The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-04-17
Royce
Continued from Page II

NCOnllnueu from rage ID
entered the air service during
his second year out Of West
Point, in 1918. Men admire
him, like him, and trust him.
Associates trace this TO his own
great courage, friendliness, and
unfailing trust i'm his fellows.
Here is the latest example,
paragraph buried in Australian
news dispatches on that 1000
mole roundtrip flight over open
seas infested with enemy forces:
General Royce organized il
and persisted i'm leading il
against the advice of experience
ed combat pilots who said it was
foolhardy" That could have
been said of him a dozen times
in the past
The citation Of the Croix de
Guerre he won in the last war
reads-"Commanding the LIST
American observation escadrille,
he insisted on making the first
reconnaissance over the enemy
lines himself. He gave his pilots
an admirable example of dash
and intrepidity."
ROCKED HOT-SHOTS
Back in 1920 when he COM
manded the country's only prI-
mary flying school at Carlstrom
Field, Fla, he rocked air corps
hot shots back on their heels by
giving their personal planes TO
the cadets. In those days the
very few distinguished flying
officers had their own aircraft
and crews. The cadets got any
old crate left.
Royce walked out into one
early dawn to find a young
ster trying TO get his doubtful
ship in shape for the air. Royce
climbed aboard, fl &c K r d
around a while and came back
disguised.
Here" he told the wide-eyed
cadet, you take my plane and
I'll use this trap of yours" He
forthwith called in the pride
of the corps and announced
that Uncle Sam, and not they,
owned the best equipment on
the field. Now" he added,
roll all that stuff on the cade.
Inc and leave u tbaEe.%.
SELFRIDGE ASTOUNDED
He upset tradition again
when commanding Selfridge
Field, Mich, in 1923. Combat
planes were scarce, costly, and
hard TO get. Pilots were sup
posed to bring them in safe at
all odds.
To night filters, he issued this
order: IF your motor conks,
roll over and bail out. Your
life is worth more than the
plane" He courtmartialed the
first man TO disobey, although
the man managed TO save him
self and his ship.
The officer who told these
stories was one Of Royce's first
victims at Carlstrom Field He
says the general is utterly ruth
less on an air mission, and an
iron-pants disciplinarian - but
eminently fair 10 his men and
a crackerjack tactical command
er.
No one is permitted TO tell
now how or where he managed
to refuel and reload his bomb
ers during those two days he
blasted Jap bases at Manila, Ce-
bu, Batangas and Davao OffiC-
ers Of the high command, con
ceding he had q secret base,
say his strategy was not a sur
prise since the general Is a mas
ter at head work.
Take the time, IN 1880 when
he led the famous "Artic Pat
rol" out of Michigan into snow
storms to pioneer pursuit lessons
in sub-zero weather. One night,
camped on snowfield, every
motor in the flight froze solid.
The whole project seemed lost.
Royce Communicated a nearby
railway locomotive, attached live
steam hose from the boiler to
the airplane engines, and in no
time had them turning over and
his patrol back in the air. He
won the MacKay trophy for
the exploit.
BUILT LIKE A BOMBER