Great War>The War in the Air

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No. 54 Squadron Royal Flying Corps    No. 54 Squadron formed on the 5th of May 1916 at Castle Bromwich as a home defence squadron, but proceeded to France in a day fighter role in December. It was redesignated No. 54 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918. 15th May 1916   Formed at Castle Bromwich on 15th May 1916, No 54 Squadron, like many others formed at the same time, was tasked with Home Defence duties flying BE2Cs. As well as Home Defence, the Squadron provided advanced flying training for other squadrons.  More info. 24th December 1916  6th Jun 1917 Aircraft Lost 7th July 1917 Air forces redeployed December 1917  18th March 1918 Air battle 21st Mar 1918 Observations 26th March 1918 German Spring offensive 8th August 1918 Change of plan 9th August 1918 Bridges bombed 26th August 1918 Ground attack from the air 30th September 1918 Aerodrome attacked If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about No. 54 Squadron Royal Flying Corps? There are:12 items tagged No. 54 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. 54 Squadron Royal Flying Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. Baker MID and Bar.. Frederick. Flt.Lt. Sutcliffe Charles Elliott. Mjr. (d.6th June 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. 54 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. 238232 Mjr. Charles Elliott Sutcliffe 54th Squadron (d.6th June 1917) My Great Uncle Charles Sutcliffe enlisted in WWI in Ottawa Canada in 1916 and was seconded to the RFC for training as a pilot and was attached to the 54th Squadron on 3rd of May 1917 to fly the new fighter, Sopwith Scout. They engaged in daily fights with the enemy. On 6th of June 1917, Charlie failed to return from a combat flight (although the only 54 Squadron Combats In Air Report for that date does not list his name.) The Squadron was flying escort to F.E.s and encountered Hostile Aircraft. His file records indicate that on 18th of June 1917 "The following information regarding this officer has been obtained from a German message dropped in to our lines "Slightly wounded. Prisoner of War". This has been scratched out and replaced with "Reported Dead." He was shot down near Cambrai, behind enemy lines and was buried in a civilian cemetery at Epinoy, in a privately owned vault, three miles from Cambrai. The Germans had, apparently, given him a full military funeral with honours. In 1925, contrary to the Canadian War Graves Commission and in violation of a wartime decree, his body was repatriated to Canada for reburial in the Sutcliffe Family Vault (an exact replica of the vault in France) in Riverside Cemetery, Lindsay, Ontario. There is a lot of mystery surrounding how the family got permission to bring him back to Canada but it is believed they somehow convinced authorities that he was an American. There is more to this fascinating story and I will be travelling to Epinoy in the spring of 2017 to find out more. Cynthia Sutcliffe Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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