sandbags Archives - Greg's War

30 December 201829 December 2018

Monday 30 December 1918 – 42 Sqn Moves to Abscon

42 Squadron RAF were on the move for the last time before both the Squadron and Greg returned to the UK. Today, as part of the move, Greg flew RE8 2872 from Saultain to Abscon Aerodrome, accompanied by sandbags in the observer’s compartment. It was to be his penultimate flight.

Log Book

Date: Dec 30^th 
Machine Type: RE8 
RE8: 2872 
Observer: Sandbags 
Time: 15 min 
Height: 2000 
Course/Remarks: Travelling to Abscon

42 Squadron Moves to Abscon Aerodrome

In their last move on the Western Front, 42 Squadron relocated 12 miles (19km) west from Valenciennes, broadly in the direction of Arras.

Route from Saultain Aerodrome to Abscon Aerodrome on a modern map (courtesy Google). — Saultain to Abscon on a modern map (courtesy Google). Click map for a larger image, or click here to go to Google maps.

So now they were back west of the River Scheldt (Escaut).

The aerodrome occupied a triangular site on the southern edge of the small town of Abscon.

Abscon Aerodrome location on Google Maps satellite view. Click map for a larger image, or click here to go to Google maps.

From 1914 it was a German airfield. But had been in Allied hands since its liberation by Canadian forces on 18 October 1918. This was the day after the liberation of Lille. The first RAF occupants were 19 Squadron (Dolphins), who moved in on 24 October 1918 and were still there when 42 Squadron arrived. So it is possible that the previously discussed photograph of a Sopwith Dolphin in Greg’s collection was taken when 19 and 42 Squadrons shared Abscon as a home:

Monday 23 September 1918 – Sopwith Dolphin

98 Squadron (DH.9s) arrived shortly after 19 Squadron had taken up residence, but left a few days before 42 Squadron arrived.

Thanks to Anciens Aerodromes for the squadron information.

Today, the former aerodrome at Abscon is partly a housing development, and partly farmland.

Abscon

Abscon itself was a small mining town, with various other industrial activities (including a sugar refinery and a glassworks, according to French Wikipedia). Just before the outbreak of the First World War the population was a little over 3,000. Today it is about 4,500.

2 December 201829 November 2018

Monday 2 December 1918 – Parades

Two aircraft from B Flight, 42 Squadron, were in the air today. But the main activity was a couple of parades.

B Flight Orders

             B Flight 2/12/18

0900 Parade
For Officers only, outside B & C Flts.
CHATEAU
Dress. Drill Order. Gumboots, shoes & stockings drill not be worn.

Flying Orders
(2517) 0930 Lt McDERMONT & Sandbags.   Practice message dropping.
(2707) 0930 Lt SEWELL    Lt MULHOLLAND Zone calls

MEN’S CHURCH PARADE
10.30 Lt SCARTERFIELD is detailed to take charge of B Flight.

          C.E. Gregory, Lt
          O.C. B Flight

Parade for Officers

The weather was evidently still bad. Gumboots compulsory, and shoes and stockings forbidden. But the reason for the parade wasn’t specified.

Flying Orders

Practice message dropping and zone calls: some of the skills of war still being practised. It is a while since zone calls were mentioned on these pages:

Counter Battery Patrols and Zone Calls

Men’s Church Parade

It is a bit of a mystery why the men should have been on a church parade on a Monday. It is not as if it was a major saint’s day. The Catholic church recognises 2 December as the feast day of a little known 4th century Roman martyr, Saint Bibiana (or, variously, Viviana, Vivian, or Vibiana). But that seems an unlikely reason for a Monday church service for the air force of a country whose established church was protestant.

Perhaps it was just a question of helping to fill the men’s day. And maybe that explains what the officers were doing too.

13 October 201810 October 2018

Sunday 13 October 1918 – 42 Squadron RAF Moves to Chocques

Today Greg has a one-way flight, with sandbags for company, as 42 Squadron RAF makes the move to Chocques.

Log Book

Date: 13.10.18 
Time Out: 11.45 
Rounds Fired – Lewis: - 
Rounds Fired – Vickers: - 
Bombs: - 
Time on RE8s:  169 hrs 30 mins 
RE8: 6740 
Observer: Sandbags 
War Flying: 0 hrs 15 mins 
Height: 3000 
Course/Remarks:  Travelling flight to Chocques.

Squadron Record Book

Squadron Record Book. Click for larger image.

Type and Number: R.E.8. 6740
Pilot and Observer: P. Lt Gregory.  
Duty: Travelling Flight
Hour of Start: 1220
Hour of Return: 1235
Remarks: Travelling from RELY aerodrome.

Move to Chocques

The air above Lillers would have been abuzz with the noise of a squadron of RE8s moving the 10½ miles (17 km) ESE from Rely to Chocques:

42 Squadron’s move east from Rely to Chocques shown on a modern map (courtesy Google). Click for a larger, zoomable map (opens in new tab)

As well as moving east, they also went downhill. Rely Aerodrome, in the Artesian hills southwest of Aire-sur-la-Lys, was just on the 100m contour mark. Chocques Aerodrome was just on the southern edge of the Lys Valley – elevation 20m, about 3m higher than Merville. Interestingly, the contours on the trench maps (1:10,000, 1:20,000 and 1:40,000) were all in metres, even though the grid squares were resolutely in yards.

