r Sir Douglas Haig detrained at Hazebrouck and
moved on Ypres. General Headquarters left Fere-en-Tardenois on the 8th
of October and after a five-days' stay at Abbeville established
themselves at St.-Omer.

The Royal Flying Corps had moved north with the British Expeditionary
Force, from Fere-en-Tardenois by way of Abbeville, to St.-Omer, where
they were established by the 12th of October. No. 2 Squadron remained
behind for a few days, to carry on with Sir Douglas Haig's corps on the
Aisne, but joined up at St.-Omer on the 17th of October. In addition to
the four original squadrons, No. 6 Squadron, newly arrived from England
under Major J. H. W. Becke, came under Brigadier-General Henderson's
orders on the 16th of October. This squadron had been stationed at South
Farnborough as a reserve for the squadrons in the field. When General
Rawlinson's force was sent to Ostend, to attempt the relief of Antwerp,
Lord Kitchener said, 'I want a squadron to go with it'. He ordered that
No. 6 Squadron should be ready in forty-eight hours. The squadron was
hastily completed; some pilots and machines were obtained from the
Central Flying School; some machines were bought from private firms;
equipment, tools, and the like were collected at night; and on the 7th
of October the squadron flew to Bruges and began at once to carry out
reconnaissances. On the following day they flew to Ostend, and, their
transport having arrived, were concentrated on the racecourse. Five days
later they retired to Dunkirk, and by the 16th of October were
established at Poperinghe, where they came under the orders of
headquarters at St.-Omer.

A good deal of reconnaissance was carried on by the squadrons during the
northward move of the army. On the 29th of September unusual and heavy
movement in a northerly and north-westerly direction had been observed
behind the enemy lines on the Aisne. On the 1st of October air
reconnaissances showed that the trenches in front of the British First
Army Corps were unoccupied or very lightly held, and during the next few
days there were many indications that one or two German army corps were
being withdrawn to the north. Meantime the enemy took more trouble than
usual to interfere with our aircraft, and employed an increased number
of anti-aircraft guns. In the north our strategic reconnaissances were
not so successful, and the formidable enemy movement against the Ypres
line developed undetected. Not many aeroplanes were