilots wings, worn on the lower arm area of the uniform jacket sleeve above the rank insignia rings, is defined as being that of an eagle whilst the Royal Flying Corps., later Royal Air Force pilots wings emblem, were not so defined. Although no definition in those early days of aviation was given as to the qualifications of an efficient first class pilot, the flying capabilities test of the Royal Aero Club, at that period of time, comprised of two flights of a figure of eight circuit around posts 500 metres apart while, at the same time, maintaining a height of 50 metres (about 160 feet), and two spot landings without engine power within 50 metres distance of a point indicated by the specified examiner, normally sufficed for the purposes of the qualification test. In early 1916, however, requirements of at least fifteen hours solo in the air, having completed a cross-country flight of sixty miles or more, with two intermediate landings and two night landings, were necessary for the wings to be awarded. In May 1914, No. 1 Squadron relinquished its airships to the Naval Wings of the Royal Flying Corps. to become an aeroplane squadron. In June 1914, the RFC held a meeting at Netheravon, at which Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, the latter not yet at full complement, were in attendance. Due to its recent changeover and the relevant process of converting to heavier-than-air aircraft, No. 1 Squadron did not attend, neither did No. 7 Squadron which was in process of formation at Farnborough. On 1st July 1914, due to continual friction between the Military and Naval wings of the Royal Flying Corps., the Naval Wing, whose flying school was at Eastchurch and who always preferred the title Royal Naval Air Service to that of RFC Naval Wing, officially became part of the Royal Navy and was thus, henceforth, known by that title. The RNAS, however, did not receive their official flights, squadrons, wings, etc. at that time, but had to wait until after the outbreak of the 1914-18 war before receiving same. About three weeks later, however, at the Royal Navys Spithead Review, the full deployment strength of the RNAS was displayed: seventeen seaplanes, two flights of land aeroplanes and some airships, including those of the former No. 1 Squadron RFC Military Wing. On 4th August 1914, on the outbreak of the 1914-18 war, the RFC Military Wing made preparations for proceeding to France. Whilst the bulk of the ground staff personnel embarked by train and boat for France to prepare field landing grounds for the RFC aircraft, the remainder serviced the aircraft in preparation for the flight to France. On 13th August 1914 at 08.20am, the first aircraft of the RFC Military Wing landed near Amiens, France. It was a BE2A flown by Lieutenant H. D. Harvey-Kelly of No. 2 Squadron. Other than the number 347 painted on its rudder, it bore no other markings to distinguish it from any other type of aeroplane and after its landing, the rest of the squadron, along with Nos. 3 and 4 Squadron, also landed there. No. 5 Squadron arrived the following day. On 19th August 1914, the first two flights of the war executed by the RFC Military Wing were those of a reconnaissance nature carried by Captain Joubert de la Ferte in a Bleriot monoplane of No. 3 Squadron, and by Lieutenant G. W. Mappleton in a BE2 biplane of No. 4 Squadron. On 22nd August 1914, Sergeant Major D. S. Jillings of No. 2 Squadron became the first casualty of the RFC in the war, and probably the first ever in the world in this new dimension of warfare when he sustained an injury as a result of being shot in the

leg by ground rifle fire. Flights by the various types of aeroplanes belonging to the Allied countries of that period,- Britain, France, Belgium, Italy and Russia (Czarist), inevitably met with those of the opposing central powers of Germany, Austro-Hungary and Turkey. In consequence, these frequent meetings in airspace over the various battlefronts and battlelines had, eventually, to result in some method of a recognisable feature on the respective aircraft in order to distinguish friend from foe. Various methods of aircraft identification marks were painted on the aircraft in an attempt to solve the problem. The British painted the Union flag on the under surface of the lower mainplane wings. Although it provided easy identification at low heights, at high altitudes, however, due to the blue of the Union flag merging with the blue of the sky, only the cross of the flag was distinguishable and those obviously became confused with the Maltese Cross-type emblem used by the German aircraft, with disastrous results for the British. In October 1914, however, the French Air Force solved the problem by conceiving the system of concentric circles of the red, white and blue colours of their National flag, the tricolour being painted on the upper and lower mainplanes of their respective aircraft, and on the sides and tall surfaces of their airships. The British adopted the same system, but in their case with the colours reversed, that is, the red in the centre, then white, with blue forming the outer circle. The Belgians also adopted the system with their National colours, the tricolour of black, gold and red. Likewise, the Italians, with their tricolour of red, white and green. Czarist Russias National flag was the Cross of St Michael, a blue cross diagonally across a white background, the reverse of the National flag of Scotland. In addition to the target circles, as they were later to become known, the Royal Flying Corps. retained a miniature Union flag painted between the circles and the wing tips, and on the rudder surface. The Royal Naval Air Service, however, only marked their aircraft with one red ring, along with the Union flag. In May 1915, the Union flag on the rudder was replaced by vertical red, white and blue stripes painted thereon. This change was followed a month later by the target roundels being painted on each side of the fuselage of each aircraft, and the Union flag being abolished from the lower mainplane wings. In September 1915, approximately eighteen months after the introduction of the approved RFCs pilots badge, partly based on resentment of having no badge of distinction as aviators, partly due to sharing the same hazards as those of the pilots, a badge was introduced for commissioned officers flying in aircraft in an observers capacity. The badge, introduced under Army Order No. 327 for officers listed as qualified observers, consisted of the letter O attached to a half-wing of fourteen feathers and was made of similar material to that of the official pilots badge. Later that year in November, Army Order No. 404 authorised the wearing of the observertype badge to warrant officers, other non-commissioned officers, and men qualified to wear the badge. Like its counterpart, the Royal Flying Corps., at the outbreak of the war, the Royal Naval Air Service was equipped with airships. The seven airships of the nonrigid type of the Naval Service were later augmented by a mass produced-type airship of the Sea Scout (SS ship) variety under the title design of B-Limp. This type of airship was used for scouting and escort duties at sea, and the term blimp was stated to originate from the design title of this airship. A more authentic explanation for the term is said to derive from the version referring to a Lieutenant A. D. Cunningham,

