Sgt. Bryan Smythe
Warbird Rising
6th Squadron, RAF
Abeele, Flanders, France

Bryan Smythe
12 June 1915
I just arrived in Abeele late yesterday. While I was getting billeting arranged I was informed that the squadron had just lost a machine that day. Apparently, a BE 2 had gone down with engine trouble, and the pilot had stalled and crashed while landing. He hadn’t been with the squadron very long. Lieut. Lloyd and my first job was to go through his belongings and pack them up for shipment to his family. Very unpleasant business. His name was Smith, Alan Smith. A bit disconcerting, myself and him having similar names.
Today, myself and Lieut. Lloyd were assigned an to do an artillery spotting mission. Because we were new to the area, we flew as a wingman for Lieut. Dillon. I had a terrible time keeping formation. Lieut. Dillon was flying an Fe2. They are slightly faster, and despite everything I did, I couldn’t keep formation with him. However, I’m not sure how much longer I will have that formation keeping problem. Rumor in the squadron is that they are turning the Fe’s in, and getting Be2s in exchange. No one here is happy about that change, and think it is a bit like trading a racehorse for a plow horse.
12 June-Approaching the Front Lines near the Lys River

Last edited by Combs; 06/20/15 05:02 PM.

No man commands safely unless he has learned well how to obey.