Diary And Letters Of A World War I Fighter Pilot, The

by Christopher Burgess

  DIARY Friday 15th March

  O.P. from 1 till 2 my engine dud had to return early. Shot on revolver range. Fine day with clouds. Strong E. wind.

  65 Squadron R.F.C.

  16th March 1918

  Thanks so much for your 3 letters – one from Dad. The fine weather is still with us.

  I did an O.P. today from 1 – 2. I was with Jack & a new fellow & there were six of us up top. Four Huns appeared & one of them dived on a fellow in the other three. So I turned on him & fired beaucoup rounds into him. He went down all “wonky” & Jack fired at him as he went down. I think I got him all right but I couldn’t claim him as I could get no confirmation & this Squadron has reputation for never “hotstuffing” Huns. Then another Hun appeared so I fired at him, he turned over & spun down but flattened out & dived away for home. The remainder all faded away & the air knew them no more! Just before they went one started shooting at me, so I didn’t wait! Afterwards Withington & his two merry men dove on 8 Albatrii who all padded the hoof!

  I was on Res. Pat. this morning early but saw no Huns. While I was up the Huns started shelling the aerodrome with 15 inch shells, one landed on the far edge & the others were wide, most annoying of him!

  I saw the very latest type of Scout today, not yet used out here – it was a peach! But I can’t say any more about it. (Enter Censor baffled!!)

  Bestest love & God bless you all. The Bunsoy.

  DIARY Saturday 16th March

  Early Res. Pretty thick – I leading Sanderson and Greaseley [sic – 2nd Lieutenant J.R. Greasley]. No E.A. seen. O.P from 1-2. I with Jack and a new fellow. I shot a Hun off Whiteley’s tail and he went down ‘a over t’. I think I got him but did not claim him. Pfalz I think, good show. To M. Capell to see the ‘Snipe’. The Goods!

  Read and wrote letters after – walk before dinner. Shelling aerodrome this morning.

  65 Squadron R.F.C.

  17th March 1918

  I was on O.P. today but had no scrap; there weren’t many Huns near the Lines. The C.O. shot an Albatross down today while out on his own. The Hun dived straight into the ground from 7000 ft. No confirmation for my Hun yesterday but I think I got him all right though I haven’t claimed him.

  I went to church this morning in the Squadron just before the O.P. & had a very good service.

  I went down to another aerodrome this afternoon to demonstrate the “Camel” to a lot of infantry officers on an Intelligence Course! I landed & they all came & asked all sorts of mad questions. They said “Did these two Lewis guns fire straight ahead?” I said “Yes, but we call them Vickers guns!” Then someone asked me how the planes were fixed on! I didn’t know from Adam but I murmured something about “staples & pins”. I then took off & did the “odd” stunt, I think they were rather impressed – & probably thought me rather a “dog”! The job of lecturing is new to me!

  Beaucoup clouds came up this evening & it may be “dud” tomorrow. Here’s hoping! I am getting a trifle fed up with fine weather! Well no more news dearest folks.

  DIARY Sunday 17th March

  To Church at 9.30 O.P. after from 10 – 11. No Huns about at all. We on alert. Lovely day, but a bit cloudy in evening.

  Read and wrote beaucoup letters after. Started shelling a bit at night – slept rottenly. [The Hun started shelling the Proven road with 16” from 22 miles away, the other side of Houlthulst Forest.] To Marie Capell in afternoon to fly the Snipe but couldn’t get it to start. Adventure in cloud on way back!

  65 Squadron

  18th March 1918

  No letter from home today for a wonder, guess I’ll get two tomorrow instead.

  This morning I took two new fellows up for a practice formation. I then landed at another ‘drome. Here I flew the very last word in scout machines – not yet out in fact. I can’t say anything about it but I took the “bus” up to 20,000 ft & it only took 23½ minutes! That’s some climbing, I tell you! Incidentally it established my height record, as I have never been higher than 16,000 ft before. There is no difference between 16,000 & 20,000 that you can notice.

  I did an O.P. this afternoon from 2 – 3 at 15,000 ft & nearly froze to death but saw no Huns at all. Tomorrow I am on Dawn patrol – endeavouring to strafe the early Hun two-seaters.

  I have been granted Paris Leave all right & hope to go the day after tomorrow. It ought to be rather fun but I don’t quite know what I am going to do! Anyway, no O.Ps for four days which is always something!

