Two 6 Squadron aerial photos of Dammstrasse, each an area 500 x 500 yards, taken prior to and after the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Dammstrasse The two photographs on Page 8 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. Both photographs were taken over Dammstrasse, east of St Eloi, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 3. D and 28. O. 3. C , each area measuring 500 yards square. The first photograph was taken on the 1st May 1917 and the second on the 12th June 1917, 5 days after the 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge.

This page shows the circuit diagram of a dual valve receiver, as used by the Royal Air Force in 1918. It also gives details of HT transformer windings Royal Air Force HT Transformer Windings for a Dual Valve Receiver This page shows the circuit diagram of a dual valve receiver, in use by the Royal Air Force in 1918. It also gives details of HT transformer windings

Aerial photos of the effect of a destructive shoot on an enemy battery at Klein-Zillebeke, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Destructive Shoot at Klein-Zillebeke The two photographs on Page 35 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The photographs were taken to demonstrate the effect of the pre-bombardment allied barrage on a German battery between Klein-Zillebeke and Hollebeke (present day location 50°48'56.0"N 2°57'01.2"E - in the middle of a field 100 metres north-east of Klijtgatstraat 9). The photographs were taken immediately prior to the Battle of Messines, over map coordinates 28. O. 6. B . The lower photograph was taken on the 3rd May 1917 but the date of the upper photograph is unknown.

Royal Flying Corps book describing the action of the Continous Wave Receiver Mk III Royal Air Force 1918 MKIII Continuous Wave Receiver - Action This page (taken from a Royal Flying Corps book) provides details of the action of the MK III Continuous Wave Receiver, as used by the RAF in 1918 during WW1. It also describes Spark Signals and the reception of continuous waves or Beat Reception.

The Wireless Call Stations existing in the World in 1918, their wavelengths, call signs and transmission times Royal Air Force World Wireless Call Stations WW1 (1918) This page shows the wireless call stations existing in the world as at 1918 during WW1, with each call sign, wavelength and transmission times.

Use this page to seek help from Steve Buster Johnson re a relative's WW1 Service Record, buy a Royal Flying Corps book or if you want more information about the early years of 6 Squadron Royal Flying Corps Steve 'Buster' Johnson - Author Biography After completing an HND in Electronics at Southampton (UK) and a BA in Mathematics through the Open University (London) in the mid 'sixties and early 'seventies, I embarked on a forty year career in IT, corporate (soft) infrastructure project management and technical writing as well as educator / trainer in the stock exchange and futures market. My wide range of skills took me to many countries, working for numerous organisations in both the public and private sector. On a whim, I decided to retire early from full-time employment in order to fulfil a lifelong ambition of writing a factual novel about the Royal Flying Corps squadron in which my grandfather served during WW1. A former recreational / sports pilot, skier and competitive rower, my hobbies now include cycling, graphic design and photography, though my lifelong passion (perhaps my main weakness) has always been cars and motorcycles. With three children and three grandchildren, I live on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia. A keen writer since 2006, my sixth book, Rising from the Flanders Mud is the true story of a successful competitive motorcycle rider who volunteered for WW1 as a despatch rider, served in Flanders with distinction and later gained a commission in the Royal Flying Corps, flying with 6 Squadron as an observer. Contact Me Since I set up my website I have helped hundreds of people find answers to questions about relatives who served in the Royal Air Force, mostly during WW1 but also during the inter-war years. Many of the men I investigated were pilots or observers who flew with 6 Squadron. After almost twenty years researching for my books, I have developed a knack of finding answers to questions in a matter of hours that someone new to the subject might take years of frustration in failing to produce a result. Sadly, not all of my answers have been well received, as for four of the men, I proved conclusively that their claims to glory were nothing more than a 'flight of fancy' and in one instance fraudulent - but that is another story. I too have been impacted by such a claim. Though my grandfather never talked about 'his' war, it was a family legend that he was a pilot in WW1 who flew a Sopwith Camel scout, whereas in truth he served in the Royal Flying Corps as a corporal wireless mechanic. This fact only came to light when I decided to write a book about him, ' For God, England & Ethel ' and discovered that heroes (including my grandfather) come in many shapes and sizes as well as occupations. So, if you want help with questions that have remained unanswered for many years and are pragmatic about what might be discovered, please use the form below to contact me. Steve 'Buster' Johnson New South Wales AUSTRALIA Send Your details were sent successfully!

