The deployment of navy planes to Dunkirk in 1914 was also the reason why the navy ended up running armoured-car units (to keep the German flank guard away from their forward bases in Belgium). When the Germans turned from the Marne to the north in October, 1914, we lost most of this area, but finally stopped them at Ypres. The RNAS patrols were sent elsewhere, partly because the threat didn't materialise quite yet, and partly because their base was more or less under artillery fire (and would stay that way until 1918)