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Page 4 West Vancouver Historical Society March 2005 machine gun whereas the German opponent, Albatros or Halberstadt, canned two faster-firing Spandaus. The winter of 1916-17 was particularly cold. Not only did the pilots suffer frostbite and a tendency to get lost when snow covered their landmarks, but their Vickers guns froze up regularly. This problem wasn’t cured until a new type of lubricating oil was developed, and even then jamming remained a problem. It became obvious that Ray had found his metier. He was an excellent shot and learned to “keep a sharp lookout in all directions”, his recipe for longevity as a fighter pilot. That winter, pilots topped their many layers of clothing with a silk scarf, the only thing that didn’t chafe their necks as they swiveled their heads around. Ray opened his official scores of enemies shot down and earned his place in the “Super Sacrifice Flight” which was the pilots’ name for the top cover, usually the first aircraft to engage. However, after a few weeks, he had a mishap reminiscent of his being blown into Germany when he was with the bombing unit. He was flying an early morning patrol at 17,000 feet when he was attacked and again a bullet smashed his goggles and glass got in his eyes. Getting rid of the smashed glasses, he also lost his facemask, which protected him from frostbite. He managed to escape the Geman scouts and make his way home, but this time he not only had glass in his eyes but also a badly frostbitten face. He managed to land at his home base but his face was so swollen that he could hardly open his eyes. He was a hospital case and spent a month in England on sick leave. By April 26, 1917, when he returned, he had been posted to a new squadron. No. 10 (Naval) Squadron at Fumes in Belgium near the North Sea coast. This unit was equipped with the new Sopwith Triplane that was a great success from the start. The Triplane resembled a Pup but had more power. The three thinner wings gave the pilot a better view, and also gave the airplane a terrific rate of climb as well as keeping the Pup’s manoeuvrability The only drawback was, again, the single Vickers gun, so prone to jamming. At Naval Ten, as the squadron was called, Ray was appointed Flight Leader of B Flightâ€"five Triplanes out of Naval Ten’s fifteen, and here began the period of exploits for which he is best known. He had their airplanes painted black and given names: Black Maria, Black Roger, Black Prince, Black Sheep and Black Death. The pilots, mainly Canadian, were capable and experienced, “good scrappers” in Ray’s words. The Germans had started sending their fighters over in “flying circuses”â€"Jastas, as the Germans called them. The skill of the Canadian pilots and the Triplane’s superb rate of climb over the next few months gave “the Black Flight” a legendary reputation in battles with the Jastas. Ray was involved in many combats between March and the end of July 1917. The squadron downed 87 German Aircraft and Ray personally 27. In this essay it isn’t possible to describe them allâ€"those that seek that sort of detail are referred to Ray’s autobiography entitled “Air Command”, published by William Kimber of London in 1973. Here I propose to give an account from the autobiography of one combat and proceed with his life story. “One thing that I learned very early in my air force career was the astounding number of things that can go wrong in any sort of military plan that involves more than one person. In this instance, however, things went off very well indeed for us. In accordance with instructions a patrol of eight FE2d’s left its aerodrome at 6:16 pm. One of them had to land because of engine trouble but the others carried on towards Menin, about 20 miles behind the German lines. On aiTival there, flying at 12,000 feet, they were greeted by several formations of Albatros fightery, about two dozen in all. Half these Germans worked around to the west to cut off a retreat by the FE’s while the remainder attacked them from the rear. Normally the FE’s would have formed into their usual defensive circle, but their job was to decoy the hostile fighters back towards their own lines.... The rendezvous point was over Polygon Wood and by the time the FE’s arrived there still furiously fighting off their attackers, a sizable number of additional German machines had joined in. Waiting for them were no fewer than 59 allied fighters, most of them RFC machines with some French aircraft and of course our 12 Triplanes. We were all patrolling in layered formations, waiting for the enemy to airive and when they did we went down on them. It was a very brisk affair indeed...Our scraps extended all the way from 16,000 to 4,000 feet. Some of the enemy fighters, exercising caution, had stayed well above the FE’s and we ran into a formation of six Albatros at about our own height. Nick Carter led a flight in an assault on them and getting close in behind. One fired 15 rounds which he reported as going right into the pilot. The Albatros turned over on its back and went straight down. The remaining German fighters dived down to between 8,000 and 9,000 feet and we all followed them. They were joined by 7 other Germans and a more or less private dogfight of our own ensued, one of the numerous such scraps that were going on all around, above and below us. I dived on a formation of three Albatros DV’s, picking out one of them and opening fire. Tracers from both my guns went straight into the pilot’s cockpit. The pilot, I am sure, was hit but so was something else, for the wings folded and the Albatros went straight down, shedding pieces as it fell.” (NB Ray’s Triplane was fitted with a special second machine gun.) This is a description of a part of one engagement. Ray often flew two or three patrols each day. For all his evident skill, be must still have led a charmed life. Although it was notable that the more experienced pilots lived longer, so much