Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-19

exactly between them judging from |
the direction of the bullets Yea |
bo! l may be lucky, but 1 don't /
banker to have it proven so closely |
again. No. nam! There must have
been one Hun in that patrol who |
could shoot, for 1 was not the one
hit. Frenchman had an import
ant piece of wood shot away in the ,
body of his plane. Perhaps it was
the red bird" as there was one
Hun all dolled up like a sunset
Come to think of it, l used him for /
target once, and probably one !
bouncing off his head made him
angry. for he was the party respon- !
sible for my ventilated plane.
The same day a lieutenant in the
escadrille had six holes shot in his
plane when three Boches, took him
by surprise. The patrol I was with
several minutes later attacked this
i same patrol, and if we did not get
any, we had the satisfaction of
| chasing them down to a lower alti-
i tude.
| Warm in France
If Dad blames the sudden change
! of climate in the states on the war,
the same reason must apply here.
! His letter spoke of snow in June.
/ II kAC mere JUST IlOMs
and has been ever since the big at
tack on the 14th. Golly! 1t sure
, is hot! So terrific was it that half
the pilots and mechanics were laid
up sick. l happened to be one of
the lucky ones, at least. l was not
sick. but they sure had me working.
l really think I flew every machine
| in the escadrille. We had quite a
run of bad luck too. what with bad
motors and several planes smashed,
and one morning only three planes
were ready for the air. The leader
J were soon over the lines. Huns
seemed to be scarce that morning
and after two hours flying 1 gave
up hope of seeing any, when the
| leader started chasing round and
round in a wide circle. Wondering
/ why he was going round and around
! especially as shrapncl was getting
| the range better and better, l con-
eentrated all my ability in keeping
position and lodging archie"
when he came to unpleasantly close.
| Suddenly he stopped circling and
dove directly through the thickest
part of black puff balls (shrapneD.
OF course, we two followed, the
! Frenchman and I, but 1 failed to see
anything to shoot at until I nearly
ran into tit being a "reglage"
Boche plane. So close was it that 1
could not shoot, as he was going the
oppsite way and shot under me so
quick 1 hardly saw him, and 1 could
not maneuver, because the French
man seeing him about the same
| time [ did, dove under me.
Little Free Lancing
The leader was already maneuver-
ing for a position on his tail so I
~ 1tnl he IN
from the attack quickly and head
! ing back for our lines, we needs
must follow our leader, for the COM
mand, follow your leader is firmly
impressed on US. This flying game
in war times isn't such a free lance
thing as you might think, for we
have particular orders which must
be carried out TO the letter.
If you could have heard the COM
mander ball out our leader for at
tacking a Boche outside a sector he
was supposed to be in you would
believe me.
In the evening of the same day
n lieutenant took two of us out and
jumped on three Boches. They were
flying those new Fokher planes, and
as usual started a merry-go-round
one little boy didn't quite get in
the ring and seeing the Lieutenant
jumping on another one, I picked
on little Wandering Willie, but just
as my bullets were beginning to get
somewhere near that Hun the Lieut.
whose Hun had Immediately stopped
playing ring when attacked, turned
and started after the one l was shoot
ing at. Thus, he got right in line of
my fire, as he was somewhat lower
than l, and to prevent hitting him,
| must needs stop shooting. BY this
time the Huns being pretty far in
their own lines and going down to
boot, our Lieut.. left them and led US
home.
Downhearted
To say I was thoroughly disguised
with myself would be putting it
mildly. Even the lieutenant noticed
how downhearted l looked and asked
what was the matter.
He speaks good English. so 1 could
express myself freely "Wen' said 1
glumly. Il have been in so many COM
bats and not a Boche have l knocked
down. I'm plumb disgustedw There
happened to be another Lieutenant
standing nearby who has ten Boche
to his credit. and hearing my COM
planning translated treasured me con-
siderably by saying he had been in
20 fights before one tumbled. That
was encouraging as 1 only have
about IL combats to my credit, and
showed there was still hope, but I
was still disgusted with myself;
which may account for the two bull
let's l received so close to me the
next day.
His Darndest
And then the next day along comes
brother Donald's letter wanting to
l..
if Putnam gets five. All 1 can say
is that some people are born great,
! others acquire greatness, and some
| have it forced upon them. 1 think
that's the quotation, and 1 come
under the middle heading. I'm doing
my darndest you know, and remem-
Der nothing I ever got came in a
| hurry.
You remember that new American
pilot l spoke about in a former let
! ter? Byers was his name Well
something has happened to him,
which If it was not so pathetic would
| be funny. for after three days with
! the escadrille he is a prisoner in
| Germany. Quite a short career on
| the front. Ell? That is the sad part
! The droll part comes in with the reg
| ularity with which he was lombard
| ed by the Boche. Strange! the very
day he was lost, he remarked at din
ner that since the Boche had shot at
him with cannon in the first camp.
where he got no sleep; had dropped