The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-09-21

The amazingly brilliant record of
achievement in the air made by the
man who has been styled by his coun-
trymcn as the DArtnGnan of the
Clouds and by his comrades of the air,
British and American. as the king Of
/ the ACes"-Captain Georges Guynemer
of the French army--rcally began when
he was rejected Mt his examination for
military duty as unfit for any strenu-
Gus occupation. Today. according to
the most recent advices, the number of
German machines he has brought to
earth and of German aviatOrs killed.
wounded or captured is rapidly ap-
proachng sixty.
Instead Of moping because those
/ higher than he considered him unfit
/ for service. the valiant young French
man just three years ago at the age of
nineteen, demanded employment in the
service Of France. and. as luck would
have it. but rather as II last resort on
the part of those to whom he made
application. he was ordered to one of
the great French aviation camps TO
learn the mechanics of an airplane. He
was even told that lie might. after a
/ long apprenticeship. master the tech
meal knowledge involved and become
/ n full hcdgcd mechanician.
Three Victims In Three Minutes,
No aviator had ever brought down
three German machines in three min
utcs. Guynemcr had gone to the as
sistancc of a cOmrade I'm trouble, hard
pressed ns lie was by five German air.
men. Two of the airmcn were brought
down by bullets from Guyncmer's mi
trailleusc in two minutes. and. mount
ing high in the air. he overlook and
swooped down on the third machine.
shooting 1t to earth In flames. He cast
about searching for the other two. but
/ n bursting shell stripped the left wing
/ of his machine of its covering. and he
plunged to earth within his own lines.
unhurt.
II gave myself up for lost" he said
on this occasion, but after falling
5000 feet | thought | would struggle
all the same. The wind blew me over
our lines, ana like n fash | had the
picture of my funeral and all my good
friends following the coffin. con
tlnucd to fall, and the levers wouldn't
bulge. In vain | pushed and pulled
right and left made last desper-
ate effort, all to no purpose, and then
| saw the field toward which | was
dashng down. Suddenly something
happened, and my speed diminished
. ] a vi & n M n
rcsoundng shock. When | recovered
my wits l was In the midst Of frag-
ments of my machine, practically unin-
jured. How am | alive| | keep ask
ing myself. / believe 1t was the straps
which held me to my seat which saved
me-"
His first fight with an enemy air
plane took place on July 10, 1915, after
he had left the ground In the parasol
biplane, with mechaniCian to act as
machine gunner. A signal flashed from
below told them that German ma
chine had been sighted, and they went
to give battle. The enemy aviator
however. ran from the challenge, and
Guyncmer was about to descend when
he saw another dot on the horizon
This time the enemy scout was head
ell for the French lines, and Guyncmer
followed him over the city of SoiSsons
After the mechanician had fred | Il
bullets at the enemy he was shot
through the hand. and another shot
grnzcd his scalp.
TO the surprise of the mcchanician
Guyhcmcr took the machine gun T.
hand himself and, with several shots
struck the German tiier. who sank
down In his scat. The machine took
fire moment later and went hurtlins
to the ground
Dived to Safety Through a Cloud.
"vieux Charles" (Old Charles, is tn,
name of the machine In which he ha'
accounted for so many of the enemy
+. and 1t Is due 20 the speed of this ma
= chine that Its operator has been sew
Q cra times saved from death by tn,
. proverblnl hairs breadth. On Sept
, 30, 1916. he found himself twenty mile
, within the Gcrmin lines. when one u
the German airplancs, fast Fokkcr
rose to the attack, The reception wa
hellS DTcIluTcu Nhcn buNucIlcl SHu
i denly discovered that his machine gur
$ had jammcd. The rrussian had opene,
I fire and with go bullets, fired low, ha,
I puncturcd the landing tires of "Ol
$ Charles" At height of 1900 fee
r Guyncmcr saw bank OF clouds NJ
proximatcly 900 feet below. With hi
engine racing nt top speed he dlved fo
the clouds emerging ten minutes later
On still another day he came int
collision With large enemy l.. G.
Machne, tearing away the best part q
u rhc left wing of his own, but this wa
p because his machine gun was Frozen
aud 10 escape the cnemys fire he spu
around ION one wing" and kept on 80
u ing lust six feet below the l.. c.
! The left wing of Guynrmcr's machin
10 engaged the right wing of that of hi
adversary. and in breaking away III
III wing of the French machine was n
most entirely torn away.