RN, who inadvertently tapped the taut skin of a Sea Scout airship, resulting in a loud blimp-like noise resounding from the airships tight envelope covering, thus giving rise to the term for these airships. The term is still in use today for this type of airship. Later in the war, other than retaining control over a few airships, responsibility for the role of conducting the war with airships was transferred from the Royal Flying Corps. to the Royal Naval Air Service. At first, the encounters by opposing pilots and their respective aircraft, which were unarmed and used for observation and scouting purposes, resulted in a medieval sense of chivalry developing between them in the form of exchanging hand wave acknowledgements. This code of chivalry was extended even when both sides developed their aircraft for offensive and defensive purposes, which involved the carriage and use of bricks, rope and grappling hooks for propeller entanglement, steel darts, grenades, rifles and pistols. In the latter, a Major Robert Brooke-Popham from the Royal Flying Corps. (later Air Chief-Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, Commander-in-Chief, Far East Air Forces, Malaya in 1941 during World War II) became the first person to fire a firearms weapon, namely a pistol, from an airborne aircraft. On 1st April 1915, the science of aerial warfare leapt ahead when Roland Garros, a pilot in the French Air Force, LAviation Militaire (later the Le Armee de le Air), invented a primitive type of interrupter gear for a machine gun which he had mounted in front of his cockpit, facing and firing horizontally forwards through the disc of the two-bladed propeller. This primitive interrupter gear consisted of triangular steel plates bolted to the inside surface of the propeller blades in line with the trajectory of the machine gun bullets. The bullets unfortunately struck the metal plates; with good luck they ricocheted harmlessly from the plates out into space, whilst those of bad luck could back-fire onto the firer causing some structural damage to the aircraft. Apparently, the idea worked successfully enough, with or without damage caused to the fitted aircraft, for Garros to cause the German aircraft pilots concern on sighting his single-seater, French Moraine-Saulnier scout monoplane approaching them for combat. Prior to the French invention by Roland Garros, aircraft were, in the case of a tractor-type (pulling) propeller, fitted either with a Vickers water-cooled machine gun with belt feed ammunition, or a Lewis machine gun with ammunition contained in a round metal container known as a pan. The guns were mounted on top of the upper mainplane of the biplane, just in front of the pilot, and fitted to a slotted bar mounting to allow access for gun stoppages and reloading purposes by sliding the gun on the bar from the upper mainplane down towards the pilot in the cockpit of the aircraft. In the case of two-seater fighter tractor aircraft, a long tube-like mounting fitted to the rear cockpit enabled covering fire to the rear and both sides of the aircraft. In respect of the pusher-type aircraft (rear mounted engine and propeller), the guns were fitted to the open cockpit at the front of the aircraft. Bomber aircraft had similar type defensive mountings at various open gun positions of the aircraft. Rear mounted engine and propeller-type aircraft caused problems with regard to belt-fed machine guns by the ejected cartridges being forced back into the propeller disc as a result of the slipstream caused by the forward movement of the aircraft through the air. The damage caused to the propeller and engine often resulted in forced aircraft landings, sometimes in friendly, at other times in enemy-held territory. The Lewis-type machine gun, however, eliminated this problem by having collection bags fitted to the gun. The bags were large enough to contain a quantity of ejected

cartridge cases, and more than was originally contained in the rounds of ammunition in the ammunition pans. Later that month, however, unfortunately for the Allies and fortunately for the Germans, the engine of Garross monoplane failed after his sixth combat encounter and victory, resulting in the aircraft being forced to land behind German-held battlelines. Garros was consequently captured before he had a chance to destroy his aircraft fitted with the mechanism of his invention. The Germans, upon realising the importance of the aircrafts capture, handed over the machine to an Anthony Fokker, born in Java in the Dutch East Indies and of Dutch parentage. Fokker, who had studied aeronautics in Germany, had founded the aircraft manufacturing company bearing his name at Schwerin, near Berlin in 1912 and since the commencement of the war in 1914, had built fighter aircraft for the Imperial German Air Force, as it was known, at that time. Fokker, at his Schwerin factory, was perturbed at the potentially dangerous hit and miss arrangement of the Garros invention, so designed and produced an efficient mechanical, synchronised device that allowed a Parabellum machine gun to fire through the propeller disc of his new and untried E1-type (Eindekker) monoplane. Demonstration firing for the Imperial German Air Force general staff at an airfield in the Berlin area revealed that the wooden propeller blades (two) were not even scratched as a result of the hundreds of rounds of ammunition being fired rapidly into the air and on the ground. The Imperial German Air Force pilot chosen to fly the E1-type monoplane and test the machine gun synchronised interrupter gear in combat was a Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke, son of a university professor in the village of Giebichenstein in Saxony, Germany and one of a family of six children. Lieutenant Oswald Boelcke, originally commissioned in a Communications Division in 1912, learnt to fly at his own expense at the Halberstadt Aviation School near his home. On the outbreak of war, by coincidence, Boelcke was sent to the same unit where his brother, Wilhelm, was already serving as an observer. The units aircraft were unarmed Albatross twoseater observation aeroplanes and, as a consequence, the two brothers sometimes formed the crew of an Albatross aircraft. Oswald Boelcke, when confronted with red tape dictatorial authority, very often displayed rebel tendencies. These tendencies had previously come directly to the fore when he protested over the drafting of his brother, Wilhelm, from the observation unit, despite assurances that the movement would be cancelled. Threatened with immediate grounding and drafting to an army unit to continue the war from the trenches as a result of his protests, the situation was saved for Boelcke and the higher authorities within the Imperial German Air Force when the units medical officer placed Boelcke on immediate sick leave, thus taking the heat out of the situation by removing Boelcke from the confrontation. Chosen to fly the E1-type monoplane with its Fokker-type machine gun synchronisation interrupter gear, Boelcke admired the design of the monoplane on the ground at Douai, France. On impulse and without waiting for official permission to test fly the aircraft, he made an unofficial test flight. On this occasion, this breach of flying discipline was, fortunately, overlooked at this early stage by his commanding officer due to the fact that in the early days of the war, the Imperial German Air Force needed all available trained and combat-experienced pilots for operational duties and leadership. Boelcke, at that time holder of the Iron Cross Second Class, could lay claim in respect of both qualities. Endorsement of this train of thought was

