40 FLYPAST August 2018
OVER THE TRENCHES MONS
Noel. Jillings was awarded one
of the first Military Crosses and
survived the war.]
Later in the day we heard that
one of 5’s aeroplanes [Avro
504, 390.] had failed to return
from a reconnaissance. Some
considerable time after, we
learned that the occupants, Lt
Charles G Bayly, Royal Engineers
and 2nd Lt V Waterfall, East
Yorkshire Regiment, had
descended to about 2,000ft
[609m] to better reconnoitre
German troop movements and had
been shot down by concentrated
rifle fire (see panel on page 43).
They were reverently buried by
Belgian peasants.
On Sunday 23rd we could hear
heavy gunfire all day. It was obvious
that British and German forces had
clashed but how things were going
we had no idea. We now know that
no one expected the main German
thrust to be through Belgium,
therefore coming against the British
Expeditionary Force [BEF].
The fact that the BEF was not
surrounded and annihilated by
sheer weight of numbers and
materiel was a miracle for which
the flying personnel of the RFC can
claim a fair share of credit. Their
reconnaissance first showed the
strength of the German forces and
the attempts made by the enemy
to outflank the BEF.
Retreat
Early on August 24, we were
ordered to get ready to move.
We left Maubeuge that Monday
morning for an unknown
destination. The retreat from
Mons had begun. [The British were
forced back by greater German
numbers and a sudden French
withdrawal, although the enemy
had suffered disproportionately
high casualties. There were just
over 1,600 British casualties;
German numbers are estimated
to be as high as 5,000]. I have an
idea that we, being more mobile
than many of the other forces,
were sometimes diverted to minor
roads, leaving the more direct ones
for frontline forces.
We arrived at Le Cateau
[southeast of Cambrai] at about
4.30pm and found our machines.Then followed several hours of
intense work to get them filled up
and serviceable. The transport,
myself included, left again at 9pm
and arrived at Saint-Quentin at
about 3am.
I was one of a group who partly
cleared a cornfield of newly
cut sheaves for the purpose of
making a landing ground for the
aeroplanes. These came in soon
afterwards and, owing to the small
size of the landing ground, had to
be shepherded into place quickly
and packed tightly. Major [Robert]
Brooke-Popham, CO of 3 Squadron,
was noted for his mildness of
temper. I was therefore surprised
when he looked up at a machinepreparing to land and said to me in
a loud voice: “I wonder where this
******* fool thinks he is coming!”
We left Saint-Quentin at 3pm on
the 26th and arrived at La Fère
[south of Saint-Quentin] about
8pm. Next morning we were
suddenly called upon to prepare
defences and we made a post for a
Lewis machine gun. We understood
that there were German Uhlans
[light cavalry] about.
All non-commissioned officers
and men of the RFC were issuedwe had no idea. We now know that
no one expected the main German
thrust to be through Belgium,
morning for an unknown
destination. The retreat fromThen followed several hours of
intense work to get them filled up“The fact that the BEF was not surrounded and annihilated by sheer weight of
numbers and materiel was a miracle for which the fl ying personnel of the RFC
can claim a fair share of credit”
Leyland lorries provided much of the
transport for 5 Squadron. 3 SQUADRON RECORDSAbove
Engine failure forced Avro 638 to land behind
enemy lines on October 7, with the capture of
Captains Grey and Boger. G S LESLIE