Today was the beginning of the Advance in Flanders, also known as the Battle of the Peaks of Flanders, or the Fifth Battle of Ypres. Ypres – Ieper to its inhibitants – was out of Greg’s sector, but somehow a couple of remarkable aerial photographs of that poor, shattered city came into his hands. Precisely when they were taken, and by whom, isn’t known for certain as they are unmarked. But quite possibly they were taken by Greg when joyriding after the Armistice. We are publishing them today to mark ‘Fifth Ypres’.
Ypres and its Canals
The centre of Ypres is bounded by canals. The widest ones are the Majoorgracht to the west, and the Kasteelgracht to the east. They both arc round to the south of the city centre, where they meet. It is over the Kasteelgracht that the bridge by the Menenpoort (Menin Gate) leads notheast towards Zonnebeke and Passendale, better known to English speakers by its archaic French name of Passchendaele. To the north, the Hoge Weiltjesgracht folds under the Ieperlee, the north-flowing canalised river that drains the land towards the North Sea.
Google Maps satellite view of Ypres/Ieper
Majoorgracht and Pacific Eiland
Near the northwestern end of the Majoorgracht is an island: Pacific Eiland. It is now the home of an inviting restaurant of the same name, whose website explains:
Around 1640 this island was built by the Spanish occupiers to deter the enemy and as ammunition depot. Now it has been transformed into a haven of peace and relaxation where young and old are welcome.
It is indeed now a haven of peace. But in 1918 it was anything but:
Vertical aerial view of Majoorgracht and Pacific Eiland. Click for larger view. Image credit: Gregs War Collection
Here is equivalent view on Google Maps today:
Present day Google maps view of Majoorgracht and Pacific Eiland. Click for larger view
And the view south from Pacific Eiland over the Majoorgracht:
“A haven of peace and relaxation” says the website of the Pacific Eiland restaurant. Today, looking south from the island over the Majoorgracht, it is hard to disagree with that. Research isn’t always arduous. Click for larger view.
Ypres Prison, Ypres Reservoir Cemetery and Minneplein
A second Ypres photograph in Greg’s collection takes in the northwestern part of the city centre. To put it in context, here is a Google Maps satellite view of Ypres, with the field of the photograph edged in white. The arrow shows the edge that will be at the bottom:
Google Maps satellite view of Ypres, with the field of the following photograph outlined. Arrow shows bottom of field.
With that overview in mind, here now is the view in 1918 of the white-edged portion…
Vertical aerial view of Ypres Prison, Reservoir Cemetery and Minneplein, 1918
…and the equivalent view today from Google Maps:
Present day Google maps view of Ypres Prison, Reservoir Cemetery and Minneplein. Click for larger view
Ypres prison – Gevangenis Ieper – is towards the top of the photo, on the right of the centre. In 1918 it was a wrecked building, but the internal panopticon structure beloved by architects of prisons and libraries is clearly visible. The green area in the top right corner is Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, containing 1,579 First World War graves. A school – Campus Minneplein – now occupies part of the open square of Minneplein, on the middle right and bottom right corner. Normal life in Ieper – the city of the elms.
On the Lys Sector, a small remaining salient just west of La Bassée had been removed. By this morning, the British front line had now reached the main bridge over the canal.
The British Front reaching La Bassée on the morning of 27 September 1918. Adapted from a map accompanying General Haig’s despatches on the final British offensive. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
With Greg still enjoying his leave in Holyhead, North Wales, back on the Western Front the business of war continued. This is a good opportunity to look at an aircraft of which Greg had a photograph: the Sopwith Dolphin.
Sopwith Dolphin
Sopwith Dolphin. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection
Although this photograph is in Greg’s collection, there’s no indication of either when or where it was taken. Judging by the tents in the background, it was clearly somewhere in the field. And the photo has the look of having been taken by a Vest Pocket Kodak camera. So it’s likely that Greg took it himself while on active service on the Lys sector.
19 Squadron RFC/RAF was the first to be equipped with Dolphins, beginning in late 1917. At the time, the squadron was based near Lille. If they were still in the same area in the closing months of the war they would have been almost neighbours of 42 Squadron. Just possibly, then, this is a Dolphin of 19 Squadron that Greg photographed on a visit (either by him or by the aircraft). Unfortunately the serial number, which would help to pin down its provenance, isn’t visible in the photo.
The Sopwith Dolphin was “the world’s first single seat multi-gun fighter”, according to the RAF Museum, which houses a reconstructed example. It was designed for high altitude combat. An unusual feature was the split upper wing mounted at the level of the top of the fuselage. This afforded good aerial visibility, but at the price of a clear view of the ground. The Dolphin’s engine was a powerful but somewhat unreliable 200 HP, geared, in-line Hispano-Suiza, marking Sopwith’s move away from the rotary engine that had powered the Camel.
