Naval Aviation 6 – 28 July 1914 – World War I

 

The Forth Bridge, – Sir John Lavery
This view was probably painted in September 1914, in the knowledge that war had recently been declared and that this tranquil scene would soon be transformed.
(Note the aeroplane just clearing the Forth Bridge, so perhaps it was painted, or sketched, at an earlier date.)

Military Aviation during WWI

At the outbreak of war, many of the men and machines from both Montrose and Dundee were mobilised and head south. The Royal Flying Corps supported the British Expeditionary forces in France, flying reconnaissance missions, while the Royal Navy Air Service provided air support for several detachments of marines in Belgium. Major Gordon, R.M.L.I., remained in Scotland, commanding the Northern Section of the R.N.A.S. Coast Defence System.