At the start of the First World War the B.E.2 family of two-seaters built by the Royal Aircraft Factory was one of the most numerous used by the Royal Flying Corps, and they were employed in a great variety of tasks. The B.E.12b was reminiscent of the S.E.5a because of the outline of its forward fuselage, its radiator and long branching exhaust pipes. Planes were allocated to Home Defense squadrons in small groups at a time. In February 1918 manufacture of the B.E.12b was ended. Planes were based in and around the suburbs of London: their basic purpose in the summer of 1918 was the interception of German bombers, and after the end of the bombing raids on the British Isles the B.E.12b switched their role to that of coastal patrol.

• RAF BE 12b C3094, “A” Flight of No.76 (HD) Sqn, flown by Lt. W E Watt, Companthorpe, August 5 1918.
• RAF BE 12b C3152, No.141 (HD) Sqn, flown by Captain N H Dimmock, Biggin Hill, February 18, 1918.
• RAF BE 12b C3114, No.75 (HD) Sqn, Gosport, early1918.