…... fearlessly he preserved the lives of his pilots and bravely he attacked the enemy, until one day the odds against him were too numerous even for his skill and spirit, and so fell one who will ever have his place in the memory of his friends as a very sterling fighter.
Alas, these men have gone, but there remain with us many who merit equal praise, whose leadership was of just as high an order, whose skill
and bravery have left as strong a mark on the records of achievement in the war. Much could be written concerning each one, and nothing would give me greater pleasure than the pleasant task of setting out their history and achievements, but lack of space precludes this, and I must content myself with setting down the names of those who, as it were, formed the vertibrae of No. 8 Squadron, who earned for it so enviable a name, and who, in their respective spheres, are carrying on, bringing to their daily job the same spirit which animated us all in the Squadron – I refer to S Q. Goble, A. R. Arnold, J. C. P. Wood and C. Draper. Each helped to make or maintain the traditions of the Squadron; each worked in his own way for its good, for the destruction of the enemy aircraft and for the preservation and training of his pilots.
Now before proceeding to describe the duties and work of a Flight-Commander, I must outline briefly the disposition of a Squadron. Commanded by a Squadron Commander there were three Flight Commanders in charge of A, B, and C flights; each had five or six officers in his flight and a rigger and fitter to each aeroplane, of which there were six as a rule. In addition to the three fighting flights there was Headquarters flight consisting of workshops, records office and ground staff, etc. The work of the Squadron was decentralised, so that each Flight Commander was responsible to the C.O. for the condition of his aeroplanes, the fitness of his pilots, and the welfare and efficiency of his men. It will be seen, therefore, that a Flight Commander had plenty to keep him occupied when he was not in the air. For example, his aeroplanes had to be maintained in good condition, so that he could produce the maximum number at all times for duty. To do this necessitated close co-operation with the Chief Petty Officer in charge of the flight as to the best time to undertake repairs, etc., whether to allow a certain machine to fly a few more hours before overhaul or whether to work a night shift and have all ready for the morning. The fitness of his officers covers rather a lot. It was definitely a Flight-Commander‘s job to become well acquainted with each one of his pilots, to make friends of them and to help them in every possible way to pick up the threads of aerial warfare and to carry on perfecting themselves in their piloting (many officers came to France immediately after passing out of flying schools in England). To this end it was necessary to arrange gunnery practice and formation flying
