Merville Archives - Page 2 of 4

20 July 20185 December 2018

Saturday 20 July 1918 – Shoot and Visit to St Venant

Greg’s partnership with 213 Siege Battery has another successful day, with a shoot that silenced a German battery just off the Rue Barra, northeast of Merville. It was to be Greg’s longest sortie of the war. He went to see the battery in the afternoon, and had a look round nearby St Venant.

Log Book

Date: 20.7.17 
Time: 9.40 
Rounds: - 
Bombs: - 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 3 hr 40 m 
Height: 7000 
Course/Remarks: Shoot on L26a [sic, probably L25a intended - see below].  Successful. (213 SB)

Diary

Saturday July 20^th.  Did a shoot with 213 SB on a Hun battery in L26a [sic, probably L25a intended]. 

Went to see them after, & explored St. Venant.  Scrounged some furniture from some of the remains of houses.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Art Obs 213 S.B. (8” How) on H.B. at L.25.a.29.15 [Northeast of Merville, south of the Rue Barra]

Hour of Start: 9.40

Hour of Return: 13.20

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL.  Called up 9.47.  K. 9.50.  L. 9.54. G. 9.55.  V. 11.20.  Time G. to V.  1 hr 24 mins. [This was the time between the first signal to fire, and the Battery Commander being satisfied that the guns are ranged.]

OBSERVED:-  M.B.9.  M.A.9.  1 Y.  1 Z.  10 A.  11 B.  12 C.  23 W.  Battery apparently stopped firing.  58 ranging rounds.  4 M.O.K. during B.F. [The mean points of impact of four salvos during battery fire were direct hits.] No 1 & 2 Pits hit and damaged.  12.50.  fire in house at L.26.a.8.6.  C.I. Pet sent 13.3. [going home, running out of petrol] Shoot by P.  Height 6000’.

MISC INF.  9.50. 3 E.K.B. S and 9 N. of ESTAIRES. Fire K.29.b.75.70. and at K.29.a.5.9.  9.57. fire at L.7.a.3.7. and at Q.4.c.4.2.  10.35 large fire F.14.b.2.8.  11.25. explosion Q.6.d.central.  11.37.  explosion L.27.d.3.5.  11.50. large fire L.27.d.3.5.  12.9. fire L.27.d.2.3.  12.15. C.W.S. sent L.C.  Vis. good.  Obs. By P. & O.

Where Was the Hostile Battery?

There’s something of a discrepancy between Greg’s Log Book and Diary on the one hand and the Squadron Record Book entry on the other. Greg has the hostile battery at L.26.a (a 500 yard x 500 yard square), and the SRB has it at L.25.a.29.15. So it was probably either at L.25.a.29.15 or L.26.a.29.15, which is 1,000 yards away. But which is right? Well, after all this time, who can really say? But my vote goes for L.25.a.29.15, because a 1:20,000 ‘Harassing Fire’ trench map dated 27 June 1918 has German earthworks marked at that position but nothing at the corresponding L.26.a position. Not definitive, of course, but the best we can do.

Extract from 1:20,000 trench map dated 27 June 1918 showing potential locations of batteries. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWar/Digital

Wherever the target battery was, the shoot was a success. The battery was silenced, no doubt aided by the four salvos that were direct hits during the time that 213 SB was firing for effect. Eventually, Greg signalled that he was going home because he was short of fuel. Not a great surprise after 3 hours 15 minutes in position. This would be Greg’s longest sortie, at 3 hours 40 minutes including travelling time.

Visit to 213 Siege Battery and St. Venant

Greg was probably well received by 213 Siege Battery RGA, since they had had three extremely productive days working together: taking down the railway bridge in Merville on 18 July 1918, rendering the Pont de Pierre unusable yesterday, and taking out a hostile battery today. Judging from some remarks Greg was to make later, 213 SB seem to have been located somewhere around the village of Haverskerque, a few miles west of Merville on the north bank of the Lys, just above St Venant:

Merville, Haverskerque and St Venant, from a 1:40,000 map dated December 1917. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/greatWarDigital

So he was probably in good spirits for his visit St. Venant, which had been – and would again become – a delightful small town. When Greg was there, it had been badly knocked about, with many houses ruined. At least he could scrounge some furniture with impunity.

