Croye Rothes Pithey came from Scheepersnek, Natal, South Africa, where he was born on August 19, 1895. After his schooling (he also learnt fluent Zulu) he became an accounts clerk for a chartered accountants firm in Johannesburg between February 1916 and May 1917, at which time he enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps in South Africa, signed up by one of the many recruitment officers touring the colonies for would-be aviators. He sailed for England where he began his flying training and after gaining his RFC wings was posted to France, being assigned to 52 Sqn. The squadron was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 two-seat reconnaissance machines, referred to by some First World War airmen as "flying coffins". Like a number of aircraft built by the Royal Aircraft Factory, they were wonderfully stable in the air, and so ideal for crews looking down to observe movements on the ground, from which to take aerial photographs of the terrain or to direct artillery fire. Unhappily, its inherent stability was a liability if German single-seat fighters made hostile moves against them, or even if confronted with an opposing enemy two-seater.
No comments:
Post a Comment