Back to work at Rely and back in the air, but only for a 10 minute evening machine test flight.
Log Book
Date: 4.10.18
Time Out: 18.00
Rounds Fired – Lewis: -
Rounds Fired – Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 161 hrs 00 mins
RE8: 2517
Observer: 2/A.M. Nixon
War Flying: 0 hrs 10 mins
Height: 2000
Course/Remarks: Machine test – O.K.
Machine Test on RE8 2517
Although 2517 was deemed ‘OK’ in the machine test with Air Mechanic (2nd Class) Nixon, Greg didn’t actually fly it again until 22 October, at which point it became his regular ‘bus’.
This first flight after Greg’s leave was much less eventful than his flight exactly four months ago when he had just arrived at Rely and joined 42 Squadron:
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 windy day, and a ‘hot air’ take off. Greg is relieved not to have to do a shoot in the evening.
Log Book
Date: 21.7.17
Time: 7.50
Rounds: -
Bombs: -
RE8: 2517
Observer: Lt. Hodgson
Time: 50 m
Height: 3000
Course/Remarks: Attempted shoot with 237 SB. Unsucc.
Diary
Sunday July 21st. Very windy all day.
At 8pm, hot-aired up into the atmosphere to do a shoot. To my great relief the battery did not take any notice of my signals when I called them up, so tootled back home again.
