Markings needed - Brazilians flying Camels in England

[Marcio Campos]

Hello!

while moving my stash from my parents' house to my current apartment I was wondering why I got certain kits (this applies more to B***9s and F***0s, true) and saw a Sopwith Camel (I only build German stuff). Last evening, surfing the web looking for info on early Brazilian aviation, I finally remembered why I had the Camel:

After recognizing state of war with Germany (Brazil never declared war on any country), our Navy decided to send some officers to flying training. USA, England and Italy offered to receive the pilots, and England was the choice for the single ones, and USA for the married ones. 13 volunteers went to Europe and the list is here: ANB-historico ("Exército" means "Army") -- the website even has a picture of them.

Here's a translation of part of the text:

"There (in England), the officers attended a fighter flying school and during this period three officers were excluded, and two were involved in accidents. Lt. Olavo de Araujo was badly injured, but returned to Brazil and stayed in the Navy, reaching the rank of Admiral. Lt. Possolo (who hid his married status to go to Europe) wasn't that lucky. He died in an accident, becoming the first aerial victim of Brazilian Navy Aviation. All others went successfully through training and even joined British officers in a RAF squadron (at that time Navy aviation -- RNAS -- and Army aviation -- RFC -- joined to create RAF). But the Royal Navy requested them to make anti-submarine patrols. After a short adaptation, pilots were sent to RAF 16 Group (Plymouth) and flew missions over the English Channel in the last days of the war."

(three other pilots went to USA, and a small group arrived in Italy, but too late to enter war service)

Here's (Great War Forum > Lt Charles Robert Chapman) a description of Lt. Possolo's fatal crash:

"5 Sept 1918; A formation of six aeroplanes, three flown by Brazilian officers, took off from the airfield. The leader of the formation Capt Frank H. Creasy, RAF, stated that they reached a height of about 1,500 ft when he saw Lt Reginald Horace Sanders, eged 24, of 50 TDS (Eastbourne), piloting a Sopwith Camel (F3207) about 100 ft above First Lt Eugenio de Silva Possolo, also aged 24, of the Brazilian navy, also in a Camel. Lt Sanders started to descend to take his place in the formation about thirty yards to the side of Lt Possolo. However he appeared to lose sight of the other aircraft and struck it to the rear and on top of it. Both machines crashed to the ground in a field near to a farmhouse at Friday Street, causing terrible injuries to both men. Two of the other aircraft, a Sopwith Pup painted with black and white stripes and an Avro, landed on the adjacent common. The pilots got out and ran over to the wreckage, to find the two men dead. The Coroner expressed the view that no blame was attached to either officer and the jury returned a verdict of accidental death. After a burial service, Lt Possolo was intered at Ocklynge Cemetery. Prior to the interment of Lt Sanders at Hampsted Cemetery, a service was helh at St Stephen`s Church, Haverstock Hill, London NW."

Another website says

"These pilots, incorporated to the RNAS in the beginning, flew patrol missions in a squadron made of British, Brazilian and American personnel, flying Sopwith Camels, under operational control of RAF Group 10". (this website claims Lt. Araujo died in England, unlike the other, more complete source I quoted above)

As you can see, lots of blanks to fill. Can someone with more sources on RAF/RNAS units help finding more refererences, that could allow me to build at least one Camel of a Brazilian WWI pilot?

Thanks a lot and all the best from Brazil

Marcio