The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-08-24
RECORD OF lafayette ESCADRIlLE
One FOR AMERICANS oREMEMbER
Famous Group Of Armen, Recently Transferred From Service In.
der the French Flag to the Stars and Stripes, Renders
Invaluable Aid to the Allies on the Western
Front-Deeds Will Live Lonu.

New York.-The transfer Of the In
fayette Escadrille from service under
the French flag to the Stars and Stipes
recalls the record of the famous group
of American airmen on the western
front.
From an humble beginning the Es-
cadrille has fought its way up to a
point where 1t is recognized as rem
dering invaluable assistance to the
efforts of the allies to defeat Germany.
It started, to all purposes. shortly af-
ter the outbreak Of war, vixen William
Thaw II of Pittsburgh was in France
for aviation purposes.
Thaw Immediately volunteered his
services to the French government
and as a private in the infantry wal
lowed in the mud Of the trenches for
six months until the French authori-
ties, realizing tho Importance Of avia-
ton as a war move, called for vol
lnteers.
Thaw applied. He had already had
considerable experience in aviation,
having amazed society at Palm Beach
and Newport With his mastery Over
airplanes, and his services were there
fore accepted.
His lead vas followed by others, un-
til quite a number Of American men of
courage were enrolled in the French
aviation section. The formation Of the
Lafayette Escadrille followed shortly
after.
Young Thaw. for he had but reached
his majority when the war broke out,
WAS commissioned Il lieutenant, ana
with his comrades quickly made the
Escadrille a thing to be feared by the
Hun airmen.
Gets Baptism of Fire.
On May II, 1916, the American 10
tilla Of the air took part in an OK
petition over the German lines for the
first time rs a unit. Bullets We're spat-
tered at them by the thousand from
the German anti-aircraft guns. strik-
ing the tail piece and propeller of
Lieutenant Thaw's machine. Corporal
Victor Chapman's plane was also hit,
but both managed to return behind the
French lines in safety.
The second expedition took place
two weeks later and while the Aneri-
of the American machines attacked IA
German aircraft, hoping to drive them
behind the German lines. The Ger
mans opened fire with machine guns
and the Americans responded. The
explosive bullets used by the Germans
did great damage and soon two Ameri-
can machines We're forced to the
ground, one with a ripped gasoline
tank and the other with a broken gun.
Then two German machines were
forced down by the fire Of remaining
American pilots. Corporal Mcconnell.
who had two machine guns on his
swift machine, did great execution
lets had struck his machine he was
forced to descend.
Such was the baptism Of fire en-
countered by those Americans who
risked repatriation because of their
desire to fight. Repatriation" IS cor
rect, inasmuch rs when Thaw desired
to visit his folks after Il year at the
front he travelled home on 4 French
passport. The status Of these men is
rs yet undecided, incidentally.
Exploits Attract Attention.
1t was not long after the formation
Of the Escadrille that its members
| started to battle their way to a niche
Of recognition. One after another.
they lived up to the ideals of America
| and "winged" B6che airmen and con-
| Quoted successful expeditions back Of
the German trenches.
Nor was 1t long before the exploits
| Of the American airmen attracted such
attention that readers Of American
papers became accustomed to know
what the name meant in the headlines
and began to realize that, whatever
| the home authorities might be doing,
some Americans were fighting along
| side the French and British in a
| manner that brought naught but credit
to the United States.
Thaw was the first to gain wide
| spread attention. During the first of
| the raids of the Escadrille he was
wounded In the arm, while attacking
three German planes near Verdun
He had been out with the squadron
| for several hours and was waiting to
learn by telephone that Germans had
been siCnaled as. coming toward
France when the telephone operator
cot a report that three machines Of
the enemy were in sight.
Immediately four American airinen
hurried to their machines with Thaw
the first of. His plane quickly out
distanced tile others and soon after
he sighted a Fokker headed his way
| and not very far behind it two Ger
man machines. He was over German
territory when he climbed up to at
tack, thinking 1t impossible for the