Great War>The War in the Air

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No. 61 Squadron Royal Flying Corps    No. 61 Squadron formed on the 24th of July 1917 at Rochford in a Home Defence role to protect London. It was redesignated No. 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force in April 1918. July 1916 New Squadron formed 24th August 1916 Squadron disbanded 24th July 1917   No 61 Squadron was nominally formed at Rochford out of 198 Depot Squadron on the 24th of July 1917. It acquired aircraft, Sopwith Pups, and pilots on the 2nd August and commenced duties as a Home Defence squadron protecting the Thames Estuary. More info. 12th August 1917 Gotha Daylight Raids  About 5 p.m. on the 12th of August 1917 ten Gothas, in formation, were seen approaching Felixstowe. However they turned south and, at 5.50 p.m., were over Rochford, where they dropped three bombs, two of which fell near the hangars on the aerodrome of No. 61 Squadron and wounded two mechanics. A formation of sixteen Sopwith 'Pups' of the squadron had been scrambled to intercept the bombers which turned for home, dropping bombs on Southend and Shoeburyness as they went and killing 32 civilians and injuring 43. The Pups were unable to catch the Gothas before they ran out of petrol and were forced to turn back, but F/Lt H.S. Kerby, who had gone up from RNAS Walmer in another Sopwith Pup', attacked a Gotha which, apparently in difficulties, was flying about 4,000 feet below the main formation. He forced the Gotha down on the water, where it overturned. One member of the crew was seen to be clinging to the tail, and Flight Lieutenant Kerby dropped a lifebelt in the hope that the German would be enabled to keep afloat until help arrived. It was afterwards announced by the Germans that the Gotha had been lost with its crew. Four other Gothas crashed on landing. John Doran. The War In The Air Vol. V; H. A. Jones; Clarendon Press, Oxford 12th August 1917  6th December 1917 Gotha crash landing January 1918 Night patrols 7th March 1918 Mid-air collision If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about No. 61 Squadron Royal Flying Corps? There are:8 items tagged No. 61 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. 61 Squadron Royal Flying Corps during the Great War 1914-1918. Stroud Henry Clifford. Capt. (d.8th March 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. 61 Squadron Royal Flying Corps from other sources. 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If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 19th Nov 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 231009 Capt. Henry Clifford Stroud 61 Squadron (d.8th March 1918) On 8 March 1918 Capt Alexander Bruce Kynoch 231008 from No 37 Sqn RFC and Duke of Wellington's Regiment was flying a BE 12 C3208 from Stow Maries aerodrome, and Capt Henry Clifford Stroud of No 61 Sqn RFC and the Royal Engineers was flying an SE 5a B679 from Rochford aerodrome on a mission to intercept a German bomber raid. Many sorties had been grounded that night because of the weather. The aircraft collided in the darkness over Shotgate and fell into a field on Dollymans Farm Capt. Kynoch, who had served in Gallipoli, Egypt and Macedonia is buried in the St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in north London. Capt. Stroud is commemorated on a memorial in the field near Rayleigh where his aircraft fell, and is buried at Rochford Parish Church adjoining the airfield from which he flew. Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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