The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-29
n. Y. FLIERS WIN
BRITISH CROSS
George A. Vaughn, ,r., Brook
lyn, Helped to Down so
Foes in sc Days.
GOT Z BALLOONS ALSO
War Department Reveals
Feats Of American AviatOrs
Working With Britain's.
Speciat Despatch 10 TIE SrN.

spcCV0t Desput'H ~ lHE
WAsHINoroN, Sept. 2s. - American
fiiers attached to the British forces be-
tween July l and August 20 accounted
for fifty enemy airplanes and seven bal
War Department to-day In a summary
Of British Royal Force reports.
The War Department statement based
on this summary cites at length some Of
the combats In which thirty American
aviators brought down number Of the
enemy planes The British Distin-
guished Flying Cross has been awarded
to number OF American hiers. includ-
ing George A. Vaughn, Jr., OF AL Wash
lngton avenue. Brooklyn. Other Amer
lean airmen who engaged in successful
combats with enemy f1iers during the
period named include Glenn d. Wicks
of Sanquoit. n. Y, and Roland S. Poler
OF Medina. y. Y.
Were Trained in England.
The War Department says:
The Americans mentioned are the
early graduates from flying cadets sent
| to England in the first months OF the
| war before American flying fields. train
| ing planes and instructional forces could
be got ready to train the hundreds OF
| men on hand to meet the enlarged aerial
programme. They. like other cadets
sent TO French and Italian schools. were
afforded the best advantages OF the fully
| developed training systems abroad ano
were sent later to the front, attached
to active squadrons for final training
| over the lines and until such time az
they could be Incorporated into com
plete American units.
! "The acceleration in speed and thu
| enlargement In numbers OF the American
aerial programme made possible by this
whole hearted cooperation by the Allie:
is a matter of grateful acknowledgment
at this time.
Lieut.. NJ. L. Campbell tWakeman
o. and Lieut.. L. A. Hamilton Pitts
field. Mass encountered five enemy air
planes over Armentieres. Lieut.. Camp
bell shot two of these down, which wer'
both seen to crash by other pilots
Lieut. Hamilton also accounted for one
| Four Hostile Planes shot Down.
Lieut.. r. G. Lands (son Of Judg
Kenesaw Mountain Lands, Chicago). ar
ter combat with a hostile machine
which he sent down in a cloud of smoke
attacked a hostile balloon, but, observ
ing an enemy two scatter near. dirinI
east. engaged and shot 1t down. Re
turning to the balloon. he fred into
at very close range. whereupon 1t wen
down in flames
Lieut.. ]. A. Heating (57i6 Peori
street, Chlcago) and Second Lieut., Simp
son (not identified). on returning from
bomb raid were attacked by two larg
formations of enemy scouts. The frs
enemy airplane to attack at close rang
was shot down in flames by Lieut. Simp
son. little later n second enemy air
plane, which was attacking from tn
rear, also was shot down In flames. an
during the course OF the combat tw
more hostile machines were seen to spi
down and crash. All OF them had bee
fired at by the observer Lieut., Kea,
, ing's machine had been very severel
shot about, and he was obliged to Ian
soon after crossing our lines.
Brings Down Fokker.
Lieut.. Lands, in general engage
ment with enemy scouts shot down
, Fokker biplane. which crashed near l.
, Bassee. He then attacked triplan
which was on the tail OF a Brist'
, fighter whose observer was apparent
: hit! and, getting below its tail. brougi
, down'this machine also,
, Lieut.. Williams, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
|, was hit in the back and his petrol tan
pierced by machine gun fire. In spi
Z of his wound he came back with h
I finger stopping the hole In the petr
] tank. and landed successfully after ha'
ing engaged a supply train from heigl
Of 100 feet"