The two principal activities of Greg’s time with 42 Squadron came together today, with a counter battery patrol in the morning and a shoot on a target near Neuf Berquin in the afternoon.
Log Book
Date: 12.8.18
Time: 9.15
Rounds Lewis: 300
Rounds Vickers: 200
Bombs: 2
Time on RE8s: 123 hrs 00 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt. Hodgson
Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Height: 4000
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Very misty. U.L. U.R. U.D. [Weather report: unfit for counter-battery work, artillery registration or photography]
Date: 12.8.18
Time: 18.20
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 124 hrs 25 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt. Hodgson
Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Height: 6000
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 213 SB South. L21. Unsuccessful.
Diary
Monday Aug 12th. Two jobs. CBP in morning & shoot in evening.
Shoot on L21, near Neuf Berquin
L21 was a map square ENE of Merville, near Neuf Berquin, on the road to Estaires:
Map square L21, near Neuf Berquin, form a 1:40,000 map dated December 1917. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
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 11th. 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:
Merville and Square Q6 on a 1:40,000 scale map dated December 1917. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
Greg’s diary contains the laconic entry “propeller shot” during counter battery patrol today, amid active ground machine gun fire. He also sees propaganda balloons sailing away. And the Squadron CO’s daily orders contain a reminder about discipline.
Log Book
Date: 9.8.18
Time: 11.30
Rounds Lewis: 400
Rounds Vickers: 300
Bombs: 4
Time on RE8s: 113 hrs 55 mins
RE8: 2526
Observer: Lt Hodgson
Time: 2 hrs 50 mins
Height: 2500
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. M.Guns active. Bumpy.
Diary
Friday Aug 9th. C.B.P. 11.30 to 2.15. Ground machine guns active. Propeller shot. Saw four of our propaganda balloons go sailing over Hunland.
We can see that it was an active day for small arms fire, both received – not least by the shot propeller – and given (700 rounds fired between the Lewis and Vickers guns).
Propaganda Balloons
According to Sergeant Major Herbert A. Friedman, writing for the www.psywarrior.com website:
Early in the war when the Germans threatened to put leaflet-dropping pilots before a firing squad, the British mastered the art of dropping the leaflets and newspapers from unmanned balloons. The leaflet balloon was invented by Mr. A. Fleming who stated that 48,000 were produced. He treated the paper in such a way that the balloons could stay afloat for three days when filled with hydrogen.
Captain L. C. Pittmann tells more about the balloons in an article entitled “Propaganda by Balloon” published in The Royal Engineers Journal, April 1919. Some of his comments are:
“In March 1918, the Royal Engineers took up the supervision and manufacture of these balloons and releases…the balloons dispatched to France two to three times a week (a staff of nearly 100 girls was specially employed on this work). During the period of Match, 1918, to the signing of the Armistice, over 35,000 balloons and 20 million leaflets attached to releases were dispatched from France. As many as 400 balloons, each carrying 500 to 1,500 leaflets, have been sent over the lines in a single day.
The Germans did their utmost to prevent the circulation of the leaflets, and as much as five marks was offered for each leaflet brought to headquarters, but many Germans were captured with leaflets in their possession…”
Greg writes that the balloons went “sailing over Hunland”. This says something about the direction of the prevailing wind. The other side of the coin was that returning British aircraft often had to fly into the wind. Apart from the slower speed that implied, they had to allow enough fuel to get home.
On Discipline
Today’s daily orders from the CO of 42 Squadron contained a reminder about discipline in the infant Royal Air Force. Allied to this, proper saluting was “an index to the standard of discipline in a unit”:
42 Sqn Daily Orders for 9 August 1918, page 1. Click for larger image.
42 Sqn Daily Orders for 9 August 1918, page 2. Click for larger image.
6 Discipline:- The necessity for a high standard of discipline in the R.A.f. is pointed out by the Air Council in the following terms:-
(1) "The Royal Air Force is now forming its traditions, and this stage of development will affect its whole future history. It has shown before the world the highest standard of intelligence, courage, initiative and devotion in the face of the hardest tests. The binding and inspiring force of discipline must not be absent - it must be developed to the highest possible extent. In the R.A.F. loss of life by accident is due to a lack of a measured sense of discipline more than to any other cause."
