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- No. 56 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. 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps



   No 56 Squadron formed at Gosport on the 8th of June 1916 from a nucleus from No 28 Squadron. In July they moved to London Colney in July. They became the first squadron to be equipped with the SE5 in March 1917 just before they proceeded to France in April.

   No. 56 Squadron formed on the 8th of June 1916 and proceeded to France in a fighter role in April 1917. It was redesignated No. 56 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918.

8th June 1916 

8th June 1916 New Squadron formed

14th July 1916 On the Move

7th April 1917 Orders

20th April 1917 On the Move

22nd April 1917 In Action

31st May 1917 On the Move

21st June 1917 Bombs

4th July 1917 Failed to intercept bombers

31st July 1917 In Action

2nd Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation  location map

23rd Sept 1917 In Action  location map

18th October 1917 Dogfight

18th November 1917 On the Move

21st March 1918 In Action

1st August 1918 In Action

11th November 1918 Victory

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





Want to know more about No. 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps?


There are:18 items tagged No. 56 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. 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps

during the Great War 1914-1918.

  • Ball VC, DSO, MC.. Albert. Cpt. (d.7th May 1917)
  • Barlow MC and 2 Bars.. Leonard Monteagle. Lt. (d.5th Feb 1918)
  • Maxwell MC, DFC, AFC.. Gerald Constable.
  • McCudden VC, DSO and Bar, MC and Bar, MM.. James Thomas Byford. Mjr. (d.9th Jul 1918)
  • Messervy Ernest Dyce. Capt. (d.20th Jul 1917)

All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of No. 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps from other sources.


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1206376

Cpt. Albert Ball VC, DSO, MC. 56 Sqd. (d.7th May 1917)

Albert Ball formerly served with the 7th (Robin Hood) Bn. Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), He was killed in action on the 7th of May 1917, aged 20 and buried in the Annoeullin Communal Cemetery and German Extension in France. He had been awarded yhe Legion d'Honneur (France) and Order of St. George, 4th Class (Russia) and was the son of Sir Albert Ball, J.P., of Stansted House, Wollaton Park, Nottingham.

An extract from the London Gazette dated 8th June 1917, records the following:- "For most conspicuous and consistent bravery from the 25th of April to the 6th of May, 1917, during which period Capt. Ball took part in twenty-six combats in the air and destroyed eleven hostile aeroplanes, drove down two out of control, and forced several others to land. In these combats Capt. Ball, flying alone, on one occasion fought six hostile machines, twice he fought five and once four. When leading two other British aeroplanes he attacked an enemy formation of eight. On each of these occasions he brought down at least one enemy. Several times his aeroplane was badly damaged, once so seriously that but for the most delicate handling his machine would have collapsed, as nearly all the control wires had been shot away. On returning with a damaged machine he had always to be restrained from immediately going out on another. In all, Capt. Ball has destroyed forty-three German aeroplanes and one balloon, and has always displayed most exceptional courage, determination and skill."

s flynn




1206334

Capt. Ernest Dyce Messervy 56 Sqd. (d.20th Jul 1917)

Ernest Messervy of the London Regiment and R.F.C. is one of 30 soldiers commemorated on a Memorial Plaque in the Moray Golf Club, Lossiemouth, Morayshire - To the honoured memory of the members of the Moray Golf Club who gave their lives in the Great War 1914 - 1919.

Captain Ernest Dyce Messervy served with the 21st Battalion (First Surrey Rifles), the London Regiment and the 56th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps during WW1 and died on the 20th July 1917. He is commemorated at the above Golf Club and at the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

On the 4th April 1918, Flight & The Aircraft Engineer published the following obituary: Captain Ernest Dyce Messervy, London Regt, attached RFC, who was missing on July 20th 1917, and is now believed to have been killed that day, was the youngest son of the late Ernest and Margaret Dyce Messervy, Telawakelle, Ceylon, and nephew of Mrs Thorne, Highfield Park, Heckfield. His age was 23. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission adds the additional information that he was serving with 56th Squadron at the time of his death. He is commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

A 28-year-old Major Gerald Messervy MC of the RFA also died during the First World War (8th October 1918). The Commonwealth War Graves Commission adds that he was the "Son of Ernest Francis and Margaret Dyce Messervy" and this being the case it looks likely that he was Captain Ernest Dyce's older brother.

