Ares Games

Martinsyde S.1 Scout

Another aircraft that was not popular with its pilots and only lasted on the Western Front for a short time. It was the subject of the well known story about Captain Louis Strange, who fell out of one whilst trying to reload his machine gun (the aircraft flipped over) but survived because he managed to retain hold of the gun until the Scout righted itself.
However, four of them were sent out to "The Australian Half Flight", later known as "A" Flight of 30 Squadron, operating in Mesopotamia during 1915. Martinsyde S.1 Scout 4250 (IFC 8) - ( IFC standing for Indian Flying Corps) was apparently flown mainly by Captain H A Petre (pronounced Peter) - "Peter the Monk" and thereafter by Lt E J Fulton, who was shot down when flying it, on 22nd November 1915, and made a POW. The other three were 4243 (IFC5); 4244 (IFC6) and IFC9, the number for which I have not yet found. This information is taken from "Wings Over Mesopotamia" by Mark Lax, Mike O'Connor and Ray Vann - Published by Cross & Cockade International (in the UK in 2017) and I did notice that 4250 was referred to both as IFC8 and IFC9 in the same text - don't know why.
The following photos include images of other aircraft used in the Western Desert, Palestine and Mesopotamia, throughout the war: Bristol Scout, Martinsyde G100 "Elephant", RAF BE2c and 2a, Bristol M1 "Bullet", Maurice Farman MF11 "Shorthorn and the Short Type 184 Seaplane, as well as the Martinsyde S.1 Scout.
  1. MS 13
  2. MS 11
  3. MS 8
  4. MS 6
  5. MS 5
  6. MS 4
  7. MS 3
  8. MS 2
  9. MS 1
  10. MS 9
  11. MS 14
  12. MS 10
  13. MS 12
  14. MS 7
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