Norwich bulletin., 1919-03-01
LIEUT.. WH|PPLE BRINGS DOWN HUN PLANE

one sub. We sailed up the Clyde river l past the famous shipyards where wo- men in overalls were at work and into Glasgow, where the men were sent to different camps for special training.
 A few others and I were sent to Ox- ford. Here we were introduced to the Bristol two seated fighter. This ma chine is one of the best put out by the English and is equipped with Rolls Royce 300 horse power motor. At this field we were taught aerial acrobatics, camera fighting, and other things that would come in handy when we met the
 Hun. Here I had my first accident. I
 was just rising from the ground with
 an old Bristol plane, known to be un lucky, when my motor went dead. Not
 having enough power to rise, we crashed. Having known the reputa- ton of the plane, 1 had my safety belt loosed, and when we struck I jumped. had just cleared the machine when she burst into flames.
 After four months at Oxford, I went to Turnberry in Scotland, the last stop before the big show Here we got our final instructions in aerial fighting. On Aug. 8, 1918, I went to France. I had been there only two days when l was sent out to do ground strafing. Ground strafing is to fly over the Hun trenches at about 200 or 300 feet and 5 l If you are lucky, you come back; if | you don't, you are reported missing. l was lucky!
 | My next trip was with the squadron l escorting bombers and on this trip we got 6 direct hit on a troop train. The l Huns beat it for the woods and ditches l but we managed to get a few with the l machine guns.
 l I made several trips over the lines l al TlI yyn c-t l eral planes, fut I alone with my ob-
 server did not get credit for the three l that I saw fall. When Q pilot brings | down a plane in order tO get official
 credit he must have two witnesses
 besides his observer and himself. i was flying alone at the time.
 1 When I drought down the plane with which l was officially credited l was flying with the squardon. A Hun who had been causing considerable trouble by flying daringly ever the trenches each morning w:S reported to tls. My sqt adron was sent out one morning to get him. We got off good and were flying pretty well up when we sighted him. The f1ighe command CT dove for him. I followed him. Tine commanders gun jammed and he flew l to one side leaving me an open tar get. let him have it full and saw him W0bble and sag in his seat hen crash
 to the ground in flames. His observer jumped when at about 4.G00 feet.
 We had several other tights an6 the last one that was i1 WAS against
 the famous Riehthofen, Red Devil i circus" the crack aviatCG'5 Of the HuI force. We were flying in formaior
 and spotted them below Us. They saw us at the same time and begar firing at about a mile distant. One
 lucky shot hit the machine in iron
 of me and he crashed into the other
 both goifg down. This oft two of us
 as one machine had to turn back or
 account of engine trouble. w
 though discretion the better part O
 valcr so dove for home with eighteer
 Huns on our tail.
 It was this same night that I va! wounded. 1 was at Q cameen whe1
 the Huns came over in a raid The,
 dropped a bomb which hit one of tn hangars and set fire to our petrol sun ply The burning fuel made an ex i cellent target and bombs fell like rain . A corporal and I started to run. h for dug out and I for the open field } He had only gene a short distanc when a bomb fell and he must of go the whole of it for they rever foun : 2 button. The shrapnel flew in al
 directions and one piece got me i the back of the neck That's all knew until I came to in 8 hospita f The shrapnel went in one side of m neck and came out the ether. , quarter of m inch nearer the cente I of my neck and it would have hit th 7 spinal cord and I woulj have gon west.
 I spent several months iIl differen y hospitals and then went to Englan r and when able to travel vas sent hom r for an indefinite furlough. I cam, : over on the Northland an1 landed i @ Philadelphia. on February 21st. al l most exactly a year from The day l left in fact today is Tho 2rniLersar f of the day I sailed for Halifax Q Lieutenant Whipple has a bad sea ' on the back of his neck on one sidt l 1t being aholt the size of a half dol Q lar and on the other abou- two inche I long. Fe is in good health and look t ing the picture of good health.