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6 Squadron Aerial photos (before and after) of destructive shoot on an enemy battery near Pastoor Blankistraat prior to the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Pastoor Blankestraat The two photographs on Page 27 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 were taken to show the effect of a destructive shoot (before and after photos) on a hostile battery off the Pastoor Blankestraat, Heuvelland, prior to the Battle of Messines, defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 17. C . The first photograph was taken on the 23rd April 1917 and the date of the second was 18th May 1917. The exact location of the battery is at the corner of a field 100 metres east of the house at Pastoor Blanckestraat 2A, GPS coordinates 50°47'25.6"N 2°55'37.3"E.

The Greek Alphabet symbols pertaining to airborne wireless as used by the Royal Air Force in 1918 Royal Air Force 1918 Greek Alphabet Symbols This page is taken from a Royal Flying Corps wireless instruction book and shows the Greek alphabet symbols, used in early airborne wireless.

Maps of Western Front in WW1, Flowerdown Wireless School, Poperinge airfields and other allied aerodromes, Abeele, Basingstoke, WW1 Wireless Training Notes WW1 Maps and Documents As part of my research into the operations of 6 Squadron during WW1 when it served on the western front, I have gained access to various old maps and photographs. I have also created my own graphics where required information was not available. For the benefit of anyone who may have faced similar difficulties, I have reproduced a few on this website and have provided the following links: Western Front - Belgium and Northern France, complete with major allied aerodromes Western Front (Sheet 28), overlaid with army grid system and two artillery shoots WW1 Artefacts (including demobilization papers) Original Map of Proven (1918), showing four allied aerodromes at Poperinge Map of La Lovie Aerodrome with Hangar Locations for 21 Squadron and 23 Squadron Diagram of Abeele Aerodrome 1916 and Aerial Photographs of Abeele Aerodrome 1916 / 2008 Map of Abeele Aerodrome (April 1918) showing perimeter and Royal Air Force buildings Map of the town of Basingstoke (c1910), overlaid on current Google Map image Location of RAF Flowerdown and RAF Worthy Down 1918 Wireless Training Notes from No 1 (T) Wireless School, Flowerdown, Winchester

Four aerial photos of the White Chateau, Ravine Wood and Dammstrasse, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the bombardment and immediately before the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Ravine Wood & White Chateau The two photographs on Page 10 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The two photographs were taken east of St Eloi, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 10. A and 28. O. 4. C , each area measuring 500 yards square and include sections of Ravine Wood and the White Chateau (NOT the White Chateau at Hollebeke). The first photograph was taken on the 8th April 1917 and the second on the 3rd June 1917, 4 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 - Ravine, Denys & Pheasant Woods The two photographs on Page 20 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 were taken over Ravine Wood, Denys Wood and Pheasant Wood, as defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 9. D . The first photograph was taken on the 23rd March 1917 and the second on the 3rd June 1917, 4 days before 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines

Plan of the Basra (Makina) RAF Cemetery marked with the location, names and Service type for each of the 71 'between-the-wars' burials. Details are also provided where possible as to the exact cause of death. Basra RAF Cemetery The Basra RAF Peace Cemetery occupies the northern corner of the Basra War Cemetery, as shown in the diagram below and holds the remains of sixty-three (63) servicemen and eight (8) civilians who died 'Between the Wars'. Though its name suggests the burials are solely for Royal Air Force personnel, this is not the case, as explained further down this page. Basra War Cemetery Diagram (RAF Cemetery highlighted) Basra RAF Cemetery Diagram with Grave Locations With the kind assistance of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission I am able to share details and specific grave locations for the seventy-one (71) men buried at the Basra (Makina) RAF Peace Cemetery. Forty-six graves are for Royal Air Force personnel, nine graves for men of the Royal Navy, three from the British Army, five from the Indian Army and eight civilians. As the cemetery is for deaths that were 'between the wars', details are not available on the ' Find War Dead ' search facility on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, though the names of the fallen do appear in the on-line Iraq Roll of Honour (click on the following link to view the ROH https://www.cwgc.org/non-commemoration/rolls-of-honour/ and look at pages 153 and 154). For each of the 71 graves I have shown in the diagram below the name, date of death and the Service type where applicable, since eight of the graves were for civilian deaths. Note that Lieutenant John Henry Ford is listed as serving with the Indian Army but he was originally commissioned into the British Army (Royal Engineers) in 1919. Searchable Database of Graves at the Basra RAF Cemetery Using the data provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and with the kind assistance of Paul McMillan, I have created a searchable database for all 71 burials showing (where available) the full name, rank, service number, age at death, Regiment, Force, grave location and cause of death. The information is held on-line (Google Sheets) and will be updated automatically on this website as more details come to hand.

