Rare Photo of an Early Fokker Monoplane

This is a photograph of a Fokker M.8 (A.1) two-seater observation monoplane (forerunner to the E.III ‘Eindecker’) that landed near St Omer on Sunday the 1st November 1914 and was captured by the crew of a 6 Squadron aircraft before being brought back completely intact to 6 Squadron’s base at St Omer. The German crew had abandoned their aircraft and made their escape into nearby woods. Note the BE2a Serial No: 468 in the background; a 6 Squadron aircraft which lasted another eight months before it was struck off charge due to extensive anti-aircraft shrapnel damage.