Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (12 page)

No letter from you today but I guess it has been delayed. Yesterday was pretty misty all day but some patrols went up – they saw nothing. I had a day off & wasn't put down to go up, so stayed on the floor – quite pleased too! Today there has been a fog & it is still too thick for flying. To think that a fortnight ago I was longing for fine weather! Yesterday at about 5. p.m. perfectly terrific gunfire started an absolutely continuous rumble & went on practically all night increasing in intensity for about ¼ of an hour about 11.30. We don't know what it all meant but guess it was Fritz being playful & having to be suppressed! I think I am going to a show in the town this evening. I haven't got my muffler yet but guess it must be on the way. I hope you have had all my letters up to date. I have written every day except one a long time ago, I hope Joe gets the one I sent her. Well I guess I'll stop now as I can't think of any more to say!

 

DIARY Wednesday 14th November

Thick fog nearly all the day. No patrols at all. Read in morning. Up for a short flip in afternoon. Contour chasing and looping. Nearly all the Squadron went mad.

Down to Bailleul in evening. The Tivoli full up. Talked to Madame for ½ hr. To Club with Cox [Captain G.M. Cox] and Withington [Captain T.E. Withington]. Back in tender. Played bridge in evening lost 1 Fr 50c.

This morning I was on Dawn Patrol. At 6.15 six shivering & bad tempered mortals crept into their airships & leapt forth into the very air! It was a lovely blue sky but misty on the ground with a strong west wind. “Archie” was not v.good today & we didn't get much of it – for which I was truly thankful. In fact he didn't worry me at all – I was much too busy watching 9 little black specks above & behind us! These were the wily Albatrosses. “B” Flight was also up & the Albatrosses dived on them & I think “B” Flight brought two of them down. They didn't worry us at all. Then at 10.30 a.m. we went up again. This time it was very reassuring as “B” Flt. joined us making 10 buses & there were some Nieuports & S.Es about too. The air over the Hun Lines was simply black with our machines, it was pretty cloudy & we only had about half a dozen “Archies”. It was a priceless sight to see our machines dashing up & down, completely demoralizing Fritz for we hardly saw anything of him. We saw some Nieuports scrapping with two Albatrosses & one two-seater even dived down to join in the fun! This completely put the wind up the Hun for he immediately hove off. I didn't get a shot in as there wasn't time but I saw the Albatross scout – He looked something like this:

Very well camouflaged – in fact you could hardly see him against the shell holes. He had a paint brush tail with a one piece elevator, you will see the difference if you refer to my sketch of the L.V.G. I was just starting to get excited when the scrap broke off. We are now using explosive bullets in our guns – the Huns always do so I don't see why we shouldn't. It's pretty well na poo Hun if one hits home. Well no more now. I am very fit & well. Thanks so much for No10 [letter]. The muffler has arrived & it is topping!

 

DIARY Thursday 15th November

Up on dawn patrol – 6.30 am! Lovely morning, hardly any ‘Archies' – on Northern Patrol. Saw Huns behind, did not attack us at all. ‘B‘ Flt had a scrap. Cocks [Captain G.M. Cox?] & Symons [Captain H.L. Symons] got a Hun each – v.good too! Up again at 10.30. Cloudy – no ‘archie' at all to speak of. Acting with ‘B' Flight – stacks of our machines. Huns kept well away! Came in for the finish of a scrap. Nieuport and 2 albatrosses and 1 L.D.G. Indecisive. Did not fire. For [?] flip to Armentières at 3pm. Saw no Huns but got 4 archies a time. Hove off! To the ‘Tivoli' with Tiplaft in evening – v.good. Dinner at the club. Had some Beaune!

Major Nethersole [Major N.H.B. Nethersole] in to dinner and also Gorringe. Quite warm, Bed.

Thanks very much for your letter dated Nov 11th I also heard from Gally, Elsie & Dorothea.

There is not much fresh news. Yesterday afternoon I went for a short flip up to the Lines at a place South of this famed of Bairns father to see if I could catch any old Hun twin-seaters doing Art. Obs. [Artillery Observation] but there weren't any. However I fired a few rounds from my guns over the Hun trenches (just to show there was no ill feeling) & went on. I was well behind our lines when suddenly Woof! Woo-oof! Wuff! Woo-oof! up came 4 “Archies”. I hove off!

Just heard I am for Patrols
now
& the post goes out at once. Bestest love, Bunsoy.

DIARY Friday 16th November

Dud all day, thick fog. I was a duty officer. ‘B' Flt on patrol, nothing seen. In camp all day.

