OT: Diary and Letters of a WWI Fighter Pilot

[gordohk 1]

by Christopher Burgess. Has anyone read this book? I am thinking about buying it. Thanks

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Gordohk, it 's a very good collection of Lt. Guy Knocker's personal writings, (who flew Camels in RFC 65 later in the war). You won't be disappointed. That being said, there are others I would go to before this one, assuming you haven't already read such classics as Yeates' "Winged Victory", Lewis' "Sagittarius Rising", Lee's "No Parachute", McCudden's "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps", Biddle's "the Way of the Eagle", Grinnell-Milne's "Wind in the Wires", Coppens' "Days on the Wing", Bishop's "Winged Warfare", and Hall's, "En L'air!", just to name a few.

 

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[DukeIronHand 8]

...and Hall's, "En L'air!", just to name a few.

 

RAF_Louvert what did you think of this book?

 

I have glanced at it (part of your d/l book collection?) but never gave it a serious study based on Hall's reported reputation...at least per some authors.

 

The rest are, of course, excellent reads except for Coppens and Lewis's books which I have yet to come across. Especially want to read "Sagittarius Rising" being a 56 Squadron slappy.

[gordohk 1]

Lou, I may give it a go. I have a few of those you listed. The ones that I don't I'll add to the list. Thanks

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Gordohk, several of the books I listed above are in the WWI Library downloads I made available in the OFF DL section, if you didn't feel like buying them right now.

 

Duke, what I particularly like about Bert Hall's book is that it is so different for all the other personal narratives of the WWI pilots. He was clearly not your typical "Gentleman Flyer", and he describes some very rough and tumble times while serving in the French Foreign Legion immediately following the outbreak of the War. And he does so in a way that makes you feel as if he really rather enjoyed it. At times he almost seems a soldier of fortune, but for the fact that he was being paid a penny a day while in the Légion étrangère. Here is an excerpt from the book that gives some of the flavour of this character:

 

It was here that we learned about the custom in the Foreign Legion of having a comrade de combat. He is a sort of fighting side-partner. You and he are supposed to stay together always during action. The comrade de combat assigned to me was an Italian by the name of Conti. He told me that he had been out of jail only nine days during the last eight years. Before joining the Legion he had been a bicycle thief to begin with. He said that this did not pay him well enough, so he took up grave-robbing, and found that a much more profitable business. I made him believe that I was a much worse character than he was, so we got on fine. In fact, Conti and I became great friends before our training at Camp de Mailly was over.

 

Conti used to steal my knife on an average of twice a week, and would very probably try to sell it back to me the day following. On one occasion, in particular, I had received some chocolates from a young lady in Switzerland. As I did not want to open the package in the afternoon that I received it, (all of my comrades would have wanted a piece and sweets are very rare), I hid my chocolates in my knapsack. Between the time I received it and night, it disappeared. Conti was sleeping peacefully, but I felt as though he had my chocolates. As we all carried big knives at that time I put my knife against his neck and awakened him and said: "Conti, give me my chocolates." He produced them. Stealing was second nature with most of these men.

 

"En L'air!" really is worth the read, and I do put it high on the list, despite what was sometimes said about Hall in the past.

 

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[UK_Widowmaker 571]

If you had to chose just one Lou...which one would it be?

[Olham 164]

You didn't mention McCudden's "Flying Fury", Lou, which seems to be quite famous.

Did you not like it for any reason? (It's on my list, so I'd like to read your opinion).

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Olham, "Flying Fury" is the later title of "Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps". They are one in the same book Sir, and many folks have been confused by this over the years.

 

WM, I don't know how I could pick just one, it was hard enough to keep the above list so narrow. Others that should be included are Archibald's "Heaven High, Hell Deep", Rickenbacker's "Fighting the Flying Circus", McConnell's "Flying For France", James Hall's "High Adventure", Heydemarck's "Double-Decker C.666", Lee's "Open Cockpit", Kingsford's "With the Earth Beneath", and Rosher's "With the Flying Squadron". And still there are many I am missing. But, I suppose if I had to choose just one to have with me on the desert island I'd be stranded on, it might well be "Sagittarius Rising". Fortunately, I don't really have to choose just one.

 

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[Olham 164]

Oh, I see. Well, I'm still so green, when it comes to literature about WW1 air combat.

Thank you, Lou!

Widow, you should at least allow one for each nation. I bet it would still be impossible for Lou though.

For the Germans, the book by ErnstUdet and that by Julius Buckler were the most sympathic reads for me so far.

"No Parachute!" is simply a very great read for the British side.

[Dej 17]

After 'No Parachute' Olham, you should try to obtain (try the library) 'Open Cockpit'. It's more of the same but with a subtle difference, more frank perhaps and with a wealth of insight into other aspects of flying Pups... the castor oil induced nausea, how to have a pee in the cockpit, how inadequate they were against the D.III (or so Lee felt). Longer descriptions of day-to-day squadron activity too and much evidence to support Creaghorn's point about the effects of damage.