  The weather is still lovely & warm & clear, there are some clouds over tonight but they are too high for dud weather I am afraid. To our great delight, we now send two per week on leave instead of one & so that brings my “leave” much nearer, doesn’t it – a good line – what!

  May says she cannot get any Paris leave but she wants me to go down there to see her. I am afraid it is imposs. though as it would take a day to get there & another to get back. Am awfully sorry not to see her.

  DIARY Monday 18th March

  Took new pilots on formation to Marie Capell. Landed and took up the 220 hp B.R. [Bentley Radial Engine] Sop: Snipe and climbs like ****! 10,000 in 7 mins, 15,000 in 13 and I did 20,000 ft in 20½ mins! Doing 72 m.p.h. at that height. Quite warm bus, too stable and with too small a rudder tho. O.P. from 2 – 3, 15,000 ft and very cold. No E.A. seen at all. [Note: The original Snipe carried four guns. 2 Vickers through the prop and 2 Lewis sat at 45° on top plane for no deflection shots. ]

  Wrote letters after Mess. Wireless tomorrow.

  65 Squadron.

  19th March 1918

  No English mail at all today & so no letter today.

  We were on “wireless” today & as usual when we did have to do O.Ps it was very “dud”! I was on Dawn patrol today however as it was fine at that time. I got up at 5.30 am but it wasn’t light enough to leave the ground till about 6.20. I took a new fellow with me & we patrolled up & down the Lines – “nary” a Hun to be seen. Shortly after we landed it started to rain & has been raining off & on all day.

  I think I ought to have a pretty merry time in Paris. I leave for there by the 9.50 am tomorrow, it will be awfully nice anyway.

  The Hun has of late been dropping 15” shells around here. He got two on the edges of the aerodrome but none near the camp. Glad I am going to Paris tomorrow! I think it is a sort of reprisal for our dropping bombs on our shows [sic]. One of our new fellow’s dropt his bomb on our side of the Lines by mistake, but no damage was done fortunately.

  Well goodbye, will write from Paris if I have any time.

  DIARY Tuesday 19th March

  WIRELESS – DUD WEATHER!

  On Dawn patrol at 6.20 with Sanderson. No E.A. seen. Started raining after brekker rained all day. Being shelled most of the time! One on the Proven road most unpleasant! Won 7 fr: from Jack at Auction in morning. Ragged and revolver shoot in afternoon.

  Dinner in Pop: Packed after dinner, Paris tomorrow! Wotto!

  Guy went to Paris on the 20th. On the 21st the “Great Push” by the enemy began. Being a Flying Man he was not recalled but was permitted to complete his leave, which he greatly enjoyed. While in Paris the Monster Long Range Hun Gun began to shell the City & several times the “Alert” sounding caused Theatres, Restaurants, etc., to be evacuated while the people crowded to the various underground shelters.

  Mrs Janie Knocker, GMK’s mother.

  DIARY Wednesday 20th March

  Up at 7.20 Paris via Calais. Left at 9.40 from Omer and arrived Paris at 8.30. Played ‘cutthroat’ with two M.G. fellows and lost 3 francs!

  Pretty tired. Stayed at Continental v comfy bed.

  DIARY Thursday 21stMarch

  Up at 10.30. To see Mrs and Mr Seth at the Elysee Palace. Very good fellow. Lunch with him. To ‘Les Invalides’ in afternoon and then to the Casino with Stewart after dinner – very good show. Saw girl home in taxi after. Na poo! Talked and then to bed. To B. de Boulogne after tea for a stroll. Dinner at Ciro’s.

  DIARY Friday 22nd March

  To Bois de
Boulogne in morning – talked to an inhabitant! Lunch at hotel. The two M.G.’s ordered back. Rumoured v big Hun attack in South. To Bois in afternoon more Talks! To tea with Seth, Lett, Irene B. and Andrée. To dinner with them and Andrée’s brother (an awful squirt!). Then air raid sounded and we were turfed out of restaurant. I saw Ir. Home. A great girl!

  Bed.