Slept in squadron office – warm & comfy. Nothing of interest.

65 Squadron R.F.C. France

Sorry I had to break off my last letter so abruptly but I was told that I was wanted at once for patrol as the weather had cleared up & “C” Flight being short of pilots I was to go with them. However one of “C” pilots took a bus up for practice & took one wheel off when taking off, he knew nothing about it so of course crashed landed – but he wasn't hurt & the bus went onto its back. This left “C” with only 3 machines & so the patrol was washed out & I didn't go up after all. But the post had gone by that time.

Yesterday I was Orderly Officer & spent most of the time censoring letters, quite an amusing job, most of the men romanced horribly! However armed with a large pencil I cut out any place names. I had to sleep in the Squadron Office near the phone but was very comfy. We are getting another stove for our hut.

Thanks for your letter of the 12th. I went to a very good sort of Music Hall in the town the other evening – it is run by the Canteen Committee. The Squadron has amassed quite a menagerie of pets, one tiny little terrier pup, one French police dog pup, 3 pigeons & a goat. The latter got on the table in the Mess the other day & started to devour the sugar. There has been thick fog here all day & consequently no aviation – tant mieux! We are playing the “Ack Gunners” of the Squadron [at] “soccer” this afternoon as we can't get anyone to play “rugger”.

DIARY Saturday 17th November

Dud – Got up early! Did stunts on the parallel bars. Had a bath. Played soccer v the A.M.'s in afternoon – 2-2. Played v.badly indeed! Moore over to dinner in evening. Watched him playing poker from 9 – 11.40! Fearfully bored! Invited to dinner at No 1 tomorrow with Withington.

Got a new stove in our room. o.k. Played Auction & Cut Throat before dinner – did not lose for a wonder! No flying all day.

65 Squadron R.F.C. France

Thanks for your letter of the 15th also for the gloves & photos which are both excellent. I played “Soccer” yesterday afternoon
very
badly. I can't stand “Soccer”. We drew with the men 2-2. I had a man Moore whom I knew at Croydon in to dinner last night & I am going over to dine with him tonight. This afternoon we are playing No1 Squadron at rugger, I am playing, I think. I know this is Sunday but you can't waste the opportunity of getting some exercise on a “dud” day. I went down to the town to go to Kirk this morning at 11 but there was no service, so I think I am going this evening at 6 if poss. Sundays out here are just the same as other days as regards the work. This morning at 9 am. I went up on patrol but it was very thick – clouds at 3000 ft so we did a patrol up & down the trenches, just our side of them at about 2000 ft.

We went over the scene of the recent activity – there is no distinct trench line & the troops appear to be holding shell holes full of water to boot. We saw no Huns & they only put up a couple of shells at us which were nowhere near us. You can find your way by compass all right when it's dull – fly due West & you are bound to come to the Lines. I played Auction again yesterday before dinner & won for a wonder alas not heavily enough to see the colour of my francs again! There is a Capt. Fullard in No 1 Squadron who has got 40 Huns he broke his leg yesterday at Soccer. Rotten luck wasn't it? Crump!! Something has just gone off with a hut-shaking crump! The wily Gothas me thinks depositing eggs! Well na poo pro tem.

Bestest love from the Bunsoy.

As I have said, I will write every day whenever poss. but if I should miss one day occasionally through not being able to write before 2 pm when the post goes, please don't be alarmed! G.M.K.

 

DIARY Sunday 18th November

Fairly thick. Up on patrol at 9am, did a Line Patrol at 2000! A couple of Archies. No E.A. seen. Over the trenches at Passchendaele – awful mess they are in.

Rugger v No 1 in afternoon v.good game – lost 6-0. I played fairly well. To dinner with Moore in No 1. To Church in Bailleul before v. good dinner indeed.

 

65 Squadron

Thanks most awfully for the “topping” bag, it is most beautifully made & is just the thing to hold my belongings which are at present higgledy-piggledy in a box, (which is what you would expect from me!) This morning we went up for a practice patrol & tried to teach a new pilot to fly in formation! He simply terrified me by dashing madly about the sky – apparently trying hard to run into everybody. We went up to the Lines & fired our guns & saw an old Hun two-seater which hove off at once. I went up again at 12.30 to see if I could get him but he was not to be seen. I saw two lines of trenches & fired my machine gun at the Eastern ones. I hope they were Hun trenches & not our own!

