Post April 1, 1918.

I read the following in Taffy Jones' "Tiger Squadron" does anyone else know of specific examples of the old RNAS/RFC bickering?

"I managed to put the old bus down in ESTREE BLANCHE Aerodrome, which two ex-RNAS squadrons are sharing. My machine came to a standstill about 300 yards from the hangars, but one of the C.Os. named Bell, an Australian, refused to help. He informed me bluntly that he had "no bloody time for the RFC." I went to the other squadron (203) for help. The C.O. Major Collishaw, a Canadian- did everything he could for me, including returning me to CLARMARAIS in his touring car. What a difference between two C.Os. of the same service! As I suspected, Collishaw is worth fifty of the other guy. Collishaw flies and fights, and has a damn' fine squadron."

Andrew.

Apart from Collishaw's character, one might look at photographs of No.203 Squadron during the summer of 1918. There are examples of every conceivable flying uniform worn by assorted personnel - RFC maternity jackets, RNAS uniforms, regimental tunics with appropriate wings. "Collie" could not have been uncooperative if he had been told to be so - he already had every shade of blue and brown under his command. Were not other units similarly mixed ?

[MikeW]

Hugh,

Bell certainly had pilots serving with 210 that started their training with the RFC, however, he seems to have been impartially obnoxious to most of his pilots whatever their origins!

There were exceptions, FSL Murton McKelvey said that he got on well with Bell, and felt that he was one of Bell's favourites.

Andrew,

Was Bertram Bell's brother who commanded 60sqn (I think) as difficult?


Mike

G'day All,

I dont have much information on Bell's brother, he is for the RFC book.

From what I can gather, I don't think Bell liked his authority questioned in any manner. After the war he wrote articles for several publictaions. One article he wrote on R.A. Little received a reply from Little's son correcting a minor detail. Little's sons letter was polite and respectful. Bell responded by writing a letter to his editor and questioned how Little could have fathered such a "bounder' for a son.

Bell has written glowing testimonials on men such as Collishaw, Little and in a letter to one of his editors wrote the following about Dallas;

I loved Dallas, and I had and still have the greatest admiration for him, in my opinion he was the finest and one of the bravest Australian airmen, also one who I am sure would have been given command of the A.F.C. if he had lived.


Bell if nothing is a complex character.

Andrew.

>Were not other units similarly mixed ?

When Williams took over 1 Sqn AFC, the first thing he did was get rid of the RFC personnel and nationalise the squadron fully with AFC personnel. He asked permission from Chauvel to recruit directly from the Lighthorse and AIF in Palestine, he also got permission to have those applicants trained in Egypt through the RFC. Fysh, Mustard and Lukis were in that initial grouping of applicants. In three months Williams had 1 Sqn totally staffed with AFC personnel. I think much of 1 Sqn's achievement can be directly attributed to Williams vision and leadership.

Williams has 13 RFC pilots and 32 RFC observers that went through 1 Sqn AFC, even though many of them were Australian from the pool of 200 AIF members the RFC recruited. 4 Sqn AFC has 22 RAF personnel in it's pilots lists through its frontline operational career. I havent any lists of 2 Sqn and 3 Sqn which indicate whether they were AFC. RFC or RAF.


Williams also has some comments on the RFC to RAF changeover;

"There was much 'to do' in London in the setting up of the new service but the training, maintenance, and Service units in the field were little affected except in the change of name. A new uniform appeared on officers coming from England, an Army style jacket in khaki with the Navy type bades of rank and new buttons and a Navy style khaki cap with new gold embroidered badge, khaki breeches and puttees and black boots. Army ranks were used until new rank titles were introduced a few months later. The Australian Flying Corps of course, was not concerned in all this, except that we now addressed our Wing Headquarters and other Squadrons as units of the Royal Air Force."



cam
(who is enjoying having the time to spread books and papers around the table to reply in detail!)

G'day Cam,

I think it was "Toby" Watt who recruited his ground staff from the back of a truck touring the Light Horse Camps. He seemed to prefer Australians, I think that is how Merritt meet his fate while training to be an instructor so he was able to train future 2 AFC pilots.

I think that ideology played a big part in Watt prefering to recall operational Australian pilots from France to the AFC training squadrons in England in 1918.

Andrew.

Who is enjoying your replies.