(2) Attention is also directed to the necessity of ensuring that proper attention is paid by all ranks to correct bearing, dress and saluting. The manner of saluting in the R.A.F. has been promulgated in A.M.W.O.517 of 1-7-18, and smartness and correctness in saluting are an index to the standard of discipline in a unit.
As the ‘Hundred Days’ final Allied offensive begins, Greg had a shoot of which he was clearly proud. He had had a good run with 213 Siege Battery over the last few weeks with shoots on 18 July, 19 July, 20 July and 22 July 1918, and today he capped it by ranging the battery’s howitzers in just 20 minutes. Later, he prepared (or was presented with) a small mount-board with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs to show the effect on the ground.
Log Book
Date: 8.8.18
Time: 19.00
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 111 hrs 05 mins
RE8: 2649
Observer: Lt Hodgson
Time: 45 mins
Height: 3500
Course/Remarks: Shoot with 213 SB on L32. Successful.
Diary
Thursday Aug 8th. Did a shoot with 213 S Battery on a dump in L32. Left ground 7pm & landed at 7.45. Battery ranged in 20 mins.
Squadron Record Book
Squadron Record Book. Click for larger image.
Type and Number: R.E.8.2649
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson
Duty: Art Obs on H.B. Destructive.
Hour of Start: 19.00
Hour of Return: 19.45
Remarks: S. with 213 S.B. (8” How) on H.B. at L.32.a.25.95. (P)
Called 19.03. L. 10.05. G. 19.07
17 ranging rounds:- M.A.3. M.A.3. 1. O.K. 2 Z. 8 A. 3 B. 3 W.
V. 19.28. G. to V. 21 minutes
Engine unsatisfactory during ranging, unable to observe B.F.
C.I. eng sent 19.34.
19.10. 1 E.K.B. South and 1 East of ESTAIRES.
19.13. 1 flare (or fire) at Q.11.c.8.7.
19.30. 2 E.K.B. East of ESTAIRES.
19.32. large fire, hedge, at Q.18.a.5.5.
Vis. good. Height 3500’. Obs. by P. & O.
Shoot with 213 Siege Battery
Greg’s shoot with 213 Siege Battery was recorded on a small mount-board shown here:
Shoot with 213 Siege Battery – ‘Before’ and ‘After’ Vertical Aerial Photos. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection.
No.42 Squadron R.A.F.
H.B. at L.26.c.22.01
L.32.a.25.95
Date engaged 8th August 1918
By 213 Siege Battery R.G.A.
Calibre 8" H.
Rounds 135.
Observations by Lt.Gregory
Results 1 O.K. 2 Z.s; 8 A.s;
3 B.s.
Direction of Fire [bearing ~93º; reciprocal ~273º]
The Target
The location of the target, in squares L.26 and L.32 is just to the east of Merville, near a house or settlement called Crinquette Lotte on what was then the north bank of the River Lys. The names Crinquette and Lotte belong to two local families, and genealogical records show that one Marc Jean Baptiste LOTTE married Marie Angélique Victoire CRINQUETTE, both of Merville, on 24 February 1784.
Although the Lys had been canalised before the Great War, since 1918 it has been diverted, and the location of the target is now south of the river, within the phytochemical plant of Roquette Frères .
There is some discrepancy about the nature of the target. Greg’s diary refers to “a dump in L32”. Yet the legend to the mounted photos and the Squadron Record Book give the rather more precise location (partly within square L32) of an “H.B.” or hostile battery. Both these things could be true, of course, as we would expect a battery to have an associated ammunition dump.
In any event, a comparison of the ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos gives a good indication of the havoc inflicted on and around the target by the one hundred and thirty five 200 lb (91 kg) shells fired.
Location of 213 Siege Battery
The mounted photos indicate the direction of fire of 231 SB’s 8″ howitzers. Fortunately, this information enables us to have a stab at working out 213 SB’s location, as follows.
