Sebtoombs

Great Story Mfair!! So glad your in a Bristol Scout - I love 'em - fun to aim with - But bewarned if you are in a good spot to shoot a two-seater (while in a Bristol Scout) they are in a good position to shoot back. No glory hunting is great advice! Albrecht - Your plane is top-notch, as is your score! Well done sir rest well on leave my friend! Raine - A beautiful Christmas read! I am wondering if M. and Mme Blandurel have a daughter too - but dallying with the more deadly of the species isn't working out too well for young "Runt" Paroni - Again wonderful modelling! Looking forward to seeing what you will achieve in an Aviatik C. Great things I think!! Be on your guard with Beatrice - loose lips sink ships and all that - and stop wearing her shoes!!! Albert - Smashing tale and pictures and looking forward to hearing about the fleshpots of Paris! Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-sur-Mer Nieuport 10C1 Missions 64 Flying Hours 91 Confirmed 10 Claims 18 (one pending) 15th December 1915 Part 16 At the start of the month, the mood in the Squadron was as glum as the weather - pathetic fallacy - they'd call it if this was a novel and not real life. The loss of Cleaver cuts deep, as of this morning Noel Keeble is acting CO, a good chap from Peterborough, with a lot of experience on seaplanes, which he loves. As much as I like him he is no substitute for the Boss. There has been a number of chaps transferred out - including Simon Ackart - I suspect Keeble had had enough of him. Ackart's mind was increasingly on cards and Monique, not on the war, and I'm beginning to realise that Monique has very expensive tastes. It seems that she sees poor Ackart bottomless pit of gifts. The lastest, a full fur coat easily cost him a months salary and which to my mind would have been better off clothing one of our chaps or Ackart himself in this blistering cold. It seems Ackart has a gambling problem too - whether Monique need for gifts has driven him to it or it is his own boredom, I don't know. But he left RNAS-1 owing a number of the chaps a fair bit of money. He was very bad for morale and Keeble has had enough. I pity the poor devils who will have to fly with him. I am beginning to realise that I am better off without her, she may have been the most beautiful creature on God's green earth - but that kind of beauty puts pressure on a chap! I've stopped carrying her picture with me - It turns out I'm quite a superstitious character and was sure that the first few flights with an empty breast pocket would be my last. But I am now free! Noel Keeble The Skies have mostly been quiet. On the 7th and 8th there was a brief break in the weather - though was even more perishingly cold. On the 7th We escorted Rod Dallas on another bombing mission of Ghistelles airfield. We were attacked from below by two brace of Fokker E1s. We shot down all four - though Dallas missed the Airfield. I was credited with two and Murlock and Mctavish one apiece. Taking my Confirmed tally to 10. On the 8th we were on Patrol of our lines with orders to intercept any hostile aircraft. I sent one down in flames and scared the life out of another! Meanwhile, Sid Hoskins on his first flight with the squadron received a confirmed victory on the third. Good lad! I await confirmation. To Be Continued....

My first ever attempt at a narrated video ... Narration may have affected my landing a bit! Hope you like it chaps ... Seb

Perfect! Thank you S!

VonS am I in error here with your tuners? Sorry to have to ask?

Hi lederhosen! I think you will love the new WOFF BH&H2! S!

I echo what Albert and Hassel have written - great stories and accounts... Mfair well done on being the last man standing in 8 RFC Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-sur-Mer Nieuport 10C1 Missions 59 Flying Hours 86 Confirmed 8 Claims 14 Part 15 30th November 1915 The final couple of weeks were dark days in the life of our squadron. The weather closed in and a number of the chaps took the deaths of Arthur and Williams particularly hard. in the past we had a couple of flying accidents and one or two near misses but in the 6 months of flying we had lost no one to enemy action. Noone took the deaths of those fine men harder than the CO Chris Cleaver. He was a man haunted by that fateful mission (See part 14). We had some bad weather that grounded us for 48 hours, the next couple of missions were uneventful. On the 21st November, we were escorting Rod Dallas on a bombing mission. Cleaver led B flight and it was straightforward, we delivered our eggs on the Hun and flew home. It was blasted cold, but not untoward, as we were on final approach of St.Pol-sur-Mer Cleavers plane just dropped out of the sky twisting, then exploding as it hit trees to the west of the airfield. The rest of B flight landed with all haste and ran to the crash site, but there was nothing we could do. Ground staff were there already the blaze too intense and Cleaver clearly dead. Our much loved CO We buried that fine man with a meaningful service put on by the padre and many a tear from his men. He was a fine man and much missed - looking forward we are not sure how anyone could replace him. In other much less important news, I had been awarded the claim for my Aviatik and after a tangle with two brace of Fokker EIs my confirmed victory count has risen to eight. I am now more often than not leading B flight and I feel something of the responsibility of leading some very fine men, Mulock and Keeble among them. Simon Ackart is still very much on the scene and has now two victories to his name the rumours are he will marry Monique at Christmas - I am staying far away. I write this post exhausted, mentally and emotionally drained and hope to receive some leave soon and enjoy time in Blighty, even my father says it would be good to see me. Maybe home for Christmas? Who knows. In dealing with Fokkers the trick is to get very close and aim for the exposed pilot. Once hit they go down fast. To Be Continued ...