The location of the aerodrome at Chocques was the subject of the post for Friday 11 October 1918.

For the old hands in the squadron – few as they may have been – there must have been a sense of being back in old haunts. 42 Squadron RFC, as it then was, had moved here on 22 March 1918:

Friday 22 March 1918 – 42 Squadron RFC Moves to Chocques

Chocques had been the squadron’s first base in the Lys Sector, and its first operational base since it had moved to France from Italy the week before. After only 18 days, it was driven west to Trèzennes and then Rely in the Spring Offensives:

The Spring Offensives

But now the tide was flowing the other way, and the move to Chocques was part of the Allies’ final offensive. Moving back to their old base must have been a source of some satisfaction for the officers and men of 42 Squadron RAF, including Greg. Though maybe not for his unresponsive companion Lt Sandbags (see here under ‘Crew’).

12 June 201810 October 2018

Wednesday 12 June 1918 – Rigging Test

After yesterday’s adventures, today is a quiet day for Greg with just short flight for a rigging test on E27, which has had its undercarriage repaired overnight:

Log Book

Date: 12.6.18 
Hour: 7.45 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: E27 
Observer: – 
Time: 15 min 
Height: 1000 
Course:  Aerodrome 
Remarks: Rigging test. OK.

Diary

Wednesday June 12^th.  E27. Took up E27 for a rigging test.  Rigging OK, Engine rough. Good landing.

Despite a rough engine, a good landing – which must have been a relief after yesterday.

No observer or other passenger was specified, so this was probably a sandbags flight, as explained under ‘Crew’ here:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

Header image: a brick and stone farm building on the rue de Liettres by the site of the First World War airfield in Rely must have looked much the same 100 years ago.

3 June 201821 December 2018

Monday 3 June 1918 – Arrived at 42 Sqn at Rely

After his long journey and spending the night in a railway truck in Aire-sur-la-Lys, Greg finally made it in the morning to his squadron – No. 42 Squadron RAF, Major H. J. F. Hunter, M.C., commanding – at Rely Aerodrome. He had a first, short flight with the squadron that afternoon.

Diary

Monday June 3^rd 1918.  Phoned up to 42 Squadron for tender.

Managed to find an Hotel with someone in, where we had breakfast.

Arrived Squadron (at Rely, nr Estrée Blanche, west of Merville) about 9.30am.  Posted to B flight. (Merville – midway between Ypres & Arras.)

[Side note] Squadron about midway between Ypres & Arras.  Front includes Eastern edge of Forest of Nieppe & down to where the line cuts the La Bassée canal north of Béthune.

Log Book

Date: 3.6.18 
Hour: 1.30 
Machine type: RE8 
No.: - 
Passenger: Sandbag flight 
Time: 10 min 
Height: 1500 
Course: Aerodrome 
Remarks: Good landing

Rely Aerodrome

So began Greg’s time at Rely, where he was to spend several months. Rely is a small village set amongst farmland on the gently rising ground to the west and south of the Lys. It is about 31 miles (50 km) WSW of Lille. If the name seems familiar to British travellers to France today, it is probably because the Aire de Rely is the first eastbound service area on the A26 autoroute (L’Autoroute des Anglais) from Calais.

Rely, Merville and Lille map — Rely, Merville and Lille on a modern map (courtesy Google). Click for a larger, zoomable map (opens in new tab).

The First World War aerodrome at Rely was at 50°34’44” N 2°21’4″E (hat-tip to Anciens Aerodromes) , which places it on the Rue de Liettres, NW of the village centre just on the 100 m contour line. The site looks like this in Google Street View today:

RE8 E102

As it happens, today was the day that the Squadron’s daily orders recorded that the RE8 aircraft with the serial number E102, which was to be allocated to Greg the following day, was officially transferred to the strength of the squadron:

E102 had come from No 1 Aero Supply Depot. Following the Spring Offensives on 15th April No 1 ASD and its repair section moved from St Omer to Marquise, 8 miles (13 km) NE of Boulogne – http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/121124-northern-area-repair-depot/.

The Front Line

The sector of the front line on which 42 Sqn was working ran, as Greg notes, from the east of the Nieppe Forest (just west of Merville) to the La Bassée canal near Béthune:

Front Line near Merville map — The Front Line near Merville, from Gen. Haig’s despatches. Image credit: IWM/GreatWarDigital

Most of the action that Greg saw would be in the north of this sector, near Merville.

Sandbag Flight

As Greg had no observer or passenger with him on his first short flight, he had to carry sandbags to ensure that the aeroplane was properly balanced, as explained here, under the heading “Crew”:

The Royal Aircraft Factory RE8

So now he was ready for whatever the next day would bring.

Header image: site of First World War Rely Airfield, from Google Street View.