RFC total casualties

[JimAttrill 24]

I have just read that the total RFC killed in WWI was 6 000, but with 8 000 killed in training. At its worst in April 1917 the expected lifespan of a new pilot was 11 days and 21 days for an experienced pilot.

 

It definitely seems that the training given in Canada was much superior to that in the UK - this shows by the large number of Canadian and US aces trained there. Of course the weather was better which makes a difference.

 

I suppose that 14 000 aircrew killed pales into insignificance alongside the general losses in trench warfare, the infamous day being 1st July 1916 with 30 000 killed. The difference would be that the RFC losses were nearly all of commissioned officers.

[Guest British_eh]

I have just read that the total RFC killed in WWI was 6 000, but with 8 000 killed in training. At its worst in April 1917 the expected lifespan of a new pilot was 11 days and 21 days for an experienced pilot.

 

It definitely seems that the training given in Canada was much superior to that in the UK - this shows by the large number of Canadian and US aces trained there. Of course the weather was better which makes a difference.

 

I suppose that 14 000 aircrew killed pales into insignificance alongside the general losses in trench warfare, the infamous day being 1st July 1916 with 30 000 killed. The difference would be that the RFC losses were nearly all of commissioned officers.

 

 

Hi there JA:

 

There are a variety of numbers, and 14 days or 17 hours of missions is another number that is well documented. What source were you using, as I like a good read? Training certainly was more comprehensive in Canada than Britain.

Cheers,

British_eh

[JimAttrill 24]

Hi there JA:

 

There are a variety of numbers, and 14 days or 17 hours of missions is another number that is well documented. What source were you using, as I like a good read? Training certainly was more comprehensive in Canada than Britain.

Cheers,

British_eh

 

It's from a book about the American involvement in the air in 1917-18 and the expectations of the American public and especially the politicians who thought that you could create a huge air force just by throwing money at the problem.

 

The book is "The dream of civilized warfare" by Linda Raine Robertson, I read a few bits of it here:

 

http://books.google.co.za/books?id=IEazJzZPaGMC&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=RFC+pilot+losses&source=bl&ots=VLGTotD_Qp&sig=wk6f7brbEdqaURGP6d6Ua2c9Cl0&hl=en&ei=W6OTSoSKNZiQjAf9t8XwDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=RFC%20pilot%20losses&f=false

 

And you must note that the RAF didn't make the same mistake in WWII where huge training programs were set up in Canada, South Africa and (then) Southern Rhodesia. You can go from nothing to a PPL in about 3 weeks here, because the weather is so predictably good. VFR flying in the UK is often impossible for weeks at a time.