CBP Archives - Page 5 of 5

27 June 201830 August 2018

Thursday 27 June 1918 – CBP, Archie…and Sheet Tin

Another Counter Battery Patrol, in which Greg was twice switched to new targets, another four bombs dropped, some “pretty hot Archie”, and an intriguing order about sheet tin.

Log Book

Date: 27.6.18 
Hour: - 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Kennedy 
Time: 2 hrs 5 m 
Height: 6000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. 4 bombs. Archie pretty hot.

Diary

Thursday June 27^th. CBP 8 – 11 (8.40 – 10.45). Four bombs dropped, caused small fire.  Archie very persistent & pretty hot.

Sent FL FR FD & got to 6,000 ft.  Engine rough but picked up & ran very well.

Got X twice from CWS.

“Archie”…

…was anti-aircraft fire, as explained here:

Thursday 13 June 1918 – CBP and ‘Archie’

“Sent FL FR FD”…

…means that a series of favourable weather signals was sent, explained here,:

Saturday 15 June 1918 – CBP and Bombing

“Got X twice from CWS”…

…means that Greg twice was given the signal X from the squadron’s Central Wireless Station. ‘X’ meant ‘change to new target’. The X (formed of ground strips of cloth) would be followed by a description of the target. Sounds a bit like he felt was being messed around.

Sheet Tin

The day’s routine orders from the CO, Major Hunter MC, had an interesting entry about sheet tin, which was obviously of some value:

Recovery of sheet tin from Biscuit, Tea and other large tins

Arrangements having been made to sell all sheet tin which is in good condition and which is not required by the British Armies in France, it is necessary that as uniform a method of recovery as possible should be adopted.

Tins are to have their tops and bottoms removed entire, after which the bodies are to be opened up at the joints, i.e., at two diametrically opposite corners.  the sheets thus produced are to be pressed flat, bundled in twenties and tied with wire or hoop iron.  

The tops and bottoms are to be similarly bundled.

The joints can be opened by hating on an iron plate over a brazier.  When the solder in the joint runs, the parts of the tin can be shaken apart.

Special care is to be taken that only sufficient heat is used to make the solder run.  Too much heat will spoil the tinned surface and render it unfit for sale.

To prevent deterioration from rust, it is very important that tins should be dealt with as soon as received and should not be left exposed to damp after packing (4000/40 (Q.B.1).)
             (G.R.O. 4326, dated 21.6.18).

One might reasonably wonder why “the British Armies in France” might have any use for sheet tin themselves. In fact, one use was to make reflective signal discs in the gas mask haversacks of the infantry:

Haversack signal disc used by Allied troops. From Michael Meech, ‘A Short History of Contact Patrols’ Cross & Cockade International 40(2) 116-127 (2009)

The discs could be deployed by troops in forward positions, so that RAF patrol aircraft on infantry liaison duties (so-called ‘contact patrols’) could see their position and transmit this information to the relevant headquarters.

26 June 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 26 June 1918 – Four Bombs on Houses

Another Counter Battery Patrol, and more bombs dropped today; and more water in the carburettor, so an early return:

Log Book

Date: 26.6.18 
Hour: 11.00 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 10 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. 4 bombs. Returned due to engine.

Diary

Wednesday June 26^th. CBP. Dropped four bombs on houses.  Late up & early down – water in carburettor.

Nothing to indicate where the bombs on houses were dropped, but it was probably somewhere in or around German-occupied Merville.

2nd Lt Roche

This was to be 2nd Lt Anthony Berthon Roche’s last flight as Greg’s observer. He was evidently still with 42 Squadron at least until 7 July 1918, according to the records of http://www.airhistory.org.uk/rfc/people_index.html, but Greg’s own papers contain no more information about him.

25 June 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 25 June 1918 – Direct Hit on Bridge

Back on Counter Battery Patrol after recovering from the flu, with Lt Roche (also recovered), meant a 5:30am start that was rewarded with a direct hit with a bomb on a bridge near Merville. Mac (Lt. Hugh McDonald), who died yesterday, was buried later in the day.

Log Book

Date: 25.6.18 
Hour: 5.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 30 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Direct hit on bridge. Wat. in Carb.

Diary

Tuesday June 25^th. CBP at 5.30 am.  Very heavy mist.  Dropped bombs on bridge near Merville, (direct hit).  Observer fired 100 rounds behind Merville.

Heavy low bands of clouds appeared about 6.45 to windward.

Engine became very rough owing to water in carburettor so came home.  No Archie.  No Huns. 

Good landing.

Developed a cold as after effect of P.U.O.

Mac buried.

