Great War>The War in the Air

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No. 57 Squadron Royal Flying Corps    No. 57 Squadron formed on the 8th of June 1916 at Copmanthorpe as a training squadron, with a nucleus from 33 Squadron. It proceeded to France in a fighter-reconnaissance role in December 1916. It was redesignated No. 57 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918. 8th June 1916   No 57 Squadron formed on the 8th of June 1916 at Copmanthorpe York from a nucleus from No 33 Squadron, taking on 33 Squadron's part-time training role to allow 33 Squadron to concentrate on the Home Defence role. B & C Flights were soon established at Bramham Moor, and the Squadron HQ and A Flt joined them at Bramham Moor on the 20th August. In October however No. 57 Squadron began to prepare for its planned role undertaking high altitude reconnaissance, receiving Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2d two-seat pusher biplanes for this task. More info. 16th December 1916  April 1917 Arras May 1917  29th June 1917  13th July 1917  30th July 1917  10th Aug 1917 Aircraft Lost 21st August 1917  18th October 1917 Dogfight 17th Mar 1918 Air Battle 21st Mar 1918 Observations 26th March 1918 German Spring offensive 16th September 1918 Bombing Raid If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about No. 57 Squadron Royal Flying Corps? There are:14 items tagged No. 57 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. 57 Squadron Royal Flying Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. Burleigh William Cecil. Pte. Ellis Guy S.. 2nd Lt. (d.12th Jul 1917) Godwin Thomas Ernest. Lt. (d.21st August 1917) Harmston William. (d.21st Aug 1917) Hutcheson W B. Lt. Norris Harold Aubrey Blurton. 2nd.Lt. (d.24th July 1917) Pizey Noel Martin. 2nd.Lt. Pym A. C. M.. Lt. Simmonds Leslie Bernard. 2Lt. (d.16th Sep 1918) 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. 57 Squadron Royal Flying Corps from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? 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We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 251922 2Lt. Leslie Bernard Simmonds 57 Squadron (d.16th Sep 1918) Leslie Simmonds was an Observer/Bomber with 57 Squadron. Sally Burge Add to this record. 247085 Lt. W B Hutcheson 57 Squadron Lieutenant W. B. Hutcheson flew with 57 and 59 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Caroline Hunt Add to this record. 247083 Lt. Thomas Ernest Godwin 57 Squadron (d.21st August 1917) Thomas Godwin born on the 10th April 1890 to James Thomas and Hannah Augusta Goodwin of 20 King Street Mews, Portman Square, London. His father was a coachman. The 1911 census shows Thomas living in 21 Brougham Road, Acton with his mother and siblings, employed as a boy clerk at the Admiralty. He enlisted in 1915 at Kamloops, British Columbia with the Royal Flying Corps and was commissioned in 1916. He was serving with 57 Squadron and on 21th August 1917 took off in a De Havilland DH4 (serial no. A7555) as the Observer, his Pilot was Lieutenant W. B. Hutcheson. They engaged in a fight with the enemy (believed to be Lieutenant Hanko of Jasta 28) at Hooge, Belgium when they received a direct hit. Lieutenant Hutcheson survived and was captured, Thomas was killed, aged 28 years. He is buried at Harlebeke New British Cemetery, Belgium and is remembered on the War Memorial, St Mary's Church, Acton, London. Caroline Hunt Add to this record. 246219 2nd.Lt. Harold Aubrey Blurton Norris 57 Squadron (d.24th July 1917) Second Lieutenant Harold Norris, enlisted in August 1914 with 20th (Blackheath and Woolwich) Battalion, London Regiment then served with 57 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps. Caroline Hunt Add to this record. 240032 Pte. William Cecil Burleigh 9th Btn. London Regiment William Burleigh was a Bank Clerk, born in 1881. He served in 9th Londons in France/Flanders from 29th June 1915 until transferred to Royal Flying Corps in August 1917. Commissioned into RAF in April 1918 and served with 57th Squadron in France in the summer and autumn 1918, until released in Jan. 1919. He returned to work as bank clerk after war and died in London in Dec. 1939. Peter Duckers Add to this record. 218735 2nd Lt. Guy S. Ellis 57th Squadron (d.12th Jul 1917) 2nd Lt. Guy S Ellis served with 57th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps during WW1 and was killed in action on the 12th July 1917, aged 19. He is buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery in Belgium. Born in Hull on 24th May 1898, Guy Ellis was studying for his Intermediate Civil Service exam when, on 29th September 1915, he joined the London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles) at Dukes Road W.C. at the age of seventeen years 4 months. The medical showed that he was 5’ 7.5” with a 37” chest. His physical development was described as fair. Appointed Lance Corporal on 22nd April 1916, Guy had been languishing at Hare Hall Camp in Romford, Essex. He decided to apply for admission to an officer cadet unit with a view to getting a temporary commission for the duration of the war. Question 3. State in order of preference which branch of the Service... Guy wrote Flying Corps without hesitation. His specific qualifications for the R.F.C. were considered by the selection board: Rides a motorcycle (though not a horse); can sketch; slight knowledge of electricity; moderate knowledge of the internal combustion engine; knows the whole process of photography; had map reading course; maths 6 books of Euclid, Mechanics, Trigonometry, Algebra. Sports: first XI cricket and football at school; boxing; running (100 yds., ¼ mile, 220 yds., 120 yds., hurdles and high jump. Speaks French slightly. Not perfect qualifications for a pilot perhaps, but knowledge of photography would be useful for an observer. Guy was accepted at No.1 Officer Cadet Battalion at Denham in Bucks on 6th September 1916. From Denham, he was posted to Oxford reporting for duty there on 13th November. He received his commission on 27th January 1917. The fact was noted in the London Gazette on 3rd February. Holding the rank of temporary 2nd Lieutenant, he was seconded to 57 squadron stationed near Ypres. Here Guy settled down to the harrowing life of a young flying officer on active service. For most it was a pitifully short life, relieved only by drinking and joking in the mess in between sorties. In July 1917 a new offensive at Ypres was planned. The aim was twofold; to break through the German lines and reach their submarine bases in Belgium, and to relieve the Russian army in the east. The RFC was playing a significant role in the build up both in combat and in reconnaissance. On 11th July, some two weeks before the battle began, an allied air offensive involving 700 aircraft began. The following day, Thursday, one of these aircraft took off with Guy Ellis in the rear as observer. When he returned, he would have to think about settling his mess bill, now standing at £1-5-8... It’s not known whether it was a fighter or ground fire that hit Guy’s plane, but as it plummeted towards earth, the one thing that might have saved him was a parachute. But it was not policy to give airmen parachutes, ...possession of a parachute might impair a pilot’s nerve when in difficulties so that he would make improper use of his parachute…, was the official view. And so 19 year old Guy was dead. The odds were stacked against him anyway, for by now the life expectancy of a junior officer in a front line squadron was anything from eleven days to three weeks. S Flynn Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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