The direction of fire is on a bearing of (roughly) 93º. So the reciprocal bearing, from target to battery, would be 273º. Also, we can hazard that the 8″ howitzers used by the battery were probably Mark VII BL-Howitzers, which were introduced in July 1916. They had a range of 12,300 yards (11,250 m). We can put those bits of information together, and assume that the howitzers would be working comfortably within their maximum range – say 75% for the sake of argument. Doing that, we find that 9,000 yards along a reciprocal bearing of 273º takes us to near the village of Haverskerque, in the lee of the Nieppe Forest, just north of St Venant:
Target and possible battery location for shoot with 213 SB on 8 August 1918, from a 1:40,000 map dated December 1917. Each numbered square is 1,000 yds. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital
This reasoning is the basis of the remark in this earlier post that 213 Siege Battery was located near Haverskerque:
If the battery was operating closer to the maximum range of its artillery than the assumed 9,000 yards, that would place it north and west of Haverskerque, but still generally near the village.
Battery Ranging Time and Results
Greg ranges the howitzers in 20 minutes, which was pretty brisk and obviously pleased him. (The Squadron Record Book says 21 minutes, to be precise, but we can allow him the minute!) This would be the “G to V time” in the parlance of artillery ranging. The following article explains this, as well as the results (1 O.K. 2 Z.s; 8 A.s; 3 B.s.), which indicated a thoroughly successful shoot:
It was business as usual for Greg on this day. But 8 August 1918 is more famous for being the beginning of what was to be the Allies’ final offensive. This became known as the Hundred Days Offensive. (It was actually 95 days, but where’s the marketing impact in that?)
Michael Seymour reflects here on the wider significance of the day:
In the Lys sector, the front line on the morning of 8 August 1918 had moved a little eastwards from the line held on 1 May 1918 at the end of Operation Georgette. In the furthest west position, the British line had crossed the Lys at St Floris. The position recorded for the morning of 8 August on the map accompanying General Haig’s despatches of the final British offensive had halved the distance to Merville. By now, the line crossed the Lys at Le Sart:
The British Front on the morning of 8 August 1918. Adapated from a 1:40,000 scale map dated December 1917 with information from a map accompanying General Haig’s despatches on the final British offensive. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
Updated 20 August 2018 16:35
Updated with Squadron Record Book info 28 September 2018 15:55
Although Greg’s early Counter Battery Patrol was curtailed by a dud engine, and he only flew for 1¼ hrs, something was clearly afoot. In a ‘hot air gust’ in the squadron, three machines were on the line all day.
Log Book
Date: 7.8.18
Time: 6.00
Rounds Lewis: -
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: 4
Time on RE8s: 110 hrs 20 mins
RE8: 2649
Observer: Lt Hodgson
Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Height: 2500
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Three machines on line. Eng dud.
Diary
Wednesday Aug. 7th. Rec’d Ma’s letter. Great hot air gust in Squadron. Three machines on line all day. CBP at 5.30am. Dud engine, landed on drome after 1¼ hrs.
Hot Air Gust
Here’s this term again. He used it because there was lots of aircraft activity, with three machines being kept on the line at any one time. So the squadron must truly have been busy. Possibly it was an intensive reconnaissance effort in anticipation of the Allies’ final offensive.
There’s more on the term in these two earlier posts:
Another miserable day, cloudy and raining, in which Greg achieved 40 minutes of Counter-Battery Patrol work in the afternoon – while firing off 400 rounds from the two guns.
Log Book
Date: 5.8.18
Time: 3.50
Rounds Lewis: 200
Rounds Vickers: 200
Bombs: -
Time on RE8s: 106 hrs 55 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt Hodgson
Time: 40 mins
Height: 1500
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Cloudy. Dud.
Diary
Monday August 5th. CBP 3.50pm. Dud, raining and cloudy.
Back to the core activities of a counter-battery patrol and a shoot. The patrol was over and around Merville, as today’s Squadron Record Book entry shows, but the shoot was aborted because of low clouds.
