Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (21 page)

I heard from May today – she is a good long way from here & it would be ‘some' trip for me to fly down to see her but I will try to manage it if I can. Dud weather still continues, no flying yesterday or today.

I had a great game of Rugger yesterday, we played an Australian team & drew 5-5 after a v.close game.

We haven't shifted yet as we are waiting for the other Squadron to move, who are in turn replacing a Squadron which is going down South & can't move till the weather clears up.

I am going to have another game of Rugger this afternoon. I wonder if the Hun is preparing some form of devilment under cover of these clouds with no Obs. to worry him!

I am particularly fit now, I am glad to say & feel equal to any amount of Albatrii! Can't think of anything more to say so will draw stumps!

 

DIARY Tuesday 12th February

High wind and low clouds. No patrols at all. Rugger v Australian team in afternoon. Won 7-6. Ripping game. Read and wrote letters in evening.

 

65 Squadron

Today it is raining hard, this is the 8th day of dud weather. Amazing, isn't it? Consequently I have no news at all!

I don't know when we shall be shifting, not till the weather breaks anyway. This Spring the “Camel” will be the only Rotary engined bus on this Front. We are getting 150 h.p. engines instead of the present 130 h.p., which ought to be pretty good – - –
when
we get them!

DIARY Wednesday 13th February

Rain and low clouds all day. No Patrols at all. Read and played bridge most of day. Up for a 5 min flip in afternoon. Raining and thick as mud.

 

65 Squadron

The wind has changed round to the East & fog & mist have replace low clouds & rain – it's all one though still dud.

I went up for a short flip yesterday in the rain, just to get some air into my lungs but it was very thick & I soon came down again.

DIARY Thursday 14th February

Thick mist all day. No flying. Soccer v Sergts. in afternoon. Lost 4-0. Very good game. Bridge in evening till 12.30!

 

65 Squadron

Fog still continues & it is very chilly today. I went up for a short flip & couldn't get much above 1000 ft. & it was very cold. It is clearing up a bit since & so there may be a show but I doubt it.

I played “soccer” yesterday & had a very good game. We played the Sergts. & lost 4-0. I was Orderly Officer yesterday. Eaton came back from leave & that makes up our old three again – Gilmour, Eaton & I. I am very glad as I don't like flying beside someone I don't know. This afternoon there are going to be inter-flight soccer games, 6-a-side, 10 minutes each way – it ought to be rather thrilling!

DIARY Friday 15th February

Misty all day. Short flip in morning. Flt soccer matches in the afternoon. “C” Flt won and I won 10 fr. on it!

Read and played bridge in evening. Lost 18 fr. Beastly cold, no patrol.

 

65 Squadron

I see Brian Baker is now D.S.O., M.C., Croix de Guerre. Pretty good work

Today is a lovely fine day with an East wind. La guerre recommence ! We are standing by all day to strafe Hun two-seaters doing Art. Obs. & have been kept pretty busy. I was up on dawn patrol with Jack but saw no Huns near the Lines. Eaton however struck a single Albatross & fired at it; the Hun dived away East & dived straight into the ground & was slain. Jolly good work. A lot of Hun two-seaters have been over here today at 16,000 ft.

Huge excitement at about 12 noon! Archie started & we all went out of the Mess & lo, a single Albatross scout ‘loafing' at about 3,000 ft. right over the aerodrome. He turned East & then “Archie” put him off & so he turned West again. Then a S.E.5 which was up at the time spotted him & dived on him. The Hun went down in a mighty dive, flattened out & landed in a field about a mile from the town, turning over on his back when landing – the pilot was unhurt & has been taken prisoner. I watched the whole thing through my glasses – it was a priceless show! A single Albatross over here at 3,000 ft.!!! I guess he was absolutely lost & had awful wind up, poor beggar – I don't blame him!

We are moving tomorrow at 8 a.m. Furious packing this afternoon! Awful Nuisance!

DIARY Saturday 16th February

Great war starts again. On Dawn Pat: with Jack. Cold as ****! No Huns to notice. Eaton crashed an Albatross! Bingo in club for dinner. Leaving tomorrow.

 

DIARY Sunday 17th February

In complete trance all day – with headache. O.P. from 9-15. Left Bailleul and landed at Proven. Res: Pat: in afternoon. Very reserve!