  DIARY Saturday 23rd March

  Round to see Ir. in morning. Saw Mrs B. and got on v well! Took Ir. to lunch at Hotel and then we went to Sacré Coeur. Lovely view. Tea at the Tipperary 4 frs: for 2 cups of chocolate! The Huns shelled Paris at 10 mins intervals all morning!!!! [With ‘Big Bertha’.] This is too much. Dinner at Hotel after taxiing to G. du Nord. Badly told off in taxi! To Folies Bergeres in evening with Ir. but an air raid cut it short. To an abri and then walked home. Ir. is sweet!

  DIARY Sunday 24th March

  To see Ir. at 11. Gave me a photo. Paris shelled again! To lunch with Ir. at the D’Orsay. Then for a taxi ride in the Bois. Tea at 3 Rue du Bel with Ir. I left at 6, rotten leaving her. For tuppence I’d marry her! To see Seth and had them to dinner with me. Left Paris at 11.40 p.m. train full. (Acquaintance with Ir. renewed in December 1929 on return from Athens! and again in Paris in Spring 1940 – at war with the Hun again) [Later addition to diary]

  DIARY Monday 25th March

  In train till 3.45 p.m. Slept about 5 mins all night! Arrived and had huge tea at Calais. Then down to Omer. Dinner there. Then to Sqn: in Tender. Sqn had been shelled out of Pop. Then to Droglandt then South, then to D. and finally to Clair Marais. Mighty battle down South. Hun has got Bapaume and is on way to Havre. Matthews [sic – 2nd Lieutenant C.B. Mathews] wounded in knee.

  65 Squadron

  26th March 1918

  Back again from Paris after a great time there. I obtained leave from the R.T.O. to leave by the 11.40 pm train on Sunday night. The train was very full & I was in a carriage with 5 others. We stopped for an hour outside Paris as there was an “Alert”. The big gun had been shelling the town all morning at intervals of 15 minutes, they say it was fired from a distance of 75 miles & the height of the trajectory was from 19 to 20 miles. Our train finally arrived at Calais at 3.45 pm on Monday, 15 hours trip – gee! it was awful! I slept never a wink! I met two other fellows on the train & we went & had tea in the town – 4 eggs apiece as we had had no meal since supper the night before! Then we came down to the base & had dinner there. I found that the Squadron had left our old aerodrome & is now on one further West. Since I have been on leave they have done nothing but move! Several of our fellows were having dinner in the town, so I met them & we all came out here together. I can’t tell you where we are or why we have moved, so don’t ask! We are pretty well upside down at present – but will soon settle down. Quite comfy here & I have a hut to myself.

  Thanks so much for about 7 letters I found waiting for me, also the pictures, etc. I ought to get my Home Leave in about a fortnight I think, if all’s well – wot ho!

  Did a 2½ hrs Reserve Patrol at 10.30 am today, saw no Huns but got rather a hot time from “Archie”! Beastly cold! Well no more now.

  Bestest love Bunsoy.

  DIARY Tuesday 26th March

  4 R.P.’s!! On R.P at 11. No E.A at all seen. From Houthulst to La Bassée. Archie like …...! On R.P. from 6 till 7.30. No E.A., very cold. We are under orders to move again! Hun now in Albert! This is awful. Pray God we stop him. Felt dud. Bed early. Very cold.

  65 Squadron

  27th March 1918

  Just a wee line today as I am in rather a hurry. Did two R.Ps yesterday with a total of 4½ hrs flying. Never saw a Hun all day, beastly cold up, though!

  Last night we received orders to be ready to move today or tomorrow. I fancy we are going to try to kill as many Huns on the ground as we can possibly manage. That’s about all I can tell you at present.

  This morning I arose at 6 am & went to fetch a new “Camel” with 160 h.p. Clerget engine, a jolly good “bus” too, we all have them.

  Pretty dud today with low cloud. We are all just waiting to move. I guess May will have had to retire, as the Hun is at present in occupation of her place!

  A pretty good shot on the part of a sentry on a ‘drome down South. A Hun two-seater dived on him firing his gun – this made the sentry feel rather fed up so he ups with his gun & fired one shot at the Hun & brought him down!

  Don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear for a wee while, as things may be a bit muddled!

  Bunsoy.

  DIARY Wednesday 27th March

  Up at 6. To Marquise to fetch new 160 Camel. High wind and low clouds all day. No flying all day. We are going down South tomorrow. Packed in afternoon.

