I ask the indulgence of critical readers amongst the air men to any technical errors they may discover (knowing how keenly they will look for them). I make no pretence to being a flying man myself, but because I have done flying enough—or rather have been flown, since I am not a pilot—to know and appreciate some of the dangers and risks and sensations of the work, and have lived for over a year in the Squadrons at the Front, I cherish the hope that I have absorbed enough of the nature and atmosphere of the work to present a true picture of the life. I shall be very well content if I have been able to do this, and, in any slightest degree, make plain how vital to success a strong Air Force is. I have had experience enough of the line, and have gained enough knowledge of the air, to be tremendously impressed with the belief, which I have tried in this book to pass on and spread, that every squadron added, every man trained, every single machine put in the air, helps in its own measure to bring us to final victory, more quickly, and at a less cost in the long and heavy "butcher's bill" of the war.
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | Silver Wings | [1] |
| II. | Bring Home the 'Bus | [14] |
| III. | A Tender Subject | [32] |
| IV. | A Good Day | [46] |
| V. | A Rotten Formation | [57] |
| VI. | Quick Work | [68] |
| VII. | The Air Masters | [80] |
| VIII. | "The Attack was Broken" | [94] |
| IX. | If They Knew—— | [107] |
| X. | The Fo-fum's Reputation | [120] |
| XI. | Like Gentlemen | [131] |
| XII. | "Air Activity" | [146] |
| XIII. | The Little Butcher | [164] |
| XIV. | A Cushy Job | [178] |
| XV. | No Thoroughfare | [185] |
| XVI. | Thrills | [196] |
| XVII. | The Sequel | [212] |
| XVIII. | The Raid Killers | [232] |
I
SILVER WINGS
An old man working in one of the aircraft factories once complained that he was not very satisfied with his job. "I've got three boys out Front, all in the infantry; and I keep thinkin' to myself, Why shouldn't I be doin' some sort of munition work that 'ud help my own three boys? I don't know a livin' soul in the Flyin' Corpse; why should I be workin' for them, an' not makin' shells or bombs or suthin' that 'ud be helpin' my own three boys?"
And then somebody told him how he was helping his boys, what the work of the air services really meant, how the artillery observation, and photographing, and bombing, and directing the guns on to hostile batteries and machine-gun emplacements, and so on, all worked up to the one great end, to making the task easier for the infantry, to saving the lives of the men on the ground; and told a few stories of some of the ninety and nine ways this help works out.