Hello and Help

nsmedic1 · 27 May 2008, 05:53 AM

Hi guys, I just found your site while searching for help. It's a great site. What I need help with is my grandfather flew a Se5A in WW1 with a Capt Soden and Capt. Shields for 41 squad, and although I have some of his flight records I have no description of the plane he flew ( as in colors etc), so I am looking for as much information as I can find about the plane. I wish to build a plastic model kit of the SE5A and diplay it with my grandfathers medals and his picture. Can anyone help? Any by the way hello from Cape Breton Nova Scotia.

YavorD · 27 May 2008, 06:04 AM

Welcome to The Aerodrome, nsmedic1!

I am not able to answer your questions, but there is a good chance your grandfathers plane will be identified by someone.
If the answer does not come within a day or so, it will be a good idea to post specific questions to a more popular thread, e.g.

The Aerodrome Forum > WWI Aviation > People

Good luck,
Yavor

TomVrille · 27 May 2008, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsmedic1

What I need help with is my grandfather flew a Se5A in WW1 with a Capt Soden and Capt. Shields for 41 squad, and although I have some of his flight records I have no description of the plane he flew ( as in colors etc), so I am looking for as much information as I can find about the plane. ... Can anyone help? Any by the way hello from Cape Breton Nova Scotia.

Hi up there in Cape Breton!

If you can post your grandfather's name, we can easily determine the serial number of his SE5a, and perhaps locate a photograph of the machine. Colors and squadron markings can then be determined.

Also by the way, welcome to The Aerodrome.

nsmedic1 · 27 May 2008, 06:33 AM

My grandfather was 2Lt Sydney Baird Taylor and he flew with #41 Sqn RAF and the only records I have are from Oct 22 1918 to Nov 24 1918 the others are missing. He flew with Capt. Soden, Capt. Shields and Capt. Stephens. and a Lt. McLeod. Those are the only names I have. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
nsmedic1

AZ Aviator · 27 May 2008, 11:36 AM

Hi nsmedic1,
2/Lt. Sydney Taylor was posted to 41 Squadron on 26 September 1918, one of three pilots assigned that day. They were replacement pilots for 2/Lt. D.A. Neville, KIA 22 September 1918, Capt. C. Crawford, shot down and made POW on 24 September, and Lt. W.E. Huxtable, sent to Home Establishment on 25 September. Your best source of information may be Over The Front (OTF), Vol. 2, No. 4, Winter 1987, an article titled A Brief History of No. 41 Squadron, RFC/RAF, by Ola A. Slater, Paul Chamberlain and Frank W. Bailey.

You had mentioned Soden, the 'A' Flight Commander and 27 victory ace, and Shields, the 'C' Flight Commander and 24 victory ace. Do you know whether or not S.B. Taylor flew with either Soden or Shields' flights? Or perhaps he may have flown with Capt. Eric John Stephens, 'B' Flight Commander and a 13 victory ace. It doesn't appear that Taylor had any victory claims, which isn't unusual, given that the flight commanders and the squadron commander accounted for 61% (27 of 44) of all victories credited to the squadron from 3 September through 11 November 1918. Six of the remaining 17 victories were scored by Lt. MacLeod, Deputy Flight Commander of 'C' Flight, and the remaining 11 victories were scored by 9 pilots. The caveat, however, is that 5 of those 9 pilots were later shot down (4 being made POW).

If you have some good documentation on Taylor, I'd be interested in collaborating with you on a biography. I previously wrote and had published a biography on another 41 Squadron pilot, Gordon Collinson of 'B' Flight (having met him, another Canadian, before he died, and then was the photographer at his funeral in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1992), in OTF, Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 1994, so I've got pretty good familiarity with 41 Sqdn. Plus, I've got quite a few 41 Sqdn. photos with access to Collinson's logbook and photo album. Lots of Canadians attached to 41 Sqdn., so I'm sure Sydney wasn't lonely.

Another source is OTF, Vol. 3, No. 3, Autumn 1988, Reminiscences of a Fighter Pilot, Gordon T. Collinson, No. 41 Squadron, RAF, by Collinson himself with help from Stewart Taylor, who supplied all the photos for that article.

nsmedic1 · 27 May 2008, 12:21 PM

THANK YOU, That is a lot of information I did not have. I am looking at some of the limited documentation that I do have and it only states the last names of the three mentioned Capt's (Soden,Shields and Stephens) not their first names. So I am not sure. The only other articles I have are his black leather breif case with his initials on it, his wings and his hat badge (although the two leaves are missing off of it, I also have two of his medals. That is about it. i do not think he had any kills but as stated not enough information. If you have anymore for me please LMK. Can I reach you through regular email for more corenspondances? Please LMk
Forever greatful,
nsmedic1

