Bristol F.2a aces

[Knusel]

Good afternoon Gentlemen,

I just finished "Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War 1" by Jon Guttman. It was my 13th Jon Guttman book and I liked it very well.
I wonder if it's possible to identify all Bristol F.2a kills of all Bristol F.2a aces (Bristol F.2b kills excluded).

By courtesy of Graeme I learned about 6 Bristol F.2a aces:
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...74&postcount=9

• Alan Machin Wilkinson's (9), William Otto Brash Winkler's (6) and Fred Parkinson Holliday's (5) Bristol F.2a kills are listed in their theaerodrome profiles, respectively.
• William Thomas Price's (5) first 5 kills are listed as scored in a Bristol F.2b but a look at his observer's kill list reveals it was a Bristol F.2a.
• David Mary Tidmarsh (5?) is listed with 4 Bristol F.2a kills only.
• George Norman Brockhurst (5?) is not listed at theaerodrome at all.

Cheers,

Michael

[Graeme]

If it helps, the Bristol F.2A pilots that I can identify as having claimed five or more victories are:

09-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Hugh Bradford Griffith, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros C crashed Lens
09-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Hugh Bradford Griffith, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control Lens; Franke (Wia) + Peter (Ok), FAA235, forced to land [?]
05-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control Douai at 12:00/12:00
09-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) east of Arras at 18:00/18:00
09-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) east of Arras at 18:00/18:00
12-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s)
13-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed (s) Vitry-en-Artois
13-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed (s) Vitry-en-Artois
22-Apr-1917 Capt Alan Machin Wilkinson & Lieut Lawrence Wilfred Allen, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control Vitry-en-Artois

12-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s)
23-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Cagnicourt
24-Apr-1917 Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Cagnicourt
02-May-1917 2nd-Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3348, Albatros Scout out of control Brebières - Biache at 19:30/20:30
02-May-1917 2nd-Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3348, Albatros Scout out of control Brebières - Biache at 19:35/20:35
02-May-1917 2nd-Lieut William Otto Braasch Winkler & 2nd-Lieut Ernest Stanley Moore, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3348, Albatros Scout crashed Brebières - Biache at 19:40/20:40

06-Apr-1917 Lieut Fred Parkinson Holliday & Capt Anthony Herbert William Wall, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control north-east of Arras
23-Apr-1917 Lieut Fred Parkinson Holliday & Capt Anthony Herbert William Wall, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Cagnicourt
23-Apr-1917 Lieut Fred Parkinson Holliday & Capt Anthony Herbert William Wall, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed Vitry
24-Apr-1917 Lieut Fred Parkinson Holliday & Capt Anthony Herbert William Wall, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Cagnicourt
24-Apr-1917 Lieut Fred Parkinson Holliday & Capt Anthony Herbert William Wall, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed Cagnicourt

06-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut William Thomas Price & Lieut Maurice Arthur Benjamin, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Scout out of control Douai
09-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut William Thomas Price & Lieut Maurice Arthur Benjamin, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed east of Arras
23-Apr-1917 Lieut William Thomas Price & Lieut Maurice Arthur Benjamin, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Cagnicourt
25-Apr-1917 Lieut William Thomas Price & Lieut Maurice Arthur Benjamin, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout crashed east of Arras at 19:00/20:00
27-Apr-1917 Lieut William Thomas Price & Lieut Maurice Arthur Benjamin, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Two-seater crashed (s) south-west of Douai

08-Apr-1917 Capt David Mary Tidmarsh & 2nd-Lieut Cato Barclay Holland, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Rémy at 15:10/15:10; Ltn Wilhelm Frankl, Jasta 4, Kia ? Albatros D.III 2158/16
10-Apr-1917 Capt David Mary Tidmarsh & 2nd-Lieut Cato Barclay Holland, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3338, E.A. out of control (s) Rémy at 19:00/19:00
11-Apr-1917 Capt David Mary Tidmarsh & 2nd-Lieut Cato Barclay Holland, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3338, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Fampoux at 08:30/08:30
11-Apr-1917 Capt David Mary Tidmarsh & 2nd-Lieut Cato Barclay Holland, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3338, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Fampoux at 09:00/09:00
11-Apr-1917 Capt David Mary Tidmarsh & 2nd-Lieut Cato Barclay Holland, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3338, Albatros Scout crashed (s) Fampoux at 09:00/09:00

