New-York tribune., 1918-07-08
Note Says American Was
Buried With Honors
BETTING a Hero"
By Wilbur Forrest
tble to The Tribuue

'oPectdt Cdbte to The Tribune)
Copyright 1918 by The Tribune Association,
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. Julv
'..-"Pllot Baylies killed. Was buried
with honors befitting hero"
This was the tribute dropped in a
note over the French lines by q Ger
man pilot, confirming the death of
Frank c. Baylies, of New Bedford
Mass, f1ier of the famous stork
squadron, who succeeded the late
Haoul Lufbery as American ace of
! aces.
IN the sector where Baylies fought
his one-sided battle against four Gov
man machines and was brought down
lar oehlnd German lines with his ma
chihe atire German airplane appeared
ac ousK, clrcling high and occasionally
o0oglng IN order to destroy the ac-
curacy OF anti-aircraft fire from be-
low. The fier dropped small
weighted ball to which were attached
long paper streamers.
Understanding this to be some mes
sage for the French pilots, the anti
aircraft gunners ceased firing and al
lo"ed the German to return to his
own lines unmolested. Poilus rnarked
the spot where the message fell, just
IN front OF the line, crawled out and
got 1t. 1t confirmed the fears of Raw
iles, comrades at the Stork hangars
who had hoped ever since the ponular
young American fell that he might
nave nave been only wounded Hope was
BASED upon statements of French sau
sage balloon observers that Ravl;es an-
peared to gain control of the flaming
alrpane before it struck the Garth
Baylies Won Eight Citations
During four months flying at the
front Bayies won eight REMARKABLY HE
cltatlons under French army orders. He
mad previously won the War Cross as
ambulance driver in the French Red
cross IN Serbia. In his brief fv;no
career he won the coveted Milifarv
Medal with eight palms and the ribbon
Tor the War Cross, and was recon-
mended when he died for the Legion
OIL honor and for promotion from SER
geant IN the French army to under
lieutenant.
Edward Parsons, of Springfield
Mass, NJ was the first American pilot in
the Stork Squadron to avenge 8aylies'
Death bringing down an enemy air
plane after brief combat. Parsons
was flying alone when he saw ma
chne which appeared to be French. It
swooped down on him firing incendiary
bullets. When within fifty yards Par
sons saw the regulation French red,
"nlte and blue cocarde on the wings.
although painted inside the circle was
small black maltese cross.
The fight then began in earnest
Parsons gaining the position above the
camouflaged enemy and firing brief
burst of not over ten shots. The
enemy dropped like stone from
high altitude
Eager to Avenge Comrade
All Storks are eager to avenge Bay
lies, who was an admirable character.
His last two citations, Just published
in the journal Oficicl,' follow:
Frank Baylies, Sergeant Foreign
Legion, pilot of Squadron Spad 3.
was an excellent chasing pilot. On
March 80, with his airpane struck
in vital parts, he landed between the
lines. Assisted by a French infantry
patrol, Baylies freed himself from
the debris of his machine and despite
the enemy fire returned to his lines,
bringing his valuable flying instru-
ments. March 16 he shot down his
third enemy airplane in fames"
His last citation repeats his brilliant
qualities as pilot and adds:
"The 9th and 10th of May he shot
down his seventh and eighth enemy
airplanes."
His six previous citations were
equally eloquent
Though the German note announcing
the fier's certain death is without de-
tails, indications are that the American
ace was killed by machine gun fire. /
His airplane was on the ground two
days under French balloon observation
before 1t was removed by the Germans |
Its upper wings appeared to have been
burned