Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (14 page)

No news & so excuse a note. I fetched a machine today from a Base about 20 miles W. of this & flew it here. I am not on patrol today. I went to a show again last night. We are doing a new kind of stunt now for the present but I can't say what it is. I think it is a bit safer & therefore much preferable to the ordinary patrol. Well goodbye.

 

Bunsoy.

65 Squadron.

Thanks for your 24th letter. There's very little news to give you this time yet – the wind is still blowing hard from the West (it is extraordinary how the weather persistently works for Fritz). One or two Huns have been over here but did nothing; I don't know why they aren't over today because with a wind like this they would be home in two ticks. I was up with “Old Bill” & two other men on an Offensive Patrol this morning. The clouds are pretty low but above them it is lovely. We didn't go very far over the Lines as it takes so long to get back against the wind. We saw two Huns miles off & had no “Archies” so it was quite a nice trip on the whole. I had dinner down town with Matthews yesterday evening & a v.good dinner too! There are some very good shops down in the town & it is not much knocked about – only a house here & there has been shelled. The “Bus” is running very nicely & was not hurt yesterday by the pilot who borrowed her. A good bus Pooh-Bah! I expect O.B. was jolly glad he was out of that scrap I had – I wished
I
was out of it! I was our side of the Lines over the shell holes all right; I don't think anyone saw it.

 

Bunsoy.

DIARY Wednesday 28th November

Went to fetch new bus. Strong wind. Got back o.k. McKinnon missing. No Pats in afternoon.

Dined in town with Matthews.

 

DIARY Thursday 29th November

S.O.P at 12000 in morning clouds low. No E.A. seen – wind strong. O.B. leading – quite successful. No more pats.

65 Squadron

Thanks so much for your two letters – the one written in the train especially. Now you are not to worry about me, I am perfectly fit & happy & I hope fairly well able to mind myself! I am afraid I am not such a fearful hero as you make out as the sight of a Hun inspires me with most profound terror & “Archies” make me scream with fear! After all one
has
to fight – & even a worm will turn! Today I stood by to go up from 7.45 to 9 a.m. but did not go up. I am down for patrol from 3 till dusk to prevent Hun two-seaters indulging in machine gun practice at the expense of the P.B.I. [Poor Bloody Infantry!] in our front line trenches, but as it is now raining I don't suppose I shall go up – I don't care if it snows ink for the rest of the Winter! Yesterday I went to pay a visit to the Archie Battery which is quite close to this place. I had tea with them & discussed the best way of putting the Hun “Archie” off his aim! Of course, as I suppose you know, when we are over the Lines we never fly straight for more than a minute or two at a time but are always swinging about – if you fly straight you give “Archie” time to work out your height etc & the first shells are generally the nearest. Leave starts a week on Saturday; I expect I shall get mine in about 6 weeks if all's well. Well cheeri awfully oh! & don't worry – “It's just like bein' at hame”!

Bestest love from The Bunsoy

 

DIARY Friday 30th November

Stood by for Interruption not up. Wind howling gale. Up for a flip in afternoon, looped and rolled. Soccer match in afternoon. We won 3-1. A lot of Warwick officers to dine. Binge after dinner. Sang a “wee DD”! Bed at 1.30! Gee v.tired – cold. On early show tomorrow!

 

65 Squadron.

Thanks for your letter received today, I have written to Weymouth for the last 5 days. Yesterday was dud all day but I went up for a short flip in the afternoon for the benefit of a number of the Warwicks who were playing us at “Soccer”. The Colonel of the Warwicks came and there were 3 Majors for dinner. We had a very merry time & sang songs till 1.30. I sang “A Wee Deoch an Doris” amid loud applause! We all felt pretty dud this morning & to cap it all I was down for the early show at 6.30! In spite of all my prayers for dud weather it was fine & so at that grisly unchristian hour I crept into the air – so dark that I could hardly see my instruments – & proceeded to patrol a section of the Line at 10,000 ft to drive off Huns shooting at our Trenches, I was with Matthews. Presently I saw two shapes over the trenches – the Wily Hun two-seaters! Taking my courage in both hands – I had jolly little this morning – I climbed up & opened fire at one of them at about 150 yds. My right gun jammed but I kept my left one going – then the Hun waggled his tail to let his observer get his gun on me – which he did, I then thought I had better go so I swung away! Matthews then dived on the Hun but did not get him & both Huns hove off & returned not. I then went back to brekker. Dud so far. I am going to collect a machine from further back this afternoon.

