No 11 Sqdn CRs for 27 Dec.1916 needed

[Gregvan]

Hello All,
I realize that this is mostly a shot in the dark, but I had to ask.
Does anyone have access to the combat reports of No. 11 Squadron (F.E.2b's) for 27 December 1916, and would you be willing to share them? In particular I'm looking for the report of Capt. J.B. Quested and 2/Lt. H.J.H. Dicksee (who was wounded) in F.E.2b 7666.

As is well known, a patrol of Fees from No. 11 encountered fighters from Jasta 1 at about 1115 hrs British time, Quested and Dicksee are believed to be responsible for shooting down the Pour le Mérite ace Gustav Leffers, who was killed this day. Then they were apparently attacked by Offz. Stv. Wilhelm Cymera, who claimed an FE near Cherisy. Dicksee was wounded but Quested managed to land the Fee in British territory, and Cymera failed to receive confirmation.

The crux of the matter for me is: the RFC crew is said to have stated that they thought the plane they shot down (supposedly Leffers) was a Nieuport in German markings. Now, this is believed to have been Leffers, as he was photographed with a Nieuport 16 that was marked with German crosses and fitted with a synchronized Spandau gun. I have little doubt that Leffers did fly this Nieuport in combat (probably achieving a victory in it on 3 Sept. 1916) and he certainly may have been flying it on his fatal day (as I wrote in a book...). However, there is mounting evidence that he may actually have been flying an Albatros D.I or D.II at the time of his death.??

In his copious and detailed notes on Jasta 1, the late Rick Duiven wrote that: "27Dec16 Ltn.d.R. Gustav Leffers is KIA over Chérisy in an Albatros D.II about 12.00 hours."

I'm not sure where Rick got this info, it may have been from the Dr. Bock notes in the Ferko files at UTD.

In addition, in his book Who Downed the Aces in WWI?, my friend Norman Franks wrote, "On the 27th, Jasta 1 go into a fight with some FE2b pushers of 11 Squadron. Leutnant Gustav Leffers' Albatros DII was one of four claimed shot down, probably falling to Captain J B Quested and his observer, Lt. H J H Dicksee (FE2 7666) at 11.20 over Wancourt. The FE crew were hit themselves, by Vzfw Wilhelm Cymera, who claimed his victory at 12.20 (i.e. German time one hour ahead)..."

I do have the RFC Communiques 1915-1916 book; all it says is: "Two German aeroplanes were brought down and seen to crash by 11 Squadron. One of these was destroyed by Capt. Quested and 2 Lt. Dicksee. A third hostile machine was forced to land in a field."

Thus, I'd like to see the CRs of the crew of FE2b 7666 and any other crews that are available. If no less than four enemy fighters were claimed, I wonder if someone else might have shot down Leffers in an Albatros, while another member of Jasta 1 was (perhaps) flying his cast-off Nieuport - but that is sheer speculation. Or perhaps Quested and Dicksee were mistaken in their identification. If Leffers had the opportunity to fly an Albatros D.II instead of an underpowered and one-gunned Nieuport, I would be surprised if he hadn't done so.

Input, opinions, anyone?

Thanks to all.

Greg