Complex sentence: In early 1916 he became a pilot and was active spotting German artillery positions during the Battle of the Somme and he and his observer, Lieutenant Long, were tasked with a series of continuous reconnaissance flights during July.
Split into simpler sentences: In early 1916 he became a pilot and was active spotting German artillery positions during the Battle of the Somme. He and his observer, Lieutenant Long, were tasked with a series of continuous reconnaissance flights during July.