For it's time the Handley Page 0/400 was a large aircraft, other nations such as Russia with the Ilya Muromets, Italy with the Caproni line of multi-engined bombers and German with the Gotha and Zeppelin Staaken bombers all produced large aircraft for the purpose of strategic bombing. The 0/400 was 100 feet wingtip to wingtip and over 60 feet in length. The aircraft was so high that the pilot had to climb a ladder to get into the cockpit. The engines were two 375 hp Rolls Royce with four bladed propellers of 12 feet in width. The aircraft was over 6 and 1/2 tons fully loaded and the cruising speed was 70 miles an hour.

The 0/400 was used by the Independant Air Force, a military arm constructed by Hugh Trenchard to strategically bomb the industry and towns of western Germany. Hoping to divert German munitions and defences in much the same way the Gotha raids had forced the recall of RFC Squadrons to the homefront. The 0/400's adopting night raids, bombed as far west as Cologne, Coblenz and Buhl. In late 1918 one Handley Page 0/400, C9681 was sent to the Palestine theatre, flown out from England by Brigadier-General A.E. "Biffy" Borton and Major A.S.C. MacLaren. The aircraft was received by 1 Sqn Australian Flying Corps on the 29th of August 1918. Joe Bull wrote of the 0/400's arrival in his diary;

"The Handley Page arrived this evening. Captain Smith flew it up with six passengers abaord. Three Generals including General Slamond and Borton, also two Sergeant Mechanics."

There was no doubt the aircraft was a huge novelty in the theatre as the theatre really didnt need the aircraft and air superiority had already passed into the allies hands due to the Bristol Fighters and SE5a aircraft. Williams wrote more of the circumstances of the aircrafts arrival and how it came to be on 1 Sqn AFC's strength;

"Late in August a Handley Page aircraft was flown from England to Egypt. It was huge by the standards of the time, a biplane fitted with two Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engines each of 365 horsepower, the largest engines we had yet heard of, and the only twin engined aircraft in that part of the world. .... The newly arrived Handley Page being a bomber was allotted to my wing.As it would normally be used against targets well behind the enemy front line and as, in addition, it was fitted with Rolls Royce engines it was logical to allott it to those that knew the distant country and were acquainted with that type of engine, namely 1 Squadron AFC. There was obvious need for an experienced pilot and mechanic - there were no spare parts to speak of - and this resulted in its being placed in the charge of Captain Ross Smith with Sergeant J.M. Bennett as mechanic. As there were two engines to be cared for, Bennett was given an assitant in Air Mechanic W.H. Shiers."

"The span of the top wing, which was longer than the lower, was 100 feet. It had to be operated from the natural surface. We had not heard of nor were bothered with runways in those days, but we did of course have sand and mud. The size and performance of this aircraft made it suitable only for night operations."

On September 19-20th the 0/400 night bombed the German aerodrome at Jenin. The aircraft also supported the Arab Irregulars at Azrak in September and October. Williams writes;

"The aircraft [1 Sqn Bristol Fighters] attached to Lawrences Army at Amman ] could nto work in the desert east of Amman without supplies and the normal line of supply was via Akaba on the Red Sea. This was useless so the Handley Page was brought into service and used to transport petrol, oil, bombs and ammunition. It went out during daylight to arrive at Azrak just before dark. It was escorted by two Bristol Fighters which went on to bomb the enemy aerodrome at Deraa to distract attention from it."

"The Handley Page returned that night but it proved to be the best recruiting agent the Arab Army ever had. They had never seen such a huge aircraft, nor had we for that matter, and considered that if the British could produce an aircraft so much bigger than anybody else they knew of, then they must be the people who would win. .... The only trouble was that the Arabs would show their delight by dancing around the Handley Page and firing pistols and other odd weapons into the air to the consternation and alarm of Ross Smith."

On the 23 and 24th of September the huge bomber was used to night bomb the aerodrome at Deraa. The aircraft was handed back to the RAF training brigade on the 22nd of September 1918. After the Armistice with Turkey on the 31st of October, General Borton decided to fly with Ross Smith, the Handley Page to Baghdad to join up with the forces in Mesopotamia, C9681 was being overhauled, so the second 0/400 which arrived in the theatre C9700 and was situated at Cairo was used. The AFC mechanics for the AFC Handley Page were taken along as well, Sgt Bennett and Shiers. The aircraft reached India on December 10th and was the start of record breaking flights that Ross Smith was to depart upon. Smith in company with Bennett, Shiers and his brother Keith, were soon to depart from England for Australia in a Vickers Vimy.