COURT MARTIAL.
THE YPRES TIMES
227
dropped a bomb. The pilot of one of our single-seater scouts at once took off to chase
him, and although he took no weapon whatever with him, frightened the Hun so much
by his superior speed that he went off home as quickly as he could. This incident made
us realize the moral value of speed for air fighting apart from its material advantages,
and we then decided that as soon as possible we would try what would happen if a
machine gun was mounted on one of these fast single-seaters. The interrupter gear
was still some two years off, so we had to go in for many and weird expedientsmount
ing the guns at an angle either sideways or upwards, so that the bullets would just clear
the propeller tipssteel protectors on the propeller blades and so forth.
It was on September 6th that aeroplanes first worked directly with corps instead
of entirely under G.H.Q., and this arrangement continued throughout the battle of the
Marne and later on the Aisne. It was on the Aisne that we first saw a German kite
balloon, and there was some competition as to who should have the honour of bringing
the first one down. We never thought there would be any difficulty about it, but found
that the task was by no means so easy as we had anticipated, and further that these kite
balloons were generally well protected by anti-aircraft guns, and that enemy aeroplanes
were on the look out for any of our machines attacking them. In fact, the first attempt
to bring down a German kite balloon resulted in our first casualty from a German
aeroplane.
Early in October the Royal Flying Corps started to move with the rest of the British
Expeditionary Force to the Ypres area. N6s. 2, 3 and 5 Squadrons were attached to
the I, II and III Corps respectively, and No. 4 Squadron remained working directly under
G.H.O.
The period of static warfare now commenced and the R.F.C. set to work both to
obtain and fit better technical equipment to their aeroplanes and to develop methods of
co-operation with artillery and infantry. As far back as 1912 it had been realized that
really successful observation of artillery fire would only be carried out with the aid of
wireless for communications between air and ground, also that air photography would be
a most valuable form of reconnaissance, but progress had been slowed down almost to
vanishing point for want of funds now the financial brake was removed, but apparatus
was practically non-existent.
No one foresaw that these first four squadrons were to expand to ninety-nine on
the Western Front alone, that the number of our air personnel would be multiplied a
hundred-fold or that the total number of aeroplanes in use would rise to 22,000 but it is,
I feel, fair to say that the spirit which animated all ranks of those early days was trans
mitted to the new entry and still continues to inspire the Royal Air Force.
R. B. P.
During the World War the Brigade was
paraded in the form of a square to hear sentence
promulgated on an officer.
We tried to shield the brave, inglorious fool,
But he would have no saving, and he sank.
Of things that I have seen in any rank
In the World War, none made me stern to school
My tears but that grim scene whereat the rule
Of discipline was made to speak, and thank
The souls of soldiers watching from the bank
Bridging eternity, and Life's great pool.
When he went from us stripped of what we held,
I wondered if some woman's lovely face
Loomed in his mind, and formed that bitter smile
His proud face wore when stern words felled
All the high hopes that once his heart did grace.
Where is he Dead or does mad Life beguile
R. Henderson-Bland.
