France, May 1916. At the end of March 1916, the 22nd Squadron completed training in Britain at  Gosport. Under the command of Major A.B. Martyna flew across the canal to France and joined the war. In the first months of combat deployment, it operated from Bertangles Airport (near Amiens). It shared the base with the 24th Squadron armed with DH2 aircraft, commanded by Maj Lanoe Hawker VC. During the first three months, the squadron conducted missions, south of Arras on the Somme River, reconnaissance and photographing enemy positions in the twenty-mile section between Gommecourt and Curla. This survey was an important part of the preparations for the attack, the British Fourth Army, on the river Soma, which began on July 1, 1916. 

The diorama depicts Captain Lionel Hicks (kneeling pilot) and his colleague, Lt. Cecil Lewis planning the reconnaissance tactics of the photo reconnaissance flight. Sergeant Taylor handed over the prepared Fe2b "River Plate" to the pilots. He is now waiting for him to end the discussion and instruct his mechanics to start the machine.