homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields REPORTS FROM THE FRONT

George Lyons
Sergeant
3 RFC
Chocques, Flanders
May 1915

Forty-seventh mission Friday 14 May AM...Bombing, and then action! A bombing mission to the front at one of our usual places just to the southeast of Loos. Just after the bombing was completed (and I had a delayed release of the bombs, perhaps because of a kink in the release wire), I viewed what I believed to be another Morane L-type heading towards the east. I could not confirm that, and then just about a minute later, I witnessed a biplane heading west...this one an Aviatik B-type! Once I got close enough to confirm, another one appeared. I broke formation to attack, and while I did receive a bit of a dressing down once I arrived back at base, I was also given congratulations as our action managed to drive both Bosche craft back over the lines. This time, Halifax expended over 2oo rounds, but with little success



...then we got caught in a rather large cloud and lost about 5oo feet before righting ourselves and losing the prey. Once this happened, I caught a bearing and realized we were a fair bit over the lines. I then decided to head back to base with inconclusiveness being the order of this flight, as our bombing also resulted in zero hits according to Intell.

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Regards,

Jeff