Training notes from a Royal Flying Corps book on the Continous Wave Receiver Mk III - Summary Royal Air Force 1918 Mark III Continuous Wave Receiver This page is taken from a Royal Flying Corps book produced by my grandfather. His notes provide a summary of the Continuous Wave Receiver MK III, as used by the RFC / RAF in 1918 during WW1.

Royal Flying Corps book containing training notes on the Continous Wave Receiver Mk III - Changing telephone note - as used by my grandfather during 1918 Royal Air Force 1918 MK III Continuous Wave Receiver - Notes This page taken from a Royal Flying Corps book provides more information on the note in the telephone on a MK III Continuous Wave Receiver, as used by the RAF in 1918 during WW1. The booklet was produced by my grandfather and used for training during 1918.

Searchable databases of the 45 Royal Air Force officers who died in Iraq and were buried at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery between December 1921 and December 1937. Ma'Asker Royal Air Force Burials (1922 to 1937) - Officer Service Details Of the 197 RAF personnel buried at the Ma' Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery), 43 were officers. Listed below, in chronological order of date of burial, are the service details and honours for each of these officers as well as the various RAF units each man served with during his RFC / RAF career and the burial Plot, Row and Grave number. You can either scroll through the data or search by entering a character string in the space provided. For anyone wishing to download the complete database containing the service details for each of the 43 RAF officers buried at Hinaidi, I have attached a pdf file below. To use the 'Search' function, enter either a single word / number or a character stream between double quotes, e.g. "6 Sqn".

This page is for access to administrator only and should never be seen by visitors to this website 70 Squadron One Valve F RAF Front WW1 Schematic HT Trans Wind RAF Single 30 Sqn Con Wave Action Con Wave Nts 203 Sqn Cont Wv Tm RAF W TRN Long Wv Cr AC Depot H AC TRN 1918 RAF 1918 TR I

This page shows the circuit diagram of a non radiating triple stage receiver, as used by the Royal Air Force in 1918. Royal Air Force 1918 Non Radiating Triple Stage Receiver This page shows the circuit diagram of a non radiating triple stage receiver, in use by the Royal Air Force in 1918.

RAF Instructor notes on airborne wireless used in 1918 by my grandfather, who served with 6 Squadron for most of WW1 Royal Air Force 1918 Wireless Training Notebook This page contains links to every page of the hand-written notebook my grandfather kept when he was instructing pilots and observers in wireless at the No: 1 (T) Wireless School, Flowerdown, Winchester, from January 1918 (shortly after he left 6 Squadron during WW1 due to ill health) until he was demobbed in January 1919. For more information on the Flowerdown facility and its operations during WW1, click HERE . RAF 1918 Wireless Notebook Cover RAF 1918 Wireless Notebook Index Formula for inductance of single layer coils Aircraft Transmitter Type W - Schematic and Description Aircraft Transmitter Type W - Action (Part 1) Aircraft Transmitter Type W - Action (Part 2) Continuous Wave Receiver MKIII Continuous Wave Receiver MKIII - Action and Reception Continuous Wave Receiver MKIII - Changing Telephone Note Continuous Wave Receiver MKIII - Beat Reception of Spark Signals Continuous Wave Receiver MKIII - Timing and Screw Threads RAF Wireless - Greek Alphabet Symbols Wireless Call Stations and Transmitting Hours - 1918 WW1 RAF Wireless Schematic Diagram (unknown type) - 1918 One Valve Flewelling Super Wireless Schematic

Two aerial photos of the White Chateau, each an area 500 x 500 yards, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the allied bombardment and immediately before the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - White Chateau The two photographs on Page 9 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. Both photographs were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron over the White Chateau (near Palinbeek - not the White Chateau at Hollebeke), east of St Eloi, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 4. B and 28. O. 4. C , each area measuring 500 yards square. The first photograph was taken on the 24th April 1917 and the second on the 5th June 1917, 2 days before 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines.

