Independent Air Force

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31588, 27 January 1968, Page 5

Independent Air Force

(Specially written for “The

Press” by

MEREBIMUR)

A recent photograph in “The Press” reminded me of the Independent Air Force and the fine record of No. 110 Squadron during the First World War. It became the Royal Air Force on April 1, 1918, as did all other Royal Flying Corps squadrons.

The photograph showed an old friend of mine, Sergeant F. Quilter, now a Chelsea pensioner. He was being presented with an illuminated combat record of 110 squadron.

This squadron became one of the Independent Air Force under the command of MajorGeneral Sir High Trenchard. On its formation “Boom” Trenchard took over the 41st wing, which had been formed

in October, 1917, and was commanded by C. L. N. Newall, (later Lord Newall and Governor-General of New Zealand). As a boy-trainee in the Royal Engineer Balloon School before going to a Cavalry Regiment, I saw both of these, then, young officers arrive at Farnborough, and met them again years later. The 41st wing consisted of the following squadrons:

No. 100 flying F.E. 2b’s (Farnborough Experimental); No. 55 flying D.H. 4’s (de Havillands); No. 16 (Naval) flying Handley Page Bombers. They were joined by: Nos. 97, 215 and 115, all flying Handley Page bombers, together with No. 110 flying D.H. 9’s (de Havillands) and No. 45 flying Camel fighter scouts (Sopwiths). The Independent Wing, or Air Force, was on the right of the British line at Nancy, more or less overlapping the French left flank, and worked in co-operation with them. It did a lot of destructive bombing on German industrial

centres in the Saar, AlsaceLorraine, and ever farther afield. The enemy had consentrated a large number of night-flying Gothas and Friedrichshafeners at various aerodromes. They were persistently attacked and were located at Bolchen (Boulay), Friesdorf, north of Bolchen, Freccaty near Metz; Buhl and Lorquin near Saarburg; Morhange near Saaralben; and Nieuderum near Falkenburg. This was not the limit of the air force penetration into enemy territory, for the towns of Frankfurt, Cologne, Maunhiem, and Karlsruhe, together with many others, received attention, particularly the steel works at Saarbrucken. This continued to the end of the war. I did not see this end of it, for I had been wounded again, but rejoined by original squadron afterwards. However I am not the only one who remembers so much, for there is another bomber member of the Independent

Wing who now lives at Nelson A. R. Kingsford, who was in 1918 a flight-com-mander of No. 100 Squadron. His squadron was espcially detailed for night flying to bomb those aerodromes at Bolchen (Boulay). Sir Leonard Isitt was also for a while with the wing at the time when the Bristol (two-place) Fighters arrived, and began to have success against the Germans. Actually, No. 48 Squadron had received the first Bristols in March, 1917. The sketch shows “Back Seat Charlie,” the rear gunner and observer, in a D.H.9 of 110 Squadron waving to the gunner-observer in the Pulpit (front cockpit) of an F.E. 2b of No. 100 Squadron. Both were aircraft of the Independent Air Force.

The D.H. 9 was replaced in 1918 by the D.H. BA, which had an in-line engine under a cowling, Increased length and .greater wing span to give a< larger bombing range.