South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-07-07
AVIATORS TAKE
TIME FOR jokes
Men Engaged in Europe Are
Not All SeriOuSneSS-Many
Humorous Incidents.

PARIS July Flying an aero
plane over the front is not always
such grim business as IL has been
rainted. The aviators are. as "a
rule. lively young fellows who like
C. have little joke once in a
while
Some British ayiators were play
ing their inevitable football behind
the lines when bright idea oc-
Cured 20 young wag lie blew
up a water-soaked old black foot
hall and carried 10 in his machine
the next time he went for "a re-
connaisance. Just over village oc-
cupied by the Germans he launched
the big ball.
"You should have seen those
s9usages rum" he said later. When
they saw that fearsome object
swOOping down 20 earth they sour
ried 90 shelter like lot Of rabbits.
shrieking and yelling IL fell slap
IN the middle of the square. bound
ed once or twice and then rolled
into g ditch. For a minute or two
rot a head showed. then fat SOL
dier peeped nervously out Of door
way and. gradually gaining cour-
age walked gingerly toward the
bomb.
Finally quite crowd collected
at safe distance. AT last the
fat man who had come out first
gathered mp enough courage to
touch the bomb with his foot II
moved easily and ne gave il a dis
gusted kick and everybody walked
away. probably swearing at the fool
Fnglishmen."
Another British wit took a woody
sheep, such as children play with
iu the nursery. and threw IL on the
deck Of a German destroyer. He
laughed loud when the seamen
lodged for shelter
Sheer nerve and effrontery got
Russian aiTman out OF a tight place.
when he was forced by lack of fuel
90 land far behind the German lines
He spoke German well and his
Uniform was covered by his flying
suit So when a detachment OF
Germans rushed up 10 him. ne greet
ed them cordially i'm their own
tongue and asked them where he
could repIenish his tank. They all
rushed of 20 get petrol and few
minutes later he was flying away
with an "Auf Wiedersehen,"
Another good story from Fland-
ers is on "a Britisher The Tommy
was walking along a country road
when he saw an aeroplane i'm a field
and swathed figure standing be-
side il. Not suspecting it might be
am en0ny machine he hurried to
the aviator. extended his arm and
shook hands. The German respond
ed silently and sadly and only nod
ded his head i'm answer 20 the
Tommy's queries. From which the
latter concluded the aviator was
French.
Just then party OF fusiliers who
bad seen the German machine come
to earth hurried mp. The soldier
heVildered at sight OF their unslung
rifles, lost his head and started TO
rum for cover The fusiliers took
him for the German aeroplane OBJ
server and tried To pot him. Hap
PLY. their aim was bad and the
soldier threw himself i'm "a ditch un-
touched When captured" and told
of his mistake his language was un-
90 to print. The German guffawed
loudly.
Commander Sampson of the Brit
ish flying corps carried out clever
feint i'm the early days of the war.
The Germans had planted machine
GUNS in a cottage and windmill Just
behind their lines and were marrying
the British considerably. one day
the Germans saw am aeroplane
hurrying toward them pursued by
hot fire from British batteries. They
concluded il was "a German MAJ
chine returning from "a raid