In its earliest days flying was frequently lethal, in and out of combat.
An archive sold at Kent saleroom C&T (22% buyer’s premium) underlines the dangers. This very comprehensive collection related to Major Joseph Clifford Griffiths’ (known as Cliff) service in the Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force.
Commissioned in December 1915, he gained his pilot’s licence in 1916 and appears to have served with 23 Squadron in France and the research suggests he flew both combat and photo reconnaissance missions.