Log Book
Date: 4.8.18
Time: 1.20pm
Rounds Lewis: 400
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: 2
Time on RE8s: 106 hrs 15 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Lt Hodgson
Time: 2 hrs 35 mins
Height: 2000
Course/Remarks: C.B.P. Cloudy. Machine guns active.
Diary
Sunday Aug 4th. CBP & Shoot (1 pm).
Unable to do shoot because of (very) low clouds. Called up battery & afterwards sent UL [Weather unfit for Counter Battery work]. Hun ground machine guns active.
Despite not being able to do the shoot, Greg’s patrol was fairly active over and around Merville:
Squadron Record Book
Click for larger image
Type and Number: R.E.8.2500 [sic, should be 27]
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Start: 13.20
Return: 15.55
Results and Remarks:
13.25. 2-25lb bombs dropped at K.34.a.6.5. Bursts observed.
13.25. fire in building at K.29.c.2.2.
13.30. sent U.L. U.R. U.D. C.20. [Weather unfit for counter-battery work, registration or photography.]
13.35. C.W.S. sent X.
13.45. called up 323 S.B. and got triangle out. [wait] Clouds came at 1500’ so sent U.L. Clouds, before starting shoot.
14.30. C.W.S. sent Q.6. No flashes seen in Q.6.
14.34. 1. E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] N. of ESTAIRES.
14.35. 200 rounds L.G. into Q.8.d. from 1800’.
15.10. C.W.S. sent L.14. No flashes seen there.
15.15. to 15.30. 100 rounds L.G. into Q.8.d. from 1700’
Concentrations. [Concentrations of artilley fore, as opposed to barrages]
14.00. Square K.35.b. M.P.I. [mean point of impact] good.
14.50. Houses in area Q.4.b.15.37. M.P.I. good.
" " " K.34.c.65.15. " "
" " " K.34.c.99.20. " "
15.35. Southern half of MERVILLE, K.29.c & d.
A.A. normal. M.G.s active
Vis. good. Obs. By P. & O.
The following map contains the points and squares mentioned above .
Merville and surroundings from a 1:40,000 map. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.
Back in the air again after two days of miserable weather. But a dusk reconnaissance ended in rain. The evening brightened with entertainment by a concert party – Leslie Henson’s ‘The Gaieties’.
Log Book
Date: 3.8.18
Time: 7.35pm
Rounds Lewis: 400
Rounds Vickers: -
Bombs: 4
Time on RE8s: 103 hrs 40 mins
RE8: E27
Observer: Hodgson
Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Height: 3000
Course/Remarks: Dusk reconnaissance. Rain.
Greg had by now adapted his log book entries. He now not only recorded the ammunition fired from each gun and the number of bombs dropped but also noted the cumulative time he had flown on RE8s.
Diary
Saturday 3rd August. Wrote home. Dusk reconnaissance. Returned in rain, engine nothing great. Four bombs & 400 rounds Lewis.
Concert party – ‘Gaieties’ in Hangar. Leslie Henson, Errol & Teddie Horton [sic., probably should be Holton]
‘Gaieties’
‘The Gaieties’ was a troupe of army entertainers under the direction of Leslie Henson. Henson had begun his professional stage career before the war, appearing in Edwardian musical comedies, among other productions, in the West End and elsewhere. He joined the RFC, but in 1918 was asked by General Gough to form a touring concert party to entertain the troops of the 5th Army in France. Evidently this survived Gough’s removal and the re-formation of the 5th Army under General Birdwood. So here were ‘The Gaieties’ at 42 Squadron in Rely, just over three weeks after General Birdwood’s visit on 12 July 1918.
Among the members of the troupe was Bert Errol, ‘a noted female impersonator’. Quite possibly it is Errol, and maybe others members of The Gaieties cast, in this photograph from Greg’s collection:
A concert party by Leslie Henson’s ‘The Gaieties’ was held at Rely on 3 August 1918. Greg is third from the right in the middle row, next to one of the ‘ladies’. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection.
Greg’s diary entry also mentions ‘Teddie Horton’. Possibly this was meant to be Teddie Holton, who (spoiler alert) was certainly performing with Henson, Errol and others in The Gaieties in early November 1918. More on them then…
