Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-16
CHAPTER L



Less than nine months ago eighteen
officers OF the Royal Flying corps.
which had been training in Canada. left
for England on the 'Meganic."
II any OF them was over twenty-five
years OF age. he had successfully CON
cezled the fact. because they don't &C
cept older men for the R F. -
Nine Of the squadron were British
subjects; the other nine were Ameri-
cans. who tired Of waiting for their
own country TO take her place with the
allies. and Joined the British cOlors in
Canada 1 was one OF the latter.
We were going TO England to earn
our wings qualification which
must be won before a member of the
r p. c. is allowed to hunt the Huns
on the western front
That was IN May. 1917.
BY August I most Of US were full.
fledged pilots. actively engaged at va
rious parts Of the line in daily con.
fIict with the enemy.
BY December Is every man jack OF
Is who had met the enemy in France
with one exception. had appeared or
the casualty list The exception was
H K Boysen. an American, who at last
report was fighting on the Italian
front still unscathcd Whether his
good fortune has stood him up to this
/
would be very much surprised
OF the others. five were killed in &C
tion-three Americans, one Canadian
and one Englishman- Three more were
in all probability killed In action. al
though officially they are listed mere
II as missing" One of these was an
American, one Canadian. and the third
a Scotchman Three more. two of them
Americans. were seriously wounded
Germany I know nothing Of the 9TH
ers.
What happened 10 me is narrated in
these pages I wish. instead. 7 could
tell the story OF each of my brave COM
rades, for not one Of them was downed
/ am sure. without UNFOLDING the best
traditions OF the R T y. Unfortunate
IL, however. Of the eightee nwho sailed
on the Megznic last May, 1 happened
10 be the first to fall into the hands
OF the Huns, and what befell nv COM
rades after that. with one exception.
know only second hand.
The exception was the case OF poor
brave Paul Raney-my closest chun1-
whose last battle 7 Witnessed from NV
German prisOn-but that is a Story
shall tell in its proper place
In one way, however. 7 think the
story OF my own big adventure" and
ny MIRACULOUS escape. may. perhaps
serve a purpose as useful as that of
the heroic fate OF my less fortunate
comrades Their story. II is true. Nigh,
inspire others to deeds of heroism. bu,
mine, ] hope, viii convey the equally
valuable lesson. sf the folly or despa in
Many were the times in the course
OF my struggles when il seemed abso.
lutely useless 20 continue In a hostile
country, where discovery meant death
wounded. sick, famished. friendIeSs
hundreds OF miles from the nearest neu.
trail territory, the frontier OF which was
SO closely guarded that even IL. 7 20,
there 10 seemed too much TO hone that
: could ever get through. what was tho
use OF enduring further agony
And yet here I am. i'm the Land OF
L.iberty-although in a somewhat oh
scure corner of 1.-THE little town of
Momence. III, where 7 was born-not
very much the worse for wear after all
I've been through, and. as I write these
words, not eight months have passed
since my seventeen comrades and
sailed from Canada on the Meganic"
Can IL be possible that 7 was spared
20 convey a message Of hope to others
who are destined for similar triaIs2
am afraid there will he many OF them
Years ago 7 heard OF the epitaph
which is said to have been found on 2
chiId's grave:
If I was so soon to be done for
What o Lord, was ] ever begun for?
The way II has come to me since ]
returned from Europe IS;
IF. Lord. I was not to be done for.