I went to church last night in a sort of hall in the town where they have concerts, quite a nice little service; I went with Withington & Wigg [Lieutenant V. Wigg]. Then Withington & I went to have dinner with No 1 – Moore from Croydon is there, they are in the same aerodrome as we are. Moore is the man who went out to France the time that I reported as a D.H.5 pilot.

I am hanging my bag on the wall between the foot of my bed & the window. I see in the paper that John H. Russell (the one with the medal) was killed at Croydon in a collision, I was awfully sorry to hear it. The weather is still too dud for us to do offensive patrols so
we
don't care if it snows ink! I do hope Dad will get a job in the Air Service – we want some old soldiers to stiffen up the R.F.C. We have heard no word of our missing pilots.

 

Bestest love to you all from the own. Bunsoy.

DIARY Monday 19th November

Thick all day. Up on formation practice in morning. [?] a danger to the state! Over Armentières – saw 1 Hun two seater which hoved off at once. Did nothing in afternoon – played bridge and won 2 francs! Up alone to Armentières to see if I could get the Hun! Na poo. Major borrowed my bus in afternoon. Back o.k. Feeling rotten in evening. Bed v.warm.

 

65 Squadron.

Thanks for your welcome letters & the photo which is jolly good. I guess this is going to be the most thrilling letter yet!

This morning the clouds were at about 4000 ft. & so we did a Line patrol – in pairs – I went with “Old Bill”. After flipping round for some time I saw a Hun fairly low on our side of the Lines – just over --- Forest. I also saw about 12 Hun Scouts above, I thought I could get that low Hun so I dived onto him. Then suddenly I heard pop-pop-pop-pop-pop – behind me, I looked round but saw nothing so I did a steep climbing left turn. Then I heard the popping behind again & saw a stream of red tracer bullets going in front of me. (These are dummy bullets which are fired off first as sight shots to show the direction of the firing. ) Then as I climbed I saw a Hun Albatross Scout diving straight at me so I went straight for him & said to myself “Get out of the way you swab”! Sure enough he turned away to avoid hitting me. By this time about six of them were on me. So I just stunted as I have never stunted before! One went just below me & I clearly saw his light yellow flying cap. Then another dived in front of me so I said “I'll get you, you blaster!” so I dived like smoke at him – I was so excited that I didn't care if I collided or not! I fired at him but he went under me & I missed him. Then I saw another above & in front so I pulled up my nose as far as I could & blazed off at him. All the while the others were shooting at me! Then another dived away from me & I got my sights on him & saw my tracer bullets going right at him but I don't think I got him. By this time I thought I had just about had enough & I was expecting a bullet in my back at any moment – so I just shoved my nose down & went down in the fastest spiral dive I have ever been in – in fact I thought I was going to pull a wing off but I didn't care so long as I got away! I found odds of 12 to 1 a trifle steep! Anyway I dived down to about 20 ft of the ground & then turning due West hove off as fast as I could. I think I was doing 110 m.p.h. just above the shell holes. The Albatrosses followed me for some time at about 500 ft & then left off & went away. Gee! I
was
glad! Then I climbed through the mist which was now about 1000 ft & rejoined “Old Bill” who had lost me & wasn't in the scrap.

That “low two-seater”!

9.30 a.m. 20th November 1917

I kept well away from that part of the Lines for the rest of the time I can tell you! I saw an R.E.8 shot down by “Archies” – it was a ghastly sight & it just fell over & over with one wing flapping loose. Then I went home!

I had 11 holes in my bus – mostly through the tailplane & rudder & 3 in the wings but none very near me – I guess “The Everlasting Arms” were around me that trip all right. I have never been so thankful that I could chuck a bus about. If I had flown straight for one minute they would have got me! As it was I think it was a pretty rotten show on the part of the Huns, I am sure 12 Camels would have got one Albatross!

Anyway it was some show.

 

Bestest love from the very own

Bunsoy.

DIARY Tuesday 20th November

Some Day!

Fairly clear – clouds at 4000. On Line Patrol in pairs with Old Bill. I went for a Hun low over Houthulst. O.B. did not come. Then I got about 12 Albatross on top of me – all shooting like mad! I splitarsed like ****! I shot at two or three of them but did not hit any. They were all round me! Then I thought it was high time to heave off! So I did the **** of a spiral dive down to 20ft and then hove off due W. and got away! Thank God! Eleven holes in my bus.

[These Huns had black and white checked planes and black and white hoops round the fuselages. They were probably a ‘circus' led by Von Bulow from one of the Roulers aerodromes. They were well known in the Ypres salient.]

65 Squadron R.F.C.