the 5th Brig
ade R.F.C., 22nd Wing, and that No. 32 Squadron, R.F.C., was being moved from the Aerodrome at Le Vert Galant, near Amiens, in order to make room for us.
On the following day I collected
John D’Albiac (Lieut. R.M.A., and an Observer in No. 1 Wing) who had been appointed to the Squadron as Records Officer, and together we motored to Le Vert Galant by way of Bergues, Cassel, Hazebrouck, Forét de Nieppe, St. Venant, Lillers, St. Pol, Frévent, Doullens and Beauval. We arrived about three in the afternoon and found Huskisson (my second in command) and Spurway (2nd Lieutenant, R.F.C., attached to us as Equipment Officer), with a small advance party of men, in possession
and preparing for the arrival of the main party and the machines. Our sheds (of which there were seven) and the Aerodrome lay on the right-hand side of the main Doullens-Amiens road, about 20 kilometres from Amiens. On the other side of this road, No. 23 Squadron, R.F.C. (F.E. 2B machines) had their Aerodrome. Our huts and billets were clustered round the four cross roads to the north of the sheds, and occupied the farmhouse and buildings belonging to one Monsieur Georges Bossu.
We were to be a Unit of the 5th Brigade. R.F.C. (Brigadier-General Longcroft), attached to the 5th Army (General Gough) operating in the region north of the river Ancre on a front of approximately ten miles. The 5th Brigade, R.F.C., had their Headquarters at Toutencourt, and consisted of the 15th and 22nd Wings. The 22nd Wing, to which we were attached, had its Headquarters at Rosel Farm, within half a mile of our Aerodrome, and was commanded by Lieut.-Colonel T. C. R. Higgins, whose Adjutant was Captain Nicholson.
To return now to the happenings on the 26th. The weather, which had been cold and wet most of the day, cleared up at Dunkirk just before dusk and all the Flights took off. Unfortunately they started a bit too late and a number of machines got separated and landed in various parts of the country as darkness overtook them.
It was my luck to be offered the
Command of this Squadron, and from Guston Road Aerodrome at Dover on October 25th, 1916, I crossed to Dunkirk in H.M.S. Nubian (Commander N. R. Bernard) and reported for orders at Headquarters, R.N.A.S.
I was told that the Squadron was being attached to
