Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK-based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. Issues are available as printed as well as digital copies (or both). They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front.

The Winter 2023 journal of Cross & Cockade International features a colorized photograph of a FE2b, 5206, being inspected by German personnel. This Royal Aircraft Factory’s ‘Fighter Mark 1’ is featured in the article: FE2b 5206: Ltn Frankl’s 6^th Victory.Built by Boulton & Paul with a 120-hp Beardmore engine, the ‘Fee’ took hits in its engine and petrol tank from Ltn Frankl’s Fokker Eindekker. Capt. Hilton James and Lt. Aked landed safely behind enemy lines where they would spend the rest of the war as POWs. The rear inside and outside cover is connected to the Hank R. Wambolt feature. Two Sopwith Pups, N6183 and N6179 are shown on the outer cover, while three Nieuport 11s fitted with twin over the wing Lewis guns are on the inner rear cover. There is a four-page insert consisting of Tables that are a supplement to the prior issue, Autumn 2023, for Nicolas Severs’ article.

The late Stewart K. Taylor leads off this issue with a 28-page, 47-photograph, feature that focuses on Flight Sub Lieutentant Harry Edmond Wambolt. Arriving in England on December 10, 1915, he served with 1 Wing RNAS and 3 Naval Squadron.1 Wing was primarily charged with deterring Zeppelin attacks and to protect Allied shipping in the English Channel. Details of the Lewis gun mounting on the Dover Defense Flight Bristol Scouts in shown in the three photographs on Page 54-228. ‘Hank’ Wambolt made his last flight in Sopwith Pup, N6170, when he was called on to replace two spare pilots for B Flight. The Royal Prussian Jasta I Albatros D.III flown by Ltn. Herbert Schroder claimed the victory on March 4,1917 when Wambolt was thrown from his plane during violent maneuvering. Short biographies of Canadian pilots that flew with Wambolt in 1 Wing and 3 Naval Squadron are also included throughout the article.

Peter Dye is up next with German Aerial Photography in WWI. This 15-page tale includes 68 black and white captioned photographs and maps. Cameras became larger as they evolved from simple handheld cameras to cameras fitted to the aircraft. The bottom-left of Page 54.253 depicts a collection of cameras from the F.K. I on the right with a focal length of 25cm to the F.K. III on the left with a focal length of 70cm. A FK.III camera fitted inside an Albatros is shown at the upper right of the page. The photographs generated through a collotype process are shown at the upper left of the page. The collotype process allowed large volume printing and produced fine detailed prints nearly the quality of metal-based photography prints. Germany was far ahead of the curve on aerial photography, and they knew it. There were over 4,000 images produced every day during May 1918 as compared to some 400 images a day in 1915.

Peter Brand serves up a two-page essay on the short career of 2Lt Philip Stanley Butterworth, RFC. Four black and white photographs are included. Part 1 of the biography of C.B.S. Spackman by Mike Kelsey follows. This seventeen-page feature includes 25 black and white photographs and a black and white map. This first part covers Spackman’s training and involvement with 47 Squadron in the air war in Macedonia. The photographs on the left side of Page 54.268 are Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c aircraft that Spackman flew in. The top crash photograph depicts BE2c 4532 that one of Spackman’s pupils, 2Lt H.E. Tansley stalled. The second crash was of BE2c 6780 that crashed the next day after Spackman had flown the aircraft. 2Lt A. Dix-Lewis, another of Spackman’s pupils, was injured in the crash of a solo flight. The bottom photograph of BE2c 4554 flew once with Spackman and a pupil on June 29, 1917.The lower right-hand side depicts a Hewlett & Blondeau built FK3, A1476, that Spackman flew for artillery observation training.

Paul R. Hare delivers the last article withFE2b 5206: Ltn Frankl’s 6th Victory. This article is four pages and includes 12 black and white photographs in addition to the cover photograph. Page 54.283 highlights the chivalry between the two warring sides. The bottom photograph features Ltn. Frankl posing with his two victims, E.C.H. James and C.I.H. Aked. Ltn. Frankl died in combat on April 8, 1917, while the two victims lived till 1960 and 1962 respectively.

Joe Moran highlights market news for kits and accessories. Ronan Donohoe builds the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Pfalz D. IIIa in the markings of Max Holtzem of Jasta 16b [See Page 54.286]. The Bookshelf section is a review of WWI aviation specific books and magazines with this issue totaling ten.

Topics:

• Editorial by Mick Davis
• Hank R. Wambolt: ‘Your Majesty, I’m Pleased to Meet You’ by Stewart K. Taylor [Page 54.228]
• German Aerial Photography in WWI: The Tools of the Trade by Peter Dye [Page 54.253]
• 2Lt Philip Stanley Butterworth, RFC by Peter Brand
• C.B.S. Spackman Part 1by Mike Kelsey [Page 54.268]
• FE2b 5206: Ltn. Frankl’s 6^th Victory by Paul R. Hare [Page 54.283]
• Modeling: New Releases and Kit Reviews compiled by Joe Moran [Page 54.286]
• Bookshelf– Edited by Paul R. Hare

There is no surprise that this is another incredible issue from Cross & Cockade International and I am always impressed with the quality of the articles, both from a research perspective, and readability. The period pictures, maps, and drawings in this journal come off looking great thanks to their printing on the journal's glossy paper. If you are into early / WWI aviation; this journal is an incredible source of information that will have you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next issue.

My thanks to Cross & Cockade International and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great issue.

Highly recommended!