The Topeka state journal., 1919-03-27
HIS LIFE CHARMED
LeavenwOrth Aviator Holds
High Fall Records.
Shot and Bruised, He Had
Many Bones Broken.

Manhattan, Kan. March aT.-To
have had three falls in airplanes. one
from 100 feet. one from 10000 feet.
and another from 1000 feet; to have
had two pilots killed by his side: to
have had both hips broken. a left leg
broken in two places above the knee,
also his left arm and several ribs. his
spine displaced a fracture three
inches long in the skull, a foot shot
thru with shrapnel. about all the
fresh and skin torn from the fore
head; to have received official credit
for bringing down two German planes;
to have been so nearly drowned that
he was unconscious for three hours;
to have struck on the top of a three
story building with such force that he
was thrown off into the street below,
striking the side of building across
the street on the way down; to have
been picked up for dead and placed
in the morgue; then to have lain un-
conscious for sixteen hours. continu-
ously, and paralyZed for nine weeks;
to have suffered with both hips in a
plaster cast for seven weeks-and to
have come out of it all with one leg
an inch and a half shorter than the
other. but otherwise in good health
all this, it seems, ought to be enough
to satisfy one Kansas hero. Others
may have as thrilling experiences, but
are not alive to tell them.
Is Not Discouraged.
And yet, in reply to a question as to
whether or not he had had enough.
Sergt Tracy A. Hand of Leavenworth,
who visited friends here Tuesday, said,
with a smile, well, no; I'd go back
if they needed me-
Sergeant Hand, whom local paper
characteriZes as the greatest hero who
ever went forth from Leavenworth,
enlisted in the army April s, 1917,
two days after war was declared, and,
after training at Kelly field, San An
tonic. Tex was sent. June 81, to
Selfridge field, Michigan.
Then he was sent to Mineola. n. Y,
and overseas to be attached to the
British royal air service with the Six
ty-third defense squadron, defending
London against air attack.
On the night of March 4, 1918,
Sergeant Hand and his pilot ascended
with a squadron to repel an air at
tack on London, but, becoming sepa-
rated from the others because of en-
gine trouble, they were attacked at
height of 5000 feet by twelve German
planes. Hands pilot was shot thru
both hips and one leg and the gas
o1ine tank was shot thru, necessitating
the shutting off of the engine and
dropping to the earth. They vol
planed down in the dark, with their
compass shot away and landed at
speed of about ninety miles an hour
on the top of three story building
twelve miles from London, the result
ing crash demolishing the plane and
throwing Sergeant Hand off the build
ing into the street below.
Was Given Up Once.
On August 15, after he had been as
signed to duty in France, he started
on reconnaissance work on the Toul
sector, and continued taking pictures
from the air between ST. MihieI, and
Verdun in preparation for the st Mi
hie1 drive on September IL. In a fight
NJ h3rpr CT 10 lot rryir1 Of hi
plane was shot off at height of 1000
feet, and the plane fell crashing to
earth. His pilot was killed, and Hand
suffered two broken hips, a left leg
broken in two places above the knee.
his spine displaced. a three inch frac-
ture of his skull and the flesh and
skin torn from his forehead. He was
picked up for dead, and thrown into
the morgue. AS he was tossed upon
the table he moaned slightly so he
has been told, and was then carried to
a hospital where he lay unconscious
for sixteen hours.