Indian head dress insignia on fuselage

[charles]

The first picture, care of the Peter Grosz collection, is of Fok. D.VII (Alb.) 6746/18. The arrow points to an aircraft in the background, shown enlarged in the second picture. I think this is a Spad and that the fuselage insignia is an Indian headdress insignia representing a US squadron. Who can identify the US squadron and at what aerodrome this picture, therefore, was taken ?

[Rod_Filan]

Is this a trick question? Ok.. I'll take a stab.
If one was assume that this is a German aerodrome this could be Harold Willis' 103rd Aero SPAD (shot down and captured behind German lines, Aug. 18, 1917).

Honestly my guess would be a 103rd S.VII.

VBR
Rod

[Rick]

Rod,

Way ourside my knowledge base, but probably not in Aug17, not with a D.VII with a more-or-less late S/N sitting there. (Unless they kept the Spad around for a l-o-n-g time). However, I also believe 103rd Sqn. Lets check Aug18-EOW?? Better yet, let's let Greg VW answer the question!! R.

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Charles:
My bet that it is a post war photograph taken at the airfield of the 103 Aero Squadron. The Germans did not have Bessenoux canvas hangars. The Fokker D.VII(Alb) 6746/18 was built after September 1918.
Bluer skies ahead,
Dan-San

[Rod_Filan]

You're absolutely correct about the Willis remark Rick. I was just being facetious.

I'm quite sure Dan is correct in his conclusion; the state of the Fokker, the Fokker itself, the hangers and the source of the photo would make me think this is an American aerodrome with a Spad parked in the background near some trees.

Just havin some fun with 'Old Charles'.

VBR
Rod

[charles]

Ok. *At this point we've got a Fokker D. VII in service sometime after Sept., 1918, sitting on a 103rd Squadron field. *Two follow-ups:

1. do you think this Fokker D.VII was (a) captured by 103 or (B) simply given it after the war to play around with?

2. what 103 airfield is this likely to be?

Another photo below of 6746, the only other that I have and also from Pete Grosz. *Looks to be in wintertime with an american serviceman on the left, perhaps.

[Gregvan]

Charles,

My 1 cent's worth: I cannot immediately say what airfield the 103rd occupied at the end of the war. However, I feel it is highly likely that this D.VII was one of many handed over to the Americans after the armistice and not a 'captured' aircraft. As Dan says, it was delivered quite late, and it bears no individual or Jasta markings (not that that's a definite hallmark, but another clue). Many US Squadrons received interned D.VIIs after the war, and it seems many American pilots wanted a chance to fly the Fokkers.

I'll keep looking.

Greg VanWyngarden