Poetry Plane – Featured School of the Week 8 May 26
‘On our return to school in September, we had a visitor who often comes to our school, eager to share an exciting experience. During the summer he had been visiting a War Memorial in France when pieces of coloured paper started to rain from the sky. Looking up, he saw a tiger moth plane and asked one of the staff what was going on? They explained the concept behind the Poetry Plane and he was so impressed, he picked up a small number of the poems from the ground around his feet and brought them back to Somerset.
With his connection to Bruton Primary School, he knew we would be interested. Mr Fry contacted the school, highlighted your website and we took it from there.
We followed videos from the WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust (Poetry Plane Link) which had inspiring supporting videos and lesson ideas. Our Year 6 then created their own poems written on the seeded paper we ordered from the recommended provider.
As a school, we always recognise Remembrance Day and it’s importance in acknowledging part of our history and the invaluable sacrifice made by so many. Some children wrote about their hopes for a future of peace.
One of our talented staff drew a representation of a tiger moth plane and I suspended examples of the children’s poems from our verandah. The display attracted many appreciative comments from parents and passers by and we are very excited and proud to hopefully see pictures of the July 2026 drops over France as 3 of the poems will be from Bruton Primary School.
Lt. Francis McNamara VC, Australian Flying Corps 10-19
Supplement to the London Gazette on 8 June 1917
For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty during an aerial bomb attack upon a hostile construction train, when one of our pilots was forced to land behind the enemy’s lines. Lt. McNamara, observing this pilot’s predicament and the fact that hostile cavalry were approaching, descended to his rescue. He did this under heavy rifle fire and in spite of the fact that he himself had been severely wounded in the thigh. He landed about 200 yards from the damaged machine, the pilot of which climbed onto Lt. McNamara’s machine, and an attempt was made to rise. Owing, however, to his disabled leg, Lt. McNamara was unable to keep his machine straight, and it turned over. The two officers, having extricated themselves, immediately set fire to the machine and made their way across to the damaged machine, which they succeeded in starting. Finally Lt. McNamara, although weak from loss of blood, flew this machine back to the aerodrome, a distance of seventy miles, and thus completed his comrade’s rescue.
The drama of this brave episode is not entirely captured by the citation. McNamara and his wing man were flying Martinsydes armed with bombs made from converted artillery shells. One of these bombs detonated prematurely as he was trying to bomb a train badly damaging his aircraft and injuring him in the right thigh. As he climbed out from the attack he noticed that one of the BE2cs that they had been escorting was on the ground with Turkish cavalry approaching who were known to pay little attention to the concept of prisoners of war. Having crashed trying to get airborne with his fellow pilot sitting on the wing of his Martinsyde, McNamara then extracted himself from the cockpit and got back to the BE2 by which time the cavalry were in rifle range.
The BE had been damaged during the bombing runs and the subsequent emergency landing – bracing wires broken, a tyre had come off, and a drum of Lewis gun ammunition wedged under the rudder bar. Those of you who have witnessed more recent attempts to start a BE in a hurry without any distractions will be aware of what a lottery it is. However, McNamara not only got the badly damaged back in the air but then flew it for over an hour back to base and landed safely. His ordeal was not over as he then nearly died when he got back from a reaction to a hastily administered tetanus jab and he got burned when attempts to revive his circulation using preheated bricks touched his bare skin. He survived the War and went on to serve with distinction in WW2 retiring in 1946.
Sergeant Thomas Mottershead VC RFC
For most conspicuous bravery, endurance and skill, when attacked at an altitude of 9,000 feet; the petrol tank was pierced and the machine set on fire. Enveloped in flames, which his Observer, Lt. Gower was unable to subdue, this very gallant soldier succeeded in bringing his aeroplane back to our lines, and though he made a successful landing, the machine collapsed on touching the ground, pinning him beneath wreckage from which he was subsequently rescued. Though suffering extreme torture from burns, Sgt. Mottershead showed the most conspicuous presence of mind in the careful selection of a landing place, and his wonderful endurance and fortitude undoubtedly saved the life of his Observer. He has since succumbed to his injuries.
