CHAPTERXII

chapterxii

onebranchofourmilitarymachinedevelopedwithastonishingrapidityandskillduringthosesommebattles.theyounggentlemenoftheairforcewent“allout”forvictory,andwererecklessinaudacity.howfartheyactedunderordersandagainsttheirownjudgmentofwhatwassensibleandsoundinfighting-risksidonotknow.generaltrenchard,theirsupremechief,believedinanaggressivepolicyatallcosts,andwasanapoleoninthiswaroftheskies,intolerantoftimidity,notsqueamishofheavylossesifthebalanceweretippedagainsttheenemy.someyoungflying-mencomplainedtomebitterlythattheywereexpectedtoflyordieoverthegermanlines,whatevertheweatherorwhatevertherisks.manyofthem,afterrepeatedescapesfromanti-aircraftshellsandhostilecraft,losttheirnerve,shirkedanotherjourney,foundthemselvescryingintheirtents,andweresentbackhomeforaspellbysquadroncommanders,withquickobservationforthebreaking-point;ormadeafewmoreflightsandfelltoearthlikebrokenbirds.

soonerorlater,apartfromrarecases,everymanwasfoundtolosehisnerve,unlesshelosthislifefirst.thatwasaphysicalandmentallaw.butuntilthattimetheseflying-menweretheknights-errantofthewar,andmostofthemdidnotneedanydrivingtotheriskstheytookwithboyishrecklessness.

theyweremostlyboys—babes,astheyseemedtome,whenisawthemintheirtentsordismountingfromtheirmachines.on“dud”days,whentherewasnovisibilityatall,theyspenttheirleisurehoursjoy-ridingtoamiensorsomeothertownwheretheycouldhavea“binge.”theydrankmanycocktailsandroaredwithlaughterover,bottlesofcheapchampagne,andflirtedwithanygirlwhohappenedtocomewithintheirorbit.ifnotallowedbeyondtheirtents,theysulkedlikebabyachilles,readingnovelettes,withtheirkneeshunchedup,playingthegramophone,andingeachother.

therewasonechildsoyoungthathissquadronleaderwouldnotlethimgooutacrossthebattle-linestochallengeanygermanscoutinthecloudsordoanyofthefancy“stunts”thatwerepartofthenextday'sprogram.hewenttobedsulkily,andthencamebackagain,inhispajamas,withrumpledhair.

“lookhere,sir,”hesaid.“can'tigo?i'vegotmywings.it'sperfectlyrottenbeingleftbehind.”

thesquadroncommander,whotoldmeofthetale,yielded.

“allright.onlydon'tdoanyfooltricks.”

nextmorningtheboyflewoff,playedalonehand,chasedagermanscout,droppedlowovertheenemy'slines,machine-gunnedinfantryonthemarch,scatteredthem,bombedatrain,chasedagermanmotor-car,andaftermanyadventurescamebackaliveandsaid,“i'vehadarareoldtime!”

onastormyday,whichloosenedthetentpolesandslappedthewetcanvas,isatinamesswithagroupofflying-officers,drinkingteaoutofatinmug.oneboy,theyoungestofthem,hadjustbroughtdownhisfirst“hun.”hetoldmethetaleofitwithmanydetails,hiseyesalightashedescribedthefight.theyhadmaneuveredroundeachotherforalongtime.thenheshothismanenpassant.themachinecrashedonoursideofthelines.hehadtakenofftheironcrossesonthewings,andabitofthepropeller,asmementoes.heshowedmethesethings(whilethesquadroncommander,whohadbroughtdowntwenty-fourgermans,winkedatme)andtoldmehewasgoingtosendthemhometohangbesidehiscollegetrophies...iguessedhewaslessthannineteenyearsold.suchakid!...afewdayslater,wheniwenttothetentagain,iaskedabouthim.“how'sthatboywhobroughtdownhisfirst'hun'?”thesquadroncommandersaid:

“didn'tyouhear?he'sgonewest.broughtdowninadog-fight.hehadachanceofescape,butwentbacktorescueapal...aniceboy.”

