The Royal Flying Corps

This week we have a post from our volunteer Fiona.

Statue of Roland Garros at Saint-Denis, on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, photograph by Thierry Caro, public domain 

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War was a tale of great danger but also of great developments in aviation. When it began, the RFC was smaller than the German airforce, with not many planes or airmen. When recruitment began, large numbers of public schoolboys joined up, not wanting to miss out on the ‘adventure’ they felt war would bring. 

The first planes were made from canvas and wood with no guns. Developments were being made all the time by both the Allies and the Germans, and competition between the different countries to continuously build better planes was intense. History tells of a French fighter, Roland Garros. He had adapted previous technology on his plane to allow him to shoot guns forward in the direction of travel through the propellers. This was a huge development in aerial combat and led to Garros bringing down many enemy planes within a few weeks. However engine failure brought him down behind enemy lines and he was not able to destroy his plane in time. Roland himself was treated with great civility by the enemy but it was not long before the Germans were making planes fitted with his new technology. 

D/DLI 7/880/1(61) An unidentified airman, from the collection of Second Lieutenant Arthur Giles, 5th Bn, Durham Light Infantry  

Even before reaching the front line, pilots faced many dangers during training. It is an incredible but sobering fact that over half of the total deaths of airmen during the First World War occurred during training. This was due to the newness of the technology, the materials the planes were built of and a lack of experience and knowledge, even of the instructors themselves. 

Life in the RFC offered a very different existence to the trench warfare some had previously seen, with dinners served to the airmen complete with wine, and beds with clean sheets each night. However, it was fraught with danger with a pilot's average life expectancy measured in weeks. Airmen faced danger from enemy aircraft but also from ground based anti-aircraft guns, which were nicknamed ‘Archie’. Unlike the German airmen, the British were not issued with parachutes. It is frequently said that the reason behind this was the high value of the planes. It was felt that if a parachute was available, airmen would be less likely to try at all costs to safely land damaged aircraft, leading to them being lost. 

The RFC was not simply involved in aerial combats. It also had vital roles in reconnaissance such as monitoring enemy troop movements, a job previously done by cavalry. Airmen also carried out bombing missions, destroying targets such as railway stations. Aerial photography also developed greatly during the war years. Better cameras were made and new ways found to develop and understand the information collected.

D/DLI 2/6/155 Aerial photograph of trenches near the River Scarpe, France, 3 April 1917

It is easy to focus on the pilots themselves and forget the thousands of other men, just as vital, who kept the planes functioning. Men from a whole host of trades were needed to keep the engines working efficiently as well as keep the framework of the planes intact. It is a reminder of the basic nature of the planes used that men were required to mend holes on the planes’ canvas structures. 

Many have heard the term ‘flying ace’. Within the RFC, a flying ace was someone who had more than five aerial victories, shooting down enemy planes during combat. Unlike German aces who were well known, even featuring on postcards, the RFC did not publicise their aces. It meant that men who had achieved so much, including Edward ‘Mick’ Mannock - who many argue was the greatest fighter pilot during the First World War - were generally not known amongst the British public till after the war. 

  

The never-ending and frequent loss of their comrades, as well as the horrific deaths they witnessed, would have left a great toll on those airmen who survived the war. Many went on to develop what is known today as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and were never able to ‘reconnect’ with their old lives. The Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed on 1 April 1918, when the RFC merged with the Royal Naval Air Service. After the war, many airmen continued to serve in the RAF, with some incredibly flying planes again in the Second World War. 

Fiona has researched the stories of some of these men, and you can find them on the Durham at War website, here are links to a few:

Alick Todd http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/story/12836/
William Jones http://www.durhamatwar.org.uk/story/12828/

You can read about volunteer David Donkin's research into the Royal Naval Air Service here:
https://ww1countydurham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/more-than-biggles.html