This post looks at the Royal Flying Corps Egypt rare insight into Desert accidents. Life at the Royal Flying Corps Egypt training schools would have been close to the edge, on the ground or in the air, where everyone would have given their all. A grandfather of a client of mine took these images which show a fascinating insight into behind the scenes in the RFC. His grandfather was an aircraft fitter at one of the Schools of Military Aviation in the Deserts of Egypt.
Many images on the web show images from the Corps, but mostly these images show life when things went right. These images show what happens when things go wrong.
We have to start with a fine looking aircraft in one piece ready to take off.
RFC Egypt Aircraft in one piece E8999
Some that did not make it back to the hangers. Even pilots had to start somewhere.
Selection of crashed aircraft RFC Egypt after training exercises
This one is a case of it “it will buff out”
RFC Egypt training school crashed aircraft 714B
This one not so much!
Royal Flying Corps Egypt engine of crashed aircraft
This one has the pilot still in it or perhaps this was an opportune moment for a photo?
Royal Flying Corps Egypt Training crashed aircraft 4540
The aircraft that were still serviceable were loaded and driven back to camp…
Royal Flying Corps Egypt loading crashed aircraft 3114
…by the staff at the base.
Royal Flying Corps crews and staff
Unless you wind up like this guy, who crashed on the mess tent roof!
Royal Flying Corps Aircraft crashed into mess tent Egypt
An aircraft winds up, upside down in the roof of the mess tent. A crash that would have been a gentle “landing” as everything is still pretty intact. Probably a result of a heavy landing and losing control.
If you wish to add any info to this blog post, perhaps you know what the different aircraft were, what squadron they were or where in Egypt they were then do leave a comment in the comments box and I can update the post with more details. This would make the owner of the images very happy as his grandfathers back story is nothing but these images!
