Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-07-17
AMERICAS FIRST AERIAL VICTORY
WILDLY RECOUNTED BY ITS HERO
Lieutenant Wnsow Writes in His Diary Graphic Ss ness bling
His Exploit and That Of Lieutenant Campben-Giyen
to Public by War Department Because of
Its Historical Value

scrawny, poorly clad little devil,
dressed in rotten German uniform.
1t was the Boche pilot Of the machine
l had shot down. Needless to say, /
felt rather naughty to come face to
} face with my victim, now q prisoner,
I but did not know what TO say. Il
seems he would not believe that an
American officer had brought him
down. lie looked me all over. and
then asked me In good French IL was
an American. When / answered, Yes
he had no more to say.
There was a huge crowd around
the wrecked plane. and the first man
/ ran Into was our maJor--the com
handing ofiicer-and he was the hap
piest man In the world outside of me
and Doug. A French and an American
general blew up in a limousine TO
congratulate us-colonels. majors. all
the pilots, all the French officers,
mechanics, everybody in the town and
camp. All had seen the fight. One
woman, an innkeeper, told me she
could sleep well from now on, and held
UP her baby for me to kiss / looked
at the baby and then felt grateful TO
my major. who pulled me away In the
nick OF time.
Splendid Souvenirs
Il had my mechanics take of every
thing available The machine was a
wreck, but l got some splendid SOU
venirs. The big black German crosses
from the wings. his rudder, pieces of
canvas with holes from my bullets In
them, all his spark plugs. compass,
altimeter, his clumsy signal revolver.
etc; II is great collection.
Doug had set his Boche machine
on fire at 800 meters and IL had fallen
In flames, rolling over three times. aud
then completely burning up. There
remained but 3 charred wreckage. like
the sacrifice Of some huge animal. The
Boche pilot had been thrown out and
was badly of. His face. hands. feet. |
nostrils and lungs were all burned. |
while his leg was broken. He Is now
in hospital and my Boche is probably
commencing his job OF ditch digging /
for the rest OF the war.
"la Guerre est FInI Pour Mol"
They got much valuable Informal
ton from my man: the other couldn't
speak. He was Pole; said he was
not an officer because he was d Pole.
although he had been an 'aspirant' and
a pilot at the front for two years. He
said to me, with sort of sigh of re-
lief, throwing up his hands at the same
time. 'Alors, Ia guerre est hni pour
MOL
That afternoon my wrecked Boche |
plane and the charred result of Doug's |
good work were exhibited In the pub |
lie square Of the town, surrounded by
an armed guard and overlooked by !
French military band. II also was a
great day for the townspeople. and has
had a good moral effect. You can i'm
agiBe II when you realize II took place
above their rooftops. ar only 300 me-
tiers, and that they were able to see
the whole fight. The Americans are
indeed welcome In the town now, and
Doug and l can buy almost anything
half price.
GroundIins's Ear Punctured.
can amusing incident was this-the
fight was so near the earth that bull
lets were flying dangerously all about
the ground. No one WAS hurt save Il
French worker in the field. who re-
ceived a hole through his ear from one
of my bullets and is very proud Of It,"
Two days later the two ayiators
were decorated by the French with
the Crolx de Guerre with a palm. and
later were mentioned in general orders
and proposed for the American Dis
tingulshed Service Cross.