Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (20 page)

I am afraid this will miss the post as I am just in from patrol. I was up on O.P. from 12.15 to 1.30 but the Huns were very quick & I only saw a formation of 6 Albatrii well his side of the Lines. They didn't worry us – Gilmour came home with a ‘dud' engine & so I led the other fellows, we didn't get much “Archie”.

The fog has pretty well cleared off now & it is a lovely day & quite warm, it was lovely flying. I went up for a joy ride to get my hand in as I felt a bit strange at first, so I did a few ‘loops' & ‘rolls' to get used to it. Everybody has been flying my poor ‘bus' while I have been away but nobody likes it as it is very tail heavy. Bon eugh! Possibly that will keep them from flying it! I did nothing yesterday but read smoked & played the gramophone. The new mattress on my bed is a huge success & I was beautifully warm last night.

Well you poor dears will be by this time robbed of all your family again – still I guess I will be home again in April if all's well – not so long anyhow.

 

Cheerio – that's all my news for today.

DIARY Saturday 2nd February

Off Pat: in morning. I led after Jack had fallen out. Res: Pat: in afternoon. Got fed up with Ypres and so went up to the Coast at Nieuport!

Read in evening.

 

65 Squadron

Another thriller! Today 12 of us went out on O.P. we went well over the Lines & found about 13 or 14 Huns below us. These we followed & they all dived away from us as hard as they could. Then a lot of our fellows fell out with dud engines, leaving six of us, we then went over the Lines again nearly to the ---- Road . Then we saw some Albatrii below us & five above & some more knocking about. Jack & I dived on the ones below, the others stayed up above. I saw Jack get on the tail of an Albatross, the Hun then made for me nose on firing, so I pressed my thumb pieces & fired straight into him. His nose dropped & he fell over sideways & started to go down in a spin slowly at first & then faster & faster. I didn't see him crash but I have claimed him as “out of control”. Jack & another fellow confirmed this. I think I slew him all right.

Then I turned away & suddenly heard pop-pop-pop-crack-crack very close behind me. I pulled my old bus into a right hand climbing turn when suddenly – - smack!! – something hit my elbow! Ha! thought I – I'm wounded! Exit me! So I changed my climbing turn into an “Immelman” & went down in a nearly vertical dive engine full out! Gee! I
was
going some! Presently I flattened out a bit & looking round saw that confounded Hun still on my tail firing like -----! They all went above me though. Then I saw a Camel dive on the Hun & he left off from following me! That was Jack who had seen me go down pursued by the Hun & had followed him; he shot him down “out of control” & pretty well saved my skin.

I came home & found that a bullet had passed right through the elbow of my Sidcot Suit without cutting my tunic, a near thing – what! I also found that another bullet had cut through a longeron in my fuselage & broken a spar in my left bottom plane & another had missed my petrol tank by about 2 inches. Why my old bus didn't fall to bits in that dive I don't know! The ‘Everlasting Arms' again I guess. The total of that scrap was 4 Huns – Jack got two, one smoking & one out of control. Bill got one & I got the other. Bill had an end-on shot & got 5 bullets in his engine, he managed to crawl home with his engine firing on about 4 cylinders. We lost nobody – thank God. So once again only 3 of us did any scrapping against pretty good odds & 2 of the 3 were in “C” Flight – Vive “C” Flight! Bon enough! Awfully glad I have got another Hun.

Am very fit & happy. Thanks for your two letters – hope you are awfully fit. Must catch the post.

Bunsoy.

DIARY Sunday 3rd February

Not on early show. O.P. 10.15. Chased about 17 Huns East of Lille. Then dived on 7 Black & White Albatri S.W. of Roulers. Shot one down in a spin – got allowed him. Got shot to bits myself! Bullet through sleeve of my Sidcup suit – longeron and main spars shot. Jack [Gilmour] got a Hun.

To Kirk in evening. To dine with No 1. Kelsey leaves tomorrow. Letter from Nickie.

 

65 Squadron

So sorry that I missed the post today but I was out to lunch.

My bus has been “written off” [Camel B2419] as it was pretty well shot up yesterday & it has done 160 hours. Today Jack put a couple of revolver bullets into the other longerons to make sure of it, “murder Most Foul” I call it – it is a good thing though as it
was
getting old & now I am getting a brand new one. I am awfully sorry to lose Pooh-Bah though – it has done me jolly well & had been in a good many merry scraps – in fact it was a good old pal of mine. R.I.P. anyway.