Further Reading
An informative account of the Sopwith Dolphin is on the Warbird Tails website here:
Before he could depart on leave two days ago, Greg had to have permission to do so and to travel to the UK. Today the bureaucracy caught up, and the grant of his leave was published in the station’s daily orders.
Daily Orders
Click for larger image
2. Leave:- Tempy. 2nd. Lt C. E. Gregory, R.A.F., 2nd. Lt., Flying (A), is granted leave to the United Kingdom, via Boulogne from 18th. Sept. to 2nd October 1918, and id entitled to 14 days Ration Allowance only.
The day’s full daily orders are shown here:
42 Sqn RAF daily orders for 20 September 1918. Click for larger image.
Today is the first day of a two week stretch of leave for Greg. He had been granted leave in the UK via Boulogne. Meanwhile, the British front continues eastwards.
Log Book
LEAVE. 18 SEPT - 2 OCT.
Leave in the UK
Greg would almost certainly have gone home to the family in Holyhead, North Wales. The journey would probably have taken him a couple of days, and is likely to have gone something like this:
Tender from Rely to Aire-sur-la-Lys
Train from Aire to Boulogne
Either via St Omer, Lumbres and Desvres (see below)
Or(less likely) back along the circuitous route by which he arrived on 2 June 1918 from Berck Plage, via Chocques, St Pol, Hesdin, Montreuil and Étaples
Ferry from Boulogne to Folkestone
Train from Folkestone to London Victoria
Victoria to Euston Square via London Underground (Circle Line)
Train from London Euston to Holyhead
On the first leg of the journey, the Aire to Boulogne route via St Omer would have been like this:
Greg’s probable route from Aire-sur-la-Lys to Boulogne, shown on a modern map (courtesy Google). Click for a larger image.
And the last leg – London Euston to Holyhead – would have been the easiest, even though the longest. There was a good, fast service from Euston to Holyhead, because it was the route that carried the post to and from Ireland.
From end to end Greg’s route to Holyhead may have been like this. It is remarkable for how little of it is in France. Although the Western Front must have seemed a world away, the line in Lys sector was in reality not far from the French coast…although by September 1918 it was getting further day by day.
A possible route taken by Greg from Aire-sur-la-Lys to Holyhead, on a modern map (courtesy Google). The route between Folkestone and London assumes running via Ashford and Maidstone. Click for larger image.
Back On the Front
In the meantime, looking east from Aire, the British front line had by this morning got well to the east of Laventie and was almost at Armentières:
The British Front on the morning of 18 September 1918. Adapted from a map accompanying General Haig’s despatches on the final British offensive. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
Next up…
Although Greg isn’t back from leave until 2 October, there will be occasional posts in the interim.
Another disappointing shoot today. After yesterday’s perplexing lack of success with 346 SB because the shell bursts could not be observed, today’s shoot with 1/1 West Riding Heavy Battery (two 60 pounders) was thwarted for another reason: enemy aircraft.
Log Book
Date: 16.9.18
Time Out: 10.35
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: 4
Time on RE8s: 160 hrs 50 mins
RE8: 2500
Observer: Lt Bett
War Flying Time: 2 hrs 55 mins
Height: 5000
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 1/1 West Riding. Unsucc. E.A.
Squadron Record Book
Squadron Record Book. Click for larger image.
Type and Number: R.E.8.2500
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Bett
Duty: Art Reg on Cross roads.
Hour of Start: 10.35
Hour of Return: 13.30
Remarks: U. with 1/1 W.Riding H.B. (2-60 pdr) on crossroads N.23.c.0.9. [at FROMELLES] (P).
Called 11.15. K. 11.17. [signals being received] L.11.19. [battery ready to fire] G. 11.20. [fire]
37 ranging rounds:- M.C.9. 1 A. 1 B. 8 C. 2 D. 25 W.
Unsuccessful owing to E.A. 11.55. sent M.Q. E.A. [wait: enemy aircraft] 12.15. send A. and G. [stand by; fire] Battery did not fire and in answer to R.U.F. [are you firing?] put out E.A. 12.35. battery put out L. 1 burst observed and 6 W. 12.42. another E.A. appeared W. of FLEURBAIX and battery again ceased fire. Several bursts missed owing to A.A. [anti-aircraft fire]
C.I. [returning to aerodrome] sent 12.45.
11.15. fire burning in wood at J.18.d. & 24.b. (N. of LILLE). [same location as yesterday's reported fire]
12.05. 2 R.E.A. [reconnaissance enemy aircraft] R.12. sent.
12.15. explosion at H.6.d.8.9.