strengthened when Boelcke, after his third official flight in the new aircraft, was credited with the destruction of a further Allied aircraft. In consequence, further similar type aeroplanes were equipped with the new Fokker machine gun synchronised interrupter gear device. The next pilot of the Imperial German Air Force to obtain one of these aircraft was a Lieutenant Max Immelmann, whose name was later to become well-known to future aviators on two accounts. Firstly, independently and also in conjunction with Boelcke, both aviators became noted to the Allied fliers in World War I for their combat victories, being termed German Aces. The term Ace, however, was first referred to by a French newspaper to denote a pilot who had achieved notable personal success on the destruction of enemy aircraft as a result of aerial combat; five for French, Italian, Belgian and American, ten for Germans. The British did not support the term. Secondly, Immelmann gave his name to the Immelmann Turn, a manoeuvre consisting of a half loop followed by a half roll, which left the aircraft on a reciprocal course and at a greater altitude to that being previously flown. The manoeuvre devised by him was used during his aerial combats. Both Boelcke and Immelmann were later awarded Germanys most coveted military decoration, the Pour le Merite, otherwise known as the Blue Max, after obtaining eight victories during World War I. About this time, Boelcke was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) and given command of a Jagdstaffel (fighter squadron), termed a Jasta for short reference purposes, with the freedom to obtain pilots of his own choice for the squadron. Simultaneously, the Allies developed two types of aircraft which could more than equal the flying capabilities of the Fokker E1 Eindekker monoplane. These aircraft were a British DH2, a single-seater pusher-type (rear mounted engine and propeller) scout aircraft with a Lewis-type gun projecting from the nose area, and a French Nieuport-type 17 scout aircraft. This latter aircraft, fast, manoeuvrable and wellarmed, was one of the most popular and successful of Allied fighter aircraft. Both were of the biplane-type. Emphasis in this respect was confirmed when Boelcke sustained the worst of an encounter with a Nieuport-type 17 scout aircraft; he broke off the engagement and returned to base to ascertain the extensive damage caused to his aircraft during the encounter. Shortly afterwards, the death of Max Immelmann was the subject of some controversy. Immelmann, credited with the destruction of sixteen Allied aircraft during combat, was killed either by the action of Corporal Waller from the Royal Flying Corps., front gunner of a British FE2-type aircraft from No. 25 Squadron, or Allied anti-aircraft fire, or aircraft structure failure resulting in the aircraft falling apart when a blade off the propeller severed and the engine tore loose from its mountings, resulting in the malfunction of the machine gun synchronisation gear. The correct cause of the destruction of the E1 Eindekker monoplane, however, rests with Immelmann who, due to his death at that time, was unable to give the information. As partial protection for Boelcke, at least until he had imparted his combat experiences to other squadron commanders on other fronts, the German High Command screened (released) him from active operational duties for this reason. These experiences, which formed a technique of air fighting, became known as the Boelcke Dicta and was still in use during the aerial combats of World War II. In the course of his travels, Boelcke visited the Eastern (Russian) Front where, using his freedom to obtain pilots of his personal choice for his Jagdstaffel, Boelcke obtained several pilots, including names such as Bohme, von Muller, Hans Immelmann (cousin

