Leslie Horsewell Brown and James Gillespie Clayton, Royal Flying Corps 1918

In February 2017 I was emailed by Jim Hutchinson who said that his grandfather, 2 Lt James Gillespie Clayton, flew with 7 Sqn in 1918. He joined the squadron as an observer in August and was wounded in combat on 5 Oct along with his pilot, Leslie Horsewell Brown. Peter Wilson's diary ended in June 1918 so there is no mention of Clayton or this incident.

Leslie Horsewell Brown

In September 2019 I was emailed by Debbie Hardy who said that she was the granddaughter of Leslie Horsewell Brown, and giving more information about him which she has kindly allowed me to publish here.

This letter reads in part:-
Dear Dad & Mother,
My observer & I had a scrap with a hun this morning before breakfast. We luckily came off best. We managed to get him downed. I had 41 bullet holes in my machine but managed to get back to the aerodrome safely. My observer had a narrow escape: a bullet grazed his face just cutting it slightly. Another three went through his coat & tunic but not touching his thigh. I am rather pleased as it is not our duty to scrap with huns. We have been congratulated by everybody of course.
Note that the date of this letter is well before the incident recorded in the flying log above where both pilot and observer were wounded.

Brown's observer, mentioned in the letter above, was Lt. W. H. Leete DFC. Leete is much mentioned in Peter Wilson's Diary, for example:-

3rd February 1918.—Martial Law in Germany. Huge Strikes. Facey has forced landing near Vlamatynge. Very near shave. Shopping at Dunkirk for Mess. Meet comic Fisher-girl of huge dimensions, with two mobile teeth. Leete eats half my fruit purchases before we reach Proven, most irritating.

I made a search through Peter Wilson's Diary for mentions of Brown, with the following results:-

31st December 1917.—Very cheery day. Gilbert and Brown have terrific argument over altitude stunt.

28th January 1918.—On Verts, with Gilbert; Prosser and Durham in other machine. Our escort fails to turn up. We cross to Fiver Wood and take a belt over Roulers. Heavily attacked by Enemy Aircraft and much Archie. Prosser furious with Gilly for forcing him over Hunland. Brown expresses a desire to ride one of the horses. Jones offers to chaperon him, taking the fiery Grey, while Brown rides the other. After a short time Jones returns in an ambulance, followed by Brown still sitting his horse like a veteran, and the Grey very subdued underneath a peppery infantry Colonel. Fletcher and I add to Jones's misery by liberally daubing his many abrasions with iodine ; great stuff first aid !

14th Apr 1918.—Busy arranging new Mess and comforts. Everyone most helpful. We play rounders in field near by. Guns make devil of a din. Buckles helps me with Messing accounts. Leete returns from leave and is very surprised to find us in new home [Droglandt]. Shopping at Wormhout. Brown and Coombe-Taylor get flights.