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British Air Forces 1914 - 1918, Images of War

Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Lorenzol said:
I fully agree. And I suspect that air warfare in WW1 was way more brutal than during WW2
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It was particularly unpleasant Lorenzol and far more "personal" than WWII. I posted about this very aspect of WWI air combat in post #62 on page 4 of this thread. Vicious and unfathomably dangerous would be enormous understatements.
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Gosh, bloody yonks ago since I posted something in here which is a bit silly as the air war in WWI is one of my great interests.

To kick some life into the old thread here we go.

VC winner Barker giving a Camel full throttle over Italy flying with 28 Sqn...

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And Barker's Snipe after his Homeric scrap against a multitude of Fokkers when he won his VC. Gruesomely, with a shattered elbow to boot, his legs were only held together by their sinews. It's not known the exact number of Fokker D.VIIs he fought alone but it is believed to be at an absolute minimum 15 and up to possibly as many as 25 to 30.

Incredible bravery.

1638826479835.jpeg
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Wonderful photo of one of the great aces of the war. Arthur Rhys Davids in an SE5 in spring/summer 1917. This image is bitter sweet for me, I absolutely love it and I had the chance to buy the original from Alex Revell in 2005. We were living in Chile at the time and I was out of radio range and so missed out.

Wonderful signed photo of APFRD, someone who McCudden thought was one of the best air fighters in the entire RFC.

vAPIdrK.png
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Just to add to the post above, here is McCudden's testimony to Rhys Davids...

"If one was ever over the Salient in the autumn of 1917 and saw an SE5 fighting like Hell amidst a heap of Huns, one would find nine times out of ten that the SE was flown by Rhys Davids."

He was a true hero.
 
Greg Gale

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
Looks like a Hisso. Note the missing Aldis sight, I thought most SE-s had it installed.

I love the wrinkled fabric just above the wing. It was common on most SE-s, I wonder why? The twist of the wing and high speeds? The shock from the undercarriage strut? the part ahead of it is wood and metal, so no wrinkles there.
 
Greg Gale

Greg Gale

Well-Known Member
Smithy said:
Wonderful photo of one of the great aces of the war. Arthur Rhys Davids in an SE5 in spring/summer 1917. This image is bitter sweet for me, I absolutely love it and I had the chance to buy the original from Alex Revell in 2005. We were living in Chile at the time and I was out of radio range and so missed out.

Wonderful signed photo of APFRD, someone who McCudden thought was one of the best air fighters in the entire RFC.
Click to expand...

I read 'Brief Glory' several times, Rhys Davids is my favorite WW1 airman. A little controversial though: many people claim that Voss was already 'out of the game' when he gave him the coup de grace, and RD was well aware. What do you think about the matter?
 
Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Greg Gale said:
I read 'Brief Glory' several times, Rhys Davids is my favorite WW1 airman. A little controversial though: many people claim that Voss was already 'out of the game' when he gave him the coup de grace, and RD was well aware. What do you think about the matter?
Click to expand...

I've spoken with Alex about this in the past Greg. The truth is that it was very confused. I think it's likely that Hoidge wounded Voss towards the end of the engagement and he was having serious trouble manoeuvring because of this and was possibly even losing consciousness and this was what allowed RD to get in close behind and finish Voss. I don't think RD would have been aware that Voss was out of the fight, he just saw an opening to finish the fight and took it. Mac wrote about how upset that RD was afterwards in the mess that he couldn't haven't bought Voss down alive which I think speaks volumes about the combat. Voss was putting holes in everybody at one point and 56 just wanted to get him down without him killing any of them.

You're like me Greg, RD is my favourite too. Wish I hadn't missed out on getting that signed photo above. Alex sent me a PM asking if I wanted to buy it from him but we were on a bus over the Andes to Mendoza and I was out of radio range for over a week and missed out. I'm still kicking myself about it.
 
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Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
Something a bit different here but my thread my rules ;)

I love Jim Dietz's painting and have a couple of prints in the mancave at Smithy Manor. And with that in mind I thought I'd put this one in here. A Camel pilot who has come to grief just on the Allied lines. He's been dragged out and the PBI are using the tried and tested technique of plying him with whisky to buck him up.

Fantastic painting.

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Smithy

Smithy

Well-Known Member
And later from 85 Sqn, the men who benefited so greatly from Mannock's mentoring, photo includes New Zealander Malcolm C. McGregor (11 victories, fifth from left) and Americans Lawrence K. Callahan (5 victories, seventh) and Elliott White Springs (12 victories, eighth). New Zealander Donald C. Inglis (sixth from right), the last man to see Mannock alive, who afterwards lamented, “The bastards killed my major.”

Mannock-end-960_640.jpg


From a flying kit perspective, note how by this stage of the war, leather flying coats and fug boots have been completely replaced by the first iteration of the Sidcot suit.
 
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