Wings Over the Somme

The Battle Of the Somme, seen through the eyes of those British Airman flying above it, offers a fascinating glimpse of the potential, and relevance, of air power over the Western Front. Whilst many accounts focus on the fighter squadrons, described by Lloyd George as ‘the cavalry of the clouds’, it was the utility roles of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service in intelligence gathering and artillery co-operation that show the true worth of Britain’s flying services throughout the battle.

In this presentation, which was delivered to a live, on-line audience, Clive Harris will use contemporary accounts and more recent academic study, to discuss the integral role the flying services played in the battle. This will look at its early adaption and rapid expansion through to its maintaining of offensive operations over German airspace. He will explain how this was a costly policy but was deemed a necessity to allow the vital work of aerial observation to continue with reduced interference.

Whilst air-and integration was not fully achieved between July and November 1916, the Battle of the Somme did provide a significant stepping stone to such capability that proved so successful in the final year of the war.