 

The Bunsoy.

 

DIARY Saturday 1st December

Up at 6.45! Feeling like a wet rag! With Matthews, very tired too. From Hollebeke to Vlamertinghe – saw two-seaters. Engaged one but did not get him. One thro' my bus. My Buckinghams jammed. Very thick with rain after. Sent down to Audrique to get Eaton's [Lieutenant E.C. Eaton, Canadians] bus. Awful trip! 3½ hrs.

Night at the R.E. Mess. Topping fellows. Played bridge.

 

65 Squadron.

Thanks so much for your last letter the last from London.

Yesterday two of our fellows got lost & finally landed at a place near Calais! I was sent to fly one of them back – good old Instructor form! The other had crashed. It took 3½ hours by tender to get here & as I arrived at 6.30 I stayed the night at an R.E. Wagon yard at the Officers' Mess. They were nearly all Captains & they were most awfully kind to me – the C.O. is a ripping man. I was treated as a sort of honoured guest – leaving the room first after mess – all the officers, including the Majors, standing aside to let me pass! They gave me tea & bread & butter in bed this morning before breakfast – altogether I had a ripping time!

I left this morning before brekker – the bus was in a pretty rotten field & there wasn't much petrol left but there was an absolutely howling gale blowing. I got the A.M's to hold back my bus till I had got my engine full out – & then they let go. The old bus simply gave one hop & was off the ground – the bumps were truly awful but I got back here all right in about 15 minutes with the wind, some going that!!

There was, I believe, considerable activity up on the Front this morning so “A” Flight had to go & do an offensive patrol at 3000 ft over the Lines with a 60 m.p.h. W. wind blowing! As it happened there were no Huns & hardly any “Archies”! This way we wandered about at 3000 ft right over the Hun land was a fine proof of our Aerial Superiority! I got one bullet through the main spar of my left plane – a lucky shot from the ground but that was all – that makes my 24th hole – poor old Pooh-Bah, always gets shot up. No more patrols today – ‘ooray!

Bunsoy.

 

DIARY Sunday 2nd December

Beautiful day. Up at 7.30, before brekker, tea in bed! Left at 8.55. Bus in dud field. Perfectly shrieking wind. Got off in 5 yds came home on Gravity – in 20 mins. Landed o.k. Up on low N.O.P. [North Offensive Patrol] (3000) at 11am. No E.A. seen, hardly any ‘Archies' no M.G. – no signs of a push. Got blown far over the lines. Complete master of the front. – Good show!

 

65 Squad. R.F.C.

Thanks very much for the first letter from Weymouth – yesterday morning I did nothing except read. I went to Kirk in the evening & had a v.nice service – Higgins, Matthews, Wigg & Baker [Lieutenant E.J. Baker] went with me. I read again in the evening. It was a very cold night. This morning at 11 a.m. “A” & “B” Flts went up on a 10,000 ft offensive patrol but as there was a strong N.W. wind blowing we didn't get very far over the Lines – it was a lovely morning but pretty cold. The result was that both my guns froze up hard & I couldn't fire them at all! In the event of Dad's dream coming true I hope I shall defeat one Albatross [
sic
]. I wouldn't mind one so much but 12 – no! No more patrols for me today thank goodness. No more now. Bestest love from

 

The Bunsoy

DIARY Monday 3rd December

Strong w wind n.o.p. in morning 3 E.A. seen which hove off at once – both my guns froze up hard.

Read in afternoon and evening.

 

65 Squadron R.F.C.

Thanks awfully for the Xmas Card Design I think it is simply priceless. Thanks too for the pound of tobacco which is most excellent. I am even now smoking it. Did you ever get the little piece of explosive bullet which I sent you?

This morning Higgins & I arose at 6.30 & leapt into the atmosphere to patrol the trenches at about 500 ft to keep the Hun two-seaters from shooting at our troops. It was pretty thick up in the North of the Line & there were no Huns so we went further South where the trenches are clearly marked & not obliterated with shell holes. I did a little shooting on my own account! I fancy we must have annoyed Fritz quite a lot as we shot a good few rounds into his trenches. The West wind has at last dropped thank heaven. It is quite nice & warm today. Last night I was awakened by the aerial Hun indulging in one of his comic little air raids. I don't think he dropped any eggs but the “Archies” near here kicked up a vile row! I have not been up on patrol today but am going Hun punching again on a dusk patrol!! Well the inexorable post waits for no man & so I guess I'll stop.

