Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The (6 page)

Thanks so much for your letters. I haven't much news of any interest this time but I made a very silly mistake the other day.

I took an F.E. off running on the little gravity petrol tank instead of the main tank with the result that she missed like six – banging & spluttering! I managed to crawl round at 150 ft. at about 55 m.p.h. Then I got it seen to & it was all right.

I don't think I shall go up to Turnbury [
sic
] for some while yet as I am an Instructor. Yesterday it rained hard & we all went to Leeds to see Harry Tale in his new Revue “Goodbye-e-e”, it is awfully funny.

The F.E.2Ds were to have patrolled the Humber lately while the King was visiting Hull but as all the “buses” were temporarily unserviceable it was “washed out” which was a pity. I have been playing a good deal of tennis lately so please send me my racquet. Well I am very fit & enjoying life fine. Will write again on Friday.

 

In the Train

Just a hurried scrawl to let you know that I was ordered this morning to report at No 40 T.S. Croydon. They have got Traction Scouts there, Rotary engines, so I have got my “Scouts” after all.

I will apply for leave as soon as I get there, so hope to see you before long. Nearly all the other fellows from 46 have gone to York for Home Defence. I will write fully later, I am going down to Croydon tomorrow & am staying the night at the Regent Palace Hotel [London], the two Russells are coming with me. I broke my height record on Friday with 15,000 ft! I had no feeling in hands or feet! I was medically examined the other day & passed as “fit & capable”. Capt D [name erased] said I had done well & he was very sorry to lose me.

This move means more dual control so cheer up!

40 T.S. R.F.C.
Croydon

Here I am again! The way they chuck you about in the Flying Corps! The day before yesterday at 10. a.m. I was told to proceed to Croydon together with the two Russells. We missed the 12 noon train at York & so stayed till the 4.50. We arrived in Town at 10.30 & stayed the night at the Station Hotel at Paddington. Yesterday morning I wandered round town had my hair cut & got a few things I wanted. Then we came down here by the 4.05 train. We are quartered in two empty private houses – very comfy & with lovely gardens. They are about 2½ miles from the aerodrome but tenders take you up & down. The aerodrome is very small & not very good – they never “wash out” flying & you hang about all day in the Y.M.C.A. Hut.

The buses here are Avros (with 100 h.p. Monosupap [
sic
] engines – rotary & “Sopwith Pups” with 80 h.p. Le Rhone engines – also rotary). The Avro's a fairly big two-seater tractor, on which you learn, & the “Sopwith Pup” is a tiny little single seater Scout. So I have got my “tractor Scouts” after all! They are very fast & can be looped & etc. The great stunt here is a spin! I haven't been up yet but shall probably have some dual this evening. The rest of the F.E. pilots have gone to Home Defence at York.

A Sopwith Pup looks like this:

Well no time for more now.

No 40 T.S. R.F.C.

Thanks for your last letters. I am sorry you didn't get mine sooner I posted it late on Monday night or Tuesday. I enclose a snap of me taken by a fellow in Tad. He had written under it, “Airman one intrepid, field service, Knocker”. It is quite good. I have been up dual for two trips in an “Avro” & I can't fly the bus a bit at present as it is so wholly different to an F.E. It's fearfully sensitive on the rudder for one thing & has a rotary engine, it is also a tractor. It looks something like this. [No drawing.] It's a very nice bus & perfectly safe, you can “spin” them beautifully but they “come out” whenever you want them to. A “Spin” is an essential fighting tactic & I shall practise it when I get one! After I have flown an Avro properly I shall go on the Sopwith Scouts (Pups). They look like this. You can loop them. I expect I shall soon fall into flying them.

The Dawn Patrol – Sopwith Pups in Formation

I don't think I shall be able to get much leave here, as the C.O. is an awful man! [Last six words almost completely erased!] You have to stay at the Aerodrome all day & it is awful! I was Orderly Officer yesterday & had to sleep at the aerodrome last night. My servant forgot to send up my camp bed & so I had to sleep in blankets on the floor! I slept excellently however!

Croydon

Thanks awfully for your letters. I haven't much news to give you this time. I am afraid the lady who said her son had been up to 35,000 ft was romancing, as far as I know the record height up to date is 27,500 ft solo & 23,500 ft with a passenger – the former was created by an Italian & the latter by Hucks about a month ago. It is possible to get up to 20,000 ft without oxygen if one is used to great altitudes but you generally need it at about 18,000 ft. I found 15,000 ft sufficiently unpleasant! I fancy these Hun Raiders fly over at about 16,000 to 17,000 ft. In France the lowest layer of Scouts is about 16,000 ft.