6 Squadron aerial photos of destructive shoots on enemy batteries south of Zandvoorde prior to and during the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Destructive Shoot at Zandvoorde The two photographs on Page 30 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The photographs were taken of a destructive shoot (before and after photos) on a hostile battery 1 1/2 kilometres south of Zandvoorde - GPS coordinates approximately 50°48'01.9"N 2°58'44.5"E, taken prior to and during the Battle of Messines, map coordinates 28. P. 10 . The first photograph was taken on the 24th December 1916 and the date of the second was 14th June 1917, 7 days after the 19 mines were detonated along the Messines Ridge.

Seven Days in April is a murder mystery historical novel set in Belgium during WW1 - a Royal Flying Corps book inspired by 6 Squadron and written by Steve Buster Johnson Seven Days in April - a Story of 1917 In response to feedback from readers of my first book, For God, England and Ethel (the true story of three men who served with 6 Squadron during WW1), I decided to take a break from my other projects and write a factual historical novel with a difference. Seven Days in April is a murder/mystery novel set on the Western Front in Belgium during 1917, modelled on 6 Squadron's WW1 operations. Though the story is fictional, I have taken great pains to ensure the authenticity of both the setting and the flying sequences. In the Spring of 1917, a Royal Flying Corps squadron is having more than its fair share of action in the skies over the Western Front. To complicate matters, vital spare parts have mysteriously gone missing and the commanding officer is worried that if it gets out there’s a thief in their midst, it will adversely affect squadron morale. When a senior officer apparently commits suicide, with his death linked to the latest theft, the major knows that the time has come to solve the crimes quickly and discretely. To do this, he enlists the help of one of his senior pilots who was a detective before the war, charging him with the responsibility of investigating the death as well as the thefts. What appears to be an open-and-shut case quickly develops into something more sinister, leading the ex-detective to the realisation that there is more to the crimes than meets the eye. But how can he prove what his instinct tells him to be the truth? Note: Though the story is set on a real air force aerodrome at Abeele in Belgium and is modelled on 6 Squadron, the characters and plot are fictional. The aerial fighting and artillery co-operation missions contain factual details rarely seen in print. The ISBN number of Seven Days in April is: 978-1-7829-9974-4 and you can buy a copy of the paperback version from the publisher, Feed-a-Read or through any of the larger on-line book stores or Ebay.

This page shows photographs of every headstone in Plot 1 of the Habbaniya Military Cemetery Plot 1 Headstones - Habbaniya War Cemetery Shown below are photographs of every headstone in Plot 1 of the Habbaniya War Cemetery. They appear in Row and Grave sequence but can also be accessed directly by clicking on the name of the fallen on the cemetery diagram . The background image for this page (visible on all devices except mobile 'phones) is a wide-angle photograph of Plot 1. For those using a smart phone, click HERE to view a copy of this image. There is an interesting story dated in the NEWS section of this website ("The Siege of Habbaniya 1941") which details the events surrounding the death of Flt Sgt Harold Brattan, who lies buried in Plot 1 Row G Grave 8. Anchor 1 Anchor 2 Anchor 3 Anchor 4 Anchor 5 Anchor 6 Anchor 7 Anchor 8 Anchor 9 Anchor 10 Anchor 11 A