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Aviator

Hi nsmedic1,
2/Lt. Sydney Taylor was posted to 41 Squadron on 26 September 1918, one of three pilots assigned that day. They were replacement pilots for 2/Lt. D.A. Neville, KIA 22 September 1918, Capt. C. Crawford, shot down and made POW on 24 September, and Lt. W.E. Huxtable, sent to Home Establishment on 25 September. Your best source of information may be Over The Front (OTF), Vol. 2, No. 4, Winter 1987, an article titled A Brief History of No. 41 Squadron, RFC/RAF, by Ola A. Slater, Paul Chamberlain and Frank W. Bailey.

You had mentioned Soden, the 'A' Flight Commander and 27 victory ace, and Shields, the 'C' Flight Commander and 24 victory ace. Do you know whether or not S.B. Taylor flew with either Soden or Shields' flights? Or perhaps he may have flown with Capt. Eric John Stephens, 'B' Flight Commander and a 13 victory ace. It doesn't appear that Taylor had any victory claims, which isn't unusual, given that the flight commanders and the squadron commander accounted for 61% (27 of 44) of all victories credited to the squadron from 3 September through 11 November 1918. Six of the remaining 17 victories were scored by Lt. MacLeod, Deputy Flight Commander of 'C' Flight, and the remaining 11 victories were scored by 9 pilots. The caveat, however, is that 5 of those 9 pilots were later shot down (4 being made POW).

If you have some good documentation on Taylor, I'd be interested in collaborating with you on a biography. I previously wrote and had published a biography on another 41 Squadron pilot, Gordon Collinson of 'B' Flight (having met him, another Canadian, before he died, and then was the photographer at his funeral in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1992), in OTF, Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 1994, so I've got pretty good familiarity with 41 Sqdn. Plus, I've got quite a few 41 Sqdn. photos with access to Collinson's logbook and photo album. Lots of Canadians attached to 41 Sqdn., so I'm sure Sydney wasn't lonely.

Another source is OTF, Vol. 3, No. 3, Autumn 1988, Reminiscences of a Fighter Pilot, Gordon T. Collinson, No. 41 Squadron, RAF, by Collinson himself with help from Stewart Taylor, who supplied all the photos for that article.

tcrean7828 · 27 May 2008, 12:56 PM

Mate,
Welcome to the flagship of the Aerodrome - where the greatest minds on the planet get together and talk about their favorite subject - WW1.

ttfn

tcrean7828

tom

P.S. Werner Voss fan here.

Soakerman · 27 May 2008, 05:26 PM

do you know were he lived and what his kill scores were that could help a lot and also wether he was killed in action or not

TomVrille · 27 May 2008, 06:07 PM

Hello again...

According to The S.E.5 File, it appears that your grandfather flew serial number F5458, one of 250 S.E.5a machines ordered from Vickers Ltd., Weybridge, Surrey. This machine was issued to 41 Squadron on 9 September 1918. A Fokker DVII was claimed OOC by Lt H.J.Rudolph flying this machine on 2 October 1918. The only mention of Lt. Taylor flying this machine was on 18 October 1918 when he overshot the aerodrome and ran into a ditch, escaping the incident with no significant injuries. The aircraft was subsequently sent to the repair park at the 1st Aeroplane Supply Depot.

Given the very short time Lt. Taylor had this aircraft, it is unclear what color scheme, if any, might have been applied to augment the factory finish. The typical markings for 41 Squadron aircraft (ref: British Aviation Squadron Markings of World War 1 ) after 22 March 1918 were two vertical white bars (unusually wide) aft of the fuselage cockade. Individual markings were aft of the vertical bars, with 'A' flight using A,B,C,D,E, and F, 'B' flight using 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and 'C' flight using U, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Marking for the squadron commander was 'M', while that for spare aircraft was 'O'.

Hope this helps!

nsmedic1 · 29 May 2008, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soakerman

do you know were he lived and what his kill scores were that could help a lot and also wether he was killed in action or not

Hi Soakerman:
He lived in Nova Scotia, near Kentville. He was not KIA as he came home and remarried my grandmother as his first wife left him while overseas. I was 2 when he died so I don't know a lot about him, only what my dad told me when he gave me all of my grandfathers effects that he had. He is buried somewhere in Halifax I was told, but it has been hard to track down his grave. I have his medals and wings and hat badge and his black breifcase with his initials on it and a few flight records, service records and his pension info. I am looking for anything more that I can.
Thanks for the reply,
nsmedic1