St. Venant is the home of Le Manoir de la Peylouse, a characterful guest house with a rich history. It played various roles in the Great War, and managed to escape destruction. By 1918, when Greg was there, La Peylouse was the headquarters of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force, under the command of General Fernando Tamagnini de Abreu e Silva. General Haig frequently visited General Tamagnini. A young officer of the Royal Welch Fusiliers – one Siegfried Sassoon – was known to have spent some time there, and wrote his poem ‘The Dug-Out‘ in the enchanting garden of La Peylouse.

Le Manoir de la Peylouse, Saint-Venant… (Cliquez pour agrandir l’image)

…et son jardin. (Encore une fois, cliquez pour agrandir l’image)

Shoots

More details on shoots can be found here:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

19 July 20185 December 2018

Friday 19 July 1918 – Pont de Pierre Bridge

Another day, another shoot, another Merville bridge knocked about: this time, the Pont de Pierre road bridge after yesterday’s railway bridge. Not brought down, but still rendered impassable, in another successful partnership with 213 Siege Battery RGA. Then an abortive trip to Fauquembergues, and the day finished with a couple of practice night landings.

Log Book

Date: 19.7.18 
Hour: 11.0-2.0 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 3 hrs 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: Shoot & Photos.  Successful. (213 SB on bridge) 4 bomb

Date: 19.7.18 
Hour: 5.30-6.5 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Maitland 
Time: 35 mins 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: To Fauquembergues Aerodrome with Maitland

Date: 19.7.17 
Time: 10.30pm 
Rounds: - 
Bombs: - 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 15 m 
Height: 800 
Course/Remarks: Two night landings

Diary

Friday July 19^th.  Shoot and photos.  213 SB on another bridge near Merville.  Bridge badly damaged at Eastern end.  Took some photos of it. 

In evening took Maitland to Fauquembergues Aerodrome, did not land because there was no wind indicator.

Dropped 4 Coopers.

Bullet through fuselage from ground.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Destr. Shoot 213 S.B. (8” How) on Bridge at K.29.c.7.2. [see below]

Hour of Start: 10.55

Hour of Return: 13.55

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL.  Called up 10.55.  K. 10.57.  L. 11.0.  G. 11.4.  V. 12.17.  Time G. to V. 1 Hr 13 mins. [This was the time between the first signal to fire, and the Battery Commander being satisfied that the guns are ranged.]

OBSERVED:- 2 M.B.9.  9 Y.  4 Z.  13 A.  4 B.  8 W.  38 ranging rounds.  4 M.O.K. sent during B.F. [The mean points of impact of four salvos during battery fire were direct hits.]  Bridge hit on Eastern end.  Not down.  Road at Western end rendered impassable.  Sent C.I. Eng. [going home, engine trouble] 13.45.  Shoot by P.  Height 2/3000’.

MISC INF.  11.3. 4-25lb bombs dropped at K.29.c.5.5. [see below]  All bursts observed.  11.10. fire at K.29.a.5.9. [see below] burning continuously.  12.10. C.W.S. sent X.  12.25. 1 E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] N. of ESTAIRES

Pont de Pierre – The Bridge at K.29.c.7.2

Merville map — Merville from a 1:10,000 scale map dated August 1918. Each dotted line sub-square is 500 yds. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

The Pont de Pierre is a road and pedestrian bridge over La Bourre, a tributary stream to the River Lys. It was navigable, with the remains of lock gates just as it joins the Lys still present, and heads upstream to the northwest to connect with the Canal du Pré-à-Vin and the Canal de la Nieppe at La Motte-au-Bois in the Nieppe Forest. Ultimately the Canal de la Nieppe rejoins the canalised Lys, near Aire-sur-la-Lys.

The road carried by the Pont de Pierre is the road west from Merville to Haverskerque and Aire (and at the time to the German front line at Le Sart). To the east of the bridge the road is the Rue du Pont de Pierre, and to the west it is today the Rue de Maréchal Joffre.

The bridge was disabled by the shoot – probably by one or more of the four salvos whose men point of impact was a direct hit. Greg was directing fire from a lower altitude than yesterday (3,000 ft as opposed to 7,000 ft). Although no doubt this gave him a better view, his more privileged vantage point came at a cost, as bullet through the fuselage from the ground bore witness.

