Norman.
V. B. 108-B. 103, May 20, 1915.
Dear Freddy,—Arrived here at the Front last Tuesday piloting two Voisins appareils de bombardement. On the way we bombarded observation balloons, railway centers, poudrières, aviation camps and other locations of Boche activity—but not towns or cities or other localities where the lives of helpless women and children might be endangered. We are in the section where all the French advances have lately been made. The vertical guns of the Boches are particularly annoying to us. They have got two out of six of the pilots of our Escadrille since our arrival. One got down within our own lines; the other fell within the lines of the Boches—whether he was killed or not we do not know.
(Eight miles from the German trenches.)
Been here a week and have become quite accustomed to being shot at. We go out every day and the salutations we get from the Boches are rapid and continuous when we are over their lines. The Boches here have more vertical guns to aim at us—more to the mile of front than anywhere else. There are hundreds of French aeroplanes grouped here because it is in the twenty miles north of Arras and south of the English where all the recent French advances have taken place. Attacks and counter attacks by day and night, and the bang of artillery in the near distance never ceases. We often go out at the same time as the infantry attack behind the artillery fire, the artillery of both sides banging away at the trenches, batteries and at us,—the avions in the air. It is a wonderful spectacle and something frightful as well—until we get used to it!
N. P.