Capt W
T L Allcock's
RFC Diary
1915-1917
Captain Allcock's diary continued:
May 3rd
Engine test with Sgt. Gae on 4195 BE2c. 1/2 hr
May 4th
Escort to 2nd. Army Reconnaissance. Started from Abeele. Saw what I took to be the Reconnaissance machines crossing the lines at Ypres, but owing to insufficient height I did not follow at once. Got my height this side, crossed to cut them off at Rouliers, but missing them. Ran into two Huns who attacked me from the front. The R hand one I dived at and he passed over me at 100 ft, he riddled my planes, on turning round I found he had disappeared. The next I attacked but he sheared off. I followed putting in a drum at long range and he also went down. A/A guns became exceedingly active. For 15 miles the sky looked like the Milky Way. 1 1/2 hrs
May 5th
B.Scout 5302. HA Patrol 1 hr
May 10th
B.Scout 5302. Gun test. New trigger release fitted to Lewis Gun. 1/2 hr
May 11th
BE2C 4195. Machine test. Sgt. Prance. Shot through main spar. New LH top plane fitted. 1/2 hr
May 11th
BE2C 4195 with Lt. Tyrell. Gun flash patrol. Capt. Tillie shot down and killed the same afternoon. Machine landed 200 yds "behind, first line trenches. Went out with NCO and 5 men to salvage engine and fittings. Machine guns active, got engine into safety OK. 1 1/2 hrs
May 16th
BE2C 4195. Photography,7 plates exposed over German 2nd line defences.
1 1/2 hrs
May 17th
HA Patrol on Bristol Scout. Rendezvous at Armentieres at 10,000 ft with No 7 Squadron. Waited for other machines to cross the lines. At 6.20 am 6 BE2Cs crossed over Bois de Biez. I escorted them to Don, returned and patrolled the line Ypres to Ne-uve Chapelle. Clouds became exceedingly thick, so returned to aerodrome. 1hr
May 17th
Weather Test on B. Scout. 15 mins
May 17th
Bomb dropping expedition on BE2C 4195. Passenger Capt. Waller. 1 hr
May 18th
HA Patrol on B. Scout. 1 hr
May 18th
Night flying practice on BE2C 4195. Very easy on a moonlight night. Roads and canals easily distinguished. 1/2 hr
May 19th
Photography. 13 plates taken. 1 1/4 hrs
May 19th
Bight bombing German Station or railway heads. Successful. Very exciting. We flew very low at 1000 ft, dropped our "bombs all down the line. They fired a few shots at us but they were wide and much higher. We saw just a flash from the gun and then a red burst of fire in front of us. All returned safely. 1 1/2 hrs
May 20th
Weather test on B. Scout. 15 mins
May 21st
Hostile Aircraft Patrol on Bristol Scout. One German machine seen off Ypres Salient. I attacked, him his side the lines for he was very low down just patrolling the line. Putting a drum into him he went off home. Fired two drums into the German trenches in front of Laventie. The Huns returned, the fire at me. Then our fellows fired on the Hun machine gun emplacements. The Germans replied with Whis-bangs (18 Ibs) on our trenches. Our gunners replied, with heavier stuff, until there was a little inferno going on, all because one little aeroplane fired into the trenches. This gave me opportunity to locate German guns from their flashes. 1 hr
LEFT FRANCE MAY 23RD 1916
List of No 16 Sqn personnel mentioned
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