Diary of Second Lieutenant Harold Gordon Cornell- 1916-1917- Part 8

Visited aerodrome Friday morning, all classes

of machines in stock, saw DH2s, Br Fighters,

Spads SE5s for first time. Visited St

Omer with Williams in afternoon. Quite a

decent town, with plenty of shops, but

everything pretty dear. Evidence of bombing

raids in broken & patched windows, &

shattered buildings. All cellar entrances

protected by sand-bags. Streets dirty &

mostly "high". Tea at Y.M.C.A. Officers Club,

not up to much. In evening a concert at

a hall or barn near by, not that bad.

Sat morning visited town again, market

day & very interesting, went in again with

Williams after lunch. Sunday ditto, fire

at French Barracks at night, which I went 

in to see. Williams posted Monday, took

Tuesday 20th

letter from me for Ted. Orderly officer on

Tuesday, censored letters in morning, on duty

in Office 8 to 10 (approx).  y

Wed. 21st
Guns on front audible at all times here,
excessive firing yesterday, understand a
very big push in progress, which has
had excellent results. Report from aerodrome
that 80 machines lost. Over 20 pilots left
here in last 2 days, no word yet for me.
Food at mess is excellent, but accommodation
poor, [[relief?]] amusements ping-pong & poker
Thurday 22nd Nov.  Yesterday about 11 am.
received notice of posting to 68 Sqdn.
Left by tender about 3 p.m after writing
Mess Cashier at St. Omer for cash to pay
mess bill. Travelled 66 miles by road to
No 2. A.D. (Pool Pilots), arriving about 7-30 pm.
& remaining overnight. 2AD. knew nothing
about me, but rang up 68 that I was
there. The mess Pool was rather a wretched
place, much worse than 4 A.G.D: 10 or 12
men sleeping to a hut, instead of six,
& the whole place in very muddy
conditions. Numbers of RE8 pilots there
sent back when the strength of their
squadrons was reduced from 24 to 18.
Tender arrived for me from 68 Squadron
about 12-30, while I was at A.R.S

examining a Hun machine. Had some trouble
in getting away from Pool, as adjutant seemed
to think was posted there, & wanted
authority to let me go to 68. Convinced
him at last & got away. About 80 minutes
side from 2AD through Doullens to 68 Sqdn
at Baizrema. At present am supernumeracy in
68, but will be attached almost immediately
as there have been several casualties in
this "push" & we are under strength.
Sheppard was wounded Tuesday & is returning
to England. "Burty" Clarke is missing today.
A. Flt. Cimmander (Bell) & Pratt have been also
wounded Benjamin is here & just attached , Lt.
Griggs formerly of 69 also here. Four Hun
machines brought down today by our squadron.
Major Watt appears a very decent chap & I expect to
get on well with him & indeed with all the men.
Our squadron does mostly contact patrol
work, & is chiefly subject to machine gun
fire. Hope to get in a good deal of
practice before going over the lines.
Will have to wait till a machine
arrives for me before I can do any flying.
Each pilot flies only his own machine & had
his own rigger & fitter. Surprised to find
Bill Warren among the riggers here.
Sat Nov 24th  Friday morning was roused at
5-30, with Benjamin & Howard, had breakfast
& travelled by tender to 2 A.D. [[Candas?]] to
collect DH5's. All new machines, left there
about 9 a.m. & flew in formation, close to ground,
([[Around?]] 200-30 ft) back to 'drome Howard
leading. All landed together, flight about
15 mins. & a very enjoyable trip. Mine was
a particularly good machine; & has been
allotted to me. The rest of the day the 'bus
was in the hands of mechanics, shops put on
all T pieces in cylinder heads; new plugs
inserted, bomb racks fitted, [[?]] [[?]],
all rigging overhauled, & machine cleaned up
generally, mechanics say that engine is the
best they have had. My fitter Barber &
rigger      both good men.
Push continued during the day; from

