Aircraft Profiles
Squadron, flight and individual markings
Sopwith Scout
The squadron was not allocated any official markings on its arrival in France during March of 1917, individual aircraft were allocated numbers at squadron level. The earliest Scouts were given number codes painted in blue and outlined in white positioned in front of the cockade A7309/2, A6152/3 and A6194/4 etc. One flight had white numbers in a similar position one example was A6175/5. At some stage one flight had white numbers behind the cockade, examples are B2177/3 and another coded 4.
- A Flight used the letters A to F
- B Flight used numbers in front of the cockade
- C Flight letters at the end of the alphabet
In late August 1917 squadron markings were introduced which consisted of a horizontal white bar through the centre of the fuselage either side of the cockade. The change was made to all letters in white, there is one know example of a letter in front of the cockade, B1757/A, and those behind the cockade include A6175/A, A’635/D & B2167/L.
Some aircraft seem to have had coloured wheel covers, see “British Aviation Squadron Markings of WW1, RFC, RAF, RNAS by Les Rogers and Cross and Cockade (USA) Volume 24 number 4, page 362 by John Guttman.
Sopwith Camel
The Camels were only coded with letters, those known examples in front of the cockade include, B5648/E, B5182/G, B6393/F, C3288/B & “V”, and those with the letter after the cockade:- B7384/A, C1904/C, B4628/D, B6413/J, B7353/L, B6424/P, D8101/P, B5623/R, B’7389/T, B5407/Q and machines coded “M”, & “V”.
A further complication with 66 Squadron markings is due to 45 Squadron being withdrawn in September 1918 to redeploy to France. In an attempt to deceive the Austrians, 66 Squadron marked some of their aircraft with 45 Squadron markings. The marking consisted of white letter in front of the cockade a dumbell between the cockade and tail with a smaller version repeated on the top of the fuselage in front of the tail, examples include F1923/A, B5181/C, F1923F & E7167/S.
There is one other Camel that had none standard markings, this was B6313 - the personnel mount of Capt WG Barker, who replaced Capt JM Warnock as C flight commander on 10 April 1918. Barker was posted in from 28 Squadron and brought the aeroplane with him. When he left to take over command of 139 Squadron on 14 July 1918 he again took his aircraft with him.
There are many photographs of Barker's Camel which can be used as a reference.