 

Bestest love from The Bunsoy

 

DIARY Tuesday 4th December

Dawn Patrol, no Huns seen very thick up at Ypres – went down south & shot up trenches at Armentières – Pretty chilly – wind N. On Interup: call came thro but my engine was dud. Tested it. Loops etc.

To show with Matthews in evening – very good spy play. Miles in to dinner – musical evening.

 

65 Squadron

Yesterday & today I have been standing by to go & drive off. Hun two-seaters doing Art. Obs. but have not had to go up yet. I was just going up yesterday but my engine was “dud” so I stayed down. It is a lovely cloudless day here & very cold & freezing hard.

Last night we had several guests including Major Miles from Croydon who is now O.C. 43. We had a musical evening & quite a merry time. Old Bill is at present in hospital. He was turning his prop when the engine suddenly started & the prop smote him on the legs – only bruised them though – he is all right & will be out again in 2 or 3 days. The aerial Hun has been over quite a lot today & has been duly “Archied” – taking photographs I suppose as he dropped no bombs! Well no more now – best love.

 

DIARY Wednesday 5th December

Very cold. Stood by in morning and just missed going up.

Dusk Pat; Passchendaele to Hollebeke. No Huns but lots of our busses. Ypres Salient a fine sight at sunset – quite enjoyed the flip. Orderly officer – slept in office, very cold too!

 

65 Squadron.

Thanks awfully for your last letter. This morning I was on a dawn patrol 6.45 a.m. It was very cold & clear with no wind on the ground but it was warmer in the air. As before I had to prevent Hun two-seaters shooting at our Trenches so I went to a spot in the Lines where the Trenches are very clear & where I have been before & thinking the Huns in the Trenches must be beastly cold I warmed them up with my machine gun from about 500 ft. then he started shooting at me from the ground so I hove off for a second & then came back & gave him about 100 rounds.

At 10.40 this morning Higgins & Matthews & I went up to drive off a Hun two-seater doing Art. Obs. There was no Hun to be seen in the spot named so we did a patrol for an hour. There were 5 Albatrii over their side & we tried to lure them over to our side. I was at the back some way behind & we flew back to our lines. I saw one Hun diving at me a long way off – so I dived away watching him the while. Presently I saw a stream of white smoke coming from him & heard pop pop pop – pop – pop ---- I guessed I had bested him so I did about half a climbing turn. You should have seen the Hun! He did the deuce of an Immelman turn & made for his own lines in a nearly vertical dive and was seen no more! Wind up!

Last night I did a “dusk patrol” which means from 3 till as late as poss. There were no Huns but the Lines were a wonderful sight in the Setting Sun. The two new men in our Flight are Matthews & Peacock [Captain E.F. Peacock].

Bestest love from

 

The Bunsoy

DIARY Thursday 6th December

Beastly cold but no wind. Dawn patrol! Ugh! Warmer in air than below! No Huns seen but shot up trenches at Armentières & Houplines. Got m.g. from ground – strafed him! Up on wireless at 10.30. No Huns near Berselere. Air full of our machines. Dived on by Albatri and fired at but on turning round the Hun hove off in a vertical dive!

 

65 Squadron

Thanks for your letters. I am glad you didn't pass a day without getting a letter from me; I have only missed one day I think.

I didn't go up again yesterday afternoon but just sat & read. Today the frost has gone & the wind has got up a bit & the sky is cloudy. I had a morning in bed. At 9.30 I went up to H.Q. for a machine gun exam which you have to pass before you can get leave. I knew nix about it & don't suppose I passed, but still I shan't be going on leave for a bit yet & will have another shot – of course I
may
have passed! I stood by ready to go up after two-seaters from 12 to 1 but didn't have to go up. I am off for the rest of the day but will probably go & cheer up the Hun Infantry with a few rounds from my guns this evening! We have taken to carrying bombs now. Two buses in each flight have them – mine hasn't!

Today we are going to try & bomb a particularly pestilential Archies Battery across the Lines. I can imagine the Hun “Archie” gunners speaking: “Ach! Hier komm der Camels. Ve vill let zem come over & zen shoot zem as zey go back! Zey nevaire do no ‘arm! Zey vas no goot at----!” Woof---! Boom! -Woof!--Boom!- (Exit Hun amid fragments!) “Curtain falls”!

 

DIARY Friday 7th December

Bill still in hospital. Wind all day – no patrols.

 

65 Squadron R.F.C.