08-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut George Norman Brockhurst & 2nd-Lieut Cecil Blockley Boughton, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Rémy at 15:10/15:10; Ltn Wilhelm Frankl, Jasta 4, Kia ? Albatros D.III 2158/16
10-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut George Norman Brockhurst & 2nd-Lieut Cecil Blockley Boughton, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3323, E.A. out of control (s) Rémy at 19:00/19:00
11-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut George Norman Brockhurst & 2nd-Lieut Cecil Blockley Boughton, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3323, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Fampoux at 08:30/08:30
11-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut George Norman Brockhurst & 2nd-Lieut Cecil Blockley Boughton, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3323, Albatros Scout out of control (s) Fampoux at 09:00/09:00
11-Apr-1917 2nd-Lieut George Norman Brockhurst & 2nd-Lieut Cecil Blockley Boughton, 48 Sqn, Bristol F.2A A3323, Albatros Scout crashed (s) Fampoux at 09:00/09:00

(s) denotes a shared victory.

Graeme

[Knusel]

Dear Graeme,

your impressing post reveals that Alan Wilkinson is not only the top and first Airco DH.2 ace but also the top and first Bristol F.2a ace !!!
Thanks a lot for that.
Can you tell me his birth and death date ?

Have a good start into a successful new week,

Michael

[Graeme]

Hello Michael, not sure how I missed your post.

Alan Wilkinson was born on 21 November 1891 in Eastbourne, Sussex and died in June 1972, aged 80, in Maidstone, Kent.

Hope you are keeping safe.

Graeme

[Knusel]

Hello Graeme,

nice to hear from you.
I wonder if the day of Wilkinson's death is known.

Have a nice weekend,

Michael

[Knusel]

Is it possible to tell a Bristol F.2a from a Bristol F.2b from their outward appearance ?

[Graeme]

I believe the following came from 'Flight' magazine of 7 November 1952:

At the time of the F.2A's appearance, all available Hispano-Suiza engines were wanted for S.E.5s, so the production order called for the Falcon-powered version. Fifty were built, numbered A.3305 to A.3354, and were almost identical with the later form of A.3303, but, in the production machines, the plan-form of the wing-tips was modified to the simpler, blunt shape which remained standard on the Bristol F.2B, and the airscrew was a two-bladed right-hand one. The lower centre-section remained an open structure. The engine cowling on the earliest production F.2As differed slightly in detail from that of the later machines but all the F.2As could be distinguished from the later F.2B by the fact that the upper longerons were horizontal forward of the observer's cockpit, whereas on the F.2B they sloped downwards.

Graeme

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Graeme

I believe the following came from 'Flight' magazine of 7 November 1952:

At the time of the F.2A's appearance, all available Hispano-Suiza engines were wanted for S.E.5s, so the production order called for the Falcon-powered version. Fifty were built, numbered A.3305 to A.3354, and were almost identical with the later form of A.3303, but, in the production machines, the plan-form of the wing-tips was modified to the simpler, blunt shape which remained standard on the Bristol F.2B, and the airscrew was a two-bladed right-hand one. The lower centre-section remained an open structure. The engine cowling on the earliest production F.2As differed slightly in detail from that of the later machines but all the F.2As could be distinguished from the later F.2B by the fact that the upper longerons were horizontal forward of the observer's cockpit, whereas on the F.2B they sloped downwards.

Graeme

I suppose that it didn't matter to him but how do you reckon a German pilot would have been certain enough to make the distinction ?

[josquin]

Originally Posted by Graeme

Hello Michael, not sure how I missed your post.

Alan Wilkinson was born on 21 November 1891 in Eastbourne, Sussex and died in June 1972, aged 80, in Maidstone, Kent.

Hope you are keeping safe.

Graeme

Graeme,

The BMD states that Alan Machin Wilkinson died in 1973, at Maidstone, Kent--
death registered at Maidstone in 2nd Quarter of 1973. Wilkinson's parents
were Henry Wall Wilkinson & Ada Eliza Wilkinson, both born in London.
Wilkinson was an Oxford undergraduate before the war. Knusel, I did not
find the day of his death.

Josquin

[Knusel]

Good morning Gentlemen,

what is the story behind he lower wing centre section ? Wouldn't the aircraft be more rugged if the lower wing had been attached directly to the fuselage instead of by struts ?

Have a nice Saturday,

Michael