The Evidence

Here is one of the photos that Greg took of it, at 2:45pm, after the shoot:

West Merville and the Pont de Pierre (bottom of photo) after the shoot on 19 July 1918. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection

To show the damage more clearly, here are magnified details of (a) a photo taken yesterday and (b) the above photo:

Pont de Pierre before the shoot. — BEFORE THE SHOOT. Pont de Pierre at 6pm on 18 July 1918. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection

Pont de Pierre after the shoot — AFTER THE SHOOT. Pont de Pierre at 2:45pm on 19 July 1918. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection

Pont de Pierre today

Unsurprisingly, the bridge has since been rebuilt, probably more than once. Today, it is decked with flowers and calmly carries cars and cyclists going about their business in Merville, without any visible memory of the destruction that rained down on the old bridge on the site 100 years ago:

Pont de Pierre in June 2018, taken from the southwest corner. Credit: Andrew Sheard

Shoots

More details on shoots can be found here:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

And for the rest of the day…

Greg had an abortive trip taking Lt. Maitland for Fauquemberges, and coming back because there was no wind indicator, which was needed for a safe landing. But it was only 11 miles (18 km) in each direction.

And before retiring for the night, Greg practised a couple of night time landings.

18 July 201811 January 2023

Thursday 18 July 1918 – Merville Railway Bridge Down

Greg has a hugely successful shoot today with 213 Siege Battery (SB), bringing down the Merville railway bridge over the River Lys. He was sufficiently proud of the day’s work to go back and take some photos to prove it.

Log Book

Date: 18.7.18 
Hour: 3.30-6.30 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 3 hrs 
Height: 7000 
Course/Remarks: Shoot & Photos.  Successful. (213 SB on bridge)

Diary

Thursday July 18^th.  Shoot & photos (3 hrs).  Shoot on bridge this side of Merville.  Brought bridge down and went over and took some photos to prove it.  213 SB.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Destr. Shoot 213 S.B. (8” How) on Bridge at K.35.a.4.7. 

Hour of Start: 15.15

Hour of Return: 18.15

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL.  Called up 15.15.  K. 15.20.  L. 15.22. G. 15.26.  V. 16.10.  Time G. to V. 44 minutes. [This was the time between the first signal to fire, and the Battery Commander being satisfied that the guns are ranged.  44 minutes was fairly brisk.]

OBSERVED:- M.A.6.  M.B.3. 2 Y. 4 Z. 16 A. 5 B. 7 D. 34 ranging rounds.  5 M.O.K. sent during B.F.  [The mean points of impact of five salvos during battery fire were direct hits.] Bridge broken at Southern end.  15.50. fire on canal bank at K.35.a.5.7 [just to the east of the bridge on the northern bank].  16.3. fire by house at K.35.a.4.8 [close by the canal bank fire].  C.I. [going home] sent 16.45.

Photos.  10 plates exposed over target during and after shoot.  Vis. good.  Obs. By P. & O.

Merville Railway Bridge

The railway lines at Merville formed two of the three routes linking Armentières and Lille to the east with the important junction at Hazebrouck to the northwest, which the Germans had tried and failed to reach during Operation Georgette of the Spring Offensives.

Extract from the 'Army Administrative and L. of C. Areas — Extract from the ‘Army Administrative and L. of C. Areas’ Ordnance Survey map dated May 1918, showing railway lines. Map rectangle 36A is approximately 25.5 miles by 13.5 miles. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/greatWarDigital

As this ‘Lines of Communication’ map extract shows, one line ran west from Armentières following the Lys to Merville, where there was a junction. The Lys valley line continued west along the Lys to St. Venant and then joined the northerly running line from Béthune and Lillers to Hazebrouck. A single track branch line left the Lys valley line in west Merville, crossed the Lys and went northeast through the Nieppe Forest taking a more direct route to Hazebrouck. From April 1918 this branch line supplied the German trenches and back areas that were to the north and west of Merville.

It was the bridge that carried the branch line over the River Lys that Greg and 213 Siege Battery brought down 100 years ago today.

Aerial Views – Then and Now

Greg took this photo after shoot, when the bridge had been broken. It is timed at 6pm. The light was good, and the shadows from the sun (in the west, at the top of the photo) are strong:

Merville and the Railway Bridge (top of field), after being broken. Dagger shows direction of North. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection

Before looking at the bridge in more detail, here is a corresponding present day aerial view from Google maps, with the line of the railways marked in red:

Merville today with old railway lines marked. — Merville today with old railway lines marked, courtesy Google. Click for larger image. Or to go to a zoomable image in Google maps, click: https://goo.gl/maps/Z6d3pRi1vX52

Now, zooming in to the bridge in the 1918 photo:

Merville railway bridge, marked with ellipse. Click for larger image. Credit: Greg’s War Collection.

