RFC/AFC Squadron Establishments

Studying War Diaries of 2 & 4 Sqns AFC I have noticed something interesting. 2 Sqn (DH5s & SE5As) was established with 3 flights of 6 aircraft plus 1 spare (19 aircraft). 4 Sqn (Camels & Snipes) had 3 flights of 8 plus 3? spares (27 aircraft).

Is this standard ie. did all SE5A sqns have this smaller establishment and/or did all Camel sqns have the larger establishment? Why?

Gordon,

This is from High Adventure ( pg73 ), Cobby writing about June 1918 :

"We had always maintained a high degree of servicability with our aircraft. But the average daily serviceability at dawn each morning was 24.2 and this out of a total of 25. This was unusually high .... <snip> ..... No other Camel squadron got within two or three of our daily average. Furthur with 25 machines we averaged 47 hrs, 7.5 mins per day in the air, and one of them, the CO's machine was not a regular performer...... <snip> .... although this month was outstanding in these respects, it did not exceed the normal month by much."

Doesnt really answer your question though but sort of points to most Camel squadrons having roughly 25 aircraft.

I remember reading too, that 4 AFC looked after a couple of extra aircraft including Col Stranges while they were in 80 Wing. But unfortunately I cant find where I read it.





cam


Australian Flying Corps Website : http://members.xoom.com/_XOOM/PointCook/in...htm

Branch: American pursuit squadrons in France had a T.O. that called for three flights of six planes each + one for the squadron C.O. In 1918 the T.O. was increased to 24 planes + 1 for the C.O., but the Air Service did not increase the number of pilots: the extra planes were used as spares. Note that the Americans followed the English system of three flights of six planes, but there were variations. Bomber squadrons had a TO of ten planes which operated as a single flight. Billy H/EOM/10/13/99.