New-York tribune., 1918-02-05
New Yorker.
II, Downs 2
Boche Planes
Tommy Hitchcock, Barred
by America for Youth.
Noted Polo Player

PARIS. Feb. 4.-Takine advantaos ~
.he me weather, members Of the Ia
iayette Squadron continued their brill
ian. exploits over the French front
during the last few, days, bringing down
thrce German machines and losing none
themselves. Thomas Hitchcock, jr., son
OF we'll known American turfman,
downed two enemy airmen. David E
Putnam, of Brooklinc, Mass, brought
down his third machine.
Details of these combats have not
yet been received in Paris. Roth
hitchcock and Putnam have been on
the battlefront for less than three
months and have not yet been trans
ferred to the American army.
HEMPsTEAD, Long Island, Feb. a.
Thomas Hitchcock, jr., known as Tom
my on Eastern polo fields, is only sew
enteen years old and prodigy on a
polo pony. His father, Thomas Hitch
COCK whose racing stable was long ia
nous and who was an international
polo player in his day, lives in West
bury and now is himself a captain in
the aviation section of the Signal Corps
and is' executive officer at the Mineola
flying field.
Has Rank of Corporal
Young Hitchcock is corporal in the
French army. and despite his youth
and the fact thatsha has been only a
few months in the service had downed
one German before the two credited to
him in the dispatches from Paris to-
day:
III am extremely glad to know that
the boy is making good" said Captain
hitchcock, who is ffty-seven years old
and probably the oldest officer in The
American aviation service. "He did
ms best to get into our own army, but
his age was against him, and he then
determined to do what he could under
the French flag"
When the United States became a
belligcrent, Thomas, jr., was at st.
Paul's School, Garden City, l.. |. His
ambition long had been to become mil
itary aviator. Since he was able to
straddlc horse he had been plotting
ponies in break-ncck rushcs, and the
game as played for life among the
clouds on a mechanical stecd had
caught his imagination.
Accepted by France
He had one more year before he
would be graduated from ST. Paul's,
but the martial activity about the
ncghboring flying fields at Mineo!a
had stirred his fathers sporting blood;
he was on the point of entering the
service himself, and he could not re-
fuse his boys plea. Thomas, jr., cot
the coveted permission just before
commencement last year at st. PauPs
To his profound chagrin, his age barred
him from the United States army.
though he fulfilled the requirements
of the endurance test in the air. The
French service accepted him, however.
AS parting gift his fellow students
elected. him president of his class.
The cool daring which enabled the
boy of seventeen to become an airman
in the crack flying squadron of France
was gained beyond doubt on the polo
fields of Long Island. He and his
mother and sisters, Helen Hitchcock
and Mrs. Julian Peabody. organized a
team which for years was source of
local pride to members Of the Meadow
brook Hunt country. Tommy soon
gained the skill of man at the game,
and before he was sixteen his ability
was such that frequently he got a
chance in regular matches. In 1916 he
played on the Great Neck polo team.
which defeated the international team
at Newport, playing against Devereux
Millburn and other stars.