Known Serial Numbers: 1, 4, 10, 3K, 4K, 5K, 6K, 63, 65, 67, 68 (there were only
seven aircraft in total - some of these serial numbers are renumberings of existing aircraft)
Notes
Jan.18 - 29, 1926 - J.Basko, Vihmanis and Janis Karklins go to England to perform acceptance
flights of seven Airco DH9As being purchased by the Latvian Air Regiment.
Feb.16, 1926 - Latvian War Ministry accepts the DH9As.
There is some confusion over the original serial numbers of two of these aircraft, but the five
which are known (with their new, Latvian serial numbers) are: E8689 (3K), E8745 (6K), E8779 (1), E8784 (10), E8787 (5K).
June, 1935 - in an effort to code the various aircraft types, the
DH9A is assigned the code name "Type B1"
September 1936 - 4th Squadron has Nos. 4, 63, 65, 67 and 68
May 1937 - 6th Squadron has Nos. 1, 4, 67 and 68, but only #1 was fit for service.
The Stampe et Vertongens were ultimately purchased to replace the DH9As.
The following information is from Sturtivant & Page's DH4/DH9 File
# 1
Originally Serial No. E8779 (engine #2334)
January 1929 - Assigned to the 1st Kurzeme Recon Squadron
1932 - overhauled
1932 - Assigned to 4th Recon Squadron
May 25, 1935 - Engine failed, force landing in meadow near Irlava (Nikolajs Vulfs)
Feb, 1936 - repaired and returned to the 4th Recon Squadron
May 19, 1936 - attemped take off with insufficient
speed, tilted to port and ground looped, undercarriage collapsed (Sergeys Babichevs & Eriks Mellups).
After repair, briefly appears on 5th Recon roster.
May 5, 1937 - Serving with 6th Recon Squadron.
# 3K
Originally Serial No. E8689
January 1929 - Serving with 1st Divisions' Recon Squadron.
# 4
Originally Serial No. E8789 (engine #1246)
1927 - Repaired
March 27, 1928 - 306 flying hours to date
January 9, 1928 - tail assembly damaged in ground incident (Janis Putnins, Nikolajs Strukovs)
1928 - Assigned to 1st Division's Recon Squadron
Sept-Oct 1929 - Overhauled
August 12, 1931 - force landing at Daugavpils while practicing bomb dropping (Arturs Kregeris)
June, 1935 - Still with 1st Division's Recon Squadron
Oct. 24, 1935 - Propeller fell off in flight. Force landed near Vecaki, sustaining damage
when ran into highway embankment (Nikolajs Vulfs, Davids Timermanis)
1936 - Overhauled
Dec.1, 1936 - aircraft tested, reported found capable of max speed of 201 km/hr.
1937 - Appears on roster of 6th Recon Squadron
July 8, 1937 - failed to become airborne at Spilve aerodrome, bounced across the Bolderaja
highway and crashed, damaging propeller and undercarriage (Pauls Kirpitis & Karlis Krumins) Not returned
to service after this incident.
# 4K
Originally serial No. E8785
# 5K
Originally serial No. E8787
# 6K
Originally serial No. E8745
# 10
Originally serial No. E8784 (engine #2100)
January 1930 - Assigned to 6th Recon Squadron
Feb. 17, 1933 - Hard landing at Spilve, undercarriage and fuselage both damaged (Voldemars
Peculis, Karlis Birznieks)
June 16, 1934 - crashed, no details known
July 7, 1934 - Engine failure, force-landed near Daugavpils, nosed over (Arturs Ieva,
Alberts Tirulis)
Engine salvaged from July 7 crash is used in reserialled #65.
# 63
Original serial No. unknown, but engine is #2335
June 17, 1929 - the pilot misjudged the landing at Spilve, struck the Bolderaja highway and
bouncing into a ditch. Most damage was to the engine. (Alfreds Salmins)
February 29, 1930 - Repairs completed, aircraft assigned to 1st Division's Recon Squadron.
Sept.20, 1936 - While on a ferry flight the engine began to malfunction, forcing the plane
down to wave top level in fog. Wing tip touched the water, resulting in a crash. Aircraft
was written off. (Adolfs Vasiljevs, Leons Vaiders)
# 65
Original serial No. unknown, but engine is #2100 (salvaged from #10's July 7, 1934 crash)
1929 - 7th Squadron, Krustpils
May 27, 1931 - engine failure near Koknese, force landing next to Plavins-Koknese road,
damage to undercarriage, propeller and wing. Transferred to Riga for repairs. (Karlis Tenteris, Arturs Kregeris)
December, 1932 - repaired and overhauled.
June 13, 1933 - crashed on landing, damaging undercarriage, fuselage and propeller (Voldermars
Peculis, Karlis Birznieks). Repaired, then assigned to 4th Recon Squadron.
Sept.24, 1936 - Engine failure leads to a nose-over. Resulting damage beyond repair. (Janis
Renkulbergs, Arturs Meijerovics).
# 67
Sept.11, 1930 - taxiing accident, aircraft runs into a ditch (Janis Rucelis)
June, 1932 - repaired and overhauled.
Sept 23, 1932 - Engine failed during bomb dropping exercise near Vecaki. Undercarriage
destroyed and wing damaged in the force landing. (Voldemars Peculis)
June 14, 1934 - Propeller damaged in take-off incident (Arturs Kregeris, Kaneps). Aircraft
repaired and re-assigned to 1st Division's Recon Squadron.
July 8, 1937 - tragic crash when aircraft runs into Ratsupite creek by Spilve. The undercarriage
killed Anna Tillere resting by the riverbank. Aircraft is written off (Edgars Kanailis,
Davids Timermanis)
# 68
Original serial No. unknown, but engine is #1362
May 27, 1931 - Wing and propeller hit a barn, aircraft crashes in a field with the wing
striking the ground. (Arnolds Kadikis, Ernests Strauja)
April 1933 - Repaired and overhauled
April 12, 1935 - Ground collision with a Martinsyde ADC-1 (piloted by Hugo Freimanis) on
the frozen surface of Lake Tukums.
Sept.1, 1936 - repaired and transferred to the 6th Recon Squadron.
May 5, 1937 - last record of it being on active duty, may be its stuck off charge date.
Sources
- Bruce, J.M. British Aeroplanes 1914-18
- Bruce, J.M. De Havilland Aircraft of World War 1
- Bruvelis, Edvins Latvijas Aviacijas Vesture
- Davis, Mick AIRCO
- Humberstone, R. (ed) Latvian Air Force 1918-1940
- Jackson, A.J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1909
- Jane, Fred T. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1919
