On this day 28 January - a Gotha G.V shot down during night bombing raid
George H. Hackwill’s Sopwith Camel (rendered by Mikhail Bykov)
Gotha G.V
On the 28th of January 1918, three German Gotha G.V bombers conducted a night bombing raid on London. One report stated that the Odhams Print Works was hit, resulting in the death of 37 people. During the raid, however, the German bombers met resistance from RFC scouts. Two British pilots, Captain George H. Hackwill and Lieutenant Charles Chaplin Banks, brought one of the bombers, serial number 936/16, down over Essex, resulting the death of the three crewmembers. Both pilots transferred into the RFC, having served in other units: Hackwill was with the Somerset Light Infantry and Banks, the Royal Welch Fusiliers. During this engagement, Banks, then a member of 44 Squadron, was flying a Sopwith Camel, as was Hackwill (s/n B2402). Both men were awarded the Military Cross.
An eyewitness account recounts the event as follows:
One Gotha, apparently lame, banged and bumped her way homewards in apparent safety, until the moon showed her up against the background of the sky. 'Archies' roared out at her, the face of the moon was covered with little smoke-clouds, and the Gotha tuned from the barrage, wheeled in the sky, and droned on-only to meet more guns. Then the guns ceased again and gave way to the machine-gun cackle, and suddenly the raider turned over and came down in flames.
Military Cross
Military Cross Citation
Lt. Charles Chaplin Banks, R. Welsh Fus., and R.F.C.
T./Capt. George Henry Hackwill, Gen. List and R.F.C.
"For conspicuous gallantry displayed when they engaged and shot down a Gotha raiding London. During the engagement, which lasted a considerable time, they were continually under fire from the enemy machine."
References
http://www.powell76.talktalk.net/Gotha%20Raid.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_C._Banks
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hackwill
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/ai...an-1918-a.html
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