AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

No.8(N)Sqn RNAS / No.208 Sqn RAF


With the casualties the RFC was suffering during the summer 1916 battles of the Somme, a request was made to the RNAS to help make up their losses. In response, the decision was made to send a fighting squadron to be placed under RFC control. As there was no RNAS fighter squadron as such, this was possible only by removing one flight from each of the Naval Wings - A Flight came from No 4 WIng and flew the Nieuport 17B. This was a lightened version of the standard French Nieuport 17 fitted with a 80hp Le Rhone instead of the 130hp Clerget and in French service was known as the Nieuport 21. B Flight of Sopwith Pups was from No 1 Wing, while No 5 Wing provided the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters used by 'C' Flight. This was accomplished by October 1916. The new unit was initially referred to as the Detached Squadron, later renamed No 8(N) Squadron RNAS and was originally based at Dunkerque on the St. Pol Aerodrome.
Although they had originally been equipped with three different aircraft types, by early 1917 8(N) was entirely composed of Sopwith Pups, with which type their final patrol was flown on 2 February 1917, upon the completion of which they turned their remaining aircraft over to 3(N) squadron under the Canadian R H Mulock and returned to St. Pol on 3 February to rest and re-equip.
During this period of rest, many changes to the squadron took place. First was the arrival of the new Sopwith Triplane. As well many personnel transfers took place, including the removal of the entire 'C' Flight to form the nucleus for the newly formed 9(N) squadron.
It is their time with the Sopwith Triplane that Naval Eight is most famous, their Triplanes were emblazened with the names of loved ones - plus at least one exception in Crundall's Whitfield, but he was prevailed upon to change to a female name. Later they added striped bands to these aircraft. Many of these are shown below in conjectural profiles . . photos of most are still lacking.
In the summer of 1917 the Sopwith Camel began to replace the Triplane, and by the end of August the Triplane was gone. The Camel served until autumn 1918, when the Snipe entered squadron usage.
The first three paragraphs are culled from a history of Naval Eight I started – too many years ago - so far I have them chronicled up to the arrival of their Triplanes – hence the spotty history after that. Help would be appreciated in the way of combat reports etc.



Nieuport 17b 3956    BINKY
FSL G G Simpson
December 1916
Source:

 


Sopwith Pup N5185    BINKY II
FSL G G Simpson
December 1916
Source: C&C(GB)19/1
updated 2013


Sopwith Pup N5187    VICKIE
-
Early 1917
Source: S K Taylor photo


Sopwith Triplane N5449    BINKY III

March 1917
Source: Fighter Pilot on the Western Front
REVISED

 


Sopwith Triplane N5439  WHITFIELD
FSL E D Crundall
March 1917
Source: Conjectural

Sopwith Triplane N5464     DORIS
FSL E D Crundall
Spring 1917
Source: Fighter Pilot on the Western Front


Sopwith Triplane N5450    TIKI

Spring 1917
Source: Conjectural



Sopwith Triplane N5442      PIP

Spring 1917
Source: Conjectural

Sopwith Triplane N5467    MINCOL
FSL E B J Walter
April 1917
Source: Conjectural


Sopwith Triplane       BRENDA

Spring 1917
Source: Conjectural



Sopwith Triplane N5464     HILDA
FSL R R Soar
Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

Sopwith Triplane N5474     GWEN
FSL E B Roach
April 1917
Source: C&C(GB) 15/4


Sopwith Triplane N5493    BLYMP
F/Cdr R A Little
Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

 


Sopwith Triplane N6292     LILY
F/Lt R R Soar
Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

Sopwith Triplane      VEDA

Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile


Sopwith Triplane N5468    ANGEL
FSL CHB Jenner-Parsons
Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile



Sopwith Triplane        SNAPP

Spring 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

Sopwith Triplane N6290    DIXIE II
F/Cdr RJO Compston
Summer 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile


Sopwith Camel B3757
F/Cdr PA Johnston
July 1917
Source: Sopwith Camel Datafile



Sopwith Triplane N5482    MAUD
F/Cdr C D Booker
August 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

Sopwith Triplane N6301    DUSTY II
FSL R McDonald
Summer 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile


Sopwith Triplane N5493

Summer 1917
Source: Sopwith Triplane Datafile

 


Sopwith Triplane N5421   HIGH JINKS


Source: Conjectural


Sopwith Triplane N5421

August 1917
Source: Profile Booklet


Sopwith Camel B3921
F/Lt R B Munday
Early 1918
Source: Sopwith Camel Datafile



Sopwith Camel B6340
F/Cdr RJO Compston
January 1918
Source: Camel: King of Combat

Sopwith Camel B7230

Early 1918
Source: C&C(GB) 15/4


Sopwith Camel B3819


Source:

 


Sopwith Camel

Summer 1918
Source: Sopwith Camel Datafile
updated 2013

Sopwith Camel D1845

Summer 1918
Source: JMB/GSL Collection
updated 2013

Sopwith Snipe E6938
-
-
Source: Profile Booklet