In this image, the break in the bridge can just about be made out from the difference in the way the light falls. The break is at the Southern end, to the left in the photo.

Ground Views – Then and Now

Looking East

This picture really shows the result of the day’s shoot. Showing the broken bridge from ground level, the official photographer took the following photo after the liberation of Merville by the British in August 1918. It is taken along the line of the white arrow in the aerial photo above, looking east along the northern bank of the canalised River Lys (La Digue de Flandres):

Merville Railway Bridge by the official photographer after Merville had been liberated by the British in August 1918; Click for larger image. Credit: NLS.

And here, though you wouldn’t guess it, is the view from the same spot in 2018. Not only have the bridge and abutments gone completely, the vegetation has grown up:

Site of Merville Railway Bridge in 2018; Click for larger image. Credit: Andrew Sheard

To get a better sense of how the river looks today at the where the bridge was, here is a long-lens shot taken from further upstream (west, towards St. Venant and Aire-sur-la-Lys) but in the same direction:

Site of Merville Railway Bridge — Telephoto view of the site of Merville Railway Bridge. Click for larger Image. Credit: Andrew Sheard

Looking West

Finally, the following photo from the IWM’s collection shows, in April 1918, the southern abutment of the bridge while it was still intact. It was taken from the opposite bank of the River (La Digue d’Artois), looking west from the opposite side of the bridge. Irish troops of the British Army (7/8 Royal Inniskillings) were defending Merville railway bridge during the Battle of the Lys. (I’m grateful to Charles E. Mac Kay for letting me know the regiment. His great uncle, Lance Corporal Pat Cogan is the stretcher bearer with a moustache and wearing a helmet sitting, facing the camera. Sadly after the picture was taken he was badly wounded and died at Le Cateau military hospital.)

Merville railway bridge, April 1918. — THE GERMAN SPRING OFFENSIVE, MARCH-JULY 1918 (Q 6503) Battle of Hazebrouck. Troops arriving at a railway embankment which they are to defend, Merville, 11 April 1918. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205238437

Again, the view from almost the same place 100 years later is hard to recognise. This photo was taken a few paces back from the 1918 one to give some context: the bridge, abutment, and embankment would have been between the first two lampposts. The view is still west along the southern bank of the Lys (La Digue d’Artois):

The southern bank of the Lys, 2018 — Broadly the same view today, along the southern bank of the Lys (La Digue dArtois). Click for larger image. Credit: Andrew Sheard

Shoots

More details on shoots can be found here:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

17 July 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 17 July 1918 – Back to Shoots

After a couple of weeks on other duties, it’s back to shoots today. Greg observes and directs the fire of 323 Siege Battery RGA on a position just south of Merville station, while simultaneously undertaking some counter-battery patrol work.

Log Book

Date: 17.7.18 
Hour: 9.15-12.30 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: 2526 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 3 hr 15 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: CBP & Shoot. Successful. 4 Coopers. 600 rds SA

Diary

Wednesday July 17^th. C.B.P. & Shoot.  4 Coopers.  Did the shoot, but after about half an hour’s firing for effect, battery started using only one gun.

Up from 9.15 to 12.30.  323 SB.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.2526

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Art Obs 323 S.B. (6” How) on H.B. at K.35.b.78.27.

Hour of Start: 9.15

Hour of Return: 12.30

Remarks: SUCCESSFUL.  Called up 9.38.  K. 9.40 Triangle 9.43. [Triangle Δ means 'wait']  L. 9.55.  G. 9.56.  V. 11.5.  Time G. to V. 1 hr 9 mins.  OBSERVED:  M.O.K.  M.A.3.  3 O.K.  5 Y.  1 Z.  5 A.  8 B.  18 C.  2 D.  9 W.

50 ranging rounds.  3 M.O.K. during B.F.  three hits on house at K.35.b.7.3.  2 pits hit.  Fire at 10.55. and explosion in ranging pit at 11.0.  12.10 sent C.I. (raining).

Shoot by P.  Height 3000’.

MISC INF.  9.30. 4-25 lb bombs dropped K.35.b.4.  All bursts observed.  9.30.  4 E.K.B. S.E. of ESTAIRES.  9.40. fire at L.27.d.1.1. burnt until 10.0.  10.17. explosion at L.7.d.0.2.  11.15 4 E.K.B. N. of ESTAIRES.  11.20. C.W.S. sent X.  11.35. sent U.D.  F.R.  U.L.  Mist.  200 rounds V.G. and 400 L.G. fired into enemy trenches at 1000’.  Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.

