Wanted: Info on A.F.C. Snipe Pilot

Trying to find Color and squadron markings for Captain Elwyn Roy “Bo” King’s Sopwith Snipe, a 26 victory ace of the Australian Flying Corps. King was the highest scoring Snip pilot (7 victories) and I would like to model this mount. I would also like to know if he flew an early or late version of the Snipe?
I have no information on any of the 4 squadrons he served in, but I’m mainly interested in the unit markings and history in which he flew the Snipe. Any book suggestions that may have a color profile? Thanks a heap!


Danny Walden

Danny,

>Trying to find Color and squadron markings
>for Captain Elwyn Roy “Bo” King’s Sopwith
>Snipe............ I would like to model
>this mount.

I havent seen any pics of E8050 but as he was leader of A Flight through the period after Cobby left and before Pflaum took over you probably wouldnt be wrong in putting an "A" on it. The squadron seemed to follow the convention of the main flight leader wearing the A. there is a pic of Snipe "A" in 1919 at Bickendorff but the serial is hidden. At that stage though it is more likely to be the common mount of Pfluam.

There is a pic of Bakers (12 vic from 4 AFC ) Snipe which he got his 7th victory in.

http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC...aces_baker.htm
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC...iles_10901.htm

>I would also like to know if he flew an
>early or late version of the Snipe?

All of the early production run from Sopwith that 4 AFC, 43 RAF and 208 RAF recieved were of the early type with small rudder and unbalanced ailerons. After Nov 2 the Snipes with the larger rudder and balanced ailerons were delivered.

>I have no information on any of the 4
>squadrons he served in, but I’m mainly
>interested in the unit markings and >history in which

He only flew in one squadron as far as I am aware, 4 Sqn AFC. Their history is at;

http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC...fc_history.htm

Their markings at;

http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC...c_insignia.htm

>Any book suggestions that may have a
>color profile? Thanks a heap!

King was a good friend of Cobby, one of the best books for info on King is Cobby's autobiography, High Adventure", which can be ordered from Kookaburra books.

http://www.sympac.com.au/jtboundy/Hkooka.htm

or check Kings bio on the AFC Website; http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointC..._aces_king.htm

One thing to watch when modeling the markings of 4 AFC, they didnt have a uniform white bar fore of the roundal, some or deep and wide others are thin and only extend as far as the lower portion of the red inner circle of the roundal. Furthur some of the B Flight Markings ( 1 to 8 ) are pretty rough in their application. The squadron also had non uniform widths of the blue and red circles of the roundal as well. Some with thicker blue widths than others.



cam
AFC Website : http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/PointCook/index.htm

Cam has pretty much said it all. I have been corresponding with him at length on 4AFC Snipes and both of us would be really interested in finding out the code letter King had on E8050.
(Any forumites with access to the IWM or RAF photo collections....HELP!)

I don't know any books with colour profiles but there was an old-old (1960-something) Kookaburra Technical Publication on the Snipe (I found a copy in the Australian War Memorial book collection). It's called 'Sopwith Snipe Described' by Anthony Shennan. J M Bruce did a Snipe book in the old Profile Publications series as well.

I recall a bloke called Colin Owers did a two page article on Aussie Snipes in the one of the Windsock magazines with black and white drawings of marking details.

By far the best documented Snipe is E8082 'X' of which there are several photos in the AWM collection. It is also the markings one of the museums put on their Snipe (even though their's is a late production version). It was normally flown by a pilot called Elfyn John Richards who made an OOC claim against a Fokker D.VII East of Tournai on 26 Oct 1918. Richards wrote 4AFC's unofficial history 'Australian Airmen'.

Another pilot Lt. H W Ross got another OOC in the same aircraft near Mourcourt on 28 Oct 1918. Cam has a profile of this aircraft on his site too.

BTW which Snipe model have you got?

Gentleman:
Thank you kindly for your assistance regarding Captain King’s Snipe. The web site Cam posted had a wealth of information. I’m sure I have enough details to piece together a convincing composite of King’s Snipe: In the biography section, there’s a color profile of a snipe that I assume is King’s? I think the artist was not sure of the “A” flight marking himself, and just deleted it along with the serial No.E8050. If this is what the artist did, I’ll just take Cam’s advice and add the flight leader’s “A” with the serial No. So, what do you think? It just may fly.
I hang my head in embarrassment, I miss took the “NO.4” for the number of squadron he served in (stupid me) but as I found out quickly it was actually the Squadron Number itself.
Gordon: The model is going to be a heavy conversion of the big Revell 1/28 scale Sopwith Camel. Modeler builder, Peter Leonard, converted a 1/48th SMER Sopwith Camel into a Snipe by boxing around the Camel’s fuselage. And for the wings, he increased the cord by “ slicing them in half tip to tip, inserted a thick piece of card along the spar line, and glued it back before re-skinning with ten thou card. You should get a trailing edge you can cut your finger on” So, if he can do it, so can I. Thank you both again for your assistance.

Sincere thanks: Danny Walden

>In the biography section, there’s a
>color profile of a snipe that I assume
>is King’s?

That is supposed to represent a generic 4 AFC Snipe with the bar fore of the roundal.

>I’ll just take Cam’s advice and add the
>flight leader’s “A” with the serial No.

The squadrons flight markings look like they were done by hand without much care, B looks like an 8 and the eight looks pregnant and retarded. The E series seem to have had their serial in black on a white background on the fuselage, a couple of the F series aircraft in 1919 with the squadron had the serial on the Fuselage and Rudder.

If you need some scans to get an idea or feel for the markings style email me and Ill send some to you.



cam