Use this page to seek help from Steve Buster Johnson, for example 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 Bio / Contact 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. Since I set up my website I have helped hundreds of people find answers to questions about relatives who served in the Royal Flying Corps / 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 between me and his grandson. I too have been impacted by such a claim. Though my grandfather never talked about 'his' war, it was a family legend propagated by my grandmother 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 would like assistance free of charge 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 Contact Me First name* Last name Email* Write a message Submit

6 Squadron aerial photos of the same section of Palingbeek Forest, one taken prior to the attack on Messines and the other 6 days after the 19 mines were detonated 6 Squadron Aerial Photos- Palingbeek Forest The two photographs on Page 14 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The two photographs were taken over the same 500 x 500 yard section of Palingbeek Forest, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 6. B . The first photograph was taken on the 3rd May 1917 and the second on the 13th June 1917, 6 days after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. For more photos of Palinbeek Forest (today compared to 1917), visit the Palinbeek Time Machine .

Satellite image showing the location of the WW1 Royal Air Force Flowerdown facility and the nearby airfield at RAF Worthy Down, Winchester, UK RAF Flowerdown, located three miles north-west of Winchester just off the Stockbridge Road, was used for many purposes during WW1 and in the 'inter-war' years. It was however never used as an airfield, with the nearby RAF Worthy Down having more room to accommodate an airfield. Shown below is a satellite image of the Winchester region, with the sites of RAF Flowerdown and RAF Worthy Down shaded in yellow. No. 1(T) Wireless School, Flowerdown (a brief history) At the start of WW1, training of Royal Flying Corps personnel in the operation and repair of wireless transmitters and receivers was initially the realm of No. 9 (Wireless) Squadron, a squadron formed at St Omer in December 1914 from the HQ Wireless Unit. The squadron’s main aim was to provide instruction in the field and also to fly with other RFC squadrons to provide communication with allied forces on the ground. In April 1915, No. 9 Squadron was disbanded in France and re-formed in England at Brooklands to concentrate its training of RFC personnel at a single location. Before the end of 1915, No. 9 Squadron moved its operation to the Town Hall in South Farnborough, where it became known as the School for Wireless Operators. Twelve months later, in December 1916, The School for Wireless Operators moved once more, this time to the Blenheim Barracks, South Farnborough. The School for Wireless Operators grew rapidly and in March 1917 it ceased to be part of the Recruits Depot and became a Park under the Administrative Wing, with a greatly enlarged air training section. By this time there were a number of other “Wireless Schools” operating in the UK, the (Upper) Regents Street Polytechnic, Marconi House, Earls Court and Clapham, all in London. In October 1917, it was decided to concentrate all wireless training at Farnborough by amalgamating the Farnborough-based school with other training establishments, including the Wireless Officers and Wireless Mechanics Schools from Brooklands and also the Corps Squadron Operators School. The Farnborough training facility was soon ‘bursting at the seams’, occupying the whole of the Blenheim Barracks as well as the South Farnborough Town Hall and it was soon necessary for personnel to be accommodated in tents. With no way of expanding the existing facilities at Farnborough, it was decided to build a new school at Flowerdown, near Winchester. Construction commenced in October 1917 and the school, to be designated the No.1 (Training) Wireless School, was completed in less than twelve months, opening in August 1918. Fourteen wireless-equipped aircraft were brought in to assist with the practical side of wireless training, though these aircraft would be based and operate from the nearby airfield at RAF Worthy Down. The significant increase in courses and Royal Flying Corps men to be trained created a huge shortage of qualified instructors. In order to keep up with demand, many appropriately qualified officers and ‘other ranks’ returning from active duty on the Western Front (many through injuries that precluded them from returning to the Front) were invited to leave their squadrons and become wireless instructors at Flowerdown. My grandfather was employed as a wireless instructor, initially at Farnborough in early February 1918 and then later at Flowerdown until he was demobbed on the 24th January 1919. Though he married my grandmother shortly after he was declared medically unfit to return to France in late January 1918, he was not allowed to have her live with him at Farnborough/Flowerdown and had to obtain weekend passes in order to catch a train home to Basingstoke until he was demobbed in 1919. Incidentally my mother was born in June 1919, conceived on one of my grandfather’s weekend breaks from wireless instructrion! At 7:15 pm on the evening of 14th August 1918, (either at Farnborough or Flowerdown during the construction process when it still had an emergency landing strip ), my grandfather was in charge of a working party and happened to cross the 'straight' (landing area) without noticing that a BE2e (Serial C6943) was coming in to land. The lower wing struck him in the back and knocked him out. Fortunately he suffered only minor injuries, but my grandmother never allowed him to forget the fact that he had survived serving on the Western Front unscathed but had been injured on home soil due to his carelessness! As soon as the Farnborough training facility had been moved to Flowerdown in August 1918, the Brooklands workshops were also transferred there, as was the RNAS Wireless School for Operators, with the long-term plan that anyone involved in aerial work would be transferred to Worthy Down by the end of March 1919. Flowerdown and Worthy Down became respectively the centres for ground and air training of Wireless Operators as well as all aircraft involved in wireless training (the existing training flight supplemented by three Handley Page bombers). As the year progressed, more and more instructors left Flowerdown, as most had signed up for the “duration of the war” and were anxious to be released from the Royal Air Force. For a time In 1919, Flowerdown was also used as a demobilisation / repatriation Centre for RAF Officers from Canada, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries. The establishment continued to grow, with additional dugouts constructed for the housing of MK III* crystal receivers completed in June 1919. The aircraft used at that time for training purposes were two-seaters, the Bristol F2B Fighter fitted with Stirling spark transmitters and the Avro 504K. In July 1919, the No. 1(T) Wireless School, Flowerdown was renamed the Electrical and Wireless School. Royal Air Force Flowerdown Facility, Winchester, UK

