The Lamar register., 1918-06-05
CHAPTER ~.
Became a Fighting Scout.

became ri9ntlnO SCOUT.
| started flying In Chicago In 1912. l
was then eighteen years old. but had
had n hankering for the air ever since
] can remember.
As II youngster / followed the e1-
ploits of the WrIghts with the greatest
interest, although / must confess /
sometimes hoped that they wouldn't
really conquer the air until had had
whack at 1t myself. l got more
whacks than l was looking for later
on.
Needless to say, my parents were
very much opposed to my risking my
life at what was undoubtedly ut mat
time one of the most hazardous pas
times" young fellow could select, and
every time l had smashup or some
other mishap was ordered never to go
near an aviation field again.
So went out to California. There
machine. which we flew in various
parts of the state.
In the early part of 1916. when trou-
BILE was brewing In Mexico. Joined the
American flying corps. l was sent TO
San Diego, where the army flying
school is located. and spent about eight
months there, but as / was anxious to
get into active service and there didn't
seem, much chance OF America ever
getting into the war, / resigned and,
crossing over to Canada, Joined the
Royal Flying corps at Victoria. b. @.
was sent TO Camp Borden. Toronto.
first to receive instruction aud later to
Instruct. While cadet l made the
first loop ever made by cadet In Can
ada, and after I had performed the
stunt / half expected to be kicked out
Of the service for II. Apparently. how
ever, they considered the source and
let II go at that. Later on i had the
satisfaction OF introducing the loop
as part of the regular course OF In
structlon for cadets in the X. f. 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. and seventeen other
Canadian fllers left for England on the
Meganic. where we were to qualify
for service In France.
. Our squadron consisted of nine
Americans. C. C. Robinson. ii. A. MIL
Ter, F. S. McClurg A. A. Allen, E. b.
Garnet, ii. X. Boysen. ii. A. Smeeton
and A. A. Taylor and myself. and nine
Britishers. Paul II. Raney. ]. X. Park.
C. Nelmes. c. II. Moore. T. l.. Atkin-
son. f. c. Conry. A. Muir. e. A. L. F.
Smith and A. c. Jones.
rival I'm England all of us had won our
"wings"-the insignia worn on the
left breast by every pilot on the west
ern front.
We were all sent to n 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
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 II. F. c. at one point of
the front or another that the demand
for new pilots is quite active. but when
a fellow is itching to get into the fight
as badly as / and my friends were l
must confess that we got a little i'm
patient, although we realized that
every time new man was called 1t
meant that some one else had. In all
probability. been killed. wounded or
captured.
One morning an order came In for
4 scout pilot and one of my friends
was assigned. can tell you the rest
of us were as envious of him as If 1t
were the last chance any Of us were
ever going to have to get to the front.
AS 1t 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. 1 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.
Al the Pool Pilots Mess IL was the