Bomb raid Archives - Greg's War

14 August 201810 August 2018

Wednesday 14 August 1918 – Bomb Raid and Dusk Reconnaissance

For only the third time, Greg was assigned to take part in a bomb raid. The previous occasions were 11 August 1918 and 4 July 1918. To round off the day he went on dusk reconnaissance and found two batteries firing.

Log Book

Date: 14.8.18 
Time: 10.25 
Rounds Lewis: 350 
Rounds Vickers: 150 
Bombs: 4 
Time on RE8s: 126 hrs 45 mins 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Hodgson 
Time:  30 mins 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: Bombs & ammunition.

Date: 14.8.18 
Time: 19.15 
Rounds Lewis: 150 
Rounds Vickers: 200 
Bombs: 4 
Time on RE8s: 128 hrs 25 mins 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Hodgson 
Time:  1 hr 40 mins 
Height: 4000 
Course/Remarks: Dusk reconnaissance.  2 NFs. [Twice, the signal for 'guns now firing' was sent.]

Diary

Wednesday Aug 14^th.  Two jobs.  Bomb raid in morning & dusk reconnaissance.  2 N.F.s sent.

11 August 20185 December 2018

Sunday 11 August 1918 – Bomb Raid and Shoot

Two outings today: a bomb raid, and a shoot with 323 Siege Battery with whom Greg hadn’t worked for almost a month.

Log Book

Date: 11.8.18 
Time: 11.15 
Rounds Lewis: 300 
Rounds Vickers: 200 
Bombs: 4 
Time on RE8s: 117 hrs 25 mins 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Hodgson 
Time: 45 mins 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: Bomb raid. Very hot & bumpy.

Date: 11.8.18 
Time: 17.10 
Rounds Lewis: - 
Rounds Vickers: 100 
Bombs: 4 
Time on RE8s: 120 hrs 30 mins 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Hodgson 
Time:  3 hrs 5 mins 
Height: 4000 
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 323 SB on Q6.  Successful.

Diary

Sunday Aug 11^th. Up twice – bomb raid for 45 mins in morning & shoot with 323 on Q6 in evening, successful.

Bomb Raid and Shoot

It wasn’t often that Greg went on a bomb raid. But it was this morning’s duty, and possibly carried out in support of initial ground operations in the Lys sector that were part of the Allies’ ‘100 Days’ Final Offensive.

323 Siege Battery (6″ howitzers) was previously a partner for Greg on a shoot on 17 July 1918. Square Q6 is south of Merville, on what is now part of Merville-Calonne Airport:

Map of Merville and Square Q6 — Merville and Square Q6 on a 1:40,000 scale map dated December 1917. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Thursday 1 August 1918 – Good Time in St Omer

An intended early counter battery patrol was cancelled in view of the weather. So Greg had the day off and went to St Omer. A “good time”; but a close encounter with some bombs at night.

Diary

August 1^st 1918.  Thursday.  CBP at 5.30am.  Too dud to take off, heavy fog and ground mist.

Went to St Omer at 11.am & came back at 7.  Good time, quite a change from camp. 

Bomb raid at night.  10 bombs dropped near us.

St Omer

St Omer was something of an aviation hub during the First World War. It was the largest British airfield on the Western Front, and the centre of operations for the RFC and then the RAF. There was also an associated hinterland of supply facilities. Socially, it was quite a buzz too. Nonetheless, as Cross & Cockade International reports, there was a variety of views on the merits of the place:

The town itself seems to have brought out mixed reactions. Major Edward (Mick) Mannock, described St Omer as a ‘nasty town, mainly composed of estaminets, old women, and dirty – very dirty children’, while Lieutenant Harry van Goethem, who arrived with 10 Squadron at St Omer in July 1915, appears to have relished his brief time billeted there describing his visit as ‘historic’. He particularly enjoyed the Café Vincent and ‘the wonderful waitress (Jeanne) whose fair coiffe was the admiration of countless thousands of British officers. “Given the number of squadrons for whom a night out in St Omer was a regular social event – being recognised as a meeting place for members of any squadron within a reasonable distance – it may be concluded that for the majority of RFC personnel it was an agreeable destination. (https://www.crossandcockade.com/StOmer/)

From Greg’s brief report, he evidently shared the majority view.

4 July 20183 July 2018

Thursday 4 July 1918 – Hot-Air Bomb Raid

Today was, unusually, the occasion of a whole-squadron mission. There was a “hot-air” bomb raid from which all returned but, alas, the intended target got away.

Log Book

Date: 4.7.18 
Hour: - 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 1 hr 
Height: 7000 
Course/Remarks: Bomb raid.  Bombs dropped on road near Estaires.

Diary

Thursday July 4^th. 1918 Hot-air bomb raid on Fritz’s back area.
Someone reported lorries – consequently squadron goes over to bomb them.
None seen.  Archie jolly hot.  Dropped bombs near Estaires & fired off all the rounds into Fritz’s lines.  Quite a good show, everyone returned.

Hot-Air Bomb Raid

In what sense is Greg using the phrase ‘hot-air’? Full of sound and fury and signifying nothing, as the Bard had it, because the intended target wasn’t found?

Possibly. But I get the impression that Greg may have meant that the air was ‘hot’ because of all the aircraft, engines and bombs. In other words, he may have been conveying a sense of excitement rather than futility. In support of that theory, there is a later diary entry (for 21 July 1918), when he said that it was very windy all day and that he ‘hot aired’ it up into the atmosphere to do a shoot. Against it, I have found no mention of that sense of the phrase in the reference works and websites that I have consulted. Any useful further information will be rewarded with an honourable mention.

Header image: 42 Squadron Record Book extract for 4 July 1918