Egypt Detachment, RFC - A German viewpoint

[Ian Burns]

The Aeroplane for 5 May 1915 carried a translation of a letter published in the German magazine Flugsport.

I have been unable to trace to original edition of Flugsport if anyone can help with a scan of the original letter or a link to the magazine in question I would be most grateful.

The following is a verbatim transcription of the letter as published in The Aeroplane, p.442 :

FROM DENMARK.
The Danish correspondent of The Aeroplane writes as follows :-
A reader of “Flugsport”, who partoke voluntary in the Turkish January advance towards the Suez Canal, has sent to the paper the following report : “As will be remembered, the Turkish undertook an advancing movement towards the Canal with about 1000 men, the first to learn the strength of those forces which the English had gathered there, second to try whether it should be possible altogether to cross the desert with a big army, and especially ordnance, by help of the present means. The only one aviator conferred upon the Turkish troops damaged his aeroplane already in Aleppo, whereas the English aviators were very busy. In December the Turkish has seized the first English aeroplane in the neighbourhood of Akaba ; it was a seaplane, which was forced to land by unknown reason in the desert and found left by the Beduins. [This was the Nieuport seaplane piloted by Quarter-Master Grall of the French Navy, which was wrecked in the desert. – Ed.]
“When we advanced within 75 km of the canal, a hostile aviator appeared, dropping three bombs, however without getting any mark ; I shall tell at once that the aviators always kept at a height of 1000 to 1500 metres.
“On January 25th the advance guard was some 30 km off the canal, when a hostile aviator paid a visit, and, this time, through dropping a bomb wounding two men and killing one camel. Already the next day an aerial bomb fell again in a smaller camp and the same aviator flew even on to the head camp, 50 km off the canal, where I was stationed. He flew a Maurice Farman biplane with front elevator and dropped three bombs, causing however no harm ; for the bombs penetrated so far into the soft sand that the exploding was of no result, when taking really place.
“According to the stamp on a found aluminium wing the bombs were made by Hale’s Patent. For the rest the desert sand was of the same effect to the heavy ship’s shells, fired in the battle on the Suez Canal.
“Still on January 27th the aviator intended to pay us a visit, approaching from East and having almost reached the camp, when a sand’s storm drifted him off and finally direct blew him off to North East. I should think he was compelled to alight on Turkish domain ; the aeroplane was found later by the Beduins, while it is rumoured that both aviator and observator were shot by their own troops in their return walk to the canal. {Last refers the loss of a French Nieuport floatplane on 27 Jan – QM Le Gall pilot and 2Lt Basil G N B Partridge observer, were killed as described.}
“On January 29th a Henri Farman biplane appeared above our camp place, when the train had already advanced. He described only some circles, then returning, as was repeated on the 31st, when we fired a musketry volley against him in vain. On February 3rd and 4th, when the Turkish tried an attack on the canal, the enemy engaged four aviators, who patrolled above the Turkish positions and directed the English ordnance. In the afternoon of the 4th the Turkish started the retreat and yet one hostile aviator succeeded in wounding two men heavy and one slight by a bomb dropped. On the further return the English aviators kept patrolling, however using themselves of bombs no more.”
Note : All the above dates, etc, correspond closely with actual Flight Reports made by observers with the Egypt detachment, RFC.

https://library.si.edu/digital-libra...plane81915lond

[Lufbery]

That's a fantastic letter with details about the air operations in Egypt that I hadn't seen before. Thanks!

[Ian Burns]

You are very welcome.

I have recently finished an article about l'escadrille de Port-Said for Cross and Cockade International - it will appear in two parts next year - and realising that I had mentioned the ED RFC in it but knew little about it went looking...

It has been mentioned en passant in several books and articles about 14 and 30 Squadrons RFC but no deep studies. I was lucky and located copies of the War Diary and many Flight Reports. So, I had to proceed.

With a bit of luck it will follow my l'escadrille article.