of the deceased Max Immelmann), Reimann, and last but not least, Manfred von Richthofen who later became known as Baron von Richthofen, or the Red Baron, and was to achieve fame as the leader of the Richthofen Circus, a group of German fighter aircraft. Prior to the Battle of the Somme, Boelcke returned to operational flying duties with his Jasta 2 on the Western Front, operating from the Lagnicourt area. A new type of aircraft, the Albatross D series, a single-seater fighter biplane, was allocated to the squadron. This biplane fighter aircraft reversed the aerial supremacy in favour of the Germans from the Allies Nieuport-type 17 and DH2 aircraft. On 26th October 1916, however, during the afternoon of that fateful day, Boekcke flew on his last operational duty. Along with Bohme and von Richthofen, and three other pilots of his Jagdstaffel, whilst over the Pozieres area they observed two DH2 aircraft from No. 24 Squadron, and attacked them. Almost immediately, they were assisted in the attack by a further six German aircraft. In the ensuing dogfight and crowded airspace, Boelcke and Bohme, both diving on the same British aircraft but from opposite directions, they both had to violently alter course to avoid colliding with von Richthofen, who was closely following the other British aircraft in the melee. As a result of the violent manoeuvre, the two Albatross aircraft of Boelcke and Bohme collided, causing Bohmes aircraft undercarriage to strike and slightly tear the wing fabric of the upper mainplane of the biplane aircraft piloted by Boelcke. Fighting to control his damaged aircraft and the increased turbulence within the torn wing, the fabric was stripped off the wing when the aircraft entered adjacent cloud formations. On later appearance below the clouds, the damaged wing of Boelckes aircraft was observed either severed or almost severed from the main body (fuselage) of the aircraft, resulting in Boelcke plunging helplessly and almost vertically to his death with the aircraft. In those early days of aerial fighting, parachuting to safety from the stricken aircraft was non-existent. To honour the memory of Boelcke, the Jasta 2 Jagdstaffel was renamed Jasta Boelcke and the Royal Flying Corps., in their turn, dropped a wreath inscribed to his memory on the German airfield concerned. Meanwhile, as the heavier-than-air type aircraft (aeroplane) of the opposing forces had developed from the early design stages of a Hang-type glider aircraft, built by a German engineer named Otto Lilienthal in 1891, and the powered flight of Wilbur and Orville Wrights Flyer biplane on 17th December 1903, at Kitty Hawk, Northern Carolina, USA, so did the lighter-than-air type aircraft develop from 1783, when the first balloon made by the French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, took off into the air and men flew for the first time into the atmosphere. Montgolfiers balloon flew by the balloons envelope (outer covering) being filled with hot air, supplied by means of a brazier by the aircraft. The Montgolfier brothers, however, did not fly their own invention as two other Frenchman, the Marquis dArlandes and Pilatre de Rozier had that honour. Later type balloons were filled with hydrogen gas, which is considerably lighter than air; for example, a cubic metre of hydrogen weighs 0.08kg compared with that of 1.23kg for a cubic metre of air. These balloons, which were at the mercy of and travelled along the direction of the prevailing wind, were designated free (uncontrolled) balloons for this reason. A balloon moored to the ground by rope or other means was termed a captive balloon. About ten years after the invention and first flight of the balloon, the first use of a captive balloon in warfare was made by a Jean Meusnier, a French General, on 26th

June 1794, at the battle of Fleurus when he ascended in such a balloon to direct operations against the opposing Austrian forces. The appearance of the balloon impressed the Austrians for in a later war, in 1849, whilst besieging Venice they used free-type balloons as an early type of bomber aircraft by equipping them with a twelve kilogram (about 26lb) bomb, which was dropped by means of a tine fuse release from the balloon. Due to the balloons travelling by means of the prevailing wind, a change of wind also meant that the bombs could be returned to the originator, which sometimes happened. Methods were therefore studied by persons of various nationalities to remove this hazard. As a result, from the free balloon there derived a lighter-than-air aircraft termed the airship of dirigible (steerable) balloons. All types of power propulsion, including steam and electric motors, were tried to gain forward momentum against strong headwinds but not until 1885, when the German engineer, Gottlieb Daimler, provided a reliable means of power source against these winds with the development of the internal combustion engine, did real progress occur with navigable balloons, otherwise termed airships. Airships were constructed of three types, non-rigid, semirigid and rigid. The first two types were mostly used for observation and escort duties, whilst the latter type, a more solid construction, was used for long distance bombing operations. One of the foremost designers of the latter type of airship, who gave his name to such a design, was Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin of Wurttemberg, whose original Zeppelin was built about 1900. Another notable builder of airships was the SchutteLanz Company of Germany. Both produced airships during the 1914-18 war for Germany and were used for the purpose of bombing raids on targets in Britain during World War I. On 15th May 1916, to combat these Zeppelin raids along with other squadrons formed for this purpose in the Royal Flying Corps., No. 51 Squadron, termed a Home Defence squadron, was formed at Thetford, Norfolk, and were equipped with FE2 B aircraft. The squadron was later equipped with AVRO 504 and Sopwith Camel aircraft. About this time, the Royal Flying Corps. instituted squadron markings for the purpose of identifying the aircraft of the various squadrons. The markings, exhibited on the top and bottom of both mainplanes, and both sides of the fuselage, were first applied to the BE2 C-type aircraft, and later to the various other types of aircraft. Unofficial markings, such as coloured banners and streamers, also began to appear on the aircraft. These unofficial markings were usually attached to the outer wing struts (distance pieces between biplane wings) and rudder extremities. In addition, the individual pilot wore a similar streamer about the region of his neck or his flying helmet and was for the purposes of indicating the leader aircraft of the squadron. The unofficial markings on the aircraft concerned also had the effect, although undesired, of marking the individual aircraft, pilot and crew for special attention by the opposing air force. Consequently, there was some friendly rivalry amongst the various Royal Flying Corps. squadrons to obtain the most emblems of their air victories, be it the propeller, the black and white coloured Maltese-type cross of the destroyed German aeroplane or airship, to display in the various messes of the squadrons. Similarly, the Germans in turn, displayed their emblems, the various target roundels and tail markings of the various Royal Flying Corps. and Royal Naval Air Service aircraft, and other allied aircraft, in their respective Mess.