“Dropped bombs on bridge near Merville, (direct hit)”

An opportunistic departure from a counter battery patrol. Which bridge was it? Hard to tell, as there are so many, as this map extract shows:

Merville 20k map — Extract from a 1:20,000 map of Merville, May 1918 edition, with trenches revised to 19 June 1918. German works in red. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Merville still has still lots of bridges. One of today’s tourist information boards proudly says:

As the heart of the town is surrounded by water, it can only be reached by crossing one of the seventeen bridges.

It seems unlikely that even a direct hit with one of the 20 lb Cooper bombs that were carried by an RE8 would actually have brought a bridge down. And Greg would surely have proudly said so if he had done. (Spoiler alert: he did on a later occasion!)

Water in Carburettor

A recurrent problem, with the heavy mist and low cloud.

Lt. Hugh McDonald (Mac) Buried

Lt. Hugh McDonald lies buried at plot III.D.33 at Aire Communal Cemetery, next to his observer 2nd Lt. Cuthbert Alban Marsh at III.D.34.

18 June 201817 June 2018

Tuesday 18 June 1918 – Water in Carburettor

Not for the first time (see yesterday’s post), the engine of Greg’s RE8 suffered from water in the carburettor. Today the problem was worse.

Log Book

Date: 18.6.18 
Hour: 4 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Cloudy. Water in carburettor.

Diary

Tuesday June 18^th. E27. Counter Battery Patrol.  Clouds low, atmosphere very damp, engine struggling along with carburettor nearly full of water.  Eventually started backfiring, so made tracks for home.  Good landing.

This wouldn’t be the last occasion of water in the carburettor.

17 June 201814 June 2018

Monday 17 June 1918 – CBP and Clouds

Greg’s run of counter battery patrols continues. This time, clouds both interfere and provide a refuge. Water in the carburettor was a problem.

Log Book

Date: 17.6.18 
Hour: 8.20 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 2 hrs 25 m 
Height: 4300 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Water in carburettor. 
                Engine rough.

Diary

Monday June 17^th.  E27.  Counter Battery Patrol.

Very cloudy.  Climbed up above clouds, very pretty but cold.  Hun machines very active. 

Dived down through clouds and got in a rain storm.  Too dud to get any information.

Sunday 16 June 1918 – Double CBP

Two Counter Battery Patrols today, and more bombing and machine gun activity:

Log Book

Date: 16.6.18 
Hour: 1.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 2 hrs 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. V bumpy.

Date: 16.6.18 
Hour: 4.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 1 hr 
Height: 2500 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Engine backfiring.

Diary

Sunday June 16^th.  E27.  CBP. Saw several huns.  Dropped four bombs & fired 100 rounds.  Sent UL UR UD. Got a lot of water in carb.

“Saw Several Huns” – Albatros C series?

Greg doesn’t record what sort of German aircraft he saw that day. They might have been scouts (fighters), or they may have been Albatros C series reconnaissance/light bombing aircraft (essentially the German equivalent of RE8s) such as this:

“Dropped four bombs and fired 100 rounds”

The bombs would have been the nominal 20 lb Cooper bombs featured yesterday. The armaments of the RE8 are given here:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

Later in his log book Greg would record the number of bombs dropped and rounds fired, and from which gun, but he hadn’t started doing that at this stage.

“Sent UL UR UD”

Following on from yesterday’s post, in which Greg sent FL FR FD, these were weather signals sent to the squadron’s Central Wireless Station (CWS):

UL: Weather unfit for counterbattery work
UR: Weather unfit for registration [of artillery fire onto a target]
UD: Weather unfit for photography.

And after sending that trio, he no doubt headed for home: retour à Rely.

Hat tip again to The Long, Long, Trail for the letter codes.

15 June 201815 June 2018

Saturday 15 June 1918 – CBP and Bombing

On another bumpy day, Greg was on Counter Battery Patrol duty. He dropped his first bomb – a 20lb Cooper bomb – and fired his first shots in anger, but without much success at least in the case of the bomb.

Log Book

Date: 15.6.18 
Hour: 9.50 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 2 hrs 
Height: 4000 
Course/Remarks: Engine rough. Good landing.

Diary

Saturday June 15^th.  E27.  Counter Battery Patrol from 10 to 1 pm.  Sent FL FR FD.  Very bumpy.  Dropped a bomb on a bridge, missed rather badly.  Fired off 50 rounds into Hun lines from Vickers gun.  Observer fired 100 from Lewis.

“Sent FL FR FD”

This somewhat cryptic sentence in Greg’s diary is in the active voice, not the passive voice. It refers to signals that he sent to the squadron’s Central Wireless Station (CWS), not places to where he might have been sent by them. In fact, they were weather signals:

FL: Weather fit for counterbattery work
FR: Weather fit for registration [of artillery fire onto a target]
FD: Weather fit for photography.