I shall take some time to get used to my new one; I expect I shall have the rigging altered to suit my own particular style of flying. I don't suppose it will loop as well as Pooh-Bah. I had looped her so often that I simply had to say “Loop” & she looped herself!

I was up on Reserve Patrol this morning but we only saw 7 Albatrii well East of the road & they didn't worry us so we had no scrap. I was not on the O.P. but there were no Huns about anyway. I went over to lunch at No 32 & saw Northwood. Flying back I did a simply priceless climbing turn off the ground.

A Handley Page Bomber landed here yesterday, you have no idea of the huge size of this bus, you could put a whole “Camel” on the planes on each side of the fuselage. They have two “Rolls” engines & can carry 16 112 lb bombs apiece, good line what! The passenger-carrying H.Ps can carry 14 persons. To see this monstrosity doing a climbing turn off the ground & then diving down & “zooming” the hangars was the finest thing you ever saw, it obscured half the aerodrome when it landed.

 

DIARY Monday 4th February

On Reserve Patrol in morning. Saw nothing to notice. Poor old Pooh Bah written off! Did nothing in afternoon. To dine with Williams [Lieutenant T.M. Williams] at Club in evening. Fairly ‘happy' after! To lunch with 32 – saw Bulger.

65 Squadron

This morning I was up on Reserve Patrol from 9 – 10.30. I patrolled most of the Lines at 14,500 ft & it was jolly cold! I dove on 5 Albatrii from a great height but they hove off East at once before I could reach them. I am just back from No 2 A.S.D. [Aircraft Supply Depot?] where I have been collecting a new “Camel” to replace mine; it is a very decent one with a good engine in it. I am having the rigging altered slightly.

We have been having lovely weather for the last few days with beaucoup sun & quite mild also beaucoup aviation! Today the C.O. is leading a large Off. Pat. but I am not in it. He [Major J.A. Cunningham] has been given the Croix de Guerre. Withington [Captain T.E. Withington, O.C. “B” Flight] went on leave today – lucky!

DIARY Tuesday 5th February

On Res: Pat: in morning. UP to 14500. Dived on 5 E.A. which hove off. To Serny to fetch new Camel. Very own bus. Huge tea party in afternoon apparently. Umpteen Huns. I not in on it – thank heavens! 3 Huns shot down.

To dine with Pat in No 1 – Mc Elroy there. We are going to shift from here to Pop: rotten. Letter from Nickie – exceeding bon too!

 

65 Squad.

No patrols today as it was pretty dud. I tested my new “bus” which is very bon indeed, better than my old one.

I went down to the Base to see 3 Hun aeroplanes which had been brought down ‘intact'. One was an A.E.G. twin-engine bomber, a rotten looking affair; a Rumpler two-seater & a comic little scout – a sort of cross between an Albatross & a Nieuport.

Then I flew back & had a very good practice scrap with a S.E. 5. I think I put it all over him as far as manoeuvring goes! We had a fellow missing from that scrap yesterday – however in the evening he strolled into the Mess with his head tied up! He had had both his petrol tanks shot through & a splinter of bullet in the back of his head. So he landed behind the Lines – he is quite all right now – good show what!

My bed is lovely now with that mattress, it just makes all the difference! I had dinner with No 1 last night & saw McElroy who had come up for dinner from No 40. He has got about 10 Huns.

DIARY Wednesday 6th February

Dud all morning and no patrols. Tested my airship and did some priceless loops. Cleared up after lunch. Flew to Omer with Jack and saw D.F.W., R.E.9 & S.8. Fought S.E.5 after – bon scrap – put it across him all right!

Down town with Major and Jack after tea.

 

65 Squadron

I heard from May today, she is bound for 49 C.C.S. Some where South of this I fancy, I shall try to get down to see her if I can find out where she is.

It was dud all yesterday & no patrols – I am getting quite a decent rest with one thing & another. I was down for an O.P. today but it is raining hard at present & so it has been washed out.

It's awfully rotten that we have to shift from this aerodrome. We move on Tuesday. I fancy I shall be awfully sorry to leave No 1 as they are all such awfully good fellows. I think I shall share a hut with Jack Gilmour if I possibly can when we shift.

When poor old Pooh-Bah got shot up I was carrying a copy of the Squadron photo in a sort of dispatch bag fixed on the side of the fuselage in my cockpit & the bullet which hit my Sidcot suit passed slap through the photo. I will have it framed & sent home, it will make an interesting souvenir.