Schematic and notes for aircraft transmitter Type W as used in 1918 by my gradfather RAF 1918 Aircraft Type W Transmitter This page of the Royal Flying Corps book shows a schematic and description of the aircraft Type W transmitter, as used by my grandfather in 1918 during WW1 when he was teaching airborne wireless to RFC / RAF trainees.

RAF General Hospital at RAF Hinaidi completed in April 1923, with several buildings used to this day. It was built for 500 beds but gradually reduced to 155 beds. RAF General Hospital, Hinaidi, Iraq Page 11 of "An Introduction to Iraq" provides a brief description of the RAF General Hospital, Iraq, located at Hinaidi. The buildings were completed in April 1923 with several buildings still in use. The hospital was originally built for 500 beds but this number was gradually reduced to 155 beds. In January 1929, the Air Headquarters was moved from Baghdad to the Hinaidi Cantonment, taking over four wards for the HQ offices and another two wards converted to the Medical Officers' Mess (the existing M.O's Mess having being taken over by the HQ Staff Mess) At the time of publication, (August 1935) the Commanding Officer was Group Captain (who retired in 1946 as an Air Vice Marshall) A E Panter, CB, MRCS, LRCP.

This page shows photographs of all seventy three headstones in Plot 5 of the Habbaniya Military Cemetery. This is the only website where you will find photos of the headstones Plot 5 Headstones - Habbaniyah War Cemetery This page contains photographs of the seventy-three (73) headstones in Plot 5 of the Habbaniyah War Cemetery. The photographs appear below in Row and Grave sequence but can also be accessed directly by clicking on the name of the person of interest by via the cemetery diagram page. The background image for this page (visible on all devices except mobile 'phones) is a wide-angle photograph taken of Plot 5 at Habbaniyah. Click HERE to see a copy of this photo. Anchor 1 Anchor 2 Anchor 3 Anchor 4 Anchor 5 Anchor 6 Anchor 7 Anchor 8 Anchor 9 Anchor 10 Anchor 11 Anchor 12 Anchor 13 Anchor 14 Anchor 15 Anchor 16 Anchor 17 Anchor 18 Anchor 19 PLOT 6 HEADSTONES Anchor 20

A brief history of 203 Flying Boat Squadron, from its original formation in 1914 until the 1930s when it was based in the Persian Gulf and made many flights between England and Basrah in southern Iraq. 203 Squadron (Flying Boat) Royal Air Force Page 8 of "An Introduction to Iraq" provides a brief history of 203 Squadron (one of the Royal Air Force squadrons that operated in Mesopotamia during the inter-war years). At the time of publication (August 1935) the commanding officer of 203 Squadron was Group Captain (later Air Vice Marshall) R E Saul DFC.