British pilot holding a bomb while on the lookout for a potential target, 1917

British pilot holding a bomb while on the lookout for a potential target, 1917.

The bomb has "Hun", "Bulgar" and "Share This Ration!" written on it. Colourised by 'Jabba Le Chat' on Twitter. 

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During the First World War on the Western Front, British aircraft losses amounted to 35,973 by all causes, comparing to 27,637 German aircrafts and and 52,640 French.

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As for the pilots themselves, around 1/5 of 22,000 British pilots who completed flying training died, comparing to just over 1/4 of all German pilots. In total, an estimated 50,000 airmen and crew died in the First World War across all armies.

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Pilots would only receive a dozen hours of training before being sent to the skies. For this reason, the life expectancy of a First World War pilot was just a matter of weeks. In 1916-1917 for the British Royal Flying Corps, the life expectancy of a new pilot in combat was just a mere 20 minutes, leading to the nickname the "20 Minute Club".

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