The house at K.35.b.7.3 was right next to the hostile battery at K.35.b.78.27, just south of the tracks at Merville Station, so it was not surprising that it was hit several times. And maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for the Germans to position a battery next to the station. After all, it would be bound to attract hostile fire, and the likelihood would be that the station as well as the battery would get knocked about.

Merville from a 1:10,000 trench map dated 16 August 1918. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

For more on shoots, see:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

For more on Counter Battery Patrols/CBPs, see:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

16 July 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 16 July 1918 – On Photos

Today Greg was ‘on photos’ – on photographic duty. But camera trouble means that only a small proportion of the plates exposed were useful.

Log Book

Date: 16.7.18 
Hour: 12.10-1.15 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 5 m 
Height: 6500 
Course/Remarks: Photos.  52 plates exposed, only 19 any good.

Diary

Tuesday July 16^th.  E27.  On photos, took up 54 plates but shutter of camera stuck open after 19^th.  16 of the 19 were serviceable.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson

Duty: Photos.

Hour of Start: 12.10

Hour of Return: 13.15

Remarks: 52 plates exposed over Q.A. Q.B. and R.A.

Height 6500’.

12.40. 3 E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] behind ESTAIRES.  12.45. 5 E.A. [enemy aircraft] over M. square.  A.A. battery firing from approx K.29.c.3.3. [see below]  A.A. active.  Vis. good.  Obs. By P. & O.

Zones QA, QB and RA are all just south or Merville. QA, the westernmost of the three zones, contains the German front line and about 500 yards to the west of it the British front line.

The same view today on Google maps. Much of zone QB is now occupied by Merville-Calonne Airport.

Merville today. Click to go to a zoomable image on Google maps.

The anti-aircraft battery at K.29.c.3.3 is probably feature 51 in zone KD, just underneath the two circles. The site today is in the garden of the rather elegant house at 52 rue de Maréchal Joffre in Merville:

15 July 20185 December 2018

Monday 15 July 1918 – Machine Gun & Kitten

A day of contrasts: Greg does battle with a machine gun post in the morning, and takes a kitten called Snowball up for a test flight later in the day. Then he visits St Omer.

Log Book

Date: 15.7.18 
Hour: 11.45-1.30 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: 2526 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 45 m 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. 4 Cooper bombs. 650 rds Vickers & Lewis

Date: 15.7.18 
Hour: 5.35-6.20 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Hodgson 
Time: 45 m 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: Engine test – Eng OK

Diary

Monday July 15^th.  E27 dud.  C.B.P. 10.30 to 1.30. (Actually 11.45-1.30.)  Eventually took up Martin’s bus as E27 was hopelessly dud.

Managed to find a Hun machine gun firing at us from the ground.

Strafed him pretty badly, but could not make him shut up.  Rotten weather – cloudy & poor visibility.

E27 repaired.  Took her up in the evening for a test with Lt Hodgson as passenger, also kitten Snowball.  Snowball apparently enjoyed the trip but objected to the wind.  Did most of the journey under Hodgson’s coat.

Visited St. Omer.

More details of the patrol, and the location of the machine gun post, are in the Squadron Record Book:

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.2526
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Hodgson
Duty: Artillery Patrol
Hour of Start: 11.45
Hour of Return: 13.30
Remarks: 11.55. 4-25lb bombs dropped on K.36.a.5.6.  All bursts observed, two on the railway.
12.15. C.W.S. sent R.A.  [see map below] R.A. kept under observation, but no flashes seen.  
12.15. sent U.L. U.R. U.D.  [Unfit for counter-battery work, artillery registration or photography]
12.30. explosion at Q.3.c.4.7. S. of the siding.  [see map] 
12.33. one flash seen in Q.B.10.  K.K. sent.  No more flashes seen at this place.  
13.10. C.W.S. sent X.  250 rounds V.G. fired into trenches round CALONNE. [see map] 300 rounds L.G. into trenches and back areas, and 100 rounds L.G. at active M.G. post at K.26.c.6.4.  [see maps] 
Height 12/1800’.  E.A. nil.  A.A. normal.  Vis. poor to fair.  Obs. P. & O.

Merville and surroundings. 1:40,000 scale in original. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Here is a larger scale map showing the position of the machine gun post at K.26.c.6.4, which is right on the German front line. The British front line is about 250 yards away.

