Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-01-22
GOODRICH
STILLsACT|vEIN
EURoPEAiN,NAR
Hallowell Boy Flying in, Aero
plane Over Lines at Front
Took Machine to Dover Across
Channel-Had Accident and
Narrow Escape from Death
When Machine Fell in Woods
Two Bullets Through Wings
of Plane. ..

-A/@NSAoSSN A. oAA SWO ACtNChoF "hASAA'
Mrs. A. F. Goodrich of this; city has
recently received from her Son Frank
who is a member of Squadron No. 3
in the Royal Flying Corps located at
Swingate Down, Dover, England, win
prove Of exceptional interest to the
people Of Hallowell and to the general
newspaper reader Of any locality. "
/! Numerous letters from Frank Good
rich have appeared in these columns
from time to time but none have been
Gently.
.,' "Somewhere in France" ..t.
| In the first letter Mr.. Goodrich
states himself as being Somewhere
in France" not being able to give the
exact location as all letters are. CEN
sored before sent to America. Mr..
Goodrich is in active service and
writes that the sound Of the guns is
i rather good again after being in Eng
land for so long time. Continuing,
he writes: when l was. here before |
was in front Of the guns all the time
! but now we are behind them most of
the time. You see the aerodrOme and
sheds must be far enough behind the
lines to be out Of artillery range so we
are safe. 1t only requires a few min
utes flying though to be right over
| hostile territory. as you will UNDER
stand when you consider that 80 miles
per hour is the usual speed Of an
aeroplane. Have only had one trip
10 1,,f~ =
| with an hair raising experiences. In
fact though VIC sighted couple. OF
enemy machines Il had an observer
with me) they kept their distance and
we kept ours x " AS we were
! returning We were favored with
fusilade Of bullets from the Hun
trenches as we passed over. but they
, only put two small holes in the wings
l have a new machine assigned to me
| when l came so these are the first
marks on it, but l wish won could see
some Of our machines. They are
spotted all over with patches cover
| ing bullet holes.'
Comfortable Quarters.
| Mr.. Goodrich goes. on to, state that
he is comfortably situated in French
! cottage, with three other officers and
receives the, best Of care and food.
He also, speaks Of plans which have
been made for the enjoyment Of
Christmas and Of a concert which the
men of the squadron, about $50 in
number. are to give. The date Of the
first letter is Dec. %.
Back at Dover. ..
In the second letter which is under
| date of Dec. 80 Mr.. Goodrich is once
more in Dover, England. The letter
| follows:
Dear Mother:
You will doubtless be surprised to
receive this from Dover. England, but
| have just come from France by air.
Brought a monoplane from ST. Omer.
about 80 miles inland from the coast
of France across the North Sea. Left
st. Omer at 9.25 this morning and was
here at 1910. Thirty miles overland
and % over sea in As minutes is not
very slow travelling. is it?''
Mr.. Goodrich continues by telling of
his experiences in crossing the Chan
mel between England and France, re-
marking that little did he think that
he would ever do SO when years4ago he
read Of persons crossing. the channel
in an air ma chine. He states the trip
as rather pleasant but was nearly
perished with the cold when he landed
! in England.
The channel was crossed at the
height Of 1900, feet and at that
height, he states. the shores of Eng
j land, could be seen before he left the
shores OF France.
In the letter MI. Goodrich stated he
was leaving for france again in the
His First Accident.
THE day after Christmas had my
first accident continues the letter.
Had been over the lines for look
around and met Hun aeroplane but
he SHE'D off when he saw my ma
chine. l chased him to his own side
land he dived to earth there. SO / came
home very pleased with myself, but
before / reached my own aerodrome
my engine petered out and was COM
PEELED to glide down and if l could
have glided another hundred feet I
should have been able to land in my
own aerodrome but kept. dropping
and fell smack into a grove Of trees
and completely wrecked the machine.
Put me out for a minute or so and
when I came to was pinned beneath
fthe machine. and the petrol from the
tanks (Which had bnrst) was pouring
all over me. couldn't free myself.
but had to lie there and pray she
wouldn't catch fire before the men
came and got me, out, which they soon
did. Six minutes after they got {. me
clear a spark from the wireless key
set the wreckage' alight and in another
few minutes there was very little left
Of my good machine, excepting the en-
gine and few metal parts of the ma
chine managed to salvage what
vas left Of the propeller and am hav-
ing one Of our carpenters turn it into
la clock frame or case and when /
come to England on leave. will have a
clock, put into 1t and send. 1t to yof1,
BY the way-I ESCAPED with a bruised
arm and leg and am fit as ever again
now" rr
| The letter continues, but contains
nothing Of general interest except for
his own people. yY-... ~