8
THE YPRES TIMES
flew, therefore, quite close, and saw the occupant leaning over to the right, dead
in his cockpit. So that I should know which of the machines I had shot down
(surely it must go down), I noted the number, 7495, left him, and took on the
next. This one escaped fighting in circles towards the front, but as I once got
close under him I saw that my hits had ripped his fuselage. He also would have
cause to remember the day. All the same, I had to work like a nigger."
The pilot who would have cause to remember returned with bullets in the
petrol tank, in the seat and seat bearers, radiator, engine, planes, centre section
strut, and controls of his aeroplane. Of the remaining three aeroplanes of the
patrol one, riddled with bullets, was landed by its wounded pilot in our lines, and
two got back undamaged.
German Ace's Death.
A month later, on October 28th, two de Havilland pilots of No. 24 Squadron,
Lieut. A. G. Knight and 2/Lieut. A. E. McKay, were on patrol in the afternoon
near Pozières when Boelcke, at the head of six fighters, attacked them. Soon
after the fight began six other German pilots joined in. In diving on Knight's
aeroplane two of the enemy fighters collided, and bits were seen to fall off the
planes of one of them as it glided away east, apparently under control. For
another fifteen minutes the two de Havillands, by brilliant manoeuvring, beat off
all attacks; by this time the fight had drifted east of Bapaume, but the enemy pilots
lost heart and broke off the engagement, allowing the de Havillands to make an
unmolested return.
It was afterwards learned that the aeroplane which had gone down in trouble
as a result of the collision was piloted by Boelcke, that it broke up in the clouds,
and that in the crash which followed the German leader was killed. In less than
two months' air fighting in the Somme battle Oswald Boelcke had shot down
twenty British aeroplanes. The aeroplane on which he did so well was handier,
faster, and more effectively armed than anything flying against him, and all his
combats were offered to him in the air above his own troops.
Nevertheless, he proved a determined, resourceful, and gallant foe, and his
successes inspired the members of his own squadron and put heart once again
into the whole German air service. One may regret the manner of his passing,
but the spirit which he bequeathed to his service lived on. A laurel wreath,
dropped by parachute over the German lines, bore the inscription: "To the
memory of Captain Boelcke, our brave and chivalrous foe. From the British
Royal Flying Corps."
The second volume of the official "War in the Air," from which these
extracts are taken, has been published by the Oxford University Press, price
17s. 6d. net.
THE Committee of the Ypres League wish to announce that, in future, Ypres
Day will be held on the nearest Sunday to October 31st, and that the parade
will be held on the Horse Guards Parade.
It is hoped that this new arrangement will result in large numbers being able
to attend.
The date fixed for 1930 is November 2nd, and particulars of the ceremony will
be notified in due course through the columns of The Ypres Times.