For the last two days the weather has been very “dud” & there has been no flying. On Friday it was raining & we were washed out at 2.p.m. so I went down to Woolwich & had tea at “The Shop” with Dicky Sparkes – also dinner. Sparkes is a sergeant now & passes out in Sept. I saw Capt. L. [Note in Guy Knocker's hand: “Captain G. de L. Landon M.C. R.A.”] second in command of 3 Coy. also his wife who is ripping. Altogether I had a great time & will go again. I am afraid I shan't be able to get up to Town to see you when you come unless the weather is “dud”, however you must come down here instead. Choose an afternoon, any one will do, & let me know & I will get leave to come & meet you at the Station & will show you all round – it will be topping!

The C.O. [Note in Guy Knocker's hand: “Major Miles”] hardly ever washes out flying & the result is having to stick at the ‘drome all day & you get no exercise at all as there is no tennis or anything. I haven't flown since I last wrote but expect to go “up” this afternoon & will probably go solo tonight.

The messing here is really excellent. Last night I went to the Croydon Empire but it was a rotten show. There are a very decent lot of chaps here. P. Mc L. Innes has been killed in France – He's the 4th Head of College who has “gone West” since the war began. I went to Kirk this morning & had a v. good service.

Well cheery ho! I am very fit & happy.

40 T.S. Royal Flying Corps
Croydon

Thanks for your letter. I think that the train arriving at Croydon 2.29 will be the best & most convenient for me to meet you which I will do if I can possibly get off. If not take a cab to the aerodrome & ask for me at the Guard.

I went solo yesterday, the first trip my engine was dud & I came down after one circuit. I got it patched up & went up again & thought I would get used to this “bus” so I looped it twice – some stunt! You put her down to about 85 m.p.h. & then pull in the joystick – up goes her nose & you look up at the sky. Presently you see the ground coming round again – it seems to go round you & you switch off the engine & out she comes! There is no real sensation like it; I only lost 100 ft. per loop. Don't worry – I won't make a practice of it! Then I had a scrap with another fellow – the Avro can turn very fast indeed & simply flicks round & doesn't lose any height on her turns.

Then I took her up to 4,000 ft. & did a “spin”. Please understand that when I talked to you about a “spin” being unsafe I didn't know anything about it. It is
absolutely
safe as you can bring it out the minute you please. The way we do it is as follows. You pull up the nose till she stalls then switch off the engine, kick hard on the right rudder & pull the joystick right back into the right hand corner & hold them both there. She falls sideways out of the stall & down goes her nose & she starts to go round & round. Thus you are falling vertically down & spinning round. You lose height very fast but there is no sensation of giddiness at all as you don't “spin” very fast. Then to get her out of the “spin” you simply put the rudder central & she comes out in half a turn. I also tried a corkscrew roll but that wasn't a great success. I am always well strapped in & grab onto a strut when stunting, also I never stunt below 2,000 ft. I have done several loops & Immelman Turns. The Avro is a great “bus”. Well Ta-Ta.

40 T.S. R.F.C.
Croydon

I have been up twice today, it has been pretty misty but lovely above the clouds. I was up today in a bus with no air indicator & no belt, that was more or less all right but when the revolution counter conked I thought it was about time to come down which I did with great gusto.

Well na poo news – hope to see you on Friday.

Croydon

We had quite a thrilling time in that air raid; we had been warned & had sent up Sopwith Pups on patrol. I went up in an Avro & thought I would just potter round & see if I could see anything. I got up to 9,000 ft but saw nothing except a Pup on patrol so I came down when I was told that I had been right underneath the formation of raiders. I wish I had seen them but I never ever saw any “Archies”! One of our fellows, Martin, had a thrilling time. He went up in a Pup & got up to 16,000 ft & saw a flight of 15 Huns above him at 18,000 ft in the mist – suddenly the whole flight came down on him. He got behind one & fired a few shots when he saw another machine diving on him so he pulled his nose up to loop & on the top of the loop jammed on hard bank & rudder. When he came out he was behind & underneath the Hun so he fired a burst of about 20 rounds & saw his tracers go into the bus & then the Hun went down in a spin! However I believe he got out of it & away. Rotten luck wasn't it? Then Martin, who had fearful “wind up”, went round & round in circles firing his gun till the Huns buzzed off. Jolly good start!

I was up – flying “formations” yesterday afternoon & did a few loops (on a new & perfectly safe bus!). On Friday when you left I took up an Avro as high as it would go, I think the altimeter stuck as it wouldn't go above 11,500 ft.

I suppose the siren went yesterday – a lot of damage was done in Town – a bomb hit Swan & Edgars in Piccadilly Circus but it was a dud.

40 Training Squadron R.F.C.

I had a crash last night & smashed my undercarriage & prop but wasn't hurt at all, so I went up again at once in another bus & did 2 loops & a spiral to prevent losing my nerve.

40 T.S. R.F.C. Croydon