Finally Got WOFF

[Sailor Steve]

26 December 1914

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0815: Foggy day, but we flew anyway. 1 hour 20 minutes."

Northolt
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0906: Fairly nice day. Long flight directly across London to Southend, then back up to Chelmsford, over to Harlow, up to St. Albans then back to Northolt. 2 hours 17 minutes."

Roesbrugge
Filimor Hance writes: "1043: Took off from Saint-Pol-Sur-Mer for our new home at Roesbrugge. 43 minutes later we were there. It is a very nice field with several finely-ground gravel pathways to land on, all clearly marked out with a great building for us to live in, with rooms even for the mechanics."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Ternoise
Noel Kay writes: "1233: Grey hazy day. Normal patrol. Some activity, but not much. 1 hour 9 minutes."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "Gloomy fog, overcast, raining, not flying."

[Sailor Steve]

27 December 1914

The rain has returned over norther Europe, especially at Pontfaverger where it is being driven by gale-force winds.

At Dover, on the English coast, Dugan Vystavel writes: "Last night Captain Johnson informed me that the squadrons were desperately in need of pilots, and due to my prior flying experience, totaling forty hours, my ten hours in the BE should be enough. I packed my bags and went to bed, and at 0800 this morning a car took me to the train station in London. The 1030 train to Dover saw me at the airfield there by noon. There I met three other new airmen in a similar situation. We will spend the night here and take the morning ferry to Calais, then a train to No 4 Squadron at Saint-Omer. I'll be starting the new year in a front-line combat squadron.

[Sailor Steve]

28 December 1914

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0949: Another routine patrol. Some fighting along the way, but not much. 1 hour 17 minutes."

Saint-Pol-Sur-Ternoise
Noel Kay writes: "1356: Clear skies today. Just a few clouds. Routine patrol. 1 hour 8 minutes."

Roesbrugge
Filimor Hance writes: "1139: First patrol from our new field. A little further to the coast but a lot closer to home at the south end of the patrol. Fairly quiet along the front. 1 hour 8 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "After a night's sleep and a good breakfast we were driven to the docks. Caught the 1000 ferry across the Channel. Docked at Calais at 1053. Caught the train at 1207 to Saint-Omer. No 4 Sqdn now has four new pilots. We begin our orientation tomorrow morning at 0800."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "A driving gale with accompanying rain is moving through our part of the world. We are once again grounded.:"

[Sailor Steve]

29 December 1914

And again the entire front is closed down due to rainstorms everywhere.

[Sailor Steve]

30 December 1914

The wind and rain are still with us, but two pilots are having an interesting time of it.

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "1155: The storm has moved on – for the day. We made a reconaissance flight over Verdun, and then down the lines. 1 hour 46 minutes."


Saint Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "We were taken to a wooden hangar with a BE in the middle, and men working on various mountings to allow the plane to carry a camera. We were told that if we were interested we could become part of this new section, working on taking accurate photographs from the air. All four of us volunteered on the spot. This is something completely new and most interesting. We would report here at 0800 every day for study, except for days when we would also be flying regular patrols."

[Sailor Steve]

31 December 1914

Saint-Pol-Sur-Ternoise
Noel Kay writes: "0815: Gloomy weather, but flyable. Only a little artillery along the way. 1 hour 9 minutes."

Roesbrugge
Filimor Hance writes: "0815: Gloomy, overcast, but flyable. Routine patrol. Everything is quiet. 1 hour 4 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "0821: Heavy overcast. We four "fledglings" were assigned to explore the area. Since we lack aircraft two of us were flying and two riding along. I was observer on this flight, which took us west to Boulogne-Sur-Mer then up the coast to Calais and Dunkirk, then back to Saint-Omer.
1317: After lunch it was my turn to fly. Our directions had us heading south to Bruges, then to Hesdin. From there we ran north to Boulogne then east back to Saint-Omer. In all it was in interesting and informative couple of flights, and helped with our navigation skills. 1 hour 41 minutes for my flight. "Riding along" doesn't count."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "1120: Dark, overcast, gloomy day. Not much fighting going on. 1 hour 15 minutes."

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "The rain is back. No flying today."

[Sailor Steve]

1 January 1915

Saint-Pol-Sur-Ternoise
Noel Kay writes: "0815: Gloomy again, heavily overcast. Hardly any fighting. 1 hour 12 minutes."

Gonneham
Corrigan Aujla writes: "0816: Some sun, mostly clouds. Silent along the front. 1 hour 21 minutes."

Roesbrugge
Filimor Hance writes: "0933: Fairly clear up over the coast. Quiet patrol, little fighting. 1 hour 6 minutes."

Saint-Omer
Dugan Vystavel writes: "1031: The longest flight I've ever taken. Major Reynolds, the squadron commander, laid out a course for me and came along for the ride. We flew from Saint-Omer west to Boulogne-Sur-Mer, then northeast to Gravelines. From there we went south to Hesdin, then Abbeville. Turning east we flew to Amiens, then north to Doullens and finally home. Major Reynolds then told me I was qualified to start flying patrols. 3 hours 35 minutes.

Pontfaverger
Odis Först writes: "We are still rained out.."