Extract from 1:20,000 map, enlarged. Each numbered square is 1,000 yds. German positions/works in red; British in blue. Machine gun position marked. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Nothing more is recorded either of Kitten Snowball or of Greg’s visit to St Omer that evening.

14 July 20185 December 2018

Sunday 14 July 1918 – Lighthouse & Flaming Onions

Two unusual sights reward Greg for his 3 am start for a dawn patrol: a flashing lighthouse (yes, really) and the rather more dangerous ‘flaming onions’.

Log Book

Date: 14.7.18 
Hour: 3.15-6.00 
Machine type: RE8 
RE8: E27 
Observer: Lt. Pring 
Time: 2 hrs 45 m 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks: Dawn Patrol. 2 Parachute flares. 4 Coopers.

Diary

Sunday July 14^th.  Dawn patrol 3pm – 6pm [sic; am intended].

Took off in dark with 4 Coopers and two parachute flares.

Found a hun lighthouse flashing O. South of Bac St. Maur.

Dropped the four bombs and pushed the two flares down the launching tube.

The first flare dropped straight through the tube & did not light; the second flare exploded with a flash like lightning & then hung in the air & fizzled away like a Roman candle.  Rather a washout; did not light up the ground at all. 

Saw a barge on the river and also about half a dozen transport on the road.

So the parachute flares were something of a failure. There’s more on the lighthouse in the Squadron Record Book, which also reports the flaming onions which, curiously, Greg didn’t mention in his diary.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Dawn Reconn.

Hour of Start: 3.0

Hour of Return: 6.0

Remarks: 
3.20 4-25lb bombs dropped on crossroads at L.26.central.  All bursts observed. 
3.25 2 Parachute Flares dropped behind MERVILLE.  Only one lighted, and 100 rounds L.G. fired into houses in K.35.b. [see map for this and other references] from 2000’.  
3.30 fire in buildings at K.36.a.4.4.  
3.20 to 4.0 large single orange light, probably lighthouse, on hill S. of BAC ST MAUR flashing letter O. at intervals of about 5 seconds.  Seen from ESTAIRES. [see below] 
4.0 train in Station N. of LAVENTIE.  
4.0 barge stationary on river at G.21.d.7.4.  
4.5 sent F.D. to C.W.S.  [Sent the weather message 'Fit for Photography' to Central Wireless Station]
4.20 seven lorries parked on road at L.30.a.8.8.  
4.25 sent K.K. [Flashes seen]  2 flashes seen along road in M.2.a.  
4.40 called C.W.S.  No answer.  
4.50 one more flash in M.2.a.  Sent K.K.  
4.55 1 E.K.B. [enemy kite balloon] N. of ESTAIRES.  
5.10 C.W.S. sent X.  
5.25 1 E.K.B. S. of ESTAIRES.  
5.45 C.W.S. sent X.  A.A. normal.  
5.40 300 rounds L.G. and 100 V.G. fired into trenches N. & S. of CALONNE from 1700’.  
3.35 flaming onions seen about L.3. [See below]

Vis. good.  Obs. By P. & O.

Merville and district map extract showing locations in record entry. Click for larger image. Credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital

Lighthouse on Hill South of Bac St Maur

Can this really be plausible? A lighthouse at Bac St Maur on the River Lys? Well, yes, quite plausible. But it wouldn’t have been anything to do with river traffic: it would have been an aerial lighthouse. Both sides in the First World War used them to guide aircraft returning from missions. According to the informative ‘Aerial Lighthouses‘ page on Mr Mycetes‘ website, something of a network of them grew up after the war as commercial air traffic became more common. But they were largely dismantled at the beginning of the Second World War. Afterwards they were never rebuilt, as radio and radar had taken their place.

Actually, the more difficult thing to understand is the reference to the lighthouse being on a hill south of Bac St Maur. It’s pretty flat land round there. The River Lys at Bac St Maur is 14 m above sea level, and going south from there the nearest high ground is near Aubers, where the 40 m contour line runs. Aubers is about 5 miles (8km) to the south. Greg saw the lighthouse from Estaires, almost 4 miles (6½ km) WSW of Bac St Maur. So it seems is reasonable to think in terms of distances on this scale for the location of the lighthouse. Near Aubers has to be a good candidate for where it was.