Paroni - Wise words my friend! I was so sorry to read about Henri's fate ... I had a close call yesterday almost the same situation. See below ... Albert - Super intro to Grace may he live long and prosper congrats on first victory! Beautiful bombing screenies! Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-sur-Mer Part 14 November 12th 1915 Close call this morning ... honestly I'm quite shaken by the whole thing. A routine dawn patrol took a very nasty turn. We were at about 9000 Feet in tight formation flying through fairly dense snow clouds. It was freezing up there - my lips were bleeding with the cold and I was relieved when they were eventually so numb I could no longer feel the pain. Cleaver (C.O.) led our formation. Rod Dallas still in his ruddy Cauldon was flying as the sole member of 'A' flight which is ridiculous! I was number two, F/L Robbie Arthur number three and F/Sub-lieutenant Edgar Williams number four, flying on Arthur's wing. We passed through some dark clouds, I barely could see Cleaver, or know left from right, up from down as we cleared the dark clouds into slightly less dense white cumulus we realised we at appeared close to three Aviatiks Cs flying in tight formation. Cleaver was right on the money and opened fire. It took me what seemed a lifetime to work out what was going on; so far most air battles have been slow long-planned events. This short battle was all reaction and no planning. The Aviatiks opened fire on us immediately. Arthur and Williams were caught in a deadly crossfire, both planes span out of control, great billows of black smoke and oil following them through the clouds. Cleaver and I attempted to play catch up - but the HA shooting was too intense. I fired a drum of lewis ammunition into the cockpit of one Aviatik and think I saw some flashes but the bullets from the other two drove me off - there was no way I was reloading the Lewis under heavy fire. Bullets had ripped through my instruments, and I had a serious oil leak I was bleeding too and losing blood and I could hear more gunfire directed towards me. I dived away from the Aviatiks back into the dense cloud and was rewarded with silence. At about 800 feet I cleared the clouds and saw that the Aviatik I had shot at was in flames, going down. I watched it crash close to the graves of fallen Arthur and Williams and checked my map, Poperinghe was only about 15 miles to the southwest so I said a prayer for the fallen and made my way there. It was a huge relief as I placed my wheels on the airfield's welcoming bumps and divots. About 5 minutes later I spotted the boss's smoking and tattered Nieuport 11 Bébé bounce to a full stop next to me. We just stared exhausted into the distance - not wanting to leave our damaged planes. To Be Continued ...

Yes … very happy to skin for folks if they want a hand!

Albert T: I'm so sorry to have read of Leopold Doll's sudden demise ... As Paroni says his story is way too short. But, Simon Charles Grace is an interesting character. I served with a chap who had been in the French Foreign legion. We are still close - I look forward to Grace's tales! Paroni: Congratulations on your first and then second confirmed victory, and serving a run-in with EIIIs phew! Albrecht: The gunnery tips are most welcomed for the Nieuport - each bullet has to count! Superb adventures, pictures and confirmed victories. Congratulations on becoming a flight leader! --------- Flight Lieutenant Theodore Aloysius Andrews aka 'Runt' DSC HQ Sqn 1 Wing RNAS in Flanders St. Pol-sur-Mer Part 13 10th November 1915 Today I said goodbye to Davies, he was transported from the hospital last night to St. Pol-sur-Mer before being transported off to a new posting with the RFC this evening. He was brimming with pride to have been awarded a DSC at the same time as myself at this morning's roll call. In my youthful arrogance, I had often thought about receiving a gong - I looked forward to seeing the admiration on Monique's face and the envy on Simon Ackart's. However, when the moment came, the loss of Monique was all I could think of, it is foolish I know, but I still carry her picture with me on each and every flight. She and Ackart are now stepping out together officially and occasionally I have spotted her waiting in the guard room for some date or meal with Ackard, and occasionally catch the scent of her fragrant perfume in the mess. I'm not proud to admit that I dodge her, I can't bear the thought of talking to her - I'm not sure if she even knows I'm still alive. Monique's Picture There have been many nights, too many, when I have laid on my cot wondering how life may have been different if I'd not rescued Ackart from the Hun Fokkers. Davies would not have been almost killed, and maybe I'd be the one with Monique. In that case, maybe I could live with her, but probably not with myself. I am ashamed to say I lie awake, in the cold nights, plotting revenge, but frustratingly to date, nothing suitable had sprung to mind. Last night was one such night; seeing and drinking with Davies in the mess had brought the whole thing front and centre to my mind. However, as I collected my morning oats Davies came up to me with a big grin! "I think we are in for a wee surprise at the parade!" He announced with Welsh gusto. He'd gotten wind of the DSCs. He looked awful, and I told him so. "Ah... That's because I have got a wee surprise of my own for you Runt." He led me to the hanger "Go in lad" he ordered. Inside was the Nieuport freshly painted, "Aye boyo" he laughed, "Now you see why I look so rough, I was up all night painting" I had joked with Davies after we moved to Moranes that we now had a mighty sting in our tail - him and his Lewis. Also because for most of my time in the Morane, I longed to be back in the BE2c - it was such a curiously underpowered little thing and had joked that my promotion came with a sting in its tail so I had painted a crude bumblebee on the fuselage and some yellow and black strips on the engine housing. "It's my going away gift," he said with much satisfaction over his handy work. I don't think I'd ever heard Davies speak so much - but I was glad of every word he said he had become more than a friend over the last six months, he was a brother. Instead of my humble child-like bee was an exquisite work of art, with a mean-looking sting, my name in beautiful calligraphy and a huge long yellow lightning strike. "I won't be there to watch your back Theo ... but you will be in my prayers and I can leave you this art for luck. " I was speechless, but Davies wasn't finished. " I read somewhere that the man who seeks revenge had better dig two graves before he acts - so leave room for God to put things right lad. Don't take it on yourself." He gave me a hearty slap on the back and we ambled to parade. When I returned to my Nieuport, alone, I was F/L Theodore Ayolisus Andrews DSC. To be Continued ... (I hope)