the morning patrol, one machine (Holdens)
returned with fig about 50 bullet holes
through every part of the bus, c.c pipe
shot through, [[?]] control wire, etc. etc.
From afternoon patrol Griggs (formerly 69)
missing, & Hyns (also 69) wounded since died.
This morning was cabled up again 4-45am
& sent to 2 A.D with Holden, Benjamin & Truscott
for 4 more new machines. Only one ready which
H. took back. We three were to leave together,
when our machines were ready. I took off
first, Truscott followed. Flew round drome
for 25 mins. waiting for Benjamin, then saw
2 DH5s in formation & followed, over
Doullens & East. Leader appeared to be uncertain
of his way & steered N.E. instead of S.E. Surprised
to see a 4th 'bus in the formation.
Leader turned off [[?]] [[?]] then seeing
his mistake headed back to Doullens,
wheeled again & cleared off E. The ^other three of
us left him, & landed at a drome which
was firing Very's lights; proved to be
24 Sqdn at [[?]]. Other pilots proved
to be Truscott & a stranger. T & I. again
set off, but lost each other, & I reached
the drome so after some trouble, finding
T already there & Benjamin. Surprised to
learn that B. had had a slight mishap
on the drome & were held up nearly an hour,
so that T & I. had followed two strange
machines. Was to xx have gone up to
machine b.dropping & firing today, & to
visit the lines with Capt Phillips, but wind
increased so much that flying was washed
out. Am to be Ord Officer for tomorrow.
7 pilots off strength in last four days
Ward, missing, Sheppard wounded, Capt Bell S. wounded
Clark O.C. Missing, Griggs missing. Arguss D of W.
Monday 26th Nov  Yesterday was bitterly
cold & a most violent wind prevailed
all day, slackening off a little towards
evening. A few of us went up then
but the air was very bumpy, & it
was dark within 15 mins after I
left, the ground, & light were

fired to bring us back. Peformed the
duties of O.O. during the day, the chief
business being letter censoring. Today
Clark, benjamin, Forest, Grant, Truscott
& myself, with Howard as leader, had
a formation flight over towards the
lines, through Bapaume towards
Cambrai, down near St Quentin, & back.
We were at no time over enemy
country, but s Hun Achie fired
a couple of salvoes near us. We had
a most interesting trip; lost Clark
near St Quentin; he landed xx with a.
dud engine, & found his way back
during the afternoon. Had two trips
during the afternoon, dropping bombs
& machine gun firing on the 'drome
Taylor brought down a Hun 2 seater
today.
Tuesday. Nov 27th  Another dud day, wind
rain, no machines have been out all day.
Have had ^prs of. [[?]] altered in my bus, also
prs of B.Wire for c.c gear. Received my
first letters since arriving in France.
Thursday 29th.  Nothing of importance to report.
Two flights yesterday around the 'drome dropping
bombs & proching with mg: similar performance
today, & this afternoon visited Bapaume,
landing at A.L.G; Power arrived tonight
from 2.A.D: Four machines written off today,
Grant & clark landing at A.L.G.; Howard shot
through longeron by Hun 2-seater which he brought
down. & Truscott.
Saturday Dec 1st  Yesterday morning I was called
at 7-30 for 9-30 patrol, but I had just
stared breakfast (about 5-10) when the Klatron
went for both patrols A &.C. "C" patrol
was to be on trench strafing, & our patrol
was to stay overhead, & protect them.
Capt Phillips & myself, & Holden followed close
behind the "C" Formation, Clark the 4th
man, was late & followed up later. We arrived
safely over Bruxton wood & their the fun
began; it to me it was all very
surprising, I could pick out the Wood

- Cambrai in the distance, but other features
I had no time to identify, & was uncertain
all the time, just what portion of the ground
was in our hands, & what in the Bosch.
We flew at about 3000 ft, & I hung on to
capt. Ph. as best I could, for he was dodging
about everywhere. A tremendous amount
of firing was going on below us, both m.g.
& shelling; at times when we got over
Hun territory, we would be aichied &
have to dodge back: for the most part
I understand we kept just within our own
territory. Huns in numbers (though I didnt
recognise them) were further East, but
they made no attempt to come our
way. In one of my [[?]] I was right of
Phillips, & backed myself on to Holden & remained
with him some time. Suddenly a Hun 2 seater
shot by on my right, & I whipped round in case
he should attempt to bet on my tail; however
he kept right on & was about out of range
before I could right him. His observer
fired a burst at me which went wide,
& I turned back to look for Holden.
Couldn't find him,but came across Clark,
who had arrived, & followed him round
a few minutes, when my engine suddenly
sputtered & stopped. I turned & made for
our territory (Fancy I was over Hunland at the
time) but quite failed to get more than
a arbitary kick out of the engine. Imagine
I was heavily fired at while gliding but if
so was not hit. Was coming down cross wind
& in my anxiety to reach our lines, left it
too late to turn up wind. Struck xxxx ground
cross wind, swept off undercarriage & turned
completely over, striking my nose on the wind screen
& finding myself highly pinned in the machine.
blood was flowing freely from my mouth & nose, but
otherwise though shaken I was not hurt, & after
some difficulty I unfastened belt, & managed
to worm my way backwards & out of machine
between struts. I suppose I was 10 minutes
getting clear. All this time shells were falling
thickly arr round, but I was rather too