Finally found some time to write about August too.
To be honest, I enjoy flying his missions more than Albrecht's. I don't have that same feeling of the Grim Reaper watching my every move behind my back!
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The Diary of August Ege.
Dienstag, 8.II.1916. Metz-Frescaty (FFA 71).
Early this morning, the pilots and observers of the Abteilung were ordered by Hauptmann Stelzer to assemble in the briefing room. Stelzer doesn’t like circling around issues and in his usual manner went straight to the point: the big push that everybody has been expecting here in the Verdun sector will commence on February 12th! Naturally, this is all top secret stuff and if one of us happens to go down behind enemy lines, he must say nothing about it to his captors. I still can’t believe that all our preparations could have gone unnoticed by the French; earlier this week we saw some really heavy artillery pieces being transported by rail near Metz. They try to do most of the transportation work in the cover of darkness at night, but it isn’t easy to hide weapons like the Langer Max railway guns!
We’ve been photographing the Verdun area like madmen for several weeks now. Soon we will find out whether our pictures have been of use to the artillery! As usual, I find waiting for big things to start happening hard to bear. I just wish we could start tomorrow and be done with the whole business as soon as possible. Alas, patience has never been my greatest strength!
"Upon my word I've had as much excitement on a car as in the air, especially since the R.F.C. have had women drivers."
James McCudden, