25 January 1915

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0900: Heavy overcast. Standard patrol from Hooge to Neuve-Chapelle. Heavy fire near Messines. 1 hour 32 minutes."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0901: Routine solo patrol. Passchendaele to Hooge. 1 hour 18 minutes. Passed the 20-hour mark in the Morane."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "0947: Routine patrol. Not much going on. 1 hour 18 minutes."

Verdun
Noel Kay writes: "The weather has turned foggy."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "The fog has settled in again."

26 January 1915

The entire front is rained out again.

27 January 1915

The rain and fog continue.

28 January 1915

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0904: Accompanied Lts Carlson and Webb on an Artillery spot up by Passchendaele. 1 hour 55 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "1004: Led a scouting mission over the German aerodrome at Phalempin, with Sgt Crowe and 2nd Lt Stewart accompanying. Captain Mapplebeck flew above us watching for the enemy. My observer this flight was Capt Buckingham. 2 hours 15 minutes.

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "1119: Some high clouds, but mostly clear. Routine patrol. Some fire near the coast. 1 hour 13 minutes."

Verdun
Noel Kay writes: "Still foggy. I’m beginning to wonder why we came back here. At least at Saint-Pol we were flying most of the time."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes nothing, but is still grounded.

January 29 1915

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "1008: Artillery Spot near Miramont, with Lts Cruikshank and Webb. 1 hour 39 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "1105: Took off to lead an Artillery mission with Lt Crowe following Suffered an engine failure and forced to land. Lt Crow managed to complete the mission. 18 minutes.

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "1246: Routine Patrol High overcast. Some artillery near the coast. 1 hour 22 minutes."

Verdun is still fogged in.

30 January 1915

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0801: Went with Capt Mapplebeck on a scouting mission. Hit by Archie – no serious damage. 2 hours 7 minutes."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "1120: Trench photography near Lens, with Maj Salmond. Big push by the Germans. 1 hour 23 minutes"

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "1423: Routine patrol. Took a newcomer in tow to show him the route – Cpl Roman Becquerel. 1 hour 29 minutes."

The Verdun area is still totally grounded.

31 January 1915

Once again the weather closes in and the region is rained out.


1 February 1915

Flanders is still pouring rain. Verdun is still fogged in.


2 February 1915

Nothing has changed. Everything is still grounded.

3 February 1915

Most of the Front is still washed out.

In Wilhelmshaven a new pilot begins his career. Alongside the Zeppelin sheds where he has been training the last several weeks, Leutnant Lennart Jarman Altendorf makes his first solo flight.

4 February 1915

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0902: Still raining, but not enough to deter us. Photo mission with Lts Newbury and Webb. 1 hour 40 minutes."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "0909: Rain is slightly less. Able to fly. Routine patrol. Not much happening. 1 hour 16 minutes."

Wilhelmshaven
Lennart Altendorf writes: "0911: Hptm Podalski took each of us on a flight in turns, assessing our skills. 38 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "1001: Followed Capt Mapplebeck and Lt Crowe on a scouting mission over Haubourdin. 2 hours 15 minutes."

Verdun is still covered in fog.

5 February 1915

The whole world is shut down due to weather...or at least the parts my pilots are all flying in.


6 February 1915

The storm is massive. Everything everywhere is still shut down.

7 February 1915

Varying stages of fog and rain are still around, but everything is light enough today that everybody got a good flight in.

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "0815: Thirteen days since we last flew. Not knowing what tomorrow will be like, they sent us up in groups to make sure we all got flying time in. I was fourth man in a scouting mission that included Ltns Soltau, Müller, and Boelcke. 1 hour 35 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0904: Artillery mission. Lts Richards and Ackart leading. Myself with Lt Nash and Sgt Crowe and Capt Henry in support. 1 hour 51 minutes."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "1002: Bombing mission against a railyard with Lt Cruikshank and Robbie Reinard. 1 hour 19 minutes."

Wilhelmshaven
Lennart Altendorf writes: "1003: Hptm Podalski led his three students on a long flight around the area. 1 hour 45 minutes."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "1003: First hunting mission. Two of us patrolled near Passchendaele looking for enemy planes on recon missions. My partner was Caporal Garros. He's something of a legend having been the first man to fly non-stop across the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately we didn't find any enemy machines. 1 hour 35 minutes.

Verdun
Noel Kay writes: "1034: Fog has lessened a little. First flight in two weeks. Long deep penetration scouting mission up around the Sedan area. 3 hours 13 minutes."

8 February 1915

Flanders is rained out again, but surprisingly Verdun has its second day in a row of no fog!

Verdun
Noel Kay writes: "0815: Led a flight of four planes on a scouting mission across the lines from Reims. 1 hour 59 minutes."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "1004: Scouting flight over Somme-Vesle. Lots of flak. 1 hour 29 minutes."

Wilhelmshaven
Lennart Altendorf writes: "1202: Another long flight so we could get used to being over water. We travelled northeast across the Jade to Cuxhaven, south to Bremerhaven, then back west to our field. 1 hour 55 minutes."

9 February 1915

The front is yet again unflyable. Everybody waits and wonders what will happen next.

10 February 1915

The Front is still closed down, but at Wilhelmshaven the sky is clear enough for the fledglings to fly.
Lennart Altendorf writes: "1445: Flew southeast to Varel, then south to Oldenburg, east to Bremen, then back to Sande and home. Arrived just after night. Got some practice landing in the dark. 2 hours 9 minutes."

12 February 1015

The Front is still rained out, but the rearward training school at Wilhelmshaven is flying again.
Lennart Altendorf writes: "0809: Long flight up to Minsener Oog, then down to Witmund, southwest to Aurich, south to Westoverledingen, then north-northwest back to Sande. Once the weather is clear in Flanders we will be moving to our new field at Bertincourt. 2 hours 18 minutes."

13 February 1915

Nothing much has changed, except that even the rear area at Wilhelmshaven is being rained on again.

14 February 1915

Verdun is under attack by a series of snowstorms, but Flanders is enjoying a clear day.

Bertincourt
Lennart Altendorf writes: "0810: Transferred from Wilhelmshaven to Bertincourt. Hptm Podalski led the three of us south to Dusseldorf first. 3 hours 28 minutes. Had some lunch Stretched our legs for a bit. 1306: Took off from Dusseldorf. Flew across Belgium and into France. Landed at Bertincourt after dark. 4 hours 35 minutes. Total trip time: 8 hours 3 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0901: Photo-Reconaissance mission over Monchy-Le-Preux. Billy Crowe leading. 2 hours 52 minutes."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0902: Artillery Spotting mission south of Arras. Lts Cruikshank and Webb leading. 1 hour 37 minutes."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer
Filimor Hance writes: "1003: A week since we last flew. With Lt Garros in a patrol over our own airfield at Alquines. 1 hour 37 minutes."

15 February 1915

After one clear day the winter storms hit again. Flanders is raining. Verdun is snowing. Nobody is flying.

16 February 1915

Flanders is still soaked with rain, but the Verdun area gets a reprieve.

Verdun
Noel Kay writes: "0815: Sky is clear. Patrol up the lines. 1 hour."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "0815: Clouds have lifted. Patrol westward over Reims, then back down the lines. 1 hour 52 minutes."

17 February 1915

Verdun has started snowing again. In Flanders it's still raining.