Transcriber’s notes
Changes made are noted at the end of the book.
HEROIC AIRMEN
AND THEIR EXPLOITS
[Illustration: Flight-Commander W. L. Robinson, V. C. By Dudley Tennant.
_Reproduced by special permission from the plate in ‘Answers.’_]
HEROIC AIRMEN
AND THEIR EXPLOITS
BY
E. W. WALTERS
_Author of ‘The Souls of the Brave,’ ‘Heroines of
the World War,’ &c._
LONDON
CHARLES H. KELLY
25-35 CITY ROAD, AND 26 PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
_First Edition, 1917_
TO THE
MEMORY OF THE HEROIC AIRMEN
WHO HAVE
LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE
OF THEIR COUNTRY
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Acknowledgement is due in many directions, to various friends for
supplying interesting information, and to the authors of various books
and articles.
These pages, however, are far from being of a technical nature. The
chief aim is to awaken the interest of the reader and throw fresh light
on heroic deeds.
E. W. W.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION 11
II. THE BIRTH OF THE AIRSHIP 14
III. THE PIONEER WORK OF M.
SANTOS DUMONT 18
IV. FURTHER LINES OF PROGRESS 22
V. THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF
THE AEROPLANE 30
VI. FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS AND
CERTAIN ENEMY MACHINES 37
VII. THE ZEPPELIN AND OTHER
MODERN AIRSHIPS 44
VIII. CONTROLLING AN AEROPLANE 53
IX. FLIGHT-COMMANDER WILLIAM
LEAFE ROBINSON, V.C. 61
X. LIEUT. F. SOWREY, D.S.O., AND
LIEUT. A. BRANDON, D.S.O. 75
XI. THE CAPTIVE ZEPPELIN 89
XII. LIEUT. W. L. TEMPEST, D.S.O. 94
XIII. LIEUT. WARNEFORD, V.C. 104
XIV. THE NEW ARM IN WARFARE 108
XV. FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY 117
XVI. AIR SUPREMACY 123
XVII. FLIGHT-COMMANDER ALBERT
BALL, D.S.O., M.C. 127
XVIII. LIEUT. ALLAN BOTT, M.C. 130
XIX. FLIGHT-LIEUT. GUYNEMER 134
XX. LIEUT. STEWART GORDON
RIDLEY 137
XXI. SOUS-LIEUT. LOUIS NOËL 142
XXII. FLIGHT-LIEUT. HAROLD
ROSHER, R.N.A.S. 147
XXIII. AN OBSERVER IN THE
R.N.A.S. 152
XXIV. HEROES OF THE ROYAL NAVAL
AIR SERVICE 157
XXV. TOLD BY THE ADMIRALTY 162
XXVI. HEROES OF FRANCE 168
XXVII. AWARDS AND DECORATIONS 191
XXVIII. FRENCH APPRECIATION 202
XXIX. THE EYES OF OUR ARMIES
IN THE FIELD 207
XXX. RUSSIAN PRAISE AND
RUSSIAN ACHIEVEMENTS 213
XXXI. ITALY’S PART 219
XXXII. ENEMY ACTIVITY 224
XXXIII. A GENERAL VIEW 231
XXXIV. THE HEROIC DEAD 253
XXXV. CONCLUSION 265
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
FLIGHT-COMMANDER W. L. ROBINSON, V.C. _Frontispiece_
DISTINCTIVE MARKS USED BY BELLIGERENTS
IN THE AIR 31
DIAGRAM ISSUED IN THE EARLY PART OF
THE WAR BY THE FRENCH WAR OFFICE 41
SECTIONAL VIEW OF ZEPPELIN AIRSHIP 49
LIEUT. WARNEFORD, V.C. _face_ 104
BOMB-DROPPING _face_ 128
GUARDING OUR COASTS: A NAVAL PATROL
IN DIFFICULTIES _face_ 154
AWARDS AND DECORATIONS _face_ 192
‘All our airmen are heroes, at home and in France, and the gratitude
of the nation is due to them for the splendid success with which they
have got the upper hand of the air service of the enemy.’
—_The Daily Press_, October 2, 1916.
HEROIC AIRMEN
CHAPTER I
BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION
We approach an intensely interesting subject. Indeed, there is the
danger that we may be tempted to dwell on thrilling achievements before
learning what those achievements really mean. We have all talked
freely in the past of airmen and flying; yet how limited has been our
knowledge! These pages will not, however, touch ground of a purely
technical nature. Matters intricate and involved will be avoided. Harm
rather than good might come from trespassing on ground presided over
by experts. But there is a middle course: we may learn sufficient to
appreciate in a fuller and deeper sense the achievements of our heroic
airmen.
Our subject is wide, as wide, indeed, as the heavens. We must needs
cover much ground, and must regulate our pace accordingly. Much as
we may be tempted to dwell upon this or that branch of the subject,
we shall often be compelled to pass on. For this is a book of heroic
deeds, and our aim in touching briefly upon the birth and early
development of various forms of aircraft will chiefly be with the view
of giving a fuller and deeper meaning to the achievements of such men
as Lieutenant Robinson, V.C., and Lieutenant Warneford, V.C. Happily
there are many such heroes.
‘I was not the only one to go up after the Zeppelin,’ Lieutenant
Robinson said in his first public speech. ‘Men have gone up in
conditions of almost certain death, and some have met their death in
facing the murderers who have come over here. There are men, friends of
mine, who have been maimed for life by going up just on the off-chance
of strafing them on absolutely impossible nights—misty nights, when it
is exceedingly difficult to land, and the ground cannot be seen when
you are up. They get into the clouds, lose control of their machines,
and crash to earth. These deeds are hundreds of times more heroic than
what I did. It was merely my good fortune.’
A brave speech, worthy of a true hero! We shall do well if in the
course of these pages we can get into closer touch with men of such
stamp.