WW1 colour photos

[Gnarly Gnu]

These guys have done an amazing job bringing dozens of photos to life with colour. Here are some of the aviation related ones, if you enjoy them I would recommend a visit to their webpage.

 

 

Albatros DIII D 2062-16. Western Front, 3 March 1917

 

This plane belonged to Karl Emil Schäfer of Jasta 11, it came down on the German side of the Lines when his gun synchronising gear malfunctionned and partially damaged the airscrew. [more info at the site]

 

 

Two crewmen standing in the forward defensive machine gun position on top of a German Zeppelin

 

Often freezing cold, always vulnerable, the defensive gunners occupied a tiny, sunken recess on the very top of the airship, shielded from the buffeting winds only by a shallow screen and their thick leather flying suits.

 

 

1st of April 1918. British and Canadian Observers and Pilots of No. 22 Squadron RFC with a Bristol F2b at Vert Galant aerodrome, which was situated about 12 miles north of Amiens. Each of them had brought down at least three German aircraft. (As far as we can tell, all but two of these men survived the war.)

 

 

A selection of earlier posts depicting German Aces and their flying machines.

 

 

Savy, Nord Pas de Calais, 22nd, October 1917. An unidentified member of the 69th Australian Squadron, later designated No. 3 Australian Flying Corps (AFC), fixing incendiary bombs to an R.E.8 aircraft at the AFC airfield north west of Arras.

 

 

[re-creation from a museum?] ".....in Sep 1918 when attacking German aircraft over the Cambrai sector a member of his formation collided with him buckling his starboard upper wing and forcing him into a dive. After his aircraft had lost about 5000 feet of height the dive gradually developed into a right-handed semi-flat spin. At about 2000 feet Caldwell climbed out of his cockpit, placed his left foot on the lower port mainplane and, grasping the port centre strut with his left hand endeavoured to balance his aircraft, flying it with his right hand and foot. Displaying skill and resource of the highest order he succeeded in guiding his crippled aircraft so that it just cleared the front line trenches and, just as it was about to crash, he jumped off and turned a few somersaults on the ground. He then stood up, brushed himself off and walked to the nearest trench asking to use the telephone."

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

 

Captain Reginald George David Francis posing with A.4397 "Sylvia", one of No. 3 Squadron Australian Flying Corps' most well-known RE8 reconnaissance aircraft. "Sylvia" set a record for the British forces on the Western Front by accumulating 440 hours of service flying and completing 147 flights across the line; the previous record was 427 hours service flying. No. 3 was specially congratulated by General Headquarters - with, of course, Francis and A.4397 receiving due acknowledgment. Francis himself was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in July 1918, with the gazette citation reading: 'During two consecutive days this Officer carried out most valuable work in ranging on batteries. Flying 8 and a half hours the first day and four hours the second, he successfully ranged our artillery on seven hostile batteries. In cooperating with our artillery he shows conspicuous bravery and marked ability.'

 

During his time in the Somme area, Francis had a Kewpie doll painted on each side of A.4397's fuselage, in the centre of the aircraft identification letter "D for Doll". At the request of the Australian Government, RE8 A.4397 was shipped to Australia after the war. Having survived the war, "Sylvia" was unfortunately lost while on temporarily display at the Australian War Museum (precursor to the later Australian War Memorial), at Melbourne's Exhibition Buildings. On Sunday, 22 February 1925, while workmen were sweeping up the nearby velodrome after a cycling race, some burning rubbish was carried by strong winds to several highly-flammable crated aircraft from the museum's collection which were awaiting relocation to Sydney. "Syliva" was among several of the aircraft that were destroyed. [wonder if the cleaners had heard of public liability insurance?]

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Another batch of colourised WW1 photos here.

 

 

 

^ front seat vision not so great.

 

 

[flyerme]

WW-1 colour pics you say! Lol

 

just given her some love :)

 

 

[Robbo]

WW-1 colour pics you say! Lol just given her some love :) [ATTACH=full]41420[/ATTACH]

LOL looks like a model.

 

 

[IBob]

They're still building and flying them at our local airfield: last w/e I swung by and there were 16 various WW1 aircraft getting the cobwebs blown out of them, in preparation for the coming airshow:

 

http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects