BE12 Cold Cases

[R Gannon]

BE12 6608

BE 12 6608 from 21 Sqn RFC and flown by 2Lt CJ Creery was lost on 20 Oct 16. The Canadian was no novice and had been with the squadron since 15 April: a squadron, which from August began to be re-equipped with the unwieldly BE12 - a single seat version of the BE2, which despite boasting a 140hp engine, was too stable to be an effective fighter and the squadron, along with the similarly equipped 19 Sqn, increasingly employed its BE12s as bombing machines. 2Lt Creery participated in many bombing missions during the Battle of the Somme which also saw several clashes with German machines. Indeed, he had been a member of Capt EF Norris’ three-man patrol on 6 Sep 16 when they engaged two LVGs over Peronne. Capt Norris got off 150 rounds at one which down apparently OOC to register the squadron’s first aerial victory. 2Lt Creery (6535) was credited with a victory on 25 Sep during a bombing raid on Villers au Flos. He sighted five ‘LVG’s to the east of his formation, whereupon he jettisoned his bombs and attacked the rearmost machine out of the sun getting to within 50yds before firing. The observer was seemingly hit and the machine first went into a glide, then a spiral and was seen to crash into a field to the NW of Le Transloy (FAA 237?).

On 20 Oct, 2Lt Creery had left Bertangles at 11.30 BT as a member of a six strong C Flight patrol. It would appear that around 13.30 hrs 2Lt Creery along with two other pilots had become involved in a scrap with a number of ‘small single seat fighters’ to the west of Bapaume, and what proved to have been 2Lt Creery’s BE12 6608 was last seen to diving steeply after one of the German machines by crews from 22 Sqn (FE2b). Evidently his body was found two days later in a German trench near to Grevillers and close to the wreck of his ‘6608’.

Evidently Offz. Stv. Max Muller from Jasta 2 claimed credit for a ‘BE DD’ at ‘Grevillers Wald’, although no other details were secured. None the less Sofl 1 duly proved the claim on 23 Oct and it was officially recognized as Max Muller’s #2 on 27 Oct 16. And of course, this is how we see claim & loss written up in the present printed wisdom. There is however a glaring problem - the time cited for the Muller claim is 17.50GT (16.50BT) and as such more than 3 hours after 2Lt Creery was lost. Informatively if one does not have a blinkered perspective, then the wider picture reveals that in much the same time frame as the Max Muller claim; a 32 Sqn DH2 (Lt GF Campbell) went to the aid of a 7 Sqn BE2 (2Lt DA MacNiel & 2Lt WH Cotton) being molested by German machines to the NW of Bapaume (17.15-17.45BT) and which resulted in two of the German machines making landings within their own lines to the east of Ayett. A game-book sceptic might feel that Max Muller was actually involved in this combat and then subsequently sought credit for a ‘BE DD’ reported down at Grevillers Wald’.

This in turn brings into question the actual cause for the loss of 2Lt Creery who was officially reported as ‘last seen diving steeply over Bapaume on patrol’. What is probably not commonly known, is that one of the many flaws of the BE12 was that the 140hp RAF engine had a tendency of over oiling in a dive, which caused the front plugs to ‘soot up’ reducing the engine to firing on only half the cylinders, with pilots being warned not to dive steeply or for too long. Advice which may have been ignored by a pilot known to have been impatient and reckless.

Russ

[R Gannon]

The tendency of the 140hp RAF engine of the BE12 to over oil and soot up the front plugs in a steep and or prolonged dive also brings into question the loss of BE12 6618.

There were low clouds (down to 2,000ft) and a strong westerly wind (50mph) on 7 Oct 1916. None the less, the so-called Battle of the Ancre Heights (1 Oct – 11 Nov) was in progress on the ground, with British Fourth Army making a major push on 7 Oct between Le Sars & Lesboufs which called on support from the RFC (French 6 ARMEE was attacking towards Sailly-Saillisel on the right and to the south). So it was that in less-than-ideal conditions BE12 6618, piloted by 2Lt W C Fenwick was one of a five strong formation of BE12s from 21 Squadron which left Bertangles aerodrome at 07.20BT led by Capt R Neville to bomb a suspected German ammunition dump at Ytres. 2Lt Fenwick’s BE12, like those of Capt Neville and Lt J A Stewart was carrying two 112lb bombs. The other two BE12s flown by Canadians 2Lt L P Watkins and 2Lt J B Brophy were detailed as escorts and departed 10 minutes after the bomb laden bombing machines. Pushed along by the strong westerly the three bombing machines reached the target unhindered at about 08.00hrs and Capt Neville dropped his two bombs over the target evidently followed by 2Lt Fenwick. Only then did German machines attempt to intervene; flying in groups of three machines, they endeavoured to attack the three bombing machines. Capt Neville evaded the oncoming German machines by ducking into the clouds and headed home, however three of the German machines surrounded the BE12 of 2Lt W C Fenwick before the two escort machines could intervene, and his BE12 was seen by 2Lt Brophy to ‘fall until he disappeared into clouds’. The BE12 (B564) of Lt J A Stewart was also attacked after unloading his bombs and shot about, but the Canadian was able to make it back across the lines nursing a leg wound and subsequently made a good landing on the airfield of 18 Squadron at Lavieville (5km west of Albert).

2Lt Fenwick however, failed to return and the nineteen-year-old was listed as, ‘Missing from an Offensive Patrol Ytres’. Post-war his grave was never located, but there are grounds to believe that his BE12 had crashed near Equancourt, a town barely 5km SE of the target of Ytres. William Fenwick had only arrived at 21 Sqn on 15 September, and would have to be considered as inexperienced to say the least, leading to the question as to whether, in attempting to evade his three assailants, that he may have dived too steeply and for too long in clouds which went all the way down to 2,000ft.

R Gannon

[Bert Angles]

So who got the credit for downing Fenwick?
BEs as a breed were not noted for breaking up in mid air.
As an aside l wonder if as German pilot ever specifically claimed a BE12 , l bet they didn't know the difference, some people don't even today, between the 12 and the 2c.

[Bert Angles]

So who got the credit for downing Fenwick?
BEs as a breed were not noted for breaking up in mid air.
As an aside l wonder if as German pilot ever specifically claimed a BE12 , l bet they didn't know the difference, some people don't even today, between the 12 and the 2c.