Camel at The University of Toronto circa 1918

[snipe]

This image is from the University of Toronto Archives, where it is titled "Airplane in front of University College" and is dated "ca. 1918." The description of the image is "Airplane is a Sopwith Camel."

I blew up the original digital image (TIFF format, 2100x1400, 8 bits/pixel) and it looks like the serial number ends in x772, with the "x" being either a "5" or a "3".

I found an article in Flight Magazine that might shed some light on it. The article is "Sopwith Camel Part 2, Historic Military Aircraft No. 10" by J.M. Bruce. It was published in Flight, 29 April 1955. On page 563 there's a section on Known Serial Numbers, in which it is indicated that the F.1 Camel serial numbers B.3751-3950 were built by Sopwith. There is no suggestion that there was a serial number B.5772. A few paragraphs later on the same page, under the heading "Notes on Individual Machines" there is a sub-heading "Details of Other Machines" under which I found "B.3772: sold to USA".

I'd guess the machine is in fact B.3772. The building in the background is University College at The University of Toronto. In the original image (cropped to fit an 8x10 print) there is a bit of a tree visible on the left edge, with foliage on it. That plus the position of the shadow under the aircraft, suggests to me it was shot in the late spring or summer around noon.

If anyone has any further information on this aircraft, I'd be interested.