[Olham 164]

Thank you for the tip, Dej - it's also by Lee, I understand?

Well, I'll keep it in mind. First though, I want to get Lewis' "Sagittarius Rising".

[DukeIronHand 8]

...how to have a pee in the cockpit

 

Do share! I seek full immersion!

[Olham 164]

Well, I'm often close to that!

I hate to interrupt a sortie for a break on the toilet; so I know how it is to be under such pressure.

I sometimes just manage to land the bird in onbe piece, and "whoosh!" off I am.

In RL the other pilots would surely wonder, when they asked me "did you get one?" and I'd reply:

"Later, boys! Make room!! Got to pee!!!"

[Dej 17]

Do share! I seek full immersion!

 

I quote:

 

'.... I hold out for a time, but the call becomes urgent, and I give my reluctant attention to a difficult expedient, with the hope that no Hun will come along at an inconvenient moment. My hands are completely numb, but I pull of my right gauntlet and fumble interminably at opening buttons, which takes quite a time, because my fingers have no sense of touch. Then comes the task of finding the way through obstinate underclothes. This achieved, there is the problem of where? The refined procedure is to have a funnel with a rubber tube running to a container on the floor of the cockpit, but most of us just aim at the joystick and hope for the best, the hope being strongest over Hun territory....

 

... Of course, the even more difficult predicament is capable of neither solution nor description, but it is a real problem, for the castor oil fumes that one inhales for hours at a time from the Le Rhone rotary engine constitute a positive purgative....'

 

At the time he describes, Lee is at 20,000 ft. He is wearing, over his normal underclothes and uniform tunic and trousers, two pairs of thick socks, thick fleece-lined thigh boots, two thick sweaters, a long wollen scarf wound around his neck, a knee length wool-lined sheepskin collared leather jacket, silk gloves and wool-lined leather gauntlets with a detachable mitten end... and he's numb with cold and short of breath.

[DukeIronHand 8]

I quote:

 

'.... I hold out for a time, but the call becomes urgent, and I give my reluctant attention to a difficult expedient, with the hope that no Hun will come along at an inconvenient moment. My hands are completely numb, but I pull of my right gauntlet and fumble interminably at opening buttons, which takes quite a time, because my fingers have no sense of touch. Then comes the task of finding the way through obstinate underclothes. This achieved, there is the problem of where? The refined procedure is to have a funnel with a rubber tube running to a container on the floor of the cockpit, but most of us just aim at the joystick and hope for the best, the hope being strongest over Hun territory....

 

... Of course, the even more difficult predicament is capable of neither solution nor description, but it is a real problem, for the castor oil fumes that one inhales for hours at a time from the Le Rhone rotary engine constitute a positive purgative....'

 

At the time he describes, Lee is at 20,000 ft. He is wearing, over his normal underclothes and uniform tunic and trousers, two pairs of thick socks, thick fleece-lined thigh boots, two thick sweaters, a long wollen scarf wound around his neck, a knee length wool-lined sheepskin collared leather jacket, silk gloves and wool-lined leather gauntlets with a detachable mitten end... and he's numb with cold and short of breath.

 

Okay...maybe there are some things I'll just have to simulate. What are the keys again for "Fly Straight and Level"?

[Adger 85]

Agree totally lou "Sagittarius Rising" is indeed a really good read,take it everywhere with me (bout halfway thru) im interested in no parachute very pricy

over her in blighty thou

[Dej 17]

Thank you for the tip, Dej - it's also by Lee, I understand?

Well, I'll keep it in mind. First though, I want to get Lewis' "Sagittarius Rising".

 

DO. It's an essential read, similar to Udet in its air ace and 'post-war gentleman aviator adventurer' content, but much better written.

 

Have you read 'Winged Victory' yet? If not then you have the unique opportunity to obtain that and 'Winged Victor' (the new biography of V. M. Yeates) and read them back to back, each for the first time! I wish I'd been able to, but I first read 'Winged Victory' long ago. The biography is available from the Cross & Cockade website.

[Dej 17]

Agree totally lou "Sagittarius Rising" is indeed a really good read,take it everywhere with me (bout halfway thru) im interested in no parachute very pricy

over her in blighty thou

 

Visit your local Library, Sir, or join if you're not yet a member, 'No Parachute' is readily available via inter-library lending. As are all the seminal WW1 aviation works.

[Adger 85]

Thanks Dej,you know i never thought about the library,il have a nosy now,thank you v much

Edited May 12, 2011 by Adger1971

[Olham 164]

Dej, thanks again. I know these must be great reads, and "Winged Victory" is on the list, too.

Adger, here are some prints of "No Parachute", beginning at 33 Dollars.

 

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=arthur+gould+lee&sts=t&tn=no+parachute&x=36&y=8

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Dej, you quoted Lee's "Open Cockpit". Does this mean you are currently in possession of a copy? If so, I have a favour to ask concernig the copy I have.

 

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