Lord Lucas Reported Missing

Lord Lucas [from Roll of Honour]

Tuesday 7th November 1916: Captain Auberon Herbert, Lord Lucas, an Old Boy of Bedford School and the owner of Wrest House (now in use as a military hospital LINK), has been reported missing. The magazine of his former school makes the following report:

“He was serving with the Royal Flying Corps in France, and made a flight over the German lines on November 4th. He did not return from this flight, and so far nothing has been heard of him or his machine. Lord Lucas was wounded during the South African War, in which he was acting as a correspondent of The Times. As a result of his wounds his leg had to be amputated below the knee. During the first few months of the present war he was a member of the Cabinet, holding the office of President of the Board of Agriculture. On the formation of the Coalition in May of last year he was one of the Ministers who retired. He immediately gave up political work and joined the Royal Flying Corps, although over the standard age (for this branch of the service) of 30.” “He soon gained his pilot’s certificate, and was sent to Egypt, where he did a good deal of flying. After a time he came back to England, and was for some months engaged in instructing recruits for the Flying Corps. A few months ago, while he was coaching an air pilot, his machine dived and the pilot was killed, but Lord Lucas escaped. Recently he went out to France for the life of greater activity which he preferred.”

Source: The Ousel, 18th November 1916 [Z447/23]

Lecture on the Royal Flying Corps

Tuesday 24th October 1916: The boys of Bedford School have enjoyed a lecture by Captain Court-Treat of the Royal Flying Corps on the organisation and work of that organisation. He explained how the Flying Corps was divided up into brigades, wings, and squadrons, with the squadron a complete fighting unit in itself, including a repair shop. Their numbers had increased dramatically since the outbreak of the war. The work of the Flying Corps includes not just fighting the enemy, but also preventing  enemy planes making reconnaissance over British lines. The difficulties of the Flying Corps’ own scouts in spotting important features such as bridges and railways, and in detecting hidden batteries, were explained.

The lecture was illustrated with an excellent series of slides. These included pictures of the flying machines used, the latest being a Curtiss battleplane with two engines and room for five people. There were also photographs of the German trenches, and of other fields of battle ranging from Ypres to a reservoir in Egypt. 

Source: The Ousel, 4th November 1916 [ref: Z447/23]