Apart from the activity over the German Western Front, Kaiser Wilhelm II, as emperor of Germany, forbade any Zeppelin raids on Britain other than military targets. The German High Command considered London itself, as the capital city of Britain, to be a legitimate military target, but the emperor forbade this also. However, when Karlsruhe had been bombed by the French and some civilians were killed as a result, the Kaiser relented and gave his consent to full scale raids on London, provided St Pauls Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Royal residencies (no doubt on account of his personal relationship with the British Royal family) were not attacked during these raids. In consequence, the first airship attack on Britain was made during the night of 19th January 1915, when three German naval Zeppelins arrived over East Anglia and dropped their bombs indiscriminately, with little effect in the area. The next Zeppelin raid involving the German Army airship LZ38 to reach Britain and effectively cause damage was on 31st May that year, when the Zeppelin bombed the East End of London causing about 20,000 of damage. In September 1915, London was again bombed, this time by Zeppelin L13, piloted by Heinrich Mathy, whose airship was the only one of three to reach the area scheduled to be attacked, the central area of the city, resulting in twenty-two people being killed and over half a million pounds worth of damage caused to property. In addition to London, other cities and towns in Britain were also attacked by Zeppelin raids. These included Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Hull and Sunderland. From information learnt from my parents (now deceased) after the termination of the war, the crew of a Zeppelin flying over Yorkshire towards Manchester, and following the passage of a train travelling in the same direction by means of the fire glow from the locomotive when the crew coaled the fire, were foiled in their attempt to reach Manchester by the train crew stopping the train in Standedge Tunnel, over a mile in length, amidst the Pennine Hills between Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire. The Zeppelin carried on and apparently lost its bearings as its bombs, in error, were dropped on Bolton and Lancashire, slightly north from Manchester. The Germans, however, did not have it all their own way with the Zeppelins as British aircraft, in turn, raided their bases at Dusseldorf and Friedrichshafen causing damage. In addition, a Germany Army Zeppelin LZ37 was destroyed whilst returning to base through fog conditions, causing the abandonment of the raid, when it was observed by Flight Sub-Lieutenant R. A. J. Warneford on patrol in his aircraft, who entered into combat causing its destruction. Another Zeppelin, the German Naval L12, whilst attacking London, was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. In the latter instance, the improved anti-aircraft gun defence caused the Germans to improve the height operation performances of their airships, resulting in them attaining heights of about 18,000 feet, from their previous operational height of about 12,000 feet. The new operational height of the German Zeppelin was more than equalled by the Royal Flying Corps. Home Defence squadrons Sopwith Camel fighter aircraft whose operational height was something similar. Another invention to aid in the destruction of these Zeppelins was the introduction of the explosive bullet into the ammunition belts and ammunition pans of the various fighter aircraft. These bullets, along with the incendiary bullets fired from the attacking fighter aircraft, when they struck the hydrogen gas-filled airships caused them to erupt into a huge ball of flame, practically consuming the airships within seconds, not minutes, and the framework to buckle and collapse as the airship plummeted earthwards from the sky. Loss of life from these blazing infernos was high

for although parachutes had been in existence since 1797, when the first ever parachute descent was made by a Frenchman, Andre Jacques Garnerin, from a balloon, and improved upon until in 1912, a parachute descent was made by a person jumping from an aeroplane, the difficulty facing aviators in those early days was the folding of the large parachute into a pack small enough to be carried on the body personally, and to have one hundred per cent openings whenever the parachute ripcord was pulled free from the pack. Even so, on the provision of parachutes for the crew, some of the Zeppelin commanders refused to allow them on board due to the extra weight involved, and as a Zeppelin operated better when structurally lighter in regard to obtaining height, they consequently considered parachutes as a superfluous weight load. Parachutes, however, were issued to German fighter pilots, whilst the RFC pilots were not so equipped. Wireless communication between the Zeppelins and ground base stations, originally operated for the purposes of assisting the airship to maintain its course, also unintentionally assisted in the destruction of some of the German Zeppelins. Due to the wireless signals being able to be picked up equally by either side, the transmission signals enable bearings to be obtained on the operators source, resulting in interception by fighter aircraft or attention by anti-aircraft fire. The German Army Zeppelin LZ77 was destroyed by such transmissions. Later type Zeppelins were equipped with direction finding sets which, in itself, picked up the transmission signals from the ground base stations, thus eliminating a transmission signal from the airship being monitored. In October 1916, a large attack by eleven Zeppelins occurred. Climbing to what was then considered a high altitude, over 16,000 feet, to evade the British defence, the airships encountered a strong gale-force wind. The wind scattered the Zeppelins as a raiding force, some being blown over France, others either shot down or making forced landings. One Zeppelin, the L49, was forced down behind the Allied lines of the Western Front, resulting in the capture of the undamaged airship and the crew suffering height sickness, most probably due to lack of oxygen as the higher the altitude, the less amount of oxygenated air there is in the atmosphere. During the 1939-45 war, oxygen equipment was brought into use on attaining the height of 10,000 feet. As a result of this operational disaster, the German High Command concentrated on the design and manufacture of multi-engined aeroplanes although, in comparison, these aeroplanes could not equal the Zeppelins for long range purposes. The airships were then mostly transferred to the German Eastern Front, covering the vast open areas of Russian territory on scouting and bombing duties for the German Army. Although the Germans created the Gotha bomber and the giant-type bomber with its four engines, the distinction of designing and flying the worlds first four -engine aeroplane fell to Igor Ivan Sikorsky, a Russian, who did so in 1913. Sikorsky, after the war, went to the United States of America where he formed an aircraft company building flying boats, and then, later in 1939, built Sikorsky helicopters. Meanwhile, as the war progressed on the Western Front, with the exception of Britains ally in the East which was Japan attacking and capturing German interest on the Chinese mainland, and the Imperial Japanese Navy patrolling the seas and oceans as far as India to relieve the British Fleet of this duty, the war did not progress favourably for Britains other ally, Czarist Russia, on the Eastern Front. On 15th March 1917, after a series of repeated defeats by the Germans, internal confusion and hunger, supply deficiencies and other types of discontent, the dynasty