12.40. 1 F.E.A. [fighter enemy aircraft] about 5000’ over G.24.
1 E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] at approx. J.6.d. A.A. active.
11.10. 4-25lb bombs dropped at H.34.b. 4 bursts observed.
Vis. good. Height 4/6000’. Obs by P. & O.
So three enemy aircraft – two reconnaissance and one fighter – spoilt the party. This meant that the shoot on the crossroads at Fromelles was unsuccessful. We don’t know precisely where the battery was located. But we do know that two reconnaissance enemy aircraft over R.12 sufficiently disturbed them to stop firing. So we can reasonably conclude that the battery was probably somewhere to the south of Estaires. The following map shows the locations of more precisely known features and events:
Map of Fromelles, Estaires and Armentières. Adapted from a combination of 1:40,000 scale maps. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Map credit IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
1/1 West Riding Heavy Battery
The 1/1 West Riding Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery was a unit of the part-time Territorial Force (TF). The TF was a forerunner to the Territorial Army (TA). Wikipedia reports:
1/1st West Riding Bty was detached to 49th Bde RGA (normally composed of 8-inch howitzers) with Fourth Army from 21 August to 16 September, during the Second Battle of the Somme returning to 28th Bde thereafter. It was with 28th Bde during Fifth Army’s pursuit of the defeated German army towards the Scheldt in October 1918, when the ‘heavies’ were principally employed on harassing fire on the roads and tracks the Germans were using, and on concentrations of fire on headquarters and exits from villages, while trying to avoid civilian casualties. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Riding_Heavy_Battery,_Royal_Garrison_Artillery, References omitted]
We know from Greg’s and 42 Sqn RAF’s records that on 16 September 1918 at least two 60-pdrs were already in the Lys sector with the Fifth Army – prior to the push to the Scheldt, east of Lille (although they couldn’t know yet that that would happen). And with their target being the crossroads at Fromelles, it looks as though they were indeed “employed on harassing fire on the roads and tracks the Germans were using”.
BL 60-Pounder
The 1/1 West Riding HB’s weapons were breech-loading 60-pounder (often abbreviated to 60-pdr) guns. Although nominally ‘heavy’ guns, they were not as heavy as those operated by the siege batteries of the RGA. (Even the ‘small’ 6-inch Howitzers fires 100 lb shells.) But they were true, 5-inch calibre guns, with a relatively long barrel (14 ft for the Mk Is).
The following photo, from the Imperial War Museum’s collection, shows a column towing a 60-pdr. The barrel is shifted backwards, i.e. towards the direction of travel of the column. This is to even up the weight distribution between the wheels of the gun carriage and those of the limber.
The IWM’s caption refers to the location being St Venant. More precisely, it is the bridge over the weir on the River Lys, next to St Venant lock, just north of the village. The direction of travel of the artillery train is south. The railings on the bridge have since been replaced. But railings of the same pattern are still in position by the adjoining wharf, on the left in the following Google Maps street view image Today they are painted a cheerful bright green.
Google Maps street view, looking north from St Venant towards the lock and weir on the River Lys, with the wharf on the left.
An unsuccessful – and probably frustrating – shoot with a new battery (346 Siege Battery, RGA). It was unsuccessful because Greg couldn’t see the bursts of the shells, and he didn’t know why he couldn’t. Greg’s observer today was Lt Bett, but in another sortie Lt Mulholland has a lucky escape.
Log Book
Date: 15.9.18
Time Out: 14.10
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 157 hrs 55 mins
RE8: 2517
Observer: Lt Bett
War Flying Time: 1 hrs 25 mins
Height: 4000
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 346 SB, 6” How. Unsucc.
RE8 2517
Greg’s usual ‘bus’, RE8 E27, was presumably with the mechanics. He had described the engine as ‘rotten’ yesterday. Greg flew 2517 on one earlier occasion (21 July 1918), and would fly it more often as the war progressed.
Squadron Record Book
Squadron Record Book – click for larger image
Type and Number: R.E.8.2517
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Bett
Duty: Art Obs on H.B. Destructive.
Hour of Start: 16.20
Hour of Return: 17.45
Remarks: U. [unsuccessful] with 346 S.B. (4-6” Hows) on H.B. [Hostile battery] at N.17.c.15.52. (P).
Called 16.40. K. 16.42. L. 16.45. G. 16.47.
10 ranging rounds:- 1 C. 9 W. Salvos unobserved.
Battery firing, but unable to see any bursts. Vis. good and unable to account for inability to see bursts.
C.I. sent 17.15.
16.50. fire in wood in J.18.d and 24.b. (Nth of LILLE).
17.00. sent N.F. [Now firing] N.12.a.5.0. (A). Result unobserved.