I think I am going to play in a scratch game of hockey this afternoon. Well no more now!

DIARY Thursday 7th February

Dud all day. No flying – Cocks returned – very chewed up with life in general! Did nothing, but read and smoke. Bed early.

65 Squadron

Yesterday afternoon Balfour, Wigg the R.O. & I went up in a tender for a joy ride to have a look at the Trenches. We went up to a certain well-known ridge where we left the tender. We then walked up & saw the three huge mine craters – they are simply enormous, about 70 yds across & 20 ft deep. All along the roadway were the remains of old trenches & barbed wire. Then we came to an old Hun dugout with a pile of Hun hand grenades lying behind it. I would have collected one only I thought they might go off! There were dud shells & Stokes mortar bombs lying all round also old “Toffee Apples” – a round bomb with an iron slide for firing from a trench mortar. Then we walked along the ridge in front of our batteries which were firing at the Hun about 3000 yds away. The Hun replied with 5.9 Howitzers but all the shots fell short – I am glad to say!

The country up there – the scene of the famous battle of the Vimy Ridge, is an awful scene of desolation, all shell holes & blasted tree trunks. We saw a smashed up Tank lying in the open. The ground was dotted with smashed in “Pill Boxes” – great concrete block houses & concrete sniping posts. Then we walked down the – - – Road & picked up our tender & came back very tired!

Bad weather today & no flying.

DIARY Friday 8th February

Dud for patrols all day. Wind and low clouds. Read and smoked.

15 guests in for dinner! Cinema after. I read and stayed in Peacock's room. Bed early.

 

65 Squadron

The dud weather continues & there are no patrols today, nor were there any yesterday, which is just as well as there is a strong West wind blowing! I hope to aviate down to see Dunkerley at No 2 this afternoon but don't know if I will be able to go, as the clouds are fairly low. I can't find out where No 49 C.C.S. is but will make further enquiries.

We are all getting ready for our move up North – it is a beastly nuisance having to move. Maitland came up to see me yesterday. He has just come out on “Camels” in No 80 Squadron. I told him some hair raising tales of ‘Albatrii' & ‘Archies' & ‘tea parties'

A lot of fellows came in for dinner last night but I went to bed fairly early as I was rather tired.

Old Bill is in Hospital pro tem. with pyorrhoea & slight septic poisoning but is coming out shortly & is quite fit.

DIARY Saturday 9th February

Wind and low clouds. No patrols. Did nothing in morning. Flew down to see [?] and Caldwell at Auchel. Bumpy as ****! Landed at La Gorgue on the way back and saw Trollope. He came back for tea with us.

Played Auction in evening till 12.30. Lost 1 fr 50 c. Letter from Nickie.

 

65 Squadron

The dud weather continues – howling West winds & low clouds & showers – no patrols today or yesterday, I am really getting a bit tired of dud weather.

Yesterday I braved the elements & flew down South & saw Dunkerley who is very fit & enjoying life pretty well. I also saw two or three other fellows I met at Tad. They are night bombing on F.E.s. I did a few choice stunts over their Aerodrome after taking off just to cheer them up! Then I went & landed at 43's aerodrome & saw Trollope who is new out – he killed a Hun two-seater the other day. he flew back with me & had tea here & then flew back. I enjoyed my little “Cook's Tour”!

We are moving on Tuesday [12th Feb.] & I am going to pack this afternoon, it is a vile nuisance having to shift, we are going to the same aerodrome as 70!

DIARY Sunday 10th February

Clouds and wind all day. To Church in a.m. in the Camp. Read and smoked all day. Messed around in afternoon. Went for a ride on No 1's horse – awful sickness!

To dinner at No 1. Rest played poker – back at 12. Wireless tomorrow.

65 Squadron

Today we are down for Wireless Interruption – or strafing the Hun two-seaters doing Art. Obs. [Artillery Observation] but as there is still a howling West wind & low clouds; we won't have anything to do as there won't be any Huns up at all!

I went for a short canter round the aerodrome yesterday afternoon on a horse. I went in to a Service in the Camp yesterday morning; the Padre was very young & very nervous. I had a line from Jenkins today; he is in 46 Squadron & is having a pretty fair time of it – good fellow old Jenks.

I am going to play “rugger” this afternoon & so will stop. No news at all at present!

DIARY Monday 11th February

Clouds and wind all day. No Patrols. Rugger in afternoon v No 3 Aust: Drew 4-4. Good clean game. Read and Moore and Pat in to play poker. This weather is great.

 

65 Squadron