The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1917-12-29
MODESTY MARKS
BRITISH FLYER
Achievements of the Airmen Are
Not Advertised.
DROPS 125 TONS OF BOMBS
Royal Corps In One Month Downs 1852
German Machines and DlsabIes f22-
David Henderson, Head Of Air Board,
Holds "lt Does Not Pay to Adver-
tlse" Air Warfare.

A'SS TNil "
The royal flying corps is the least
advertised branch of the British army.
AS the preface to long interview on
the work and achievements of that
service. Maj. Gen. Sir David Hender-
son, head of the air board, explained
the reason for this studied modesty.
Other air services" he said, "adver-
tise individual fighters and thus adver-
tiSe the service. We don't because the
fighting airman is but small part Of
the air personnel and not the most i'm
portant at that. In many ways he has
the best of the work. His part is the
most spectacular and he gets the best
machines.
But fighter is only sent up to pro-
tect the bombing, reconnaissance and
range-finding machines, whose work Is
the most valuable. We believe that by
advertising individual fighters we
would kill the spirit of the other flyers.
Our system gives us a higher average
standard. With q weeks notice we
could transfer the personnel of a fight
ing squadron to q reconnaissance
squadron, or vice versa, with perfectly
satisfactory results.
Develops Spirit Of Alrmen.
"But what is much better, we have
developed the spirit of the squadron.
If you ask an airman back from the
front how many Boche he downed ne
won't tell you. But he will say with
pride: Our squadron got sixteen last
week. or whatever the number might
be. That is the proper spirit for the
service.
"And another thing, we don't go in
for peace or propaganda flying. We
are too busy killing Huns.
General Henderson then turned to
the work of the flying corps.
"The corps has multiplied between
20 and 100 times in men and material
since the war began. We have had
the heaviest air work of any Of the al
lies and just now are experiencing the
toughest bit Of the war.
zone reason for our large losses is
that our policy has always been to get
the jump on the enemy. 1t is costly,
but the only policy If one has the
means to pursue it. Some time ago
the Germans realized this, as we es-
tablished by orders found. But be-
yond short, spasmodic attempts, they
have never succeeded in getting the
offensive.
Carry Fighting to Germans.
"The result has been that most Of
the air fighting is on the German side
Of the line and few are downed on our
side. Even as far back as the battle
of the Somme we had the jump on the
Boche. There was not a German ma
chine within ten miles Of the battle
line.
"An idea of the actual work of the
service at the front may be gained
from September's statistics. During
that month we downed 139 German
planes In air fighting and 13 by anti
aircraft gunf1re; downed 122 out Of
control, dropped 125 tons of bombs,
took 10000 photographs, directed ar
tillery fire against 1872 batteries and
flew the equivalent Of four and three
fourths years"
General Henderson partly exploded
the popular idea that the youngest men
make the best flyers.
"For fighters, perhaps yes" said he,
'but for the other branches Of the
service the older men, up to thirty-fve,
are steadier more persistent and exer-
else better Judgment"
He was very doubtful about the prac-
ticability of extensive Standardization
Of airplane construction.
"YOu may standardize your engine"
he said, ''but plane construction
changes so rapidly that If you stand
ardize for large scale production you
are apt to find yourself with a number
Of antiquated machines on your
hands,"