Flaming Onions

The War History Online website explains flaming onions as follows:

What it actually was, was a 37 mm revolving-barrel anti-aircraft gun used by the Germans. From a technical standpoint, it was a Gatling type, smooth bore, short barreled automatic revolver. Nicknamed a ‘lichtspucker’ (light spitter), it was designed to shot flares at low velocity in rapid sequence across a battle area. The gun had five barrels and had capabilities of launching 37 mm artillery shells five thousand feet. To help maximize chances of connecting with a target, all five rounds were discharged as rapidly as possible, thus producing the “flaming onion” visual and effect. Anti-aircraft artillery of the time fired very slowly. Because the flaming onion fired rapidly, many pilots thought the rounds were attached to a string and feared being shredded by it in the process. Not designed for anti-aircraft use, the weapon did not have purpose-designed ammunition, however, the flares would have been dangerous to fabric-covered aircraft.

Another variety of peril to be faced.

13 July 20185 December 2018

Saturday 13 July 1918 – Just Missed by a Shell

A couple of short Counter Battery/Artillery Patrols today, but Greg’s verdict was “nothing much doing”. Apart from a close encounter with a passing shell, that is.

Log Book

Date: 13.7.18 
Hour: 8.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 40 mins 
Height: 1800 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Nothing much doing

Date: 13.7.18 
Hour: 9.55 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: 4962 [sic, probably 2649 intended]
Passenger: Lt Hodgson 
Time: 1 hr 5 m 
Height: 1800 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Nothing much doing

Diary

Saturday July 13^th 1918. CBP 8-11

8.30-9.10 & 9.55-11.0

Nothing much doing.  Got one fearful bump, machine did a half roll, out of control for a few seconds,

Our artillery very active so pressure bump due to a passing shell.  Height 1800 ft.

As the following extract from the Squadron Record Book shows, at 1800 ft Greg was flying just below the cloud base at 2000 ft. This is at the low end of the heights flown for counter battery work (more typically 3000 ft or above), and well below the 5000 or 6000 ft flown when directing artillery fire in a shoot. At 1800 ft, it could easily have been a passing howitzer shell from a British battery that passed close by the aircraft – possibly one being fired at sub-square K.36.c, south of Merville – see below.

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 8.30am

Hour of Return: 9.40am

Remarks: 
8.40am C.W.S. sent X. 8.45am sent U.L. F.R. U.D. C.20. [Unfit for counter battery work or photography; fit for registration of artillery; clouds at 2000 ft]
8.45am fire at FARM at K.16.b.7.4 [Rennet Farm, north of Merville] burnt for over an hour.

Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.

Type and Number: R.E.8.2649

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt  Hodgson

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 9.55am

Hour of Return: 11.0am

Remarks: 
10.25am C.W.S. sent K.35 [south of Merville]. Went over to reconnoitre this square.  Flash seen in K.36.c. [also south of Merville] but as this area was being heavily shelled no N.F. [now firing] sent.  
10.15am smoke seen on railway near BAC ST MAUR, suspected train.  Owing to vis, unable to find out which way it was proceeding.

Vis. fair. Obs. By P. & O.

Merville and Rennet Farm on an extract of a 1:20,000 map dated 23 June 1918. German trenches and other works in red. Each numbered square is 1,000 yards. Map credit: IWM/TNA/GreatWarDigital.

10 July 20185 December 2018

Wednesday 10 July 1918 – Shadows over Target

An aviator’s life on the Western Front in 1918 was bedevilled by two factors – in addition to the small matter of the enemy, that is. They were mechanical unreliability (of armaments, engines and other equipment) and the weather. Today, Greg’s engine was better than it was yesterday, but it was another day for the weather to assert itself, as a Counter Battery Patrol evolved into a Shoot. Even fair weather can cause problems, in the form of shadows over the target, and that was before the rainstorm approached.

Log Book

Date: 10.7.18 
Hour: 3.40 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 1 hr 45 
Height: 5000 
Course/Remarks: CBP & shoot with 14 SB. Successful.  Rainstorm.  Eng better.

Diary

Wednesday July 10^th. CBP at 5.30pm (1hr 45 m). 5000 ft.

Took up a shoot with 14 Siege Battery (6” Hows).

Shoot successful.  Large number of W’s owing to clouds throwing shadows over target.

Archie pretty hot, unable to go over target.

Engine running better.

Two bombs dropped.

