Broader army-air co-operation 1914-18

Dr James Halstead is a historian with expertise and interest in combined arms, the operational level, and wargaming during the two World Wars. James studied for a BA at the University of Kent where, inspired by a youthful love of Biggles books, he researched and wrote his dissertation on the development of ground attack by the Royal Flying Corps between 1916 and 1918 on the Western Front.

Between 1914 and 1918 the Royal Flying Corps grew from a brand new arm of the British Army, with limited utility as an arm of reconnaissance, into a flexible and advanced organisation capable of supporting the army in a variety of crucial capacities. From 1916 onwards, the air became an indispensable part of the all-arms battle on the Western Front. This presentation explores the development and utilisation of the Royal Flying Corps, and then later the Royal Air Force, on the Western Front not in their ability to find and destroy enemy aircraft, but in their ability to support the armies fighting across northern France and Belgium beneath them.

You don't have to be a Member of The Western Front Association to attend our meetings as all are equally welcome. Do come along and enjoy a friendly atmosphere and the good company of fellow enthusiasts.