FlyPast – August 2018

machines that had not already
been blown away.
Next morning we found
that four Henri Farmans of 5
Squadron had been blown over
and completely wrecked. For
several days I was employed on
dismantling the wreckage and
salvaging serviceable parts. It
was a saddening job, for all those
machines had done sterling
service in the war up to that date.
Our unit was not, of course,
the only squadron to suffer.
The Henri Farmans with their
extended top wings seem to have
caught it rather badly, but BEs
and monoplane Blériots were also
damaged. There must have been
40 aeroplanes on the landing
ground at the time and I have
heard it said that no more than ten
were fit to fly the next morning.
On September 19 considerable
numbers of French cavalry went
by, followed in the next few days by
troops of all arms. Although we did
not know it at the time, they were
going up to the line to relieve the
BEF so that it could move up north
to protect the Channel ports.
Most of the French infantry were
dressed in bright red trousers.
These might have been useful in
camouflaging bloodstains
in the

days of short-ranged muskets, but

made them far too conspicuous to

an enemy armed with long-range

rifles. Our khaki looked much

more suitable by comparison.

We had another casualty at Fère.

On October 7 Captain Robin Grey

of the Warwickshire (Territorial)

Royal Horse Artillery, CO of ‘B’

Flight, failed to return from a

reconnaissance. We heard later

that the engine of his Avro [638]

failed and he and his observer,

Captain Boger, were captured.

On the 7th, at about 3.50pm,

the transport moved off

from Fère-en-Tardenois en

route to Abbeville and then

Flanders where the BEF was

to remain for the remainder

of the war. Our part in

the retreat from Mons

was over.

The art of reconnaissance

A signed and tattered report, written by observer Lt Charles Bayly was

salvaged from the wreck of a 5 Squadron Avro 504 when it was brought

down by rifl e fi re on August 22, 1914. Commencing at 10.16 hours, it mentions

sightings of enemy baggage wagons, vehicles, horse teams and companies

of troops.

The crew of Avro 390, 2nd Lt Vincent Waterfall and Bayly, were both killed.

They were buried by Belgian civilians.

Lt Charles Bayly. VIA G S LESLIE Second Lt Vincent Waterfall. VIA G S LESLIE

Lt Bayly’s report. 5 SQUADRON RECORDS

Sgt Major David Jillings of 2 Squadron, the

RFC’s fi rst casualty. RAF COLLEGE

August 2018 FLYPAST 43