No. 29937″. The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 February 1917. p. 1445.
On 7 January 1917, Acting Flight Sergeant Thomas Mottershead was on patrol near Armentieres in FE2d of No 20 Squadron. He had just returned from leave and had to contend with a late change of aircraft delaying his departure. Once on patrol at 10000 ft, he and his wingman met a pair of Albatros (DIII). Having despatched one Albatros, the other flown by Vizefeldwebel Walter Gottsch opened fire from below and behind Mottershead’s FE2d and set the fuel tank on fire quickly setting the clothing of the unfortunate pilot alight – every pilot’s nightmare. Already a holder of the Distinguished Conduct medal for destroying an ammunition train and an Eindecker in one sortie in November 1916 while flying an FE2b, Mottershead was the only non-commissioned officer to be awarded the Victoria Cross for valour in the air.
Lieutenant W Leefe Robinson VC RFC
“For most Conspicuous bravery. He attacked an enemy airship under circumstances of great difficult and danger, and sent it crashing to the ground as a flaming wreck. He had been in the air for more than two hours and had previously attacked another airship during his flight.”
London Gazette, 5th September 1916
This VC needs little further explanation than his post flight report. Flying for 3 .5 hours at night on his own and at heights that the BE2 could only just reach, it is an incredible tale!
REPORT ON NIGHT PATROL
From: Lieut. Robinson
Sutton’s Farm
To: The Officer Commanding 39 H.D. Squadron.
Sir,
I have the honour to make the following report on Night Patrol made by me on the night of the 2nd-3rd instant. I went up at about 11.8 p.m. on the night of the 2nd with instructions to patrol between Sutton’s Farm and Joyce Green.
I climbed to 10,000 feet in 53 minutes, I counted what I thought were ten sets of flares there were a few clouds below me but on the whole it was a beautifully clear night. I saw nothing till 1.10 a.m. when two searchlights picked up a Zeppelin about S.E. of Woolwich. The clouds had collected in this quarter and the searchlights had some difficulty in keeping on the aircraft. By this time I had managed to climb to 12,900 feet, and I made in the direction of the Zeppelin which was being fired on by a few anti-aircraft guns hoping to cut it off on its way eastward. I very slowly gained on it for about ten minutes I judged it to be about 800 feet below me and I sacrificed my speed in order to keep the height. It went behind some clouds avoided the searchlights and I lost sight of it. After 15 minutes fruitless search I returned to my patrol. I managed to pick up and distinguish my flares again. At about 1.50 a.m. I noticed a red glow in N.E. London. Taking it to be an outbreak of fire I went in that direction.
At 2.5 a.m. a Zeppelin was picked up by the searchlights over N.N.E. London (as far as I could judge).
Remembering my last failure I sacrificed height (I was still 12,900 feet) for speed and made nose down in the direction of the Zeppelin. I saw shells bursting and night tracer shells flying around it. When I drew closer I noticed that the anti-aircraft aim was too high or too low; also a good many some 800 feet behind a few tracers went right over. I could hear the bursts when about 3,000 feet from the Zeppelin. I flew about 800 feet below it from bow to stern and distributed one drum along it (alternate New Brock and Pomeroy). It seemed to have no effect; I therefore moved to one side and gave it another drum distributed along its side without apparent effect. I then got behind it (by this time I was very close-500 feet or less below) and concentrated one drum on one part (underneath rear) I was then at a height of 11,500 feet when attacking Zeppelin. I hardly finished the drum before I saw the part fired at glow. In a few seconds the whole rear part was blazing. When the third drum was fired there were no searchlights on the Zeppelin and no anti-aircraft was firing.
I quickly got out of the way of the falling blazing Zeppelin and being very excited fired off a few red Verey lights and dropped a parachute flare.
Having very little oil and petrol left I returned to Sutton’s Farm, landing at 2.45 a.m.
On landing I found I had shot away the machine gun wire guard, the rear part of the centre section and had pierced the rear main spar several times.
I have the honour to be
Your obedient servant
W. L. Robinson, Lieut.
No. 39 Sqdn. R.F.C.