spadvii

Looking approximately northwest, five boys and a civilian, wearing an ex-serviceman’s hat, watch Lieut. Frank Carroll’s mechanics assemble his Spad VII B1374 at the North Memphis Driving Park infield, northwest sector on April 12, 1919. This was the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Mid-West Flight's 2nd air show on their Midwest tour.

B1374 was British-built by Mann, Egerton & Co., arrived in the USA in late-1918, and was then fitted with an American 150 horsepower Wright-Martin Model-A motor. It was one of four assigned to Ellington Field and may likely be photographed here at Ellington Field prior to April 10, 1919. Assigned to the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Middle-West Flight, it left on that date for a tour that included air shows in 23 different Midwest cities. Its principal pilot was 1st Lieut. Franklin Otis Carroll. It returned to Ellington Field the night of May 12, 1919.

Spads B9913 and B9911 are on the flight line at Mather Field, Sacramento, California, on April 14, 1919. The mechanic on the far wing is holding the wheel chock rope, indicating that the airplane is about to take off. Captains John Hambleton and Lowell Smith flew these two Spads that day. The Spad in the background lacks a fuselage roundel in the normal position and is thus inferred to be B9911 of the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Far West Flight.