On their first day at their base at Chocques, 42 Squadron’s aircraft are back at work. Greg is assigned with Lt Bett to an afternoon counter-battery patrol in the same aircraft that he ferried over from Rely yesterday. They were working around Englos and Sequedin, west of Lille. But they had to cut the patrol short. This was because the weather was poor, and the engine was missing badly.
Log Book
Date: 14.10.18 Time Out: 14.15 Rounds Fired – Lewis: - Rounds Fired – Vickers: 100 Bombs: 4 Time on RE8s: 171 hrs 20 mins RE8: 6740 Observer: Bett War Flying: 1 hr 50 mins Height: 3000 Course/Remarks: C.B.P.
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.6740 Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Bett Duty: Artillery Patrol Hour of Start: 1415. Hour of Return: 1605. Remarks: No flashes seen, possibly owing to poor visibility. 1500. Fire (buildings) burning for a few minutes at P.13.c.5.9. [Hallenes-lez-Haubourdin] Broad belts of wire protecting trenches in P.4.b. & 5.a. [Le Marais] Unable to observe any train activity owing to mist. Early return due to engine missing badly. A.A. active. A.A.M.G. [anti-aircraft machine guns] active from O.5. & O.6. [Ennetières-en-Weppe] E.A. Nil E.K.B. Nil. BOMBS. 1445. 4- 25lb dropped in O.12.d. [Moulin Joyeux] Four bursts observed. 100.V.G. fired from 2000’ into FORT d’ENGLOS. Vis. Poor. Height 2000’. Obs. by P.&.O.
Englos and Sequedin
All this activity was around Englos and Sequedin, just to the west of Lille:
Today, between Englos and Sequedin there is a major autoroute junction on the A25, which runs from Dunkirk to Lille
Yet again, Fort d’Englos was on the receiving end of the RE8’s weapons, as on 8 October 1918 and 5 October 1918. Evidently it was still being used as a garrison site and ammunition depot.
In the end, engine trouble caused Greg and Lt Bett to go home early. At least the journey back to Chocques was 10 miles (16 km) shorter than it would have been to Rely.
Small Gain at Wavrin on the Front Line
The British Front Line, which ran more or less north-south just to the east of Armentières, had not moved much since 7 October 1918. An exception was a small salient encompassing a railway junction near the small settlement of Wavrin:
A small gain, but possibly a significant one. Gaining the junction meant that British troops now controlled the railway running just behind the front from La Basée to Armentières. No doubt very useful logistically.
Next up…
Greg’s next log book entry is for 17 October 1918.