AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST
WORLD WAR ERA
No.52 Sqn RFC/RAF
No.52 Sqn went to France in November 1916 equipped with the RE8. They
were the first squadron to do so, and by February 1917 they had formed
such a bad opinion of the type that they exchanged their RE8s for the
BE2s of No.34 Sqn. No.34 had used a zigzag design on the BE2 and this
remained on them when they were at No.52 Sqn. It would seem that No.52
Sqn retained the zigzag as they continued to use it when they were once
again reissued RE8s in May 1917.
The BE2s seen here MAY have still been at No.34 Sqn as the date of the
photo is unknown