New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-02

LET II 60 at that. Later on ! had the
as part of the regular course of in
Strlrtion for cadets in the II. +. c..
and | want to say right here that Camp
Borden has turned out some OF the
best flierS that have ever gone to
France.
In May, 1917, l and seventeen other
canadian fiiers left for England OF the
Mcganic, where we We're to qualify
for service in France.
Our squadron consisted Of nine
Americans, G. G. Robinson. II. A. Mil
Ter, +. S. McClurg. A. A. Allen. +. B.
Garnet. ii. X. Boysen. II. A. SmeetOn
and A. A. Taylor, and myself, and nine
Eritishers, Paul II. Ranpy, j. Il. Park.
G.. Nelmes, G. X. Moore, II. l.. Akin
son, F. c. Conry, A. Muir, Il. A. l.. F.
Smith and A. c. Jones.
Within a few weeks after our ar
rival in England all of us had won
"wings'-the insignia worn on the
left breast by every pilot on the west
rrn front.
We were all sent to a place In
France known as the Pool Pilots Mess.
Here men gather from all the training
squadrons in Canada and England and
await assignments to the particular
squadron of which they are TO become
members.
The Pool Pilots Mess is situated a
few miles back Of the lines. When
ever a pilot is shot down or killed the
Pool Pilots Mess is notified to send an
other to take his place.
There are so many casualties every
day in the Il. +. {. at II point of
the front or another that the demand
for new pilots is quite active, but when
II fellow is itching to get into the fight
rs badly as | and my friends were I
must confess that We got Il little i'm
patient, although We realized that
every time Il new man was called il
meant that some one else had, in all
probability. been killed. wounded or
captured.
one morning an order came in for
II scout pilot and n of my friends
was assigned. | can tell you the rest
of us were as enviouS of him as if it
we're the last chance any of us were
ever going TO have to get to the front.
As it was, however, hardly more than
three hours had elapsed before an
other wire was received at the mess
and | was ordered to follow my
friend. | afterward learned that us
soon as he arrived at the squadron he
prevailed upon the commanding Off
Ger of the squadron TO wire for me.
At the Pool Pilots Mess 1t was the
custom of the officers to wear shorts"
-breeches that are about eight inches
long. like the boy scouts wear, leav-
ing a space of about eight inches Of
open country between the top OF the
puttees and the end of the shorts. The
Australians wore them i'm SalOniki and
at the Dardanelles.
When the order came in for me. l
had these shorts" on, and I didn't
have time to change Into other clothes.
Indeed. l was In such a sweat to get
to the front that II l had been In my
bahamas I think I would have gone
that way. As 1t was, 1t was raining
and I threw an OvercOat over me-,
Jumped into the machine, and we made
record time to the airdrOme to which
l had been ordered to report.
As l alighted from the automobile
my overcoat blew open and displayed
my manly form attired in shorts" in
stead of in the regulation flying
breeches. and the sight aroused con
siderable commOtion in camp.
Must be a Yankee" l overheard
one officer say to another as l ap-
preached. NO one but Yankee would