of Czar Nicholas Romanov came to an end. A provisional government took over but was soon replaced by a new government headed by the former Minister for War, Kerensky, a member of the Social Revolutionary Party. This government lasted until the October revolution of 1917, when the first shots were fired from the Russian Naval cruiser, Aurora, based at St Petersburg, later named Petrograd, and afterwards Leningrad, after the Bolshevik leader, Lenin, who ousted the Kerensky government from the Winter Palace in St Petersburg and set up his own government in its place. Lenin immediately set about bringing the war to an end and, with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, concluded a separate peace treaty with the Germans. Prior to these occurrences, however, in April 1917, the United States of America entered the war to assist the Allied cause. Meanwhile, on 13th May 1917, far away from the war fronts at a then unknown place called Fatima, in the centre of Portugal, an event was taking place which was to foretell the ending of the existing war, the commencement of a future and more terrible war (1939-45), and the future consequences of the Russian Revolution in relation to its effects on the rest of the world. On that day, three young children, Lucia Santos, aged ten years, and her two cousins, Francisco, aged eight years, and Jacinta Marto, aged seven years, were in the Cova da Iria, which translated means Hollow of St Iria, a large saucer-shaped depression about a mile away from their home. Being devout Roman Catholics and whilst tending a flock of sheep at pasture, the children were reciting the prayers of the rosary when, although the sky was clear, they suddenly saw a vivid flash of lightning, followed quickly by two more equally vivid flashes of lightning. After the last flash of lightning, the children saw what appeared to be a young lady completely surrounded by brilliant light. The lady, who was hovering above a nearby tree, called out to the children. Do not be afraid, I will not hurt you. Curious at the sudden appearance of the lady, the children approached and asked what she wanted of them. The lady requested the children to return to the hollow on the 13th day of every month for the next six months, at which time she would reveal whom she was, and reveal her message to and for the benefit of the world, provided that the people of the world complied with the terms of the message. During the next successive six visits on the 13th day of the month, the lady informed the children that she would see more of Jacinta and Francisco in the near future (foretelling their early deaths) but Lucia would have to wait some time for that privilege. Francisco Marto died on 4th April 1919, and his sister Jacinta died on 20th February 1920. Lucia Santos became a Carmelite nun at Coimbra. On the final appearance on 13th October 1917, the lady, as promised, revealed her identity to the three children, along with approximately seventy thousand other people including believers and sceptics. On her appearance, she announced herself as, I am the Lady of the Rosary, (The Madonna). Build a chapel here and say the rosary daily. The war is shortly coming to an end and the soldiers will return to their homes. Afterwards, the lady disappeared from sight but the weather, which was heavy rain at that time, suddenly stopped and the sun was observed as a silvery-like disc through a break in the clouds, which rotated, paused, and rotated again, emitting rays of various colours as it did so. Afterwards, it appeared to approach Earth at that spot, radiating a reddish light and intense heat, before returning to its normal position in the sky.

In regard to the prophecy to the future World War II, and the consequence of the Russian Revolution that year revealed to the three children at a previous appearance, the lady informed them that God wished to establish devotion in the world to her Immaculate Heart, and to cease offending Him. If mankind failed to do so, a new and worse war would begin in the pontificate of Pope Pius XI. To verify this fact, God would show He was going to punish the world by means of war, by the illumination of the night sky by an unknown light at some unknown time in the future. To prevent the outbreak of the war, the lady said that she would return to Lucia and request the consecration (return to the faith) of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, and if her requests were complied with, Russia would be converted, but if not, Russia would spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions against the church. Many nations would be annihilated as a result but in the end, her Immaculate Heart would triumph and a space of peace would be given to the world. Lucia Santos, after the deaths of her cousins, again saw the lady on 10th December 1925, when she displayed her heart. About thirteen years later, a sign did appear in the night sky but as the significance attached to the light was not widely known, at that time, the warning served no purpose. The following year heralded the outbreak of World War II. In July 1917, during the time of the internal upheaval in Czarist Russia, and the phenomena of Fatima in Portugal, the Royal Flying Corps. introduced Pennant flags to identify the various high ranking officers of the newly formed Corps. The colours were later, in January 1917, reversed when the following designs for the present RAF were adopted. The flags are all rectangular, except where specified. Marshal of the RAF Light blue background with red edging, bearing one thin, one thick, and one thin dark blue horizontal stripe evenly spaced thereon. Similar pennant, but bearing two thick dark blue, horizontal stripes. Similar pennant, bearing one thick dark blue, horizontal stripe, centrally placed thereon. Similar pennant, bearing two thin dark blue, horizontal stripes centrally placed thereon. Similar pennant, bearing one thick dark blue, horizontal stipe centrally placed thereon, but with a swallowtail piece cut from the fly end. Triangular-shaped pennant with one thick dark blue, horizontal stripe centrally placed thereon. Triangular-shaped pennant with two thick dark blue, horizontal stripes, centrally placed thereon. Rectangular pennant bearing one thick dark blue, horizontal stripe centrally placed thereon, and an eagle in the top left corner of the pennant.

