e officers who commanded the
Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service that they divined the
right doctrine, and practised it, and established it in use, thereby
securing for the air force the liberty to use its power to the best
advantage.

The best and most highly trained of the naval air units was the first to
be sent abroad. This was the Eastchurch squadron, under Wing Commander
Samson. Just after the outbreak of war it had been sent to Skegness, to
carry out patrol duties. On the 25th of August its commander was
summoned to London by the Director of the Air Department, and was
ordered to take his squadron on the following morning to Ostend, which
had been chosen to serve as an advanced base for reconnaissance. They
were to co-operate with a force of marines. Air Commodore Samson, in the
reminiscences which he has kindly contributed for the purpose of this
history, speaks with enthusiasm of the men and officers under his
command.

'Never once', he says, 'were we let down by our men, and both in France
and the Dardanelles they worked like slaves without a single complaint.
It is an absolute fact that during these periods I never had to deal
with a single disciplinary offence. They were the very pick of the Royal
Naval Air Service.'

The pilots, after receiving their orders, were kept waiting for a day at
Eastchurch, to give time for the landing of the Marine Brigade. 'This
depressed everybody,' says Air Commodore Samson, 'as we were all
suffering from the fear of the war being over before we could get a
chance to take part in it.' The fear proved groundless.

On the 27th of August there flew over:

Wing Commander C. R. Samson.
Flight Lieutenant S. V. Sippe.
Flight Lieutenant E. Osmond.
Squadron Commander R. B. Davies.
Flight Lieutenant C. F. Beevor.
Squadron Commander E. F. Briggs.
Flight Lieutenant I. H. W. S. Dalrymple-Clarke.
Squadron Commander I. T. Courtney.
Flight Lieutenant H. A. Littleton.
Flight Lieutenant Lord Edward Grosvenor.

An airship (No. 3) was flown across by Wing Commander N. F. Usborne,
with him Flight Lieutenant W. C. Hicks and Flight Lieutenant E. H.
Sparling. Squadron Commander R. H. Clark Hall, Captain Barnby of the
Royal Marines, and four junior officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve were attached for special duties. The motor-cars, lorries, and
stores were embarked at Sheerness on board H.M.S. _Empress_ and s.s.
_Rawcliffe_. The machines that w