The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-08-22
lieutenant Pat O'Brien
tcspyrisht. 1919. By Pet Aivs o'Brisn,

few. "such as they werc," and read
lily observing that nothing could be
done with what was left. I made my
way back to infantry headquarters,
where l was able to telephone In
report
A little later one of our automo-
biles came out after me and took me
back to our airdrome. Most of my
squadron thought was lost beyond
doubt, and never expected to zee me
again; but my friend, Paul Raney, had
held out that I was all right, and as
l was afterwards told. said, "Don't
send for another pilot: that Irishman
will be back. II he has to walk" And
he knew that the only thing that kept
me from walking was the fact that our
own automobile had been sent out to
bring me home.
I had lots to think about that day,
and had learned many things; one
was not to have too much confidence
In my own ability. One Of the men In
the squadron told me that had bet
ter not take those chances; that II
was going to be a long war and
would have plenty Of opportunities to
be killed without deliberately "wishlng
them on" myself. Later was to learn
the truth Of his statement.
That night my "fight"-each squad
ron Is divided into three flights, con-
sisting Of six men each-got ready to
go out again. As started to put on
my tunic I noticed that I was not
marked up for duty as usual.
! asked the commanding ofYicer, a
major, what the reason for that was,
and he replied that he thought I had
done enough for one day. However,
I knew that II I did not 60, someone
else from another "fiight" would have
to take my place. and insisted upon
going up with my patrol as usual. and
the major reluctantly consented. Had
he known what was in store for me,
am sure he wouldn't have changed his
mind so readily.
As It was we had only 1--WE machines
for this patrol. anyway, because as we
crossed the lines one Of them had to
drop out on account Of motor trouble.
Our patrol was up at 8 p. m, and up
to within ten minutes Of that hour It
had been entirely uneventful.
At 7:50 p. m, however, while we
were flying Mt height of 1900 feet,
we observed three other English ma
chimes which were about 5000 feet
below us pick q fight with nine Hun
machines.
I knew right then that we were in
for 1t. because I could see over toward
the ocean a whole flock Of Hun ma
chimes which evidently had escaped
the attention Of our scrappy country
men below us.
So we dove down on those nine
Huns.
At first the fight was fairly even.
There were eight Of us to nine Of them.
But soon the other machines which /
had seen In the distance, and which
were flying even higher than we were,
arrived on the scene, and when they,
in turn. dove down on us, there was
just twenty Of them to our eight!
-Four Of them singled me out. was
diving. and they dived right down after
me. shooting as they came. Their
tracer bullets were coming closer to
me every moment. These tracer bull
let's are balls OF fire which enable the
shooter to follow the course his bull
lets are taking and to correct his aim
accordingly. They do no more harm
to pilot II he Is hit than an ordinary
bullet but II they hit the petrol tank.
good night When q machine catches
IRE In flight there Is no way Of put