1916 - 1917 Bromet 09

On March 13th, Huskisson left to take Command of Naval Squadron No. 4, and he took with him as Stores Officer B. C. Bennett, until recently an A.C. II in the Squadron, and now W.O., II. He got promoted straight up to Warrant Officer and, although he had to stand a lot of chaff about his somewhat freakish promotion, nobody earned it better. Arnold (A. R.) relieved Huskisson, and other changes were Cook to No. 4 Wing, Branford and Shaw to No. 9 Squadron, and Thom and Hervey to Nos. 10 and 9

Squadrons respectively as Acting Flight Commanders.


Our job at Furnes consisted of fighter patrols to attack enemy aircraft threatening the Dunkirk area, strafing kite balloons, watching train movements in the Ostend district, escorting French photographic machines, protecting their artillery machines, and generally making ourselves useful to our friends and offensive to the enemy. During this period also, we were taking delivery of "Sopwith" triplanes (130 h.p. “Clerget” engines).


The French with whom we came in contact at Furnes were the 29th Division (General Rouquerol) at Coxyde, and Escadrilles F.36 (Capitaine F. Walckenaer) and C226 (Capitaine des Isnards). And one remembers a very charming Intelligence Officer, Lieut. Boulanger, with whom we had many dealings.


We remained at Furnes until March 27th, when we were relieved by Breese’s Squadron (No. 10), and left to join the 1st Brigade and 10th Wing, R.F.C., on the 1st Army Front.


On the day before we left Furnes, Prince Alexander of Teck and Major O’Connor, who was on his Staff at the Headquarters of the British Mission at La Panne, came and had tea with us, and after dinner that night the Huns had the bombing fever and kept us in and out of dug-outs until past midnight. Very inconsiderate of them because we had to be up at 5 a.m. the next day for some special operations against Zeebrugge before proceeding to our new aerodrome.


We didn’t make a lucky start from Furnes. First of all the weather caused delays, then Compston and Pailthorpe damaged their machines on landing at Auchel because the wind indicator had been wrongly laid out, then on the following day Preston crashed badly when taking off from Furnes and had to go into La Panne Hospital; and finally Hammond lost his way, made a forced landing near the lines, and crashed his machine.

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