The Battle Below : Chapter 4

The Move To France

On the 17th August, 1917, the road party comprising 73 mechanics and the 57 motor transport vehicles of the squadron, under the command of the Equipment Officer, Lieutenant R. Ross, left Lincoln and proceeded to Portsmouth for embarkation. This portion of the journey proved uneventful, and the party reached Portsmouth at noon on the 20th, embarked at 7 p.m. on the 26th and proceeded via Havre to Rouen. On arrival at Rouen, the party disembarked, and proceeded to the rest camp at the M.T. Depot.

Meanwhile, everything had been prepared in readiness for the aircraft to leave on the morning of 21st August, 1917, and the weather proving friendly, the move had commenced at 8.25 a.m., within ten minutes of the receipt of the movement order from Headquarters, Training Division, Royal Flying Corps. The aircraft flew from Lincoln to Lympne in three flights, "A" Flight going off first, then "C" Flight, and lastly "B" Flight. Observers were not carried on the flight overseas but a fitter was carried in each aircraft.

The departure of No.69 Squadron fron Lincoln was an historic occasion for this was the first unit of the Australian Flying Corps to go on service on the Western Front. It was also of historic interest so far as the 23rd Wing, Royal Flying Corps, was concerned, for No. 69 Squadron was the first this Wing had sent overseas since its formation in the latter months of 1916. Work in all the other squadrons at Lincoln was suspended in order to afford the opportunity of farewell being said, for the squadron personnel had made many friends among the Royal Flying Corps personnel at South Carlton aerodrome, The General Officer Commanding Royal Air Force in Great Britain, Major General J. M. Salmond, C.M.G., D.S.O., flew from London on 20th August to farewell the Squadron and, on the morning of departure, the Wing Commander, Lieutenant Colonel I. A. E. Edwards, said farewell to each pilot personally.

The flight to Lympne was marred, unfortunately, by one untoward incident, when 2nd Lieutenant F. G. Shapira was forced to land in Kent owing to engine failure. The trouble proved but slight and was soon adjusted by a neighbouring Royal Flying Corps squadron, after which Lieutenant Shapira took off again to continue the journey to Lympne. For some reason unknown, shortly after taking off the aircraft got into a spin from which he was unable to extricate it and the aircraft crashed, both 2nd Lieutenant Shapira and his passenger, 2nd Air Class Mechanic W. D. Sloane, being killed. The other aircraft reached Ly mpne without mishap.

At Lympne, however, a new difficulty arose. The Royal Flying Corps in the Field was not ready to receive the squadron on 21st August, 1917, and asked for it to be detained in England for five clays. During this period the Aeronautical Inspection Department inspected the squadron aircraft and found that in several cases the engine bearers had developed defects. This and continued bad weather delayed the flying party until 9th September, 1917. Meanwhile, the main body of the personnel, under the command of Captain H. H. Storrer, had entrained at Lincoln at 7.30 a.m. on ?4th August, 1917, for Southampton where they embarked the same evening' for France, landing at Havre on the morning of 25th August. On landing at Havre the main body proceeded to the Rest Camp at Sanvic, where they remained for a week, and then proceeded by river steamer on 1st September, 1917, to Rouen, where they joined the road party. The transport having been inspected and everything found to be in order, the combined party left Rouen at 7. 3)o a.m. on 3rd September, 1917, and proceeded via Abbeville to the aerodrome at Savy, which was reached on the 4th September, 1917.

While the aerodrome at Savy was one of the largest in France, its surroundings and accommodation were not in good order when the personnel of No. 69 Squadron arrived there. Squadrons that had previously occupied the aerodrome, when moving to new locations, had managed to remove such of the material as they thought they might need, so that when No. 69 Squadron arrived there was little more left than the six permanent hangars, four dilapidated Bessonneau hangars and a few leaky remains of huts. Although it was known that the Squadron's ultimate sphere of operations was to be in an entirely different part of the line, the work of rendering the aerodrome and its surroundings usable was commenced at once, and by the time the flying party arrived some semblance of order had been restored to the place.

The engine bearer trouble in the aircraft having been overcome and Lieutenant H. C. Miller and Sergeant L. O. Gyngell having arrived to take the places of Lieutenant Shapira and Air Mechanic Sloane, the aircraft left Lympne on the 9th September, 1917, flew across the Channel and landed in France at St. Omer. The following day they flew from St. Omer to Savy, arriving at the latter place without incident, and thus completing the concentration of the squadron in the field.

There is little doubt that the Royal Flying Corps in the Field took considerable interest in the advent of the Australian Flying Corps into the operations on the Western Front. This was evidenced by the keen interest shown by the General Officer Commanding, Major General H. M. Trenchard, C.B.E., D.S.O., who, while pilots and aircraft were still in Lympne, sent for Major Blake to fly across to France, and thoroughly discussed the squadron and its future employment with him.

