Although Greg’s log book doesn’t record any joyriding flights after the armistice, it is hard to believe that he didn’t take any. Actually, joyrides were officially sanctioned, no doubt because it was important for airmen to keep their flying skills in trim. They had to police the armistice, and to be ready for any resumption of hostilities. After all, an armistice was not a peace treaty.
Joyriding Orders
Despite the absence of log book entries, we do have a couple of undated pages of the B Flight Orders book to work with. One of them contains official orders on joyriding. The other – more on which below – is distinctly unofficial. From its position between two dated pages, we can pin the page of official orders down to sometime between 11 November and 2 December. All other things being equal, it is more likely than not that the orders were in force by today.
— Joyriding— Two machines per flight are allowed to joyride every day. They may go anywhere within reason, provided that — 1. They land on an aerodrome. 2. They return to the Squadron before dusk. Anyone staying out overnight will be severely dealt with. N.B. Marquise & places at that distance are not within reason. C. E. Gregory, Lt. for O.C. B Flight
“Marquise & Places at that Distance”
Marquise is near the coast, between Boulogne and Calais. It was by this stage where No. 1 ASD was based (see the post for 3 June 1918). We don’t know whether this page in the B Flight Orders book was written before or after the move from Marquain to Aulnoy on 25 November 1918. But in either event, Marquise was at some distance: 72 miles (116 km) from Marquain and 86 miles (138 km) from Aulnoy.
Presumably flying east over the armistice line was verboten. But even so, when flying west there were still plenty of places to choose from. Although day trips to the seaside were clearly out, the following places may well have been considered ‘within reason’.
- Rely (54 miles, 87 km from Aulnoy)
- Aire-sur-la-Lys (54 miles, 87 km)
- Villers-Bretonneux (54 miles, 87 km)
- Trèzennes (52 miles, 84 km)
- Ypres (45 miles, 73 km)
- Merville (44 miles, 71 km)
- Chocques (44 miles, 71 km)
- Lille (29 miles, 47 km)
- Ascq (25 miles, 41 km)
Additionally, a good deal of what for much of the war had been the British and German front lines – as well as no-man’s land in between them – would have been within 30-60 miles (50-100 km) of Aulnoy.
Several of the photographs in Greg’s collection were undated, and may have resulted from joyrides in this post-armistice period. Some have already been published in the blog, on significant days for the locations concerned or for 42 Squadron. They include:
Villers-Bretonneux
(What look like freshly dug trenches in the oblique aerial view of this post suggest an earlier date than after the armistice. But the undated photograph is included here for completeness.)
Casualty Clearing Station, possibly the 54th CCS at Aire
Ypres
Lille
Other undated aerial photographs in the collection will be posted in the coming days and weeks.
The Unofficial Joyriding Rules
A little later – probably after 3 December 1918 – a page of unofficial joyriding rules appeared in Greg’s B Flight Orders book. Despite its probable later date, this seems the best time to release it.
Joy Riding
Officers are forbidden:-
(1) To take ‘bints’ in the buses.
(2) Drop bombs on the Officers’ Mess.
(3) Nose dive at less than 100 feet.
(4) Make ascents in bathing costumes.
(5) Take more than 3 bottles of whisky at once into the air.
(6) Return to aerodrome without observer.
(7) Drop empty bottles near GHQ.
Unlike the other entries in the B Flight Orders book, this doesn’t seem to be a carbon copy. So it’s unlikely that anyone posted a top copy onto a notice board. It’s even less likely that this list was compiled without a liberal quantity of alcoholic inspiration!