GUYNEMER BROUGHT DOWN BY A SHELL FROM A HEIGHT OF OVER 9,000 FEET
His only injury was a bruised knee
Towards noon an audacious German airplane flew over the aviation field. French squadrons have taught the enemy respect for their lines and the unfortunate fellow who ventures above them seldom returns home. It was something of a mystery how this one had broken through the barrage. But to ascend to the sky after him and to reach him, no matter how speedy the machine, required several minutes, time enough for the enemy to flee, his mission accomplished. All of the machines had come down except the one driven by Guynemer.
Guynemer came upon his adversary like a whirlwind. He fired. Only one shot from his machine-gun was heard. The airplane fell, the propeller revolving at full speed, and dug itself into the earth. Guynemer had killed the pilot with a bullet in the head.
That evening Guynemer went out for the third time. It was about seven o’clock, over the gardens of Guignicourt (geen-ye-koor), that a fourth machine, beaten down by him, fell in flames.
And as the young conqueror came down at sunset, he executed all kinds of fancy figures in the air to announce his victory to his comrades,—all the turns, and twists and loopings of which he was so great a master.
LAST PAGE OF GUYNEMER’S FLIGHT-BOOK
Recording his final departure