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Welcome to the web site of The Great War Aviation Society!

The purpose of the society (previously known as Cross & Cockade International) is to provide quality detailed information on, and promote research into, all aspects of aviation up to the end of the First World War. We do this primarily through our quarterly journal (still called "Cross & Cockade") which is available by subscription, and by occasional seminars and informal local meetings. The Society has existed in its present form since 1970 and in various forms since 1960. 

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 'Hawker' is a new, independent short film which tells the story of the action of 25th July 1915 when Capt Hawker became the first British pilot to successfully shoot down an enemy aircraft by mounting a Lewis Gun to the side of his Bristol Scout. His victories on that day, on top of his sustained bravery since the outset of the war, resulted in the awarding of the Victoria Cross. It was only the third VC given to an Airman and the first for Air to Air combat with another Aeroplane. GWAS is proud to have provided financial support and historical advice for this exciting and important project as part of our wider educational activities.

To watch the film, click https://vimeo.com/ondemand/hawker/879800203  

To watch an interview with the film director and Air Vice Marshall (Rtd) Peter Dye OBE, visit https://bit.ly/47y1cRW

To read an article about Capt Hawker, VSO DSO visit  https://bit.ly/47B7NLa

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 AVAILABLE NOW "The De Havilland DH2 And The Men Who Flew Them". The latest volume in the Cross and Cockade Monograph Series focuses on the De Havilland DH2 Scout and describes in detail the efforts to perfect the design and the moving stories of the pilots and squadrons that flew the DH2 in battle. 

 

Visit our online bookshop to buy your copy https://bit.ly/3dYuZg7

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The Cross & Cockade Calendar has been gracing office walls for 25 years! The 2024 Calendar is now available for you - a little bit earlier than ususal, but why not? If you don't fancy buying yours just yet, don't forget to put it on your Christmas Wants list.

Another 12 gorgeous images, offered for our use free of charge by the artists. All proceeds go towards maintenance of the British Air Services Memorial at St-Omer in Northern France, commemorating the 8,000 members of our air services who lost their lives during WW1. So far, over the 25 years, we've raised £50,000 - a significant sum that we're very proud of.

The price is once more unchanged - still only £10 plus postage, an absolute snip.

You can get yours here: https://bit.ly/3qupagn

... or you can order yours along with your 2024 subscription, which will be available from the end of August.


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Autumn Zoom Lecture Programme

We are delighted to continue our programme of online talks for 2023. The lectures are held online via Zoom and are free of charge for all GWAS members and subscribers to Wind in the Wires. If you are a member or a Wind in the Wires subscriber, you will automatically receive an email with the details of how to register, unless you have opted out of these emails. If you are not already a member or Wind in the Wires subscriber, you will need to join or subscribe  to Wind in the Wires to receive our event registration emails.

The full schedule of talks can be found here. If you would like to make a donation to help cover the costs of providing our lecture programme, please use PayPal or JustGiving.

 

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2023 Subscriptions to the Society are available - see Membership menu above. If you are not yet a member and wish to join and receive our quarterly journal, please subscribe using the link to the right or by using the "Membership" menu above. 2022 subscriptions are still available and 2024 subscriptions will be available shortly. The journals from all previous years (right back to 1970) are available as here as back issues - some in print, all in PDF.

A digital (PDF) version of the Journal is also now available. This is an alternative to the printed Journal, not a replacement. Subscription cost is less for Members wanting the digital version only, and the content is fully searchable. You can also have a combination subscription, with both print and PDF versions.

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Issue 47 of our popular free email newsletter Wind in the Wires compiled by David Marks, went out in November and contained all the latest events and news relating to our fascinating subject. Subscribe here to receive your issue.  We've now over 1,800 subscribers and rising - and it's free - so why not see what you're missing? PLEASE NOTE that if you think you've subscribed, but haven't received your issue, it may be in your spam folder. Previous issues can be found under "Useful stuff", below. 

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Our quarterly journal is at the heart of the Society. Volume 54 Number 3, Autumn 2023, is now available.

 Current Journal, Vol 54/3 Autumn 2023:                   

   

 Articles in this issue: 

Emotional Overload [PTSD] - Lt William Boyd, 3 Sqdn RFC/RAF: Stewart Taylor

A Flight to Damascus by Seaplane: Ian Burns 

Lost South African Air Personnel Graves Finally Identified: Nicholas Severs

Memoirs of Major S E Parker, Instructing at Gosport: Andy Thomas

 

Modelling: Albatros D.II and Sopwith Triplane: Joe Moran, Bob Gladding 

Gazetteer of British Flying Sites in France, Belgium and Germany, 1914-1920, Part 15: Peter Dye, Roger Austin, Mick Davis

.......And the Editorial by Mick Davis

 

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Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with all our news.

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GWAS are supporting the production of a film about Lanoe Hawker VC by Indiegogo Films. See the trailer and crowd-funding appeal, at the link under the Latest News menu, below.

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Our President Peter Dye has written an article on the Air War over the Southern Caucasus 1916-17 which can be read on this website - see under "Articles" at the bottom of this page.

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Our 2023 Calendar is still available, with twelve paintings of Great War subjects by well-known artists - Click here to buy one. All profits go to support the British Air Services Memorial at St. Omer.

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BOOK SHOP

We have a large selection of mainly WW1 aviation-related books for sale, both our own publications and also many second-hand books. Please click on the Shop menu above.  

We have special offers of the books "Baptism of Fire - the Royal Flying Corps in France 1914-1915" by Alex Revell reduced from £23.95 to £14.95, and "BE2a: A Definitive History", reduced from £27 to £17 by Paul Hare and Andrew Willox. Go to the Shop menu above, then to "books/other books". 

  

 But unfortunately not EU residents:

We regret that as of 01-Jul-2021 the only order we can accept, for customers residing in the EU, is for membership of the society

From midnight on 30 June 2021 the EU abolished all the remaining VAT and Customs Duty reliefs applying to sales of goods (books, back issues, calendars etc) to customers residing in an EU member state.  It is not economic for us to register for VAT in member states and comply with their VAT laws and so we have decided reluctantly to cease to supply goods by post or download to any member or customer residing in an EU member state.  This does not apply to membership subscriptions!

If you live in an EU member state and have visited our website to purchase goods by post or download, please do not proceed any further because we will not be able to fulfil your order.

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Air Britain have produced what must be the definitive book on the Bristol F2 Fighter. Experts at GWAS have had a major role in bringing it to publication.  Members are allowed a discount on all Air Britain publications, on providing their GWAS membership number. 

 


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