1918 We will remember them Read Online Free PDF Page A

they wanted something doing with them.  The Camels arrived and we were immediately given orders to support the French to our south. We would be at the extreme range of our fighters but the French had suffered at the hands of the new Fokkers and we had to show our presence. Archie also flew with us giving us twenty one aeroplanes. I was less than happy about throwing my new pilots in at the deep end and, in the hours before dawn, I impressed upon them the need to keep in a tight formation and to follow my standing orders.
    “Every one of you needs to watch the tail of the man in front.  C flight will not be watching our tails this time; they will be looking after D Flight. Lieutenant Fall you are the last man in the line.  I am, relying on you.”
    The earnest young man nodded, “Yes, sir.”
    I had picked him out as the most reliable of my new pilots. Part of it came from his background.  He came from Lancaster and his people were farmers.  He was both quietly spoken and careful.  In fact he was the opposite of Lieutenant Jenkin. I had Jenkin in the middle where I hoped he would learn from the others.
    We took off half an hour before dawn and headed into the rising sun.  I wanted every advantage that we could get.  We would be flying from the dark and any German fighters would be silhouetted against the sun’s rays. We flew a thousand feet above the Bristols.  They would ground attack the German positions while the French aeroplanes bombed the rear areas.  We hoped to draw the German fighters.  I prayed that we were right about the German fuel consumption. We would be flying on fumes, too, when we got home.
    The day was not as clear as the previous one and there were annoying puffs of cloud on the horizon.  They would be perfect for the Fokkers to hide amongst. I felt nervous with so many new and inexperienced pilots. Archie and Ted had a much easier task; most of their pilots were seasoned veterans. It was their gunners who were new.
    I spotted the French bombers; they were the Sopwith Strutter. It was not a good aeroplane but it could carry a decent bomb load.  The SPAD fighters escorting them were reassuring. On the face of it the Bristols would have an easy task that day.  They just had to ground attack the trenches and the roads. The reality was that they were a large aeroplane and the German gunners had a good chance of hitting them.
    We climbed towards the clouds.  I was gambling.  If I was waiting for bombers or fighters then I would wait there. I heard the chatter of machine guns and saw Archie and Ted leading B Flight to attack the German trenches.  The popping of anti aircraft guns soon filled the air around them with puff balls of smoke. I looked in my mirror and saw some of my pilots watching them and drifting off line.  I would need to have a word with them once we landed. I scanned the sky ahead of me and I was rewarded by the distinctive shape of the Fokker Dr.1 as the ten aeroplanes dived on the Bristols.  Behind them were another eight Albatros DV aeroplanes.  They were a good and reliable aeroplane but we were faster.  It gave us an edge. The danger would be the new nimble Dr. 1.
    My calculated guess had given us an advantage.  We were now above them.  I turned to dive towards the middle of the flight.  I would leave Freddie to choose his target. I cocked my twin Vickers and hoped that the triplanes had not seen us. They began to open fire on the Bristols. The rear gunners sent up a spray of bullets as the pilots took evasive action.  Our extra height had given us greater speed and we began to overhaul the Fokkers. These were not the Flying Circus but they were a large Jasta. I hoped that they were alone or we could be in trouble.
    I gave the aeroplane with the bright green tail a short burst.  Although I missed, the pilot reacted by pulling up the nose. They were a nippy little bus and he flew out of my line of sight.  I followed him around and Nat Hazell behind me took the