John Ellwood




1205523

Lt. Leonard Monteagle Barlow MC and 2 Bars. 56th Sqd. (d.5th Feb 1918)

Leonard Barlow was commissioned into the RFC on his 18th Birthday. The eldest of six children he had been studying engineering at Finsbury Technical College and had gained a scholarship from the Institute of Electrical Engineers.

He went to France with 56th Sqd and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on the first day of the Battle of Messines. At daybreak he had volunteered to fly alone, below 150 feet, 30 miles behind the German front line, to prevent enemy observation machines taking off from two airfield.

The first Bar to his MC was awarded when he was credited with his tenth enemy aircraft. The second Bar was awarded for his actions in rescuing a comrade who was facing great odds in an aerial combat. In total he was credited with destroying 17 enemy aircraft in combat.

Leonard returned to England to become a Scout Pilot Instructor and Test Pilot to an experimental station. He lost his life during a test flight near Ipswich, being killed instantaneously as his aircraft crashed from 150 feet when the engine failed. He was 19 years old and was laid to rest with full military honours at Bandon Hill.





221892

Mjr. James Thomas Byford "Mac" McCudden VC, DSO and Bar, MC and Bar, MM. 60th Sqd. Royal Air Force (d.9th Jul 1918)

James McCudden was born on 28th March 1895, the son of the late Sergeant-Major William McCudden, and Amelia E. McCudden, of Pitlochry, 37 Burton Road, Kingston-on-Thames. He was aged 23 when he died of a fractured skull in Auxi-le-Château following a crash, and he is buried in the Wavans British Cemetery in Calais. His brothers William T. J. and John Anthony McCudden also died as fighter pilots during the war.

An extract from The London Gazette No. 30604, dated 29th March 1918, records the following:- "For most conspicuous bravery, exceptional perseverance, keenness and very high devotion to duty. Captain McCudden has at the present time accounted for 54 enemy aeroplanes. Of these 42 have been definitely destroyed, 19 of them on our side of the lines. Only 12 out of the 54 have been driven out of control. On two occasions he has totally destroyed four two-seater enemy aeroplanes on the same day, and on the last occasion all four machines were destroyed in the space of 1 hour and 30 minutes. While in his present squadron he has participated in 78 offensive patrols, and in nearly every case has been the leader. On at least 30 other occasions, whilst with the same squadron, he has crossed the lines alone, either in pursuit or in quest of enemy aeroplanes. The following incidents are examples of the work he has done recently:- On the 23rd December 1917, when leading his patrol, eight enemy aeroplanes were attacked between 2.30 p.m. and 3.50 p.m. Of these, two were shot down by Captain McCudden in our lines. On the morning of the same day he left the ground at 10.50 and encountered four enemy aeroplanes; of these he shot two down. On the 30th January 1918, he, single-handed, attacked five enemy scouts, as a result of which two were destroyed. On this occasion he only returned home when the enemy scouts had been driven far east: his Lewis gun ammunition was all finished and the belt of his Vickers gun had broken. As a patrol leader he has at all times shown the utmost gallantry and skill, not only in the manner in which he has attacked and destroyed the enemy, but in the way he has during several aerial flights protected the newer members of his flight, thus keeping down their casualties to a minimum. This officer is considered, by the record which he has made, by his fearlessness, and by the great service which he has rendered to his country, deserving of the very highest honour."

James McCudden was also awarded the Croix de Guerre on January 21st 1916.

S Flynn






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