17.05. sent K.K. on flash in I.2.a.
A.A. active. E.A. and E.K.B. nil.
Vis. good. Height 4000’. Obs. by P. & O.
The locations in the above Squadron Record Book are shown on this map extract:
Map of Fromelles, Armentières and Lille. Adapted from a 1:40,000 scale map. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. 213 Siege Battery’s target was in square N.17. Click for larger image. Map credit IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
The hostile battery that was 213 SB’s target was near Fromelles (bottom left of map) not far from Aubers. This is where Greg saw a lighthouse in a pre-dawn patrol on 14 July 1918.
Greg’s observer three days ago, on 12 September 1918, was 2/Lt Arthur Mulholland. Today, Lt Mulholland was up with pilot 2/Lt R.M. Marshall on a counter-battery patrol in RE8 2649 (which Greg had earlier flown on 13 July, 7 August and 8 August 1918). According to a casualty report in file AIR 1/859 at The National Archives:
[C2649 RE8] Shot down by EA at Sh36G7 on artly patrol. 2Lt RM Marshall slightly wounded/2Lt A Mulholland Ok
‘EA’ is enemy aircraft. ‘Sh36G7’ is 1:40,000 map sheet 36, square G7, which is just north of Estaires:
Map of Estaires. Adapted from a composite of 1:40,000 scale maps. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Map credit IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
Fortunately, where they were shot down was more or less over the British front line at the time. They made it back to safety. Greg was next to fly with Lt Mulholland at the end of October.
A midday counter-battery patrol for an hour and a half with Lt Stuart Francis Bett. Not a great time by the sound of it, with the weather and E27’s engine both being ‘rotten’. Still, makes a change from ‘dud‘!
Log Book
Date: 14.9.18
Time Out: 12.00
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 156 hrs 30 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt Bett
War Flying Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
Height: 3000
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Weather & engine rotten.
2/Lt Stuart Francis Bett
This was Greg’s first patrol with 2/Lt Stuart Francis Bett, with whom he would fly several times in the next couple of months.
Stuart Bett was born on 11 November 1899 to Mary Bett, and so was some nine months younger than Greg. He survived the war, and was no doubt delighted that Armistice Day was on his 19th birthday. He was injured a few weeks later, on 17 December 1918 – playing rugby! – and wasn’t present at the B Flight Officers’ Christmas Dinner. Injury may have been the cause of his absence. Maybe he went home.
After the war, he graduated with a B.Sc. degree and on 1 October 1923 joined the Indian Service of Engineers an an assistant executive engineer in the United Provinces (of Agra and Oudh) – roughly present day Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Promotion to executive engineer followed in October 1932. Later, he transferred to the central public works department in August 1933 as a divisional officer. Stuart Bett died aged only 37, on 6 June 1937, in Dehra Dun. His widow was Ethel Margaret Fisher Bett.
Thanks to Margaret Sheard for sourcing information on Stuart Francis Bett.
After an absence from the field of operations of eight days, Greg is back in the air today, with (for the first time) 2/Lt Arthur Mulholland as observer. But the poor weather hasn’t improved. Greg rated today’s counter-battery patrol – yet again – as a dud as a result of it being very windy.
Log Book
Date: 12.9.18
Time Out: 16.05
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 155 hrs 0 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt Mulholland
War Flying Time: 1 hrs 05 mins
Height: 2000
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Dud. V windy.
Very Windy
Not a round fired, and not a bomb dropped. Pilot and Observer were probably glad to get back home after a little over an hour of being bounced around in the very windy conditions.
Lt Arthur Mulholland
This was Greg’s first outing with 2nd Lt Arthur Mulholland as his observer. In fact it was one of only two, the other being at the end of October.
Arthur Mulholland was born on 4 November 1894 in Sheffield. He had been with the army in France since 1914. But he had only been commissioned within the last few weeks, on 24 August 1918.
Although he was to have a narrow escape a few days after this patrol with Greg, he survived to the end of the war, and after demobilisation became “an Auxiliary” – a member of The Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary (ADRIC). He survived that experience, too, despite being on a tram in Dublin held up by the IRA in May 1921.
After the disbandment of the ADRIC, Mulholland became a policemen in Palestine, as did many of his colleagues. But he then emigrated to Canada in 1926. He spent the rest of his life there and died in Vancouver in 1976, aged 82.
Grateful acknowledgement to David Grant of theauxiliaries.com website, which is the source of this information about Arthur Mulholland and much more about the ADRIC. Arthur Mulholland’s page is here.
Next Up…
Greg’s next log book entry is on 14 September 1918.
Near the northwestern end of the Majoorgracht is an island: Pacific Eiland. It is now the home of an inviting restaurant of the same name, whose website explains:
Warbird Tails 
