Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-11
INTREPID A|RMAN
|NRECKLESSF|GHT
Thrilling Exploit of James Nor
man Hall, Newest Member
of Lafayette SquadriIIa.
INCIDENT OF THE BIG WAR

PARIS. July 25.-The Lafa yette Squad
rilla's membership list is closed.
The Squadrilla is at the disposition of
the American Army in France. While
still. at this moment, under French
command. and while the world waits to
learn what use will henceforth be made
of the famous American fighting unity
of the French front, of which Thaw,
Chapman. Rockwell, Mcconnell. Balsey
and others have been illustrious mem
bers, the last to join it has put up a
notable battle in his first flight for
France-which is itself moral
1t is squadron of about twenty five
men. all Americans, all on fast fighting
planes. all seasoned fighters. 1t is not
the Lafayette Flying Corps. but its
elimination. and, until couple of
weeks ago. whenever a member of the
Squadrilla was killed, wounded or fell
i'll. he was replaced or reinforced by
the oldest member on the waiting list
of the Flying Corps. whose recruit
ment is said to be equally closed. for
the present.
The last member thus TO join the
Squadrilla was James Norman Hall of
Boston, husky litterateur Of twenty
nine prngtimes-the man who wrote
'Kitchener's Mob while fighting in
the British army. He fought with the
British for a year. and his soul crav-
ing greater action than the human unit
can hope TO attain in the trammels of
the regiment, he joined the Lafayette
Flying Corps, went through French
aviation schools. and held his diploma
at Plessis- Belleville, hopeful TO get
into the scrap" In the course of time
a member of the Squadrilla being shot
mp. Halls turn came to cross the Ger
man front in "A Spad. alone with his
machine gun.
You must not get into a fight for =
month";
Warned by His Elders.
So his elders of the SquadriIla warned
him. prudent tfor the newcomer. not
for themselves). because they know
the game.
All right" said Hall It's under.
stood. but | suppose you don't want ms
to rum" tHe did not stop to hear the
answer
The first time he went up. he sighted
/ seven German aeroplanes in the dis
lance and one other German compare.
lively nearby and flying very slowly
whom Hall took to be French. He few
| within 900 yards of him. and had III
known him to be German. he could havt
| brought him down. but. instead. hs
flew into the midst of the seven ap-
preaching Germans, attacked one. miss
ed him by lack of experience. squirtec
| his machine gun freely at the bunch
and suddenly felt sharp pain in th'
helpless. The lone nearby German hat
got him, Blood flowed freely. HI
realized that he was badly wounded
and lost consciousness.
| The fainting fit probably saved hi.
| life, because various Germans of TIL,
| original seven We're now potting hin
at will While he was unconscious hi.
machine fell 1000 yards doubtless tn.
enemy deemed it acrooatics). Wher
| Hall came to, he found himself headed
! for the ground. and his left arm para
lyzed. He had to reach round to tn,
| left side with his right arm and cut of
the gas. He lost consciousness again
and dropped another 900 yards.
| When he came to for the second tim,
/ he was within 900 yards of the earth
BY a superhuman effort, he started thu
machine again, lost consciousness, and
| by extraordinary luck, the aeroplant
crumpled up a-straddle a trench-ant
Halls body landed in it,