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- No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps during the Great War -


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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment

No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps



   No. 27 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps was formed Hounslow Heath on the 5th of November 1915 and proceeded to France in early 1916. It was redesignated No. 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918.

5th Nov 1915   No 27 Squadron formed at Hounslow on the 5th of November 1915 from a nucleus of staff from No. 24 Squadron.

18th Feb 1916 Moved and re-equipped

2nd March 1916 Posted to France

9th Mar 1916 Aircraft damaged

14th Mar 1916 Aircraft damaged

27th Mar 1916 Aircraft damaged

1st April 1916 On the Move

8th Apr 1916 Aircraft damaged

8th Apr 1916 Aircraft damaged

Mid April 1916 Squadron Formed

20th May 1916 Aircraft damaged

21st May 1916 

31st May 1916 Aircraft damaged

16th Jun 1916 Aircraft damaged

1st July 1916 

2nd Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

3rd Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

7th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

8th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

9th Jul 1916 Aircraft Lost

19th Jul 1916 Aircraft Lost

21st Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

25th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

29th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

29th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

29th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

30th Jul 1916 Air Combat

30th Jul 1916 Aircraft Lost

30th Jul 1916 Aircraft Lost

31st Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

31st Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged

4th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

4th Aug 1916 Aircraft Lost

6th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

9th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

9th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

9th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

19th Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

23rd Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

31st Aug 1916 Aircraft damaged

31st Aug 1916 Aircraft Missing

31st Aug 1916 Aircraft Lost

31st Aug 1916 Aircraft Lost

31st Aug 1916 Aircraft Lost

2nd Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

2nd Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

3rd Sep 1916 Pilot wounded

7th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

8th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

11st Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

11st Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

15th Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost  location map

17th Sep 1916 Aircraft Downed  location map

17th Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

22nd Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

23rd Sep 1916 Pilot wounded

23rd Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

23rd Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

23rd Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

24th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

24th Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

26th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

27th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

27th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

27th Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

27th Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost

28th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

30th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged

16th Oct 1916 Aircraft damaged

20th Oct 1916 Aircraft damaged

20th Oct 1916 Aircraft damaged

28th Dec 1916 Aircraft Lost

24th April 1917 Bombers intercepted

20th Nov 1917 

3rd June 1918 Airforce Moves

21st June 1918 Return to British sector

July 1918 

7th August 1918 

8th Aug 1918 In Action

25th August 1918 Losses

If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.





Want to know more about No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps?


There are:80 items tagged No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.


Those known to have served with

No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps

during the Great War 1914-1918.

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Records of No. 27 Squadron Royal Flying Corps from other sources.


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249248

AM. Sam Barrett 27 Squadron

Sam Barrett was my grandfather. He was employed by the Post Office when war broke out in 1914, working on the telegraph. The Post Office and attached union actively encouraged their workers to join up; it even had its own battalion, the Post Office Rifles. This could partly explain why Sam enlisted on 27th October 1915 at the very tender age of 17, just days after his birthday. Sam, who at that age wasn't officially allowed to fight, joined the Royal Flying Corps as a wireless operator, PO telegraphers often became wireless operators in WW1. He was duly assigned to 27 Squadron, The Flying Elephants.

It is likely that he attended wireless operator training in Regent Street, London during the winter of 1915 and he was posted to France in March 1916 to join his squadron. From March to May 1916, 27 Squadron was attached to the First Army and undertook a number of patrols and photography exercises from Armentieres to Souchez and air combat over Vimy Ridge.

In June 1916, 27 Squadron was assigned to GHQ and over the coming months was involved in reconnaissance flights, attacks on enemy observation balloons and various bombing raids. After some 7 months in France, in October 1916, Sam was transferred to 3 Wing HQ. His transfer took place at a time when advances were being made in wireless technology and wireless operations were centralised. In the ensuing months, 3 Wing was made up of a number of different squadrons so it is difficult to identify Sam's exact movements and activities for the remainder of his time in France.

I do know he was injured the following September and hospitalised for a few days. Happily, Sam survived the war, returning home in February 1919. He went back to work in the Post Office and married my grandmother Sylvia in 1921. He died in 1972 when I was 12.

I remember Sam well, he was a loving and generous grandfather. He spoke very little of the war; only once mentioning the trenches. And as a wireless operator he would have had to run a terrifying gauntlet between batteries and must have experienced a multitude of horrors. He didn't even tell us which squadron he joined, all the above I have found from his service record and other sources. Our wireless operators were an integral part of the war effort. Like so many others, Sam was a very brave young man and I am so proud of him.

Suzanne Morris






Recomended Reading.

Available at discounted prices.



The Flying Elephants

Chaz Bowyer


The History of No. 27 Squadron RFC/RAC 1915 to 1969
More information on:

The Flying Elephants








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