Air Chief-Marshal Air Marshal Air Vice-Marshal Air Commodore

Group Captain Wing Commander Squadron Leader

The style of the uniform also altered from the normal army officer-type tunic to that of the crossover fastening-type tunic, often referred to as the maternity jacket. In November 1917, the Air Force (Constitution) Bill was passed which paved the way for the creation of an independent air force, known as the Royal Air Force, with an Air Ministry responsible for same, instead of the existing arrangement of the War

Office for the Royal Flying Corps. and the Admiralty for the Royal Naval Air Service. In January 1918, the Air Ministry was established and on the first day of April 1918, the two separate flying services amalgamated to become the Royal Air Force. The honour of the first war operation under the new title went to No. 22 Squadron who flew their Bristol fighter aircraft on operations that day. On 2nd March 1918, before the new title of Royal Air Force came into existence, the treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Czarist Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, came into operation. As a result of the October Revolution in Russia and this treaty, Finland, once part of Russian territory, declared her independence. The country, being divided between the Red or Bolshevik Party, and the Whites, the Constitutional Party, appealed to the Allies for assistance in the matter. Due to the Red or Bolshevik Party being supported by their Allied Party in Russia, the Whites, on failing to receive assistance from the Allies due to their war commitments on the Western Front with the German March offensive action, then appealed to the Germans who assisted them in the matter. Because of their victorious outcome, a peace treaty was then signed between Germany and Finland, which was advantageous to the Germans. In consequence, that month, the Allies conducted a landing to safeguard the large quantities of military stores held on Russian territory at Archangel and Murmansk. In doing so, they came into confrontation with the newly-formed Soviet government who, in July that year, forwarded a note of protest to Britain stating that the Soviets considered the landing of a hostile attack on Soviet territory, despite Britains repudiation to the contrary in respect of the military stores, and that the landing would be resisted by Soviet troops. Large numbers of Russians, however, loyal to another north Russian government and hostile to the new type of Soviet government, joined the Allied military forces. After receiving training from the Allied military forces, the Allied military store, including tanks, were handed over to these Russian forces so that they could continue their opposition of the Bolshevik forces after the Allies had evacuated the area in October of that year. As the war progressed nearer to its termination, so did the size of the respective aircraft engaged on operations over the battlefronts, and for long range operations. From small, single-seater fighter aeroplanes to the two-seater type, and in regard to the bomber aircraft with multi-engines and multi-cockpits, for pilots and observer/gunners. The bomber aeroplanes assumed the former role of the airships, due to their vulnerability to fighter aircraft by their large size, slow speed and explosive potential when the hydrogen gas bags became punctured by explosive and incendiary bullets. The scout squadrons, the term scout originating from former Army Cavalry connections equipped with Sopwith Camel and SE5 aeroplanes, combated the German single-seater fighter aircraft at high altitudes, in addition to harassing German infantry with small bombs and machine gun fire, whilst the two-seater squadrons carried out reconnaissance, artillery observations and photography in addition to heavier bombing roles. The larger, multi-engined bomber aircraft attacked railway targets and aerodromes within Germany, although Berlin itself was not attacked due to the Armistice being signed before the bombers were available for the operation. The raids on targets within Germany were carried out by a separate force of aircraft within the Royal Air Force. Coming into existence on 6th April 1918, under the guidance of Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchard, later known as Viscount Trenchard Father of the Royal Air Force, the Independent Air Force, as it was then

known and forerunner to Bomber Command, and later Strategic Command, consisted of four squadrons of Handley Page 0/100 and 0/400 heavy bombers, six squadrons of FE2-B night bombers, DH4, DH9 and DH9A day bombers, along with several squadrons of Sopwith Camel escort fighter aircraft. Squadron Nos. 55, 99 and 104 formed part of this force. During this month, on 21st April 1918, the Germans lost their most famous fighter pilot, Hauptmann Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, as he was leading his flying circus of various colour-painted aircraft with his well-known redcoloured Fokker Dreidekker. Richthofen was allegedly shot down during combat with a Canadian pilot, Captain A. R. Brown, known as Roy to his fellow pilots, of No. 209 Squadron which was equipped with Sopwith Camel aircraft. Australian Army personnel in the area also laid claim to this feat. At the funeral of Richthofen, however, members of the Australian Flying Corps. operating in the Somme area formed the Guard of Honour. Several British fliers were also prominent at this time (1917-18) in winning the Victoria Cross. One of them, however, became noted for his unique method of attack which was on observing the enemy aircraft flying above him, to fly his aircraft directly beneath and astern of the blind spot of the enemy, elevate the guns mounted above the top mainplane of his aircraft, and fire bursts of machine gun fire into the underside of the enemy aeroplane. His name was Albert Ball VC, a captain in the Royal Flying Corps. As a result of entering the cloud to join combat with enemy aircraft, he was never seen again and was later reported Presumed killed in action. Balls method of attack was later used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Two other VCs of the newly-created Royal Air Force were later to lose their lives before the termination of the war. They were Major James Thomas Byford McCudden VC, DSO, MC and MM, who met with an accident whilst on his way to take command of No. 60 Squadron, and Major Edward Mannock VC, DSO and MC. In the former incident, the engine of McCuddens aircraft failed during take-off from an aerodrome and whilst banking in the air, caused the aircraft to sideslip into the ground. In the latter incident, Mannocks aircraft was brought down in flames by anti -aircraft fire. In addition to the British and German aviators, people of other nationalities became well-known at this time, such as Canadian Roy Brown, as previously mentioned, the French Lieutenant Fonck and the American Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, to mention a few. During the night of 12th/13th April 1918, four Zeppelins in cloudy weather attacked the East Coast, Midlands and North West areas of England. The Great Yarmouth, Birmingham, Wigan and Bolton areas of Lancashire sustained damage as a result. This was the last occasion in which bombs from a German airship were dropped on British soil. On 5th August 1918, however, to augment raids carried out on Britain by German Gotha aeroplanes as a last endeavour from the Zeppelins during World War I, a final raid upon London occurred. Four Zeppelins of the latest type, which could obtain a ceiling height of 20,000 feet by static lift, and 23,000 feet by dynamic lift, approached the East Coast of Britain. The bomb load carried by each airship was 8,000lb and as they approached in line abreast, aircraft of the Home Defence squadrons observing them went in to attack. The Zeppelins, in defence, ascended to a height of 19,000 feet to evade them but one of them, the L70, was attacked by Major Cadbury and Captain R. Leckie in a DG4 aircraft, resulting in the airship falling into the sea in flames. The raid by the Zeppelins broke up over the sea and was the last attack by German