The work of a Corps Squadron in France can be briefly described as rendering, in one form or another, direct assistance to the troops on the ground, and, as No. 69 Squadron was employed on this army co-operation work during the whole of its time in France, it is thought that a short account of the development or this work will be of interest.

The first historical record of any attempt at practical air co-operation with ground troops dates back to the year 1794, when we hear of the formation of a "Compagnie d'Aerostiers" under the command of a Captain Coutelle. This unit was attached to the French Army under General Jourdan and, during the Battle of Fleurus, Captain Coutelle, with General Morlot as observer, made a balloon ascent which enabled General Morlot to reconnoitre the enemy lines and signal back information which was considered to be of great value to the French. This achievement was repeated subsequently at the battle of Ourthe, when the French defeated the Austrians. Somewhat later, what were considered to be successful reconnaissances were carried out from balloons during the siege of Mayence but, in 1798, 8, owing to the lack of achievement by the balloons under Coutelle in Egypt, French military aeronautics suffered a relapse. On this occasion the ship "L e Patriote" with the balloons and balloon stores was sunk at the Battle of the Nile, and France took no further interest in the subject for the next fifty years.

Although the subject had been discussed in England from time to time, and as early as 1803 a short paper on "The Use of Balloons and Field Observators in Military Operations" had been produced by General Money who, as a Major, had in 1785 been the first officer of the Army to make an ascent, no practical co-operations with balloons took place until sixty years later. Meanwhile many articles had been written dealing with the various military uses of balloons, and as a result of the experiments of Henson and Stringfellow, even the possible use of heavier-than-air craft had been discussed to some extent.

The first official interest in military aeronautics in Great Britain was displayed in 1846, when experiments by a man named Warner with a bomb-dropping balloon attracted some attention. Nothing came of this, however, but the campaign was carried forward by Henry Coxwell who, after several years spent in trying to interest the authorities, at last received official sanction in 1862 for a series of experiments, including signalling from the air and the dropping of large charges of explosives. These experiments were carried out at Aldershot, and succeeded in favourably impressing those present.

At about the same time as Coxwell was working at Aldershot, McClelland, in command of the Federal Army in the American Civil War, had made some use of balloons for the purpose of reconnaissance, and several years later balloons were used for reconnaissance by both sides during the Franco-Prussian War. By this time the possibilities of the use of balloons for reconnaissance seem to have been definitely recognised and balloon sections began to be included in the establishments of the armies of the European countries.

Following on Coxwell's experiments and the experiences of the American Civil and Franco-Prussian Wars, we find that a balloon detachment under the command of Major H. Elsdale formed part of the forces of the Bechuanaland expedition of 1884, and in the following year balloons from a detachment under the command of Captain J. L. B. Templer were used for reconnaissance purposes in the Sudan. The definite establishment of a balloon section as part of the British Army, however, did not take place until 189o, when a balloon section at South Farnborough was authorised as a unit of the Corps of Royal Engineers with a strength of three officers and thirty-one other ranks.

During the first few years of its existence the Balloon Section was concerned mainly withi the development of the balloon, but in 1897 its activities were extended somewhat to include work on kites. The authorities, however, were not very favourably impressed with the possibilities of kites as instruments of reconnaissance and little further interest was taken in them. The next period of activity opened on the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899, when it was decided to send some balloons to South Africa. Two sections were despatched under the command of Captains H. B. Jones and G. M. Heath, and these were followed later on by a third section under Lieutenant R. R. D. Blakeney. Some useful reconnaissances were carried out and, in addition, some artillery co-operation was successfully achieved at the Rattle of Magersfontein, the necessary signalling being carried out by means of flags.

There is little need to record in detail the work with balloons carried out during the years following the Boer War. In fact, the activities with balloons were almost completely over shadowed by events which were to exercise a very considerable influence over the future development of military aeronautics.

The year 1903 witnessed the advent of the heavier-than-air craft, and during the following years the art of flying aeroplanes became established in the chief countries of the world. France purchased an aeroplane from the Wright brothers in rco8, and within the next three years had procured a number of aeroplanes for use with her army. Germany had equipped herself with airships. Great Britain, however, although a number of individuals had been hard at work, was officially backward in appreciating the possibilities of aeroplanes as military weapons, and it was not until 1911 that she began to consider any further development.

