Edward Bujak is Associate Professor of History at Harlaxton College, the British campus of the University of Evansville, Indiana. He is the author of
Englands Rural Realms: Landholding and the Agricultural Revolution (I.B.Tauris, 2008).
Reckless Fellows is a most welcome addition to the historiography of air power in World War I; it is immaculately researched and provides a fascinating insight into the world of the operational aircrew.
Peter Gray, Senior Research Fellow in Air Power Studies, University of Birmingham
Reckless Fellows makes a welcome contribution to the growing interest in pilot studies that is both scholarly and readable. Edward Bujaks insights into changes in the training programme and the social make up of the Royal Flying Corps skilfully connects local and social history with the wider experience of airmen in World War I.
Maryam Philpott, author ofAir and Sea Power in World War I
In spite of the celebrity of individual air aces, we still know surprisingly little about British pilots in World War I. Reckless Fellows is therefore a welcome addition to the literature, and will undoubtedly stimulate debate.
Gary Sheffield, Professor of War Studies, University of Wolverhampton
In memory of
ALBERT STANTON CURTIS
(18921985)
Sergeant, Air-Gunner/Observer, Royal Flying Corps, 191618
Published in 2015 by
I.B.Tauris and Co. Ltd
London New York
www.ibtauris.com
Copyright 2015 Edward Bujak
The right of Edward Bujak to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Every attempt has been made to gain permission for the use of the images in this book. Any omissions will be rectified in future editions.
References to websites were correct at the time of writing.
ISBN: 978 1 78453 442 4
eISBN: 978 0 85773 952 0
ePDF: 978 0 85772 609 4
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available
Typeset by Fakenham Prepress Solutions, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 8NN
List of Illustrations
Harlaxton, vertical photograph, 11 June 1917. Aerial view 013. PC94/132/013. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Harlaxton Manor. T608051-116. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Denton Manor. T608051-137. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
BE2e (A2847), Harlaxton, 1917. JMB/GSL/01677. Photograph reproduced with the kind permission of the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Harlaxton Photographic Section. T608051-190. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Trenches, Harlaxton Park. T608051-076. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Machine Gun Lecture Room, Harlaxton, Imperial War Museum (2004-11-53). Collection: Klynes A.H. (Flying Officer).
Royal Flying Corps pilots at Mess, Harlaxton, 1917. Source: Library and Archives Canada/Credit: William John Dalziel/William John Dalziel Collection/C-028097.
Billiard Room, Officers Mess, Harlaxton, Imperial War Museum (2004-11-53). Collection: Klynes A.H. (Flying Officer).
2nd Lieutenant Stanley Arthur Rutledge, RFC. Reproduced with the kind permission of Queens University Archive, Canada.
Royal Flying Corps pilots from Canada, Harlaxton, 1917. Source: Library and Archives Canada/Credit: William John Dalziel/William John Dalziel Collection/C-028091.
Waiting for a bus: RFC pilots under training, Harlaxton, 1917. Source: Library and Archives Canada/Credit: William John Dalziel/William John Dalziel Collection/C-0028044.
Belvoir Castle. T608051-056. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Aerial view. T608051-164. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Hangar construction. X002-9372. Papers of AVM Arthur Stanley Gould Lee. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Harlaxton, interior of hangar, 13 April 1917. PC94/132/12. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Group photograph of flight cadets of No. 40 Training Depot Station, Harlaxton. Papers of Air Mechanic, 3rd Class, William Frederick Leedham, X003-2951. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Aerial view. T608051-186. Harlaxton-Russia Prints. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
A bad landing, in a Maurice Farman Shorthorn, Imperial War Museum (2004-11-53). Collection: Klynes A.H. (Flying Officer).
Lieutenant W.J. Dalziel, Wapella, Sask., in a BE2e aircraft prior to his first solo flight, Harlaxton, 11 December 1917. Source: Library and Archives Canada/Credit: William John Dalziel/William John Dalziel Collection/C-028067.
Sopwith two-seater crash, Imperial War Museum (2004-11-53). Collection: Klynes A.H. (Flying Officer).
Practice aerial scrap, 10,000ft. A.W. Bus. Photograph of an Armstrong Whitworth FK8 in flight. Papers of Air Mechanic, 3rd Class, William Frederick Leedham, X003-2951. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Clay pigeon shooting, Harlaxton, Imperial War Museum (2004-11-53). Collection: Klynes A.H. (Flying Officer).
Officers and air mechanics in front of an RE8, Harlaxton. X006-7310E. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Harlaxton crash Avro 504. PC75/5. Photograph album of pre-war and war-time aviation, 18991919. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
DH6 makes an attempt for the hangar. Papers of Air Mechanic, 3rd Class, William Frederick Leedham, X0032951. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Captain Saint and pupil killed, August 1918. Papers of Air Mechanic, 3rd Class, William Frederick Leedham, X003-2951. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Flight Cadet Iddon, killed, RE8, Harlaxton. Papers of Air Mechanic, 3rd Class, William Frederick Leedham, X003-2951. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Harlaxton 1917. PC75/5. Photograph album of pre-war and war-time aviation, 18991919. Reproduced with the kind permission of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum.
The 50th Aero Squadron, US Army Aviation Service, at Harlaxton, 1918. Reproduced from the personal papers of Alfred C. Beardslee with the kind permission of his granddaughters.
