10 replies to this topic

[Andy Shaw]

Hi,

Does anyone have information on the 5th Squadron, RFC for 1916 ?.

Looking for details surrounding the death of Lieutenant John Cedric Jervis who was killed in action on 26th October 1916

Regards

Andy

[Verrico2009]

Have you seen this?  http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...20-%200996.html

While it doesn't give any details of his death, as he was an Old Boy of King Edward VI Birmingham, you might get something there.

[Dolphin]

Andy

Lt J C Jervis of No 5 Sqn RFC (formerly 21st Bn, Royal Fusiliers) was killed in action on 26 October 1916 while flying as the observer in BE2d 5781 with his pilot Lt J S Smith, who was wounded.  The BE2d was on an Artillery Observation mission from Marieux aerodrome when it was engaged by two enemy aircraft over Puisieux and shot down.  The wreckage was then destroyed by shellfire.  A victory was credited to Hpt Oswald Boelcke of Jasta 2; it was Boelcke's 40th, and final, victory before his death in a flying accident on 28 October.

Boelcke's report on the victory: About 4.45 seven of our machines of which I had charge attacked some English biplanes west of P [Puisieux]. I attacked one and wounded the observer, so he was unable to fire at me.  At the second attack the machine started to smoke.  Both pilot and observer seemed dead.  It fell into the second line English trenches and burned up.

I hope that this is useful.

Gareth

[Andy Shaw]

Verrico

Thanks for the link, I had a copy of his obit but didn't know what publication it came from.

Gareth,

Thanks for the additional information, exactly what I was after.

Regards to you both

Andy

[Roger Coasby]

Hi,

Does anyone have information on the 5th Squadron, RFC for 1916 ?.

Looking for details surrounding the death of Lieutenant John Cedric Jervis who was killed in action on 26th October 1916

Regards

Andy

Andy.
I have a bit more background info for you
source is 'Coastal Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF- by John Rawlings'

Commandy Officers :-
Maj J G Hearson Dec 1915 to May 1916
Maj R M Vaughan May 1916 to Jul 1916
Maj F J L Cogan Jul 1916 to Jan 1917

Bases :-
Apr 1915 to Mar 1916 Abeele
Mar 1916 to Oct 1916 Droglandt
Oct 1916 to Mar 1917 Marieux

By 1916 the unit was entirely equiped with B.E.2c and 2d
and embarked on night operations. At this time bombing was occupying much of its time; particularly during the battle of the Somme (July to October). Then it returned to its original task of artillery observation with 5th Brigade. By then the B.E.2c was an easy target for enemy fighters and the unit was reequiped with R,E,8 in May 1917.

No 5's markings consited of a band round the fuselage forward of the roundel and another band forward of the tailplane. These were painted black for clear doped aircraft and white on khaki aircraft. I have a small photo of an aircraft serial 2742 and can scan if you want a copy, It was shot down on 28th September 1916

Serials examples as follows :- B.E.2c
1728,1775,1784,2043,2129,2509.2523, 2588, 2603, 2616, 2684, 2755, 4085, 4114, 4413, 4501, 7327
B.E.2d
5742, 5755, 5781, 6254, 6277, 6284

Regards
Roger

[James A Pratt III]

There is a little on his death in TSTB and I believe there may be a little more in the book "Jasta Boelcke"

[hayden]

Very interestred in this thread as my father served with 5 Sqdn at Marieux during the autumn of 1916. He was one of 6 pilots and aircraft transferred from 7 Sqdn Bailleul to 5 Sqdn on 20 July 1916, flying BE2c 2587 to the 5 Sqdn base at Droglandt.

He later he moved with 5 Sqdn to Marieux and carried out Art Obs, bombing and night recce flights in the Ancre section of the Somme (Pusieux, Miraumont, Achieux etc) until the end of the year. I have his Log Book with details of missions flown, but have no info on Lt Jervis, so they didn't fly together, maybe they were in different Flights, he was in "C" Flight, commanded by Trafford Leigh-Mallory from November 1916.

More aircraft with 5 Squadron were: BE2C  2587 7158 4160 4597 and BE2d 5750 5772 6763 2552

The RAF 1a engines in the BE was unreliable and as a result the Corps pilots had to contend with frequent forced landings as well as being easy targets for enemy aircraft and artillery.


Hayden

[Turner]

I have a small photo of an aircraft serial 2742 and can scan if you want a copy, It was shot down on 28th September 1916

Regards
Roger

Roger I'd be extremely interested to see this photo if you can find the time to scan it? Many thanks. Paul

[Roger Coasby]

Roger I'd be extremely interested to see this photo if you can find the time to scan it? Many thanks. Paul

Hello Paul.
I think I have attached the picture to this reply. Not sure as have not done any attachments on here before. If no go I can send by E mail if you give me your addy.

Regards
Roger

[pierssc]

Greetings to the forum!  I have joined in the hope of getting further information to fill in some gaps in my grandfather's diary.  Having come actross this thread while searching for any references to No.5 squadron, it is rather nice that my first post should be to give rather than to ask....

My grandfather, James Kerr, served as a pilot with No.5 squadron, flying BE2c, BE2d and BE2es (and, very briefly, the RE8) in France/Belgium between late July 1916 and early May 1917, when he returned to Home Establishment as an Instructor.  I have started to transcribe his diary and hope to link it in with his logbooks.  I fear that the the diary may not turn out to be one of No.5s best - much of it lists who he had letters from and who he wrote to - but I think it has its moments.

As to Jervis, his diary entry for 26th October 1916 reads (in part):

"Got word today that several British machines were down.  Huns came over in force and one of ours was shot down.  Jervis was killed & Smith wounded.  Smith's controls were damaged & he had to come down in our support trenches; he was wounded in three places but the infantry got him out before the huns started shelling his machine.  Jervis had to be left in as he was wedged in as a result of the crash but he was shot dead in the air - a jolly decent chap was Jervis."

October 30th: ".... Jervis' body was recovered from the wrecked machine today and the funeral took place at Courcelles"

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Piers

[Trevor Henshaw]

Piers,

Thank you very much for posting this detail about what happened.

Cheers,

Trevor