By April, 19m, the Balloon Sections had been expanded into an Air Battalion, Royal Engineers, and this unit was the immediate predecessor of the Royal Flying Corps. On its formation the Air Battalion consisted of a Headquarters Unit and No. 1 Company (balloons and airships) at Farnborough, and No. 2 Company (aeroplanes) at Larkhill, and was commanded by Major Sir Alexander Bannerman. A year later, in April, 1912, the Royal Flying Corps was formed and the Air Battalion, Royal Engineers, was absorbed into it. During the period from this date to the outbreak of war in 1914, the work of developing a system of air co-operation with the army progressed steadily, and some details of actual achievement in this direction are given from time to time in the chapters that follow.

Whilst located at Savy, from 9th September, 1917, to 11th November, 1917, the Squadron was attached to the 1st Wing, 1st Brigade, Royal Flying Corps, and this period was spent by personnel learning by practical experience the work it was to perform later for the Australian Corps. In this it was greatly assisted by the General Officer Commanding, 1st Brigade (Brigadier-General G. S. Sheppard, D.S.O., M.C.) and the Officer Commanding, 1st Wing (Lieutenant Colonel T. W. C. Carthew, D.S.O.). Service work was immediately undertaken on the Canadian and XIII. Corps fronts, No. 69 Squadron working as a supporting squadron to No. 5 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (Canadian Corps Squadron), and to No. 16 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps (XIII. Corps Squadron). Both these squadrons allotted a proportion of their work to No. 69 Squadron, and this was done, to commence with, by pilots who had had previous experience in France. On these occasions, an aircraft piloted by an inexperienced pilot flew in company with the one doing the work, and thus the inexperienced pilot was given an opportunity of seeing the work actually done before the time arrived for him to undertake such work himself.

The Canadian and XIII. Corps portions of the front included that important section of the line opposite Arras and the strong enemy positions about Lens. Shortly before the arrival of the Squadron in France, the series of operations culminating in the capture of the Vimy Ridge by the Canadian Corps and the capture of Hill 70, north of Lens, had been completed, and, by the first week in September, 1917, conditions had gradually become quieter, although a number of important minor operations continued to be carried out. This sector was therefore admirably suited for enabling pilots and observers to gain further knowledge of their war duties, and the experience gained during the ensuing two months was of inestimable value when the Squadron became solely responsible for its own sector of the front.

The work carried out by No. 69 Squadron on the fronts of the Canadian and XIII. Corps proved most successful, but was not performed without some opposition on the part of the enemy. A number of combats with enemy aircraft took place, of which the two hereafter described were most worthy of mention. On the 21st October, 1917, Captain W. H. Anderson was flying over Lens, and was engaged in ranging a 4.5 inch howitzer battery, when he was attacked by five enemy fighters, who dived on him in succession. His observer, Lieutenant J. R. Bell, maintained an unequal fight until two other aircraft of No. 69 Squadron approached, whereupon the enemy aircraft withdrew, and Captain Anderson successfully completed his task. Captain Anderson was again attacked on 31st October, 1917, whilst ranging No. 108 Siege Battery (6-inch howitzers), Royal Garrison Artillery, and, when flying between Mericourt and Neuville St. Vaast, four Albatross D.5a scouts attempted to cut him off, but his observer, Lieutenant K. C. Hodgson, engaged the enemy aircraft until Captain Anderson was joined by another aircraft piloted by Lieutenant E. J. Jones, with Lieutenant E. R. Dibbs as observer. The combined action of the two aircraft forced the enemy to withdraw, and Captain Anderson again completed his task.

A noteworthy feature of the latter combat, and one that was characteristic of the pilots and observers throughout the whole of the Squadron's service, was the readiness with which Lieutenant Jones went to a comrade's assistance notwithstanding the fact that this was his first flight over the lines. During the course of this short combat his aircraft was hit many times by enemy bullets, fortunately without any serious effect on the crew, but damage to the aircraft itself rendered it necessary for Lieutenant Jones to make a forced landing on the aerodrome of No. 16 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps.

It was during this period also that No. 69 Squadron carried out its first bombing attacks when, on 8th November, 1917, it co-operated in an important minor operation carried out by the 31st Division of the XIII. Corps. The 31st Division had been instructed to carry out a raid in the neighbourhood of Oppy, and at zero hour, which had been fixed for noon, three formations of aircraft crossed the line at selected points and dropped bombs on their allotted objectives. A fort-nation from "A" Flight, under the leadership of Captain W. H. Anderson, blinded the enemy positions on the Chez Bontemps ridge by means of a smoke screen formed by dropping 40-lb. phosphor bombs, whilst a formation from "B" Flight, led by Lieutenant S. G. Garrett and carrying 20-lb Cooper bombs, and a formation from "C" Flight, led by Captain R. S. Brown and carrying 112-lb. bombs, attacked the village of Neuvireuil. This raid was carried out most successfully, and congratulatory messages were received from the Officer Commanding, 1st Wing, Royal Flying Corps, and from the General Officer Commanding, XIII. Corps.