This page shows extracts of the history of 6 Squadron Royal Air Force during WW1, as contained in the Royal Flying Corps book 'For God, England & Ethel', written by Steve Buster Johnson 6 Squadron WW1 Facts 1 Extract taken from my book 'For God, England & Ethel' My first book, For God, England & Ethel contains many segments of italicised narrative describing 6 Squadron's operations over the Western Front during WW1. For example, the following is an account of an audacious mission in which 6 Squadron aircraft played a key role. Though not an intrinsic part of the story, it does provide the reader with an insight into the squadron's pioneering bombing role - details that will not be found in any other publication. "One month after the start of the Somme offensive, an ambitious bombing mission was planned to attack the Zeppelin sheds at Brussels, deep inside enemy territory and farther than a BE2 loaded with bombs had ever flown. Having twelve of the latest BE2d aircraft, with improvements that included greater speed and an increased fuel capacity of nineteen gallons, 6 Squadron was for the first time able to send a fully laden aircraft out on a flight lasting more than four hours. There was one drawback. The extra weight halved the aircraft's rate of climb and obliged the pilots to fly without observers. In conjunction with the attack on Brussels, a second group of aircraft would attack a closer target, the railway sheds at Courtrai, at exactly the same time that the first group would be dropping their bombs over Brussels. On the morning of the 2nd August 1916, on what would be the hottest day of the year, six BE2d machines assembled at Abeele. Joining the two aircraft from 6 Squadron were two from 5 Squadron and two from 16 Squadron, flown in from their respective aerodromes at Droglandt and La Gorgue. Each aircraft was loaded with two 112 lb bombs and its fuel tanks filled to capacity. Three Morane LA biplane scouts of Number 1 squadron arrived from their base at Bailleul and were topped up with petrol. At 11:30 am, the nine aircraft left Abeele, climbing towards the lines in wide circles. One of the pilots was unable to gain sufficient height by the allotted time and returned to Abeele whilst the remaining eight climbed eastwards, crossing over into enemy territory whilst still within the range of ground fire, before setting a course for Brussels. Forty five minutes later they encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire over Ledeghem and one of the aircraft of 5 Squadron was hit and forced to land. Just after noon, at about the same time that eighteen year old Captain Charles Snook was forced down twenty miles to the east, the second group of bombers prepared to leave Abeele. Larger than the first, the group comprised a total of thirteen BE2s; six from 6 Squadron, five from 5 Squadron and two from 16 Squadron. Their escorts were five FE2d fighter bombers from 20 Squadron, based at Clairmarais, and six DH2 scouts from 29 Squadron, which at that time was still operating from Abeele. The aircraft took off and headed east, reaching Courtrai without incident and commencing bombing a little after 1:30 pm. At exactly the same time, the aircraft of the first group arrived at the outskirts of Brussels and split up to seek out their individual targets. The two from 6 Squadron, accompanied by a single escort, successfully bombed a Zeppelin shed at Etterbeek before rejoining the other aircraft nine miles west of Brussels at the Strythem crossroads. From there, the seven aeroplanes began the journey home, one hundred and sixteen miles to the west, and into a light headwind. Their route was to take them past Courtrai, within range of a dozen enemy aerodromes. To offer added protection during this, the most dangerous phase of the flight, the FE2d fighter bombers from the second group had orders to fly east to meet the first group of bombers, once the aircraft they had been escorting were on their way back to Abeele. The pilots of the aircraft returning from Brussels saw no sign of their escorts at the allotted time whilst flying over Audenarde, but within five minutes they spotted the five aircraft flying towards them from the west, though at a greater height. The twelve aircraft formed over Anzeghem and with the escort scouts flying overhead for protection, they flew west and safely crossed the lines. From there, the aircraft split up and returned to their home aerodromes. Flying higher than the other aircraft in the group, the FE2d fighter bombers were able to glide most of the way back to their aerodrome at Clairmarais. The last aircraft to return were the two BE2d machines from 6 Squadron that had taken part in the bombing of Brussels. They landed with empty tanks a little before 4:00 pm, four and a half hours after they had left Abeele . "