  To dinner at farm with Jack and William [Lieutenant T.M. Williams?] in evening. Sang songs, played piano after. Quite good fun. Letter from Nickie.

  DIARY Thursday 28th March

  Up at 7 a.m. Brekker in farm left at 10 a.m. Lost way and Jack and [?] landed again. Found Withers and went down with him. Landed at a field at Conteville full of machines. Slept on a bank in my Sidcup till 5! The odd spot of bully and biscuit to eat! Very hungry! Started to rain – no hangars. ‘buses all pegged down in rain. Crashed round in a tender looking for billets. Na poo! Slept in a barn in some hay. Quite comfy but a bit cold. Saw McElroy in 24 Sqn, 2 M.C. and 21 Huns. Raining and blowing hard. What a War! Here the Hun is checked.

  65 Squadron

  29th March 1918

  Good Friday. In the Field (very much so).

  Thanks so much for your three letters received today. So sorry I couldn’t write yesterday but I had no time or anywhere to post it.

  On Wednesday we all packed up ready to move & I spent the night at a farm house nearby. On Thursday morning the Squadron moved, we got off at about 9.30 a.m. but as I hadn’t a map I had to land again to find out the way. I finally arrived with six other fellows at about 12.

  We landed in a large field where there were some other machines, then as nobody knew anything about us (or cared for that matter!) we all sat down on the ground in our Sidcup [Sidcot] suits & went to sleep. There was no food except a tin of bully beef one man had & a few biscuits & a bottle of bad white wine! We stayed there till 5 pm. & slept. It then began to rain which improved matters no end! Machines had been landing all day & about 4 Squadrons had arrived. Then a tender came & we chased about in search of billets – with complete lack of success. Finally we got to a farm near here & had a bit of supper with another Squadron quartered there. There were no billets & so I went into a big barn with a lot of straw & chaff in it & made a kind of bed with masses of straw & lay down. After a bit I got to sleep all right. There were no blankets but it was a pretty warm night & I was quite cosy in my Sidcup. I woke up feeling pretty cold tho’ & so I burrowed under the chaff & soon got warm & slept till morning.

  This morning it was blowing hard. The mechanics arrived & set up the hangars for our air ships, which by the way had been out all night – & tents for us. This afternoon I went out & had a look at our present line but I can’t give you any particulars of that at present. I don’t know if this letter will reach you as things are a bit deranged at present – but we’ll hope for the best.

  Well am going to bed now as I am on an early show the morn.

  Best of love dear folks from The Bunsoy.

  DIARY Friday 29th March

  Loafed about in morning. Hangars put up and tents. Blowing hard. Up to see the ‘Lines’ in afternoon. Our Line to one trench between the Somme and the ‘Splitarse’ road held by 500 Balloonites and G.H.Q batmen! Simply stacks of machines about. Pretty thin job – this low strafing. No leave and no mail! Poor! Fine day but high wind. Jack in my tent.

  65 Squadron

  30th March 1918

  No mail at all today, in fact I don’t think we get any mails down here.

  Had rather a priceless flip today! I left the ground at 7.15 am. with another fellow who, however, crashed taking off & so I went on alone. I reached our line & flew along it at
about 50 ft. Then I went East (per instructions) to look for the Hun line. I soon found it, or at least it found me for they started machine gunning from the ground, so I climbed up to about 2,000 ft & crossed the Lines. About a mile over I saw an Albatross in a field with a man beside it, so I dived on it & shot my guns, the man disappeared. Then I dived down to within 400 ft & dropped a bomb. I saw it go off but it missed the Albatross. I then dived twice more & dropped two more bombs but although I got very near it, I didn’t hit it. Meanwhile as they had been “Archieing” me pretty well & also machine gunning me from the ground & I had felt a couple of shots hit my engine cowling, I hove off for a bit. Presently I saw a Hun Officer on a horse in a field so I dived at him – the horse pranced about & the officer promptly fell off! However he got up again & when I dived & fired at him again he hove off with all speed. Then I looked round & saw 4 Hun soldiers walking across a field so I dived at them & shot at them & zoomed up. When I came round again I saw all four lying in grotesque attitudes on the ground. I went very low & could see their steel helmets, grey uniforms & packs as they lay there. I think I killed all four of them. By this time as my time was up & I had been machine gunned pretty badly from the ground & 7 Albatrii had appeared, I went home.