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20th July 1918
Hi
Take cover, amateur armchair historian attempting to think .
My question is :
Could have the casualties of MFJ II on 20/07/18 been possibly attributable to 22 Squadron ? . Or an Camel Squadron , but which Camel Squadron ?
W.F.J. Harvey and Observer G Thomson " claimed "
Fokker DVII , South of Lille , 900 hrs , Des
Fokker DVII , South of Lille , 9:15 , Des
Fokker DVII , South of Lille , 9:30 , OOC .
In communiques for this day it has Harvey/Thomson claims and also a claim for a DVII by N.W.R. Mawle from 85 Squadron SE5a. There must have been more claims ?.
Mawle's is North East Morecourt 9:15
There is a listed loss of Werner Meyer Jasta 34 . Parachuted and DOW next day near Morecourt at 11:00 .
Times I believe were 1 hr different at this time . The time difference is a bit confusing to me but if I've got it right in my head then that makes those times closer together ? ( if I have it right ?).
The other loses in the ball park are from MFJ II .
Flgmt Carl Kuring - forced to land ( on German side ) Fokker DVII
Flgmstr Alfons Nitzsche - KIA near Leffinghe , DVII 1020 Hrs.
22 Squadron were escorting a bombing mission on this day . I'm not sure where it was to , but 22 often escorted 18 Squadron . I believed that MFJII based at Jabbeke , were too far North to be in 22's area ( 22 based at Serny ) , but I found out that a MFJ II aircraft was Captured by a 22 Squadron aircraft on 9th July 18 . This was G /1/10 an Abratross DVa West of Steenwerck ( 25 kms north of Lille ) . So there paths might possibly cross on other occasions ? .
That was a DVa , but apparently MFJ II were issued with DVII's as there loses of 20 July indicate this .
The problems are :
Harvey/Thomson ( like most RFC/RAF crew ) claimed plenty of occasions without obvious losses showing .
Leffinghe is about 50kms from Lille ( but I believe place of death listed for Germans may not be an actual known place , but perhaps a battle area or mission target ? )
Elements of MFJ II seemed to have been in combat with Camels near Neiuport at this time ( a long way from Lille ) , and this could have been were there casualites happened , but I haven't found any Camel claimants ( although MFJ II claimed 3 Camels ).
If you are still reading you have probably forgot the questions by now , so I'll just list them . I understand it's all a bit of a guess .
Did Mawle get Werner Myer over Morecourt ?
Have I got the way the times work right ?
Could Harvey / Thomson from 22 have got the MFJ II pilots ?
and if not does anyone have any idea which Camel Squadron were in combat with MFJ II that morning ?
And if it wasn't 22 that got these MFJ II men , then does anyone have any idea which Jasta 22 were in combat with ?.
Thank you.
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