airships on Britain during World War I. After the death of Hauptmann Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, in April 1918, his place as commander of Jagdgeschwader I, the legendary flying circus, was taken by a man who started and originally fought in the war as an infantry officer. This officer, receiving hospital treatment for arthritis as a result of frontline trench service, was introduced to flying by a pilot friend, Bruno Loerzer, who, in defiance of all German military regulations, returned with the officer to his flying unit, the 25th Field Aviation Unit, and utilised him as his observer. Avoiding court martial action, the officer was allowed to continue his aviation career to qualify as a pilot which eventually resulted in the officer succeeding Richthofen as the squadron commander. His name was Hermann Goring and he became one of Germanys famed fighter pilots, gaining the Pour le Merite, otherwise known as the Blue Max. Goring later became Reichsmarschall of the Third Reich under Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer (1933-45) and commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. Another notable German pilot from that time was Lieutenant Ernst Udet who ranked second place after Richthofen in respect of aerial combat victories. Udet was later to obtain a high position, that of Generaloberst, in the Luftwaffe of World War II. Meanwhile, at sea on the morning of 4th October 1918, a U-boat, after attacking a convoy in the Mediterranean Sea, went out of control as a result of defensive action, causing it to enter into a dive towards the bottom of the sea. After the vessel had passed the pressurised danger level, the Commander of the U-boat, for selfpreservation of the crew, took emergency action to halt and reverse the otherwise fatal dive of the submarine. This action caused the U-boat to suddenly emerge on the surface of the sea amidst a group of surprised Royal Navy surface vessels, a cruiser with its attendant destroyers. Except for a small loss of life, the U-boats crew and commander were rescued to become prisoners of war. The U-boat commander was a Karl Doenitz who, during World War II, was to command and direct Germanys Uboat warfare and, in the latter days of the war, was to take over as Germanys Head of State on the death of Hitler, and take part in the unconditional surrender of the German forces in May 1945. At 0500 hours on 11th November, in a French railway carriage No. 2419D, part of a train standing within the Foret de Compiegne at Rethondes, General von Winterfeldt, with a German naval captain and two civilian envoys as representatives of Germany, met Frances Marshal Foch, accompanied by a French general and two British naval officers as representatives of the Allies, to negotiate the surrender terms in respect of World War I. The Germans chose von Winterfeldt because he held the French decoration, the Legion of Honour, and his wife was of French origin, in the hope that because he had these French connections, von Winterfeldt might be able to obtain favourable surrender terms from the French, but to no avail, as the terms dictated, agreed to and signed at that time and date, led to the later Treaty of Versailles, causing resentment with the German nation and eventually leading to the outbreak of World War II. Serving in the defeated enemy ground forces at this time, however, was a corporal, an Austrian by birth and house decorator by trade. His name was Adolf Hitler who was later to become the leader of the German National Socialist Party (Nazi) and, as such, the Fuhrer and Dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945. At the termination of the war in 1918, the Royal Air Force strength comprised of twenty-two thousand, six hundred and forty-seven aeroplanes and seaplanes and a hundred and three airships in operation, with thirty thousand, one hundred and twenty-two officers and two hundred and sixty-three thousand, four hundred and ten

non-commissioned officers and other ranks in personnel. Shortly before the war ended, to distinguish and honour personnel of the Royal Air Force performing acts of valour whilst operating against the enemy, but which were considered less than the standard required to obtain the Victoria Cross or other high decoration, the reigning monarch, King George V, on 3rd June 1918, instituted a new decoration known as the Distinguished Flying Cross for commissioned officers and warrant officers, and the Distinguished Flying Medal for warrant officers, noncommissioned officers and other ranks. It will be observed that a warrant officer, the higher non-commissioned officer rank in the RAF, could therefore be awarded either of the decorations. The ribbon colours were of purple and white, and originally of a horizontal pattern with a silver cross attached in respect of the commissioned officer, and an oval-shaped silver medal in respect of the non-commissioned officers and other ranks. The ribbon colours of purple and white were changed from the horizontal pattern to the present diagonal pattern in August 1919, and comprised of four white and four purple stripes for the cross, and eight each for the medal.