After only a couple of weeks at Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes, 42 Squadron RAF is on the move once more – to nearby Saultain Aerodrome. Greg and Lt Scarterfield take RE8 2924 to the squadron’s new home.
Log Book
Date: Dec 11th Machine Type: RE8 RE8: 2924 Observer: Scarterfield Time: 05 min Height: 500 Course/Remarks: Travelling to Saultain
Squadron Record Book
Type and Number: R.E.8.2517* Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Scarterfield Duty: Travelling Flight Hour of Start: 1135 Hour of Return: 1145 Remarks: Travelling flight to new aerodrome.
*There is a discrepancy in the aircraft serial number between Greg’s log book and the SRB. Probably the log book is correct. As will be seen, the log book records that Greg came back to Aulnoy in a couple of days to ferry 2517 to Saultain. Whereas the SRB has him flying 2517 on both occasions, which would be as pointless as it is unlikely.
42 Squadron Moves to Saultain Aerodrome
This was the shortest move that the squadron made while it was on the Western Front in 1918: a trip ENE of all of 2.3 miles (3.7 km)! Aulnoy is about 2 miles (3 km) south of Valenciennes, and Saultain is about 2½ miles (4 km) southeast .
Saultain, like Aulnoy, is east of the River Scheldt (Escaut), but still in France. These days they are both satellite settlements for Valenciennes. The residents of Saultain can boast that a couple of fields of farmland separate them from the urban continuum – although those fields are bisected by the A2 autoroute.