The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-15
my salvation must have heen designed
to show the way to others.
CHAPTER u.
Became !. Fighting Scout.

! was then eighteen years old. but j had
had hankering for the air ever since
! can remember.
| As youngster / followed the ex-
ploIts OF the wrights with the greatest
Interest. although | must confess I
sometimes hoped that they wouldn't
really conquer the air until had had
whack MT II myself got more
I wlincks than ! was looking for later
On.
Needless TO say, my parents were
very much opposed To my risking my
! life Mt what WAS undoubtedly at nat
time one Of the most hazardous pas
times" n young fellow could select. and
every time / had "a smasliup or some
other mishap was ordered never 10 20
near al; aviation field again.
! So ! went out to California. There
another fellow and built our own
fnactiine. which we few Ia various
parts of the siafe.
In the early part OF 1916. when trou-
Bile WIS brewing in Mexico. l Joined the
American flying corps. was seat 10
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. c.
was sent to Camp Borden. Toronto,
/ first to receive instruction and later TO
Instruct. While cadet ! made the
first loop ever made by a cadet in Can
ada. and after ] had performed the
stunt ] half expected to be kicked ont
Of the service for it. Apparently. how
ever. they considered the source and
let y go at that. Later on ] had ;he
satisfaction OF introducing the loop
as part Of the regular course of in
struction for cadets in the r. F. c..
and i want 10 say right here that Camp
Borden has turned out some of the
best fiiers that have ever gone to
France.
In May, 1917, ! and seventeen other
Canadian fiiers left for England on the
Megsnic, where we were to qualify
for service in France.
Our squadron consisted of nine
Americans. G. C. Robinson. II. A Nil
Ter. y. $. McClurg. A A. Allen, E. II.
Garnet. II. X. Boysen. II. A. Smeeton
and A. A Taylor. and myself, and nine
Britishers, Paul II. Raney. ]. r. Park.
c. Nelmes. c. r. Moore. T. L Afkin-
son. f. C. Conry. A. Muir. E. A. l. f..
Smith and A. G. Jones.
Within a few weeks after our ar
rival In 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 a place in
France known as the Pool Pilots Mess
Here men gather from all the training
squsdrons In Canada and England and
await assignments TO the particular
squadron of which they are to become
members
The Pool Pilots Mess is situated a
few. miles back OF the lines. When
ever pilot is shot down or killed the
Pool Pilots Mess is notified 10 send an
other TO take his place.
= There are so many casualties every
day In the X. +. c. at one point Of
the front or another that the demand
for new pilots Is quite active. but when
fellow Is Itching TO get into the fight
as badly as ! and my friends were
must confess that We got a little i'm
patient. although we realized that
every time new man was called it
meant that some one else had. in all
probability. been killed, wounded or
/ captured.
One morning an order came In for
/ scout pilot and one of my friends
I WAS assigned. l can tell you the rest
+ OF US were as envious of him rs II Il
We're the last chance any of us were
ever going to have to get to the front.
As II 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. i afterward learned that as
soon rs he arrived Mt the squadron he
: prevailed upon the commanding Off
Ger of the squadron TO wire for me.
At the Pool Pilots Mess Il was the
custom of the officers to wear shorts
4 -breeches that are about eight inches
long. like the boy scouts wear. leav-
ing space of about eight inches Of
open country between the top OF the
'puttees and the end of the shorts The
! Australians wore them in Saloniki and
nj the Dardanelles.
When the order came in for me. /
had these shorts" on. and l didn't
have time to change into other clothes.
Indeed. | was In such sweat to get
/ 10 the front that IL ] had been In my
I pajamas think I would have gone
that way. As 1t was, it was raining
and 1 threw an overcoat over me.
jumped into the machine. and we made