During World War One the Royal Marines also distinguished themselves in the air - 15 pilots and three observers from the Corps served in the Royal Naval Air Service during the war. On the 22 September 1914 Lieutenant C H Collet RMA led an aircraft attack on Zeppelin sheds situated at Dusseldorf and Cologne in Germany. Due to poor visibility only Collet managed to site his target at Dusseldorf and drop his two 20lb bombs on the shed. Collet scored direct hits and made history as the first man ever to carry out a bombing raid, winning a DSO for his efforts. Through out the war Royal Marine aviators served in many theatres of the war including raids at submarine bases in Germany, and action in Mediterranean and East Africa. When the Royal Air Force (RAF) was created in 1918 ten of the Royal Marine pilots transferred to the RAF, many of whom again went on to serve with distinction, rising high in the new force. As early as 1909 the Royal Navy was becoming enthusiastic about the possibility of aerial observation for the Fleet and an air section was formed at the Admiralty. Two years later the first four naval pilots were trained at the Royal Aero Club’s airfield at Eastchurch. Royal Marines Light Infantry Lieutenant E L GERRARD was one of the four. GERRARD received his pilot’s certificate in April 1911 and was later appointed to the staff of the Central Flying School at Upavon on the formation of the Royal Flying Corps in May 1912. He had a distinguished flying career and transferred to the Royal Air Force on its formation in April 1918 to retire as an Air Commodore. http://www.seayourhistory.org.uk/content/view/447/604/ Major E L Gerrard, the first Royal Marine pilot in a Henry Farman biplane at the Central Flying School in Upavon, 1913. Gerrard commanded No 1 Squadron, stationed in Antwerp and Dunkirk, which made the first air raids on enemy targets. Gerrard later won a DSO for his work covering the landings at Helles in the Dardanelles 1916. (RMM)
Australian born Ivon Courtney was one of those marines, he certainly left an impression on Harold Rosher. This from the book "In the Royal Naval Air Service" "Our course was right up the coast, past Zeebrugge, and then cut in across the land. At the mouth of the Scheldt I got clear of some of the clouds and saw Courtney behind and 2,000 feet above me, my machine then being about 5,000 feet only. He rapidly overtook me (we were all on Avros, but his was faster), and from then on I followed him over the clouds. Unfortunately, over Antwerp there were no clouds. Courtney was about five or six minutes in front of me, and I saw him volplane out of sight. I had to go on some little way before I spotted the yards myself. I next saw Courtney very low down, flying away to the coast with shrapnel bursting around him. He came down to under 500 feet, and being first there, dropped his bombs before he was fired on." Regards, Andrew.
I came across this Andrew .... thought you might appreciate it ..... I believe this the same Ivon Courtney ! http://books.google.com/books?id=ka...ook_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAsQ6AEwAQ
