The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-10-22
English Airmen Tell HOW
They Feel When "ArchieS"
Pepper Them From BelOW
Brave and Dauntless Men Who Fly for Allies AID
nit Candidly They "Duck" When Anti-Air-
craft Guns Become Too Accurate in
Their Aim-Gives Them Sym
pathy for Hunted Birds

electric light bulb coming at you. Then
all of sudden it breaks into nice little
ribbons of fire that dart and float
through the air like so many Blazing SER
penis. They are very disagreable, these
onions. Their one desire in life is to set
you ablaze and explode your petrol
tank" One thing the American always
has to remember over here is that gaso-
line, or just plain gas" as the motorists
and flying men call it at home, has no
place in the English lexicon. 1t is pc
troll" just as lieutenant, although spelled
lieutenant, is pronounced 0leftenant."
Several of the young wing subalterns
were waiting for the 'fHiclSey-boos' to
come over the other night when they
fell into a heated discussion as to
whether you would rather have q shell
break right ahead of you, right beneath
you or right over you. There were those
who contended it was best to have it
break right in front, for then the ex-
plosion would spread the fragments and
let you pass safely through the spot
where the blooming beast cracked"
The others contended that a shell
breaking on the level with you indicated
that Archie had his fuses timed just
a bit too accurately for pleasure flying
and that it was safer to take chances
from the fragments coming from be-
meath or above. This was one discussion
in which the innocent bystander had no
part. He learned, however, that shrap-
mel from an Archie jumps at you with
a bang" that it looks like a. white puff
ball as it breaks in daylight and like
the starry shower of a rocket as 1t ex
plodes by night.
When "shrap' explodes beneath the
tail of your machine you feel as if you
were going to loop the loop in the wrong
direction. When it breaks in front, you
feel as if you very much wanted to do a
'flipflop" backwards in the most i'm
proved style. When you get it under the
wings the conclusion almost capsizes
you and you feel as if the old "joy-stick,"
or guiding lever, never will put her back
on an even keel.
EY-BOOS" ARE "ZEPPS"
The Hickey boos,' It develops in the
course of the conversation, are the Yep
pelins. Where they got the name no one
seems to know 1t is the exclusive Ian
guage Of the flying corps. Archie" is
the name Of the home defense aircraft
guns as well as those of the Germans
for, generally speaking, all such guns
are the natural enemy of the airman,
whether he be chasing a 'Hickey-boo"
over London or taking observations at
the front. They are always threatening
him with an unpleasant end.
NlBuL lying is no easy TASK at pest.
You feel like the man in the song"
said Sammy Sampson, a midget of the
c"rns you are all dressed up and no
place to CO."
1t is simple enough to go up at night
and simple enough to sail away, but 1t is
something else again to come down with
out taking off % chimney pot or ''straf-
ing" a big oak tree In ordinary times
there is flare to guide you safely back
RI fIn l1,,k
when all Is dark, and when tho
Arches are barking at the Hickey
boos," and the Hickey boos'' are putt
putt putting, at you with their machine
guns then night flying is surely enough
real mans job.
The Royal flying corps is proving most
attractive to young Canadian officers.
They are qualifying as pilots by the
score. Some who came over from the
dominion in khaki are now in the deep
blue of the Royal Naval Air service, but
the great majority who have taken to the
air are still in khaki with the white in
sigma of widespread wings on the left
breast of the tunic.
81 had my first real thrill the other
day." said one of these young Canadians
just back from the front. Il was way
inside the German lines, having the time
of my bright young life, when suddenly
heard a misfire. No matter now many
cylinders you have got whirrng in front
of you, the instant one misses your heart
hears it even before your ears do. That
old engine of mine jumped and bucked
and finally stopped. And me miles across
the line. / knew it was something wrong
with the carbureter or the ignition, for
L had enough petrol to go hundred miles
or more. In the higher attitudes water
often gets into the mixing chamber. So
| first Of all I joggled that old carburetor
| for all she was worth. Then I gave the
old boat little tilt downward. She
cranked herself as she dipped and old
Johnny Engine was purring away in a
| moment just like a contented tabhy cat
| in an old maids lap. I had enough of
Germany for that day and set sail for
home in a fine that would make a crows
flight look like serpentine dance"