The corresponding ‘unfit’ signals would be UL, UR and UD, respectively.

Hat tip to The Long, Long, Trail for the letter codes.

Cooper Bomb and Vickers and Lewis Machine Guns

For an description of the bombs and guns carried on the RE8, see:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

Counter Battery Patrol

For a reminder of what counter battery patrols involved, see:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

Header image: cutaway version of a 20lb Cooper bomb in the RAF Museum, Hendon.

14 June 20185 December 2018

Friday 14 June 1918 – CBP – Fearfully Bumpy

Only an hour of counter battery patrol today, on account of the high winds – 45 mph – hence it was “fearfully bumpy”.

Log Book

Date: 14.6.18 
Hour: 12.40 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: 6548 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time:  1 hr 
Height: 1800 
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. V. windy (45 mph). 
                Good landing.

Diary

Friday June 14^th.  RE 6548. Very windy, about 45 mph. Counter battery patrol 12.30 to 1.30.  Fearfully bumpy.  Good landing – rather more luck than anything else.  Explosion near Merville.

Rely aerodrome certainly would have caught the wind. It is located on what passes for high ground in Artois, south of the Lys – just on the 100 m contour line – whereas the Lys valley around Merville is less than 20 m above sea level. Hence the fearful bumpiness.

Counter Batter Patrols

More details available here:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

13 June 20185 December 2018

Thursday 13 June 1918 – CBP and ‘Archie’

After the false starts earlier in the week, Greg starts to ease into what will become one of his routine activities: the Counter Battery Patrol. This one, which at three hours duration was one of the longer ones, was enlivened by some ‘Archie’ – anti-aircraft fire.

Log Book

Date: 13.6.18 
Hour: 4.00 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: Lt Roche 
Time: 3 hrs 
Height: 2,800 
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Bad landing.  Engine rough.

Diary

Thursday June 13^th.  E27. Counter battery patrol from 4 to 7. Rather dud, engine rough. 

One ‘Archie’ burst under tail.  Two explosions in Hunland.  Bad landing.  Observer fired off 100 rounds into Calonne.

All the As: Archie, Ack-Ack and Anti-Aircraft Fire

Archie (anti-aircraft fire) — ‘Archie’ – anti-aircraft fire. Image: Greg’s War Collection. Click for larger image.

‘Archie’ and ‘ack-ack’ were both slang terms used by British airmen for anti-aircraft fire in the First World War. One is easier to explain than the other.

Ack-ack

Ack-ack’ is the easier term to explain, as ‘Ack’ was the letter A in an early military alphabet, as set out by The Royal Signals Museum here. AA or ack-ack was the standard abbreviation for anti-aircraft (fire).

Archie

But what of ‘Archie’? The most prevalent explanation seems to be that it derived from a popular music hall number called Archibald! Certainly not, first sung by George Robey in 1911. The story is that a pilot used to shout the song title, which was also the refrain, to his observer when an anti-aircraft shell exploded nearby (but missed), and ‘Archibald’ of course became abbreviated to ‘Archie’. Some accounts credit the first usage to Lieutenant Amyas ‘Biffy’ Borton of 5 Sqn RFC.

In a competing explanation, this source has a rather more elaborate account of the origin of the expression, quoting Ernest Weekley’s An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English (1921) :

“It was at once noticed at Brooklands [where much aviation development and testing was carried out prior to 1914, and portrayed in the film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines] that in the vicinity of, or over, water or damp ground, there were disturbances in the air causing bumps or drops to these early pioneers. Some of these ‘remous’ were found to be permanent, one over the Wey river, and another at the corner of the aerodrome next to the sewage-farm. Youth being fond of giving proper names to inanimate objects, the bump near the sewage-farm was called by them Archibald. As subsequently, when war broke out, the effect of having shell bursting near an aeroplane was to produce a ‘remous’ reminding the Brookland trained pilots of their old friend Archibald, they called being shelled ‘being Archied’ for short. Any flying-man who trained at Brooklands before the war will confirm the above statement” (Col. C H Joubert de la Ferté, I M S ret.)

Well, which is right? Either way, you can hear Harry Bluff singing Archibald! Certainly not here:

Calonne

“Observer fired off 100 rounds into Calonne.” Calonne (today, Calonne-sur-la-Lys) is a small settlement 2 miles (3 km) south west of Merville, itself 17 miles (30 km) west of Lille. The German line ran through Calonne and Le Sart, to its north, at the time. Anywhere to the east of this line qualified as ‘Hunland’.

Counter Battery Patrols

For an explanation of what counter battery patrols involved, see this new page in the ‘Setting the Scene – Background Articles’ series:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls