49 Squadron Association

'A' Flight at Bavay, France January 15th 1919 Reg Goldsby 2nd left, centre row and Archibald Shelley is 2nd left, front row.

'B' Flight (via Nicky Summers)

'C' Flight (via Nicky Summers)

The Officers' servants (via Nicky Summers)

49 Squadron 1919 at Bavay (see the sepia images below for a better version of this image)

Some of the names autographed on the rear of the Squadron photograph (via Nicky Summers)

Footballl Team 1918-1919 (Reg Goldsby is holding the ball)

The maintenance section at Bavay (Reg Goldsby in shirt sleeves)

The maintenance section at Bavay 1919 R E Sandsby (Eddie), 3rd from left, back row

RE9s at Bavay

The Christmas "victory" menu

An RE7

The DH4

A DH9

Officers Mess

The Intelligence Office

The Armoury

Thomas Potter (left) and William Howley

Thomas Potter (left) and William Howley (In front of a hedge that looks suspiciously like RAF Bavay.....Webmaster)

Thomas is middle on back row and Will seated on bench at front.

Thomas seated second left front row and Will second left back row. Some of these men can be identified standing in front of a plane in Image 11. One is easily identified as he is especially tall. He is second from right back row on this picture.

An interesting meal happening here with fresh flowers on the table! I think Thomas far left back row- but it's not a very good picture. This one hasLieutenant G R Fleming's signature on the back.

A better quality image of 49Sqn at RAF Bavay 

Are these RFC do you think? Note the precarious state of roof behind bike second left!

A wrecked railway station perhaps? Thomas is second left front row.

Somewhere else with what looks like a platform. Thomas far left front row with dog. This is also signed Lieut G R Fleming on back.

As the title suggests

Individuals from the group of 8 (Image 4) can be seen with plane here

Lovely picture. Signed "Very sincerely yours ST Franks and JD Hall" on the back.
Initials could be incorrect- hard to decipher signatures. (Webmaster note: Both these pilots appear in our WW1 Personnel Index)
(The aircraft is an Airco DH 9 belonging to 49 Sqn)

A Sopwith Pup

The front aircraft is a Sopwith Pup whilst the rear one is an Airco DH5.

Mum tells me this was made by Grandad to test his 'safer' firing system designed to synchronise with the propellor and avoid gunners having to lean over the side of the plane.

Another view of the firing system mock-up

The original of this is a beautiful photograph. Seems to show perhaps researching a firing system? Thomas in boiler suit second from right.

Grandad returned to work in woollen manufacture in Batley Yorkshire after the war. Later, in about 1940 the family moved to Blackpool and he was employed building Wellington bombers at Vickers Armstrong factory at Squires Gate airport. Mum says he took his mock-up firing system photos to the job interview. He died in 1978 aged 84.