The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-12-14

| For time after he had been shot down | there was rumor that he had descend i ed purposely to do intelligence work behind the German lines When 1t be-
 came known that he had gone down in
 flames the rumor died a natural death, as pilot certainly wouldn't purposely come down in flames
 After trying for two weeks to buy
 airplanes from the board of disposal
 Fauntleroy decided that the delay was too long and that he would take a
 chance oh what he could buy from the French, or with whatever the Poles had.
 During the first week of last Sep- tember they wired me to enlist two
 American pilots from the Royal Air Force, Edwin Pike Graves of Boston, Mass, ard Elliott Chess of Fl Paso, Texas. were the best men available, so l enlisted them. The squadron had more .han 25O applicants by mail from
 the United States. for Young America
 is always ready to enlist and serve in
 a good cause. but by this t1ms S-H ware ready to leave for Poland and e.a not have the time 10 get the men over from America
 DINNER WITH PADEREWSKI
 The squadron had dinner with Premier Paderewski of Poland and General Rosi- dowski at the Ritz, in Paris, on Septem- i Der If last. Colonel Rowland, b. 5. C., United States army, military attache to the Polish mission in Paris who did very good work in assisting Fauntleroy and Cooper tos organize the squadron, was also there.
 General Rosidowski told of the hard ships that the men would have to face, of the snow-swept, barren plains of northeastern Poland and half-burned vil- lages, and, lastly, of the bolshevist atro- cities. An aide then told of the Polish situation, the dearth of food, clothing, money and other things which would have been enervating to less stout hearts. Immediately afterward Major Fountle- roy arose and pledged him men to imme- diate service.
 They were then told that their wish would be granted and that they would be sent to very active sector on the earliest possible occasion.
 The following morning each man re- ceived orders to start for Pouand on the 18th and to report to the inspector of aviation immediately upon arrival in Warsaw
 PADEREWSKI BIDS GOODBYE
 Premier Paderewski was visibly affect ed when he came to bid good-by to the members of the Kosciuszko squadron in Paris that afternoon. After shaking hands with Major Fountleroy, he turned to Captain Cooper, but, after pausing moment, he turned back to the leader of the squadron and said:
 Nothing has ever touched pe so much as the offer of you young Americans to fight, and, if necessary, die for my coun- try. And to think that none of you arc Polish bloodr'
 Captains Cooper, Kelly and Corsi. and Lieutenants Crawford, Shrewsbury Clark and Noble left the following afternoon for Poland, Major Fauntleroy and stay ing in Paris to finish some squadron work. Fauntleroy left for Poland on the 18th, while I returned to England to ar- range for the transportation of Lieuten- ants Chess and Graves.
 After being held up by the railroad strike and other unforeseen incidents, Chess and Graves left for Poland on Oc- tober l. while I had to go back to the hospital. A wretched buzz had devel- oped nj the left side of my head, due to an injury I received while shooting up German airdrome. Something or other-it felt like the side of house-flew up off the ground and hit me in the back of the head. I am now convalescing from an- other operation and in a short time ex- pest to join the squadron-health per hitting, of course-in Poland
 Capt. Edward J. Corsi is from Brook