Camel in Italy

[AGO]

Hi all, Could anybody tell me** who was the pilot of this a/c? Thanks in advance. AGO

The pic is to small. Can you give the tail number? The 'dumbell' insignia was that of the 17th Aero, an American unit assigned and supplied by the British, but was also used by a British squadron at sometime, I believe. Italy--I dunno!

Regards,
Steve

Is this not the replica? http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft...ith_camel.html

VBR

The units that used the dumbbell insignia are:
17th US Aero
28 Squadron RAF (Italy until Sept '18)
66 Sq. RAF (Italy) This was to confuse Italian intel into think that 28 was still at the front.
210 Squadron RAF (Naval unit) Begining 1 Nov 18

The tail number is key. Read that and I'll be able to find the pilot.....

-Mike

[AGO]

Steve,Michael and Ro§bud, many thanks for your help.I am interested in this Camel and its pilot because it could be involved in a particular episode I've found informations about.The aircraft should be from 66 or 28 RAF (RFC) but nore I can read its tail number (I'll try to contact the original photo owner).In every case this photo come from the collection below:

http://web.tiscalinet.it/infonetservice/primaguerra.htm

Best regards,

AGO

[Graeme]

As far as I know, 28 Sqn never used the dumb-bell marking on its Camels, only the white square (from October 1917 to the end of the war).

It is also possible that the photo shows one of 66 Sqn's machines "disguised" as 45 Sqn Camel after that unit had left for France - the 66 Sqn Camels painted with the dumb-bell had the letter painted forward of the fuselage roundel as 45 Sqn had done. "Billy" Barker's B6313 was also coded "N" but I've never seen a photo of it with a dumb-bell marking. Since this machine survived until late September 1918 and there would not have been another machine with the same flight letter on charge at the same time, I reckon we're looking at a 45 Sqn Camel.

A line up of 45 Sqn Camels appears in "The Camel File" p 37 and shows B3929 "L", B5158 "M" and B2494 "S" at Istrana in January 1918. "Bunny" Vaucour claimed a victory on 27 Feb 1918 in B6354 that was coded "N".

To be certain, we need to figure out the serial number on the fin.

[AGO]

Graeme,
I've just sent an email to ask for a better copy of the image.I hope they'll be so generous to help as you have already been.
VBR
AGO