Sopwith Snipe E8082

This profile above is taken from a series of photographs from the Australian War Memorial Collection of the Sopwith Snipe E8082 flown by Lieutenant E.J.Richards in late 1918 and through early 1919. The squadron was part of the Commonwealth Occupational Forces and based at Bickendorff in Cologne until demobbed in April 1919. From the research of Gordon Branch into 4 Sqn AFC's operational period with Sopwith Snipe's, E8082 was flown by Lieutenant E.J.Richards for 14 operational flights and 3 non-operational flights. Richards recording an OOC victory in E8082 on the 26th of October 1918.

On the 26th of October Captains T.C.R. Baker and T.H. Barkell led nine Sopwith Snipes over the lines east of Tournai. The pair of flights came across a formation of fifteen Fokkers at 3:45. As the two formations approached, several Fokkers spun away, and as the Snipes pursued the fight broke out. Barkell destroyed one Fokker in flames and attacked another sending it out of control. Baker engaged the Fokker leader but to his dismay had both his guns jam, after unjamming them he dove back on the Fokker who was behind another Snipe and shot the Fokker down. Richards and H.W.Ross each shot a Fokker down Out of Control. From the engagement Barkell was badly wounded in the leg and forced to land at Peronne.

E.J.Richards, born in Tyanderra in Victoria, had been a journalist before enlisting. Later he was to write the book, "Australian Airmen", a history of 4 Squadron AFC. An original Sopwith Snipe hangs in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, USA in the markings of E8082. The museum section of this webpage has several photographs of the NASM Snipe.