Target at L.20.a

So weather-related problems are not confined to bad weather as such: shadows from clouds over the target meant that a large number of the battery’s rounds were unobserved – hence the ‘W’, for washout. And then came a rainstorm…

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Art Obs 14 S.B. (6” How) on L.C.21. [northeast of Merville; see below]

Hour of Start: 5.40pm

Hour of Return: 7.25pm

Remarks:

SUCCESSFUL. Called up 5.48pm.  K. 5.50.  L. 5.55.  G. 5.58.  V. 6.45.  Time G. to V. 45 mins.

OBSERVED:- M.C.3.  M.C.5.  1 O.K.  1 Y.  8 A.  11 B.  4 C.  1 D.  11 W.  37 ranging rounds.  M.O.K. sent during B.F.  One direct hit on ranging pit which was badly damaged.  No 1 Pit believed damaged but owing to A.A. could not properly inspect target.  Shoot by P.  Height 5000’.

MISC INF. 5.56pm 2-25lb bombs dropped at K.28.c.5.3.  Both bursts observed.  7.5pm sent C.I. [going home] owing to approaching storm. A.A. active.  Vis. good but shadowy.
Obs. By P. & O.

Successful Shoot, Despite Shadows over Target

This was Greg’s second shoot with 14 Siege Battery. This link is to the post that recounts the first, which was just over a week ago on 2 July:

Tuesday 2 July 1918 – Shoot with 14SB

The ‘G to V’ time – the time taken to range the howitzers – was 45 minutes, down from 1 hr 20 mins last time, which will have pleased Greg, the Squadron Commander and the Battery Commander. Eleven ‘washouts’ – unobserved shells – wasn’t so good, but explained by the shadows from the clouds.

Target LC 21 was in the 500 yard square L.20.a, northeast of Merville, but Greg dropped his two bombs on the other side of town. He dropped them on the Rue d’Aire going west out towards Haverskerque. The time was 5.56pm, just as he was about to begin ranging the guns (‘G’ – the ‘fire’ signal – was at 5:58pm). The battery itself was probably located a mile or two further west, near Haverskerque.

1:20,000 map of Merville dated 22 May 1918. Numbered squares are 1,000 yards across. Red markings are German trenches, tramways and other works.

One hundred years after Greg bombed the Rue d’Aire, I drove along it. I can report that the road has been repaired.

For more details on how a shoot operated, see this page:

Observation of Artillery Fire – A Shoot

To see how zone numbers such as LC 21 were allocated to targets, see “Assigning a Zone Number to the Target” on this page:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

9 July 20185 December 2018

Tuesday 9 July 1918 – Nothing Doing…Well, Almost

Down for a Counter Battery Patrol, but not such an busy day today on account of the weather. Greg’s diary verdict was “absolutely nothing doing”, but his sortie involved bombing Greve Farm and a couple of shoot-ups. His threshold of what constituted “something” had obviously risen.

Log Book

Date: 9.7.18 
Hour: 7.15 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Passenger: Lt Pring 
Time: 1 hr 30 mins 
Height: 7000 
Course/Remarks: CBP. Low clouds at first.  Nothing doing.  Eng. missing

Trouble with the engine again.

Diary

Tuesday July 9^th 1918. CBP 5.30-8.30.

Got off at 7.15 owing to low clouds.  Came down at 8.45 – absolutely nothing doing.

Went and had a look at the Hun battery I did a shoot on.  Seemed to have been very badly knocked about. 4 bombs.

Unfortunately there are no photographs of the badly knocked about Hun battery, the reconnaissance of which didn’t merit an mention in the Squadron Record Book Report:

Squadron Record Book

Type and Number: R.E.8.27

Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory. O. Lt Pring

Duty: Artillery Patrol

Hour of Start: 7.15am

Hour of Return: 8.45am

Remarks: 
7.35am 4-25lb bombs dropped for farm at K.24.d.4.7. [Greve Farm, just on the northeast edge of Merville] 4 bursts observed, 1 on road at K.24.d.3.8 [behind the farm]. 

7.45am called C.W.S.  X out.

7.45am sent U.L.  F.R.  U.D. [Unfit for counter-battery work or photography, but fit for artillery registration]

7.55am 200 rounds L.G. into Goods Station at MERVILLE

8.10am called C.W.S.  X out.

8.25am 100 rounds L.G. [Lewis Gun] into CALONNE.  No movement of any kind seen.  No E.A. or A.A. [Enemy aircraft or anti-aircraft fire] Vis: low clouds at first, fair later.  Obs. by P. & O.

Greve Farm

Greve Farm lies on the edge of Merville on Rue Ferdinand Capelle, which goes northeast towards Neuf Berquin. Here is the farm today: