The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-07-30
Soldier Writes Experiences


your nostriIs shut and makes it hard
TO breathe. especially when the pilot
pofnte the abus" straight down for
500 feet or so at about 140 miles per
hour.
June 28, 1918.
1t is the dinner hour new and can't
write much, as we so to work in about
fifteen minutes. but | will finish this
evening.
We are all happy now, because We
will be paid a months pay at 1880 this
! afternoon and most of US were either
broke" or badly bent We have a
half day tomorrow Saturday and
wen all have a good time, each in our
own way. If the weather is fine Ut is
rainy today / expect to spend a few
| hours on the river, rowing. A pal
and myself have an invitation to spend
the evening and have tea with some
! friends of ours in the city, so we eX-
Dect to have a good time. We will
| have lots of music and singing as
! usual. They want me to play my
mandolin again-they seem to like the
music, especially the American airs.
as l can play almost anything now.
our hostess. Mrs. Moore, accompanies
me with the piano. We have some
very Jolly times and those kind Of
times help out a lot when a fellow
a long way from home.
1925 pm.
We were paid about 5 pm. and o
of the boys went to town. | decided
10 stay in camp and write letters, as
1 intend 10 go out tomorrow afternoon
There is q pretty happy bunch of fell
lows in the camp tonight, because
many of them. the majority, | think,
we're entirely out of funds.
The American boys are sure doing
good work in France now and 1 am
anxious to be there. nearer the field
of action. We are near enough TO
near the heavy bombardments or al
raids and see lots of wounded sol
diers. But we want to be right at the
front and get things first hand.
This air service is sure an active
service and is as dangerous, or even
more dangerous. than some other
branches. but of course one should
never think of danger and just 90 on
like there wasn't any.
I have read some exciting adyen-
lures of certain pilots and observers
in machines on the front. One was
about an observer who "a shot
through the thigh, the bullet cutting d
large artery. lie tainted soon from
loss of blood and had to stop firing.
But he came 10 again and succeeded
in bringing down the Hun machine
in flames. Then he became uncon-
scious again and eve came to. They
were just 1900 feet in the air when
this happened.
Another instance: The Germans
pilot fired a lighted shell into the
allied plane, setting fire to the body
of the machine right in back of the
observer. The latter had to wrigglo
through the braces back into the
small body of the airplane and beat
out the fire with his gloves. They
were about 10000 feet in the air and
going at a rate of over 100 miles per
hour. Sometimes the gasoline tank
gets a bullet hole through it and all
the gasoline leaks out. Of course the
motor stops running. Should the air
plane be up over German territory the
pilot either has to glide down to earth
and surrender to the Huns, or, if he is
high enough in the air and not too
far from the French border line, he
can glide into friendly territory and
make a safe landing.
A German ~aeroplane was here about
ten days ago. 1t was a big bombing
machine-one that was captured late
ly. 1t was an ugly looking tub and
had German words on it. Also l could
see the iron cross, painted black,
through the paint the British put on
its l sat in the pilots seat later, look
ing over the instruments and gun.
Many a German pilot had probably
sat right in the anne seat; perhaps
not many, but at least one of them.
wish you see the newspapers
here. You could read much more
about what is going on than what you
read in the papers there, as they only
print the very important things, leav-
ing out the very important things.
The British newspapers are full Of
praise for the American soldiers and
their accomplishments.
Well, l must close for this time.
Whenever you can, just write to me.
I'm always glad to hear from you.
Your sincere friend,
HAROLD l.. DeMOTTE,
373rd Aero Squadron, US. Air Service,
IS Eaton Place, London, England.
Censored-Charles w Cutting. list 1t,
S. II. c. A. S.