An Earlybird's Scrapbook, LE Submitted Photos No. 6 & 7

The Scrapbooks of Willis B. Haviland

An Earlybird's Scrapbook

The Lafayette Escadrille

Submitted Photos N^os. Six and Seven

Spad VII S.1123

Top - Edwin F. Hinkle standing next to a Spad VII with white fuselage band. In past publications, this has been identified as Hinkle's plane. However, that is quite impossible because the JdM&O indicates that Hinkle never flew a Spad at any time. (Note the white band is Haviland's personal marking.)

The white fuselage band, therefore, strongly suggests this is Spad VII S.1123, that Willis B. Haviland flew in the Spring of 1917.

Bottom - Count Alfred Delaage de Meux posing alongside Spad VII S.1123 (with an unidentified pilot.)

Images courtesy Alan Toelle, from the Charles H. Dolan collection.

From Alan Toelle's research, this Spad had the following history:

Ronald Hoskier; probably 6 sorties; 21 March - 14 April
[there was a period from 4 April - 21 April when the SFA numbers were omitted from the JdM&O. Hoskier & Dressy were killed in the MSP on 23 April. During this period, Hoskier flew the MSP three times and the Spad one time.]

Willis Haviland; probably 13 sorties; 21 April - 10 May

Walter Lovell; 3 sorties; 19 and 20 May

Ray Bridgeman; 19 sorties; 26 May - 19 June

The photo indicates that the white fuselage band was painted over the earlier soot-stains, thus suggesting a transfer of ownership. It is possible that a Seminole Indian head was painted in the area hidden by Hinkle. Up to that time, the pilot's personal markings were painted behind the Indian head. The Sioux-type Indian head was introduced while the escadrille was at Ham, where they arrived on 7 April. This airplane, however, dates from the earlier period.

It is also interesting that Bridgeman flew this airplane after Haviland. In late 1917, Bridgeman also flew a Spad with a white fuselage band with a red five-pointed star superimposed. One could speculate that Bridgeman adapted Haviland's marking to his own use by adding a star. Haviland continued to use the white band on his July Spad, S.1741.

This ends the Lafayette Escadrille photo section of the site. The web documents immediately following include artifacts, newspaper accounts and other memoribilia, after which the "Earlybird's Scrapbook" site continues on to present photographs of activities at N.A.S. Porto Corsini in 1918 and subsequent adventures.