theybecamefatalistsafterafewfights,andbelievedintheirluck,ortheirmascots—teddy-bears,abulletthathadmissedthem,chinadolls,agirl'slockofhair,asilverring.yetatthebackoftheirbrains,mostofthem,ifancy,knewthatitwasonlyaquestionoftimebeforethey“wentwest,”andwiththatsubconsciousthoughttheycrowdedinalllifeintenselyinthehoursthatweregiventothem,seizedallchanceoflaughter,ofwine,ofeverykindofpleasurewithinreach,andsaidtheirprayers(someofthem)withgreatfervor,betweenoneescapeandanother,likeyoungpaulbensher,whohasrevealedhissoulinverse,hissecretterror,histears,hishatredofdeath,hisloveoflife,whenhewentbombingoverbruges.

onthemorningsofthebattlesofthesommeisawthemastheheraldsofanewdayofstrifeflyingtowardthelinesinthefirstlightofdawn.whenthesunroseitsraystouchedtheirwings,madethemwhitelikecabbagebutterflies,orchangedthemtosilver,allasparkle.isawthemflyoverthegermanpositions,notchangingtheircourse.thenallaboutthemburstblackpuffsofgermanshrapnel,sothatmanytimesiheldmybreathbecausetheyseemedinthecenteroftheburst.butgenerallywhenthecloudclearedtheywereflyingagain,untiltheydisappearedinthemistsovertheenemy'scountry.theretheydiddeadlywork,insinglefightswithgermanairmen,oragainstgreatodds,untiltheyhadanairspacetothemselvesandskimmedtheearthlikealbatrossesinlowflight,attackingmachine-gunnests,killingorscatteringthegunnersbyaburstofbulletsfromtheirlewisguns,droppingbombsongermanwagontransports,infantry,railwaytrains(onemancutatraininhalfandsawmenandhorsesfallingout),andammunition—dumps,directingthefireofourgunsuponlivingtargets,photographingnewtrenchesandworks,bombingvillagescrowdedwithgermantroops.thattheystruckterrorintothesegermantroopswasprovedafterwardwhenwewentintobapaumeandperonneandmanyvillagesfromwhichtheenemyretreatedafterthebattlesofthesomme.everywherethereweresignboardsonwhichwaswritten“fliegerschutz!”(aircraftshelter)orgermanwarningsof:“keeptothesidewalks.thisroadisconstantlybombedbybritishairmen.”

theywereanewplagueofwar,anddidforatimegainacompletemasteryoftheair.butlaterthegermanslearnedthelessonoflowflyingandnightbombing,andin1917and1918camebackingreaterstrengthandmadethenightshorribleincampsbehindthelinesandinvillages,wheretheykilledmanysoldiersandmorecivilians.

theinfantrydidnotbelievemuchinourairsupremacyatanytime,notknowingwhatworkwasdonebeyondtheirrangeofvision,andseeingourmachinescrashedinnoman'sland,andhearingtherattleofmachine-gunsfromhostileaircraftabovetheirowntrenches.

“thoseaviatorsofours,”ageneralsaidtome,“aretheestliarsintheworld.cockyfellowsclaimingimpossibleachievements.whatproofcantheygiveoftheirpreposteroustales?theyonlygointotheairservicebecausetheyhaven'ttheplucktoserveintheinfantry.”

thatwasprejudice.thegermanlosseswereproofenoughofourmen'sfightingskillandstrength,andgermanprisonersandgermanlettersconfirmedalltheirclaims.butweweredishonestinourreckoningfromfirsttolast,andthebritishpublicwashoodwinkedaboutourlosses.“threeofourmachinesaremissing.”“sixofourmachinesaremissing.”yes,butwhataboutthemachineswhichcrashedinnoman'slandandbehindourlines?theywerenotmissing,butdestroyed,andtheboyswhohadflowninthemweredeadorbroken.

totheendofthewarthoseaviatorsofourssearchedtheairfortheiradventures,foughtoftenagainstoverwhelmingnumbers,killedthegermanchampionsinsinglecombatorintourneysinthesky,andletdowntonsofhighexplosiveswhichcausedgreatdeathandwidespreaddestruction;andinthisworktheydiedlikeflies,andoneboy'slife—oneofthoselaughing,fatalistic,intenselylivingboys—wasofnomoreaccountinthegeneralsumofslaughterthanasummermidge,exceptasonelittleunitinthearmiesoftheair.