During the period which No. 69 Squadron spent at Savy, twelve air combats occurred between aircraft of the Squadron and enemy aircraft, but in all cases these were indecisive, the enemy withdrawing within his own territory. One hundred and forty-two artillery patrols were successfully carried out and eleven hostile batteries were engaged for destruction with air observation. For the benefit of readers unacquainted with the procedure adopted in engaging these batteries, some brief account of it will perhaps be of interest.

The first task in artillery co-operation is undoubtedly the finding of the enemy's guns, and this is the primary function of the artillery patrol. The aircraft detailed for this duty flew over the section of the front allotted to it, the pilot carefully noting any guns that were in action or otherwise and marking their exact location on his map. Alt enemy guns so reported were carefully considered by the Artillery Staff and certain of them selected for destruction with the aid of air observation, the idea underlying the scheme being that the pilot of the observing aircraft signals to the artillery by wireless telegraphy the positions of the fall of shots in relation to the target, and so enables the gunners to adjust the line and elevation of their weapons so that the shots fall on their target. In order for such a procedure to be effective it was found necessary to devise a code by means of which the signalling was reduced to a minimum and made as simple as possible. Such a code had been devised in January, 1915, by Captain Lewis, one of two Royal Flying Corps officers who had been largely responsible for the introduction of wireless signalling from aircraft, and was first used at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

In essential features, this code consisted of considering the target as the centre of a clock face with 12 o'clock pointing true north and the remaining hours accordingly. Imaginary circles with the target as centre at radial distances of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 yards from the target were lettered Y, Z, A, B, C, D, E and F respectively. The pilot noted the fall of a shot with reference to the imaginary circles and clock hours, and signalled the result by giving the letter of the smallest circle inside which the shot fell, followed by the hour of the clock indicating its direction from the target. Thus a shot falling more than 50 yards but less than 100 yards from the target and in an easterly direction from it, would be signalled as B.3. This code successfully stood the test of the war, and is still the standard code used for this work by the Royal Air Force to-day.

This method of ranging the artillery with the aid of air observation was the outcome of experiments which commenced at Larkhill in June, 1912, with the object of determining in what way aircraft could best be used to correct the fire of the guns. At that time pilots had many difficulties to overcome, notably the prejudice of the gunners and the necessity for devising some simple and effective method of signalling both from air to ground and from ground to air. Message dropping and various forms of visual signalling were tried, but without much success. The advocates of the use of air observation, however, persevered, and by August, 1913, signalling methods had improved somewhat, so that aircraft were able to direct the fire of field guns on Salisbury Plain against a concealed battery, the air to ground communication being carried out by means of message bags and the ground to air communication by means of letters made of white canvas laid out on the ground. This method of ground to air communication was used in connection with artillery work throughout the war, but the problem of obtaining satisfactory communication from air to ground was only solved by the development of a wireless transmitter suitable for use in aircraft.

The work of developing such a transmitter was spread over several years. During 1907 and 1908, Captain L. Evans, R.E., and Lieutenant C. J. Aston, R.E., conducted a number of experiments in the use of wireless telegraphy from balloons but, although a considerable measure of success was achieved, these experiments were abandoned in accordance with War Office instructions, which required all energies to be concentrated on the production of efficient equipment for the use of ground troops. In 1909, Captain H. P. T. Lefroy, R.E., who was appointed to take charge of all army wireless work, continued with the work started by Lieutenant Aston, and in January, 1911, succeeded for the first time in establishing communication between a ground station and an army airship. He then designed a transmitter suitable for use in aircraft, and in January, 1912, he and Mr. Geoffrey de Havilland made a series of experiments with the first B.E.1 aircraft. The following year a special branch of the Military Wing of the Royal Flying Corps was established at Farnborough in order to make investigations into the military application of aeronautics. Major H. Musgrave was appointed officer in charge of experiments, and he devoted much attention to wireless telegraphy. In this direction he was assisted by Lieutenant D. S. Lewis, R.E., and Lieutenant B. T. James, R.E., who made remarkable progress with regard to the design of wireless equipment suitable for use in aircraft, and it is to these two officers that much of the credit is due for the successful development of aircraft wireless which soon became essential to efficient army co-operation work.

The period spent at Savy saw few changes in the personnel of the Squadron. On 20th October, 1917, Lieutenants D. P. Flockart and N. L. Petchler left for England on being promoted and posted as Flight Commanders in No.71 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps. Several new pilots and observers reported to the Squadron and evacuations to hospital included one officer injured as the result of a flying accident, and three officers and thirteen other ranks sick.

Title image courtesy of the Harold Edwards photograph collection.