A note from another place.

Word in a short while ago from a very knowledgeable follower of the story concerning the Spads.

Norman,
The Spads in the photo. On 29th May 1917, 40 Sqdn were based at Bruay and stayed there until 4th June 1918. In February 1917, 23 Sqdn were re-equipped with Spad VIIs and on 29th May 1917 moved to - guess where - Bruay, staying till 13th June 1917. Interesting?. Unless you have other clues in the material, I would say that the Spads in the photo are of 23 Sqdn. Bruay is slightly south- east of Béthune.

Cheers Alex

Keen's Map

Arthur is still very much with us. Flying open cockpit aircraft always bought new skills and techniques such as pasting a chart to a piece of thin marine plywood. All that to save a blurred flash as your chart gets whipped away by the slipstream during aerobatics.
Some of Arthur's aero's would may have been inspired by sheer exuberance, but the majority probably came from just trying to stay alive. Here is the remnants of his effort after a bullet smashed it during combat.
The Story of the 'hole'.

See The Memorial Flight to look at a very fine SE5a restoration.
Perhaps the best WW1 aircraft restoration website on the web - is there a company anywhere that restores or reconstructs WW1 aircraft better than The Vintage Aviator Ltd?

Time Travel

'Research' for me is a word that evokes stuffiness, bookish tendencies and frankly, a dry as dust well where the spirits sink. At least that was the case until I started doing a little digging myself, it seems quite different now as the mud and metal of Flanders and Arras edge closer.

Left: Capt PCO Riddell (Recording Officer) Centre: Unknown, possibly Padre Keymer, Right: Capt AW Keen

Aviator in the Attic - 3

After relative silence on the subject for a while we seem to have hatched a plan for next year. The proposal is that we three interested parties (Piers, Whitters and yours truly) go across to France during a 'Spring Offensive' to visit the airfields that Arthur flew from with 40 Squadron until the time of his parting.
These airfields include amongst others, Bruay and Bryas. Not much left of the former sadly... We are doing the research as part of the ongoing project into this chapter of Arthur's life and it is proving to be enduringly fascinating. The forum members of The Aerodrome.com and Cross & Cockade have been generous with information and advise during the early stages of the research.
Earlier Post 1 2 3.

Aviator in the Attic - 2

 

I have now had a good look at the material in Arthur's field letter case (the tin box) and it is quite a trove. His MC is there along with other awards and a ton of letters, photographs and papers. Some of his personal effects are quite amazing. For instance, a tubular silver case for just one cigarette with a lighter in one end and a compass at the other. One for smoking in a field whilst waiting to be picked up by the squadron Crossley Tender after the engine stops... or worse. The sense of immediacy is amazing, it's like breathing in pure history - a snapshot of someones life. As Piers and I rooted carefully through the contents we were simply bowled over by the story, most of it yet to unfold.

Note: The Spad above was part of a lineup shown in other pictures in the box. Either the British squadron was co-located, they were visitors, or perhaps Arthur grabbed his camera and popped across for a drink with the French/Americans. I don't think the RFC/RAF operated the aircraft; it shouldn't be difficult to place such a distinctively marked aircraft squadron. 

*It seems that I (we) will now be writing the book with Piers as Head Researcher and Archivist.We have also been joined by Richard and Syd, both motivated and tenacious researchers - and aviators to the core!

The Aviator in the Attic - 1

Piers is a good friend, an aviator descended from a long line of fliers with a keen sense of history . Like many of us he has held a lifelong fascination with all things that make their way around 'up there' be they avian, human or wood and fabric.  Across the last seven years we have shared our interests across Skype while I am away down-route.

Back to the 'long line of fliers: It seems that and one of Piers' ancestors left us  a time capsule. A regulation-sized tin box had  emerged from a family attic during a house sale, it contained the personal effects of a fighter pilot from the Great War, a youthful great uncle, Arthur Keen.  The tin box had probably remained sealed since just after the war when it and consigned to the attic. The key, having been placed in a safe place went the way of many such, other means were used to gain entry.