Settled down in hut with Jack. Balfour, Major. Dinner in Pop.

 

65 Squad.

Thanks for your letters – awfully sorry I couldn't write home yesterday but I truly hadn't a minute. We got orders to move yesterday, & we had to get up early. Just so as to give us lots of time to settle down in our new place, the Wing gave us two Observation Patrols, one Off. Patrol & 6 new machines to collect from 2 A.S.D.!! Rather too much, wasn't it and yesterday was a perfect nightmare! I had a bit of a head [ache] as a kick off, too.

We left – - – on the O.P. & patrolled for 1½ hrs & landed here in our new aerodrome, which is a pretty deadly spot right on the main road running N.W. from – - – . The Mess however is very comfy & the huts very bon! I am sharing a Mess hut with Jack, Balfour & Major Howes. I couldn't stand Old Bill as a hut Mate any longer! No food when we arrived except Bully & Machaichie [sic?].

The fellows who were collecting the new buses hadn't come back & so “C” Flt had to do another patrol – a reserve patrol – this took 2 hours. I was in an absolute coma all the time with a rotten headache. A fresh soloist in a ‘Rumpety' could have shot me down with a bow & arrow! However there were no Huns & in the O.P. we were all feeling too tired to want one! Then we had dinner down the town & then I fell into bed & to sleep – I was tired!

I am very fit this morning though, as I didn't get up till 10 o'clock.

 

DIARY Monday 18th February

O.P. led by C.O. in morn over to Roulers. No Huns at all. Got room started. Binge in Pop. with Matthews.

65 Squadron

We are gradually settling down here. Yesterday “C” Flt only did an Off. Pat. – led by the C.O. We went right over to the – - – Road & loafed about over there but there were no Huns at all. I only saw one Hun & we were in Supreme Command of the air. Capt. Symons on early patrol ran across a Hun two-seater at 500 ft. He got beneath his tail & fired about 20 rounds & the Hun did a right-hand Immelman turn & dove slap into the ground & was slain.

That comic Albatross that landed over here the other day was the latest type of Hun bus, a D.E.5. The pilot said he had come over balloon strafing & had got lost & landed! He subsequently escaped from the P. of W. cage but was recaptured.

We have a v.bon fireplace in our new ante-room, a kind of brazier in an ingle with seats in the ingle nooks. We have an oil drum stove in our hut & are getting partitions fixed up & are pretty comfy.

Matthews went home on leave this morning – he & Jack & Balfour & I had dinner in town last night, a v.bon meal – there's a café called “Skundles”.

Very cold today, blue sky with a fairly thick mist. We have had a good few crashes landing – the aerodrome is about the size of a postage stamp & about as even as a ploughed field!

DIARY Tuesday 19th February

Misty all day. R.P. in morning and O.P. in afternoon. No E.A.

 

65 Squadron

Yesterday we went up on patrol but there was a thick haze & we came back. Today the wind has changed to S.W. & there is mist & rain & no flying – bon! I am just getting my new room fixed up & am going down town to buy some things.

Heard from May today. I don't know if I will be able to get down to see her but will try.

I am afraid my letters are very scrappy just now but I am rather in a muddle – they will improve when we settle down!

DIARY Wednesday 20th February

Dud and misty all day. Dawn patrol. No E.A. seen at all. Too thick for patrols in afternoon.

 

65 Squadron

Sorry not to be able to post this in time today but I have been up on patrol. I did two O.Ps today but there was a howling W. wind & we didn't go far over – there were very few Huns anyway.

My hut is practically finished now, we have each got a corner for sleeping in & have left a wee sitting room round the stove in the middle of the hut, this we call the Ante room! I have my bed up against the wall & a couple of shelves 6' long along the partition, these were made by my riggers, it is awfully cosy & bon!

After patrol this afternoon I landed at the old ‘drome & had tea with No 1. I was posted as missing here!

I have an acetylene burner in my room. There is a good gramophone shop in the town; I got some records there yesterday. You know the noise a ginger beer bottle makes when it is opened!!!

DIARY Thursday 21stFebruary

Thick mist and rain in afternoon. No flying at all. Down town in afternoon. Got some things – phone records. Got room nicely fixed up.

 

65 Squadron

Yesterday we did 2 Offensive Patrols of 1¾ hrs each. I was pretty tired at the finish! As there was a strong W. wind blowing, the latter O.P. was more P. then O.! Capt. Symons shot down an Albatross yesterday afternoon in company with a Belgian fellow away up North. That makes Symons' 6th; he ought to be in for the M.C. pretty shortly I think. The Wing O.C., Col. van Rynwel has gone on leave & Cunningham has taken over the Wing pro tem. Capt. Withington, who has just come back from leave, has got the Squadron while the C.O. is away. Jack goes on leave next.

Today there is a strong S.W. wind with low clouds & rain – ‘dud' – bon entre! I guess I am going to stay indoors & read most of today as I have a bit of a cold. I have just been looking over my machine so my hands are a bit oily, so please excuse the grubbiness of this letter. The post hasn't come in yet but I will thank you for the letter I know I will receive.

A lot of the Scout Squadrons in this Wing are refitting & are in consequence off War Flying pro tem, with the result that we get an awful lot of work to do & are getting a bit fed up with it! Well there is no news at present as we haven't had much excitement lately.

DIARY Friday 22nd February

Two O.P.'s to Roulers on first one. Strong w wind. No E.A. seen anywhere near. Split up and fooled around. O.P. in aft in 3's. More P. than O. No E.A. seen and no archie near us.

Read and smoked (beaucoup) in evening. Bed at 11.00.

 

65 Squadron

That Hun that came down near us the other day wasn't hurt at all as the Albatross landed on its wheels & then just turned over on its back, a very common sight on some aerodromes – (not ours though!).

I know Hugo Dunkerley had an awful lot of moving lately, three times in one week, I fancy!

Yesterday was ‘dud' all day with na poo aviation. Today the clouds are at 4000 [ft]. We started on a patrol but came back. I amused a lot of Tommies on a road just behind the Lines by doing about 6 loops straight off the reel! Well no more news pro tem!

DIARY Saturday 23rd February

Dud and no patrols all day. Read and smoked. Dinner in Pop. with Jack.

 

65 Squadron

Today is overcast with clouds at 5000 ft. We are doing a Reserve Patrol this afternoon, I think & it is rather a bore as there won't be any Huns up & you just loaf about & do nothing & get “fed up”!

This morning I went to Church & H.C. [Holy Communion] in the Squadron – quite a nice service. Then after that “The Major” & I flew up to a Belgian aerodrome near the Coast to see a Frederickshaven Gotha which had been captured. It wasn't shot down but two of the struts bearing the left engine had split & the pilot got wind up & landed! It is a splendid looking machine – not so big as a Handley-Page. It has three Parabellum M.Gs & can fire more or less under its tail. It carries 4 men, 3 NCOs & 1 officer & it has two engines with pusher props.

DIARY Sunday 24th February

Too dud for O.P.'s. Did reserve patrol in afternoon. Went up to Belgian aerodrome to see the Gotha.

Church in morning. Read in evening.

 

No 65. France

I hope you have by this time heard from me at my new place, I only missed writing one day, I think. The post goes out at all sorts of comic hours & you never know which post your letter will catch!

Today we were down for an O.P. only at 11 a.m. but it has been raining & blowing & so we didn't go up. It is a very blustery day with a howling N.E. wind & a layer of broken clouds. I fancy it will be fine tomorrow but I don't mind fighting with an East wind, the stronger the better!

Jack Gilmour goes on leave tomorrow at 7 a.m. – lucky beggar!

Yesterday I did a reserve patrol from 3 to 4.30 –
very
reserve – the clouds were at 5500 [ft] & we didn't cross the Lines. Three Fokker Triplanes, which have made a re-appearance on this front, attacked a R.E.8, but he got away all right. Then some lovely big mountainous clouds came up & I had a great game going into caverns & canyons in them, then I climbed up thro' the clouds into the dazzling sunshine – it was perfectly lovely up there, a brilliant blue sky, a gorgeous sun & a billowy white floor stretching as far as the eye could reach!

 

DIARY Monday 25th February

Raining in morning and strong wind. No flying. Down town in morning. Dinner in Pop. with Jack. Kissed Zoe! Bon Euh.

 

65 R.F.C. France