The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-01-01
From the Boys
vintoa Aeynolas, france


the following letter which appeared in
the Charter Oak Times. as it is of un-
usual interest. Corporal Reynolds is a
mechanic in the air service and this ac-
count OF his work and experiences will
pc read with interest by the readers of
the Review, inasmuch as it is more COM
plete than any previous information that
mas 5een written along this line:
i E1niS LIE Guerre, Tout de Suite,
Orly Field, Nov. rs, 1918. (
Wall, the papers say that all Of we
boys must write to our daddies on this
day. SO here am writing. Y
I got letter this evening from Asa
Staley, Of Charter Oak. He is with a
motor supply train.
Well, Dad. they all talk as though we
will be home pretty soon, and they say
that we can tell anything in this letter
that we want to-; but do not know
whether to tell you about Y now or wait
q couple Of months and tell 1t to youhts
person. Maybe / had better tell it now,
while 7 am sure that it will reach YOU
at Brest. France, and went into a rest"
camp. All did while there was to
work on the docks. That lasted only
two days, though, when we entrained
from. II wrote twice from Brest, but
both letters were unfit for. censor. You
see did not Know just how to write to
get by the censor.
Well, when we got into tRomorantin
e. g, M we got. Strengthened out IN
ter two days and nights in little box
cars with corned Billy, tomatoes and
beans for grub.
OF course the next day was work
again, They called for steel workers,
and Of course l jumped right out. Well,
you bet got what was looking for.
They were constructing steel machine
shops and hangers. With the gang they
It's feet long with q 10 foot span and
different heights. Mostly green men,
too too. pretty good record. don't you
worked at that just two days and
was thinking of being boss the second
barrack bags packed and packs rolled
by o'clock the following morning. We
got on the train again for another day
and night ride. It was some ride, too.
Of that car was like sieve When we
got here at Orly we were all about
drowned; but we got here to camp, which
IS about four kilometers from Orly. and
and sleeping. And the next day, too,
which was Saturday and then Sunday.
That; was the day ran off down to
the French flying field and got my first
Tour plane It was powered by two big
motors and. sure was a daisy.
After that all we did was construc-
ton work-building barracks, hangers
and even digging abris, to hide in when
That only happened q couple of times,
and then he could not locate our camp.
for we always had warning in plenty of
time to have all lights out and every
craft guns sure did play tattoo, be-
lieve me, and it was not long before our
boche was on the run.
weeks, but / did not, like the hours they
kept, so got relieved and went back on
construction. / had charge of about
fifty men when / was taken off and put
H ba he s stGfase na sm 9e n field
close contact with the planes and their
workings. You know how ! used to ike
to fool around anything did not know
anything, about. had charge of two
storage hangers and about 10 to- rs,
planes, according to size.
Oh Dad. wish you could see this
Held. j know it would interest You q
lot $ts 5ss Il s.s5 ri
y j. was then released from that and put
IN charge Of the utility crew. We have
TO take care of two to four hundred
planes, all that belong to the storage
section After 2 plane mas gone tnrouga,
minor repairs it belongs to us, and
we have to- find room for it. i could sit
here and write down how much room
we have for a certain number Of planes
IN each hanger. And I haven't it on pa
per, but just in my nut. III
When plane reaches this field it
has to 60 through the receiving section.
e stays there until 1t is called for to
all an order. Then it goes to Arma-
racks. Then It is shipped to the radio
section where. 1t il equipped with wire
less radio and sometimes with wireless
telephone. From there it goes to the
Then to inspection Where it is measured assured
II over to find If every thing is true
Maybe there Is too much dihedral or
incidence to the wings, or maybe the
epars geo. aafK H. T They Tema sye mroe
'aults that are found. Minor repairs |
rave forty different crews working all |
ne time, SO you may know they run
ire finished there they. so on to the
light test line, where they are tested
e they are not right they go to the final
q 4. line where the men fix it II they |
AN. Il they cannot, it goes back to
After q plane goes through inspection |
Ind is not dispatched in FIVE to ten days, |
must go back through inspection
Every morning when the weather per-
nits ! have to get all the planes out on !
ne. line that are ready for dispatch; |
md now that 1T Is cold here in the night |
VI Tie RADIATORS must De drained, or
course. we have certain men to look af- |
sr filing and draining the radiators. |
Then we have five or six starting crews
Who start all the planes and make little |
epairs. ~
MY little knowledge of motors has
lelped out many a time to get an extra
'lane started to the front. There was |
me day when ! counted fourteen propel- |
ors turning all at once. 1t is pretty, !
90 whenSyou know they were going for
I good cause. OF course there is not SO
much going on now that the fighting !
las cleared. The only thing we are; do |
ng now is filling orders for patrol |
Then we are sending out a |
lunch OF school planes.
In the last few weeks am eating
azy. All do Is keep the men working.
~ hardest work Is finding something |
or them to do. 81. /!
They have one little plane here that
4 would like to have for my own Ii is |
Canadian with a ten cylinder Anzani |
motor $50 horse. power). We calf it. |
ne hay rack, for ft,is just like one IF |
hem It Is very light. One. man can |
'psh the darn thing any place.
ssI have won quite a reputation turning |
motors that were ,haru to start. Isl.
ard / SO they pick on this big guy to do |
Z fVr them, Lots OF the boys are afraid |
4 lem, because they sometimes 60 on |
~ onpee. N Then you have to De o1i |
cur toes or get raped on the bean, I
INA or leg, Many a $50 propeller has l
,eHn broken on the head or leg Of an Il n |
vckyN chap who tried to turn II and did |
lot know how totstand. sometimes get l
nto the seat and have someone start |
he motor. Then turn ii up Just to |
zee If 1t is @. K, ss8,i i.a 4 5 ,.i.' ;5s5; n
Two OF tho liei,te1lants worls ,,,,lar |