Great War>The War in the Air

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No. 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps    No. 23 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps was formed at Fort Grange, Gosport on 1st of September 1915 with a nucleus from 13 Squadron and proceeded to France on the 1st of April 1916. It was redesignated No. 23 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918. 1st Sept 1915 New Squadron October 1915 Detachment  Although still in training, 23 Squadron sent a detachment of 2 aircraft to Sutton's Farm aerodrome in October 1915 to intercept Zeppelin air raids on London. 7th Nov 1915 Squadron Formed 16th March 1916 On the Move 16th Mar 1916 Aircraft Lost 29th Mar 1916 Aircraft Lost 15th April 1916 Home Defence Squadron formed 26th Apr 1916 Aircraft damaged 30th Apr 1916 Aircraft Lost 1st May 1916 Aircraft damaged 23rd May 1916 Aircraft damaged 29th May 1916 Aircraft damaged 31st May 1916 Aircraft Lost 31st May 1916 Aircraft damaged 1st Jun 1916 Aircraft damaged 16th Jun 1916 Aircraft damaged 25th Jun 1916 Aircraft damaged 26th Jun 1916 Aircraft Lost 27th Jun 1916 Aircraft damaged 1st Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 1st Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 4th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 10th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 10th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 15th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 19th Jul 1916 Aircraft damaged 20th Jul 1916 Aircraft Lost 31st Aug 1916 Aircraft Missing 3rd Sep 1916 Aircraft Lost 11st Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged 14th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged 17th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged 24th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged 30th Sep 1916 Aircraft damaged 10th Oct 1916 Aircraft damaged 17th Oct 1916 Aircraft Lost 23rd Nov 1916 Aircraft damaged December 1916 New Aircraft 4th Dec 1916 Aircraft damaged 24th Dec 1916 Aircraft damaged   7th July 1917 Air forces redeployed 20th October 1917 Airfield attacked March 1918 Escort Duties 29th April 1918 New Aircraft 11th November 1918 Armitice If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about No. 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps? There are:45 items tagged No. 23 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. 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. Strange MC, DSO.. Louis. Lt.Col. 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. 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 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? 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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. 225787 Lt.Col. Louis Strange MC, DSO. 80th Wing Louis Strange was born in Tarrant Keyneston, Dorset where his family were land-owners and farmers. In 1912 he joined the Dorset Yeomanry but determined to become a pilot. He obtained a pilot’s certificate and became an instructor to the Royal Aero Club at Hendon, and also took part successfully in a number of air-races, before being posted to the RFC's Central Flying School at Upavon in May, 1914. Strange was formally commissioned as a second-lieutenant in The Dorsetshire Regiment on 30 July 1914 on attachment to the Royal Flying Corps. In August 1914 he was despatched to join No.5 Squadron RFC at Gosport and on 15/16 August the squadron flew to Maubeuge, France. Strange was noted for his inventive mind, variously devising mounts to enable Lewis and Vickers machine guns to be attached to aircraft, designing under-wing bomb racks and home-made petrol bombs that his observer would drop by hand from their biplane onto the convoys of German troops and transport. He invented a safety strap that allow the observer to "stand up and fire all round over top of plane and behind", and a bomb chute to drop 7-pound shrapnel bombs through a steel tube set in the floor of the Avro 504. In early 1915 he was promoted to Captain and posted to No. 6 Squadron as Flight Commander. He earned the Military Cross by carrying out one of the first tactical bombing missions. On 21st of September 1915 Louis Strange was promoted to Major and appointed commander of the new No. 23 Squadron RFC at Gosport, Hampshire. In March 1916 he was appointed to establish the No. 1 School of Air Gunnery at Hythe in Kent before being promoted again later in the year to Lieutenant-Colonel and to establish the No. 2 School of Air Gunnery at Turnberry. In April 1917 he became Assistant Commandant at the Central Flying School. On 26th of June 1918 Strange returned to active combat when he was given command of the newly formed 80th Wing, RAF, comprising seven Squadrons - two of which were Australian - tasked with undertaking massed raids on the enemy airfields. During the next five months he was to be awarded both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. His DSO citation specifically mentions operations on 30 October 1918, when "he accompanied one of these raids against an aerodrome; watching the work of his machines, he waited until they had finished and then dropped his bombs from one hundred feet altitude on hangars that were undamaged; he then attacked troops and transport in the vicinity of the aerodrome. While thus engaged he saw eight Fokkers flying above him; at once he climbed and attacked them single-handed; having driven one down out of control he was fiercely engaged by the other seven, but he maintained the combat until rescued by a patrol of our scouts." Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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