"They've only seven hours flying, sir - and it's bloody murder."
It was the summer of 1916 - the early days of the Battle of the Somme - and squadron leader Major Robert Smith-Barry was venting his frustration at the commander of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), in France.
"They have barely learned to fly, let alone fight," he told Major General Hugh Trenchard.
At one point during the ensuing battle, he refused point-blank to send replacement pilots over the frontline until they had more experience.
For Smith-Barry, the dream of powered flight pioneered by the Wright Brothers in 1903 had turned into a nightmare of bloodshed.
During the four-and-a-half months of the infamous battle, the corps lost 499 airmen and 782 aeroplanes - a third of its total force.
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