The Ypres Times.
back we called at a field dressing-station This was yesterday, 500 yards behind our
line: now it is nearly two miles."
In these days when so much is written about parachutes and the safety of airmen
it is interesting to recall some exciting incidents in the Ypres area.
June 18th. "A balloon
of ours was destroyed the
other day and the officer
and the sergeant got into
the parachutes which opened
all right and commenced
to descend. As it was per
fectly calm the burning
balloon was right over them
and, being heavier, de
scended quicker than they
did. Consequently, it caught
them up and they were
both killed. This was their
fourth compulsory descent
within a week. To add to
the horror the balloon set
fire to a barn and some
farm buildings and the fire
was, with difficulty, ex
tinguished.
The visit of His Majesty
The King to the front is BALLOON DESCENDING IN FLAMES,
recalled by an entry on Imperial War Museum Photograph. Crown Copyright.
July 7th. The King was
here yesterday and a route was
planned out for him, and several
French officers of high rank and
others, including Colonel went
to the spot where he was to pass
by in order to pay their respects to
him. With the King were to be
The Prince of Wales and the Com
mander-in-Chief. He never turned
up, and Fritz shelled the road he
was to have travelled over. No doubt
a German spy had communicated the
plan to the enemy, but our Intelli
gence Service is so splendid that the
plot was frustrated, the King's route
being changed in the last moment,
and no one knew which way- he
went."
At times some of us got very
annoyed with the men who stayed at
home:-July 13th. Fritz is no
doubt superior to us in the air, and is
H.M. THE KING AT THE FRONT. getting bolder and more cheeky every
Imperial War Museum Photograph. Crown Copyright. day. One cannot help wondering
