My morning sortie was recce. Jake was leading our B-flight of 4, 5 planes from A-flight sent to assist, and 2 DH2s from RFC-32 to escort. I flew above and slightly behind the other 3 planes in "B" for the standard WOFF form-up and we headed out to meet the DH2s. No clue were the guys in "A" are. Before running into the DH2s I see all 3 "B" guys make a sharp left turn and descend. I hear a Vickers and an EIII machine gun going off but can't see the EIII. Now I hear his engine, now I see him. I don't join the DF, just oserve from above. After a few minutes the EIII goes down and I continue to follow my "B" flight, but we seem to be heading away from the recce area assigned to us.

Yes, we are heading the wrong way. Where is Jake taking us, and why? Soon I see the channel, then an enemy airfield, then black flak smoke. B-flight buzzed around there for about 10 minutes. I neither saw or heard enemy planes or any signs of arial combat. We change direction and head in the general direction of our recce zone. Instead of the required 23 minutes over the zone we spent maybe 5 minutes there before heading in the direction of home. I can now hear the engines of DH2s, ok now a visual, above and behind me. Good, my six is watched. Near home they left, ok there is our airfield, and A-flight too. I wonder where they spent the morning sortie. Looks like A-flight has dibs on the pecking order of landing, I'll just circle above until all are down. Thats long enough, put the Strutter into a controlled left hand flat spin and descend. I see that Tony Pillings was filed a claim in the afterflight details.