Those Magnificent Men (1) – Their Journey Back to the Somme

Those Magnificent men

At the start of the Battle of Somme on the 1st July 2016, some 400 Be2s are shown on the posted strength of the Royal Flying Corps. Long past their sell by date and their initial deployment with the British Expeditionary Force in Aug 1914, and soon to be earning their spurs against the Zeppelins in the skies over UK, the BE2 crews were the embodiment of the offensive spirit of the RFC demanded by their Commander, Brigadier Trenchard. You have to fly in one to understand the incredible sense of duty required to get airborne in a fragile construction of wood and linen powered by arthritic sowing machine which threatens to immolate the front cockpit occupant in a miasma of hot oil, let alone to go to war in one with the Eindecker and later the Albatros trying to kill you.BE2

Fast forward to 15th September 2016, and I am sitting in the front cockpit of BE2e (A2767) at Albert Picardie Aeroport waiting to get airborne in one of the most incredible and moving flights of my life. My grandfather flew BE2s in 1916. My 5000 hours of flying RAF helicopters pales in to insignificance when you consider that the pilot in this occasion is John Bargh who has come all the way from New Zealand with his wife Penny to pay his homage to the NZ fallen and has 25,500 hours’ crop-dusting under his belt. John as almost everyone in New Zealand has a relative who volunteered to join the British Empire’s fight against the Hun. John’s grandfather fought at Messines Ridge and somehow survived the horrors of Passchendaele.

 
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About WW1AHT

WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust Ltd

We intend to provide an enduring flying collection of World War I Allied and German aircraft based in the UK flying from heritage sites like Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome.

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info@ww1aht.co.uk
rockingnacelle@ww1aht.co.uk

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With thanks to Darren Harbar, Huw Hopkins, Leigh Smith and Russell Savory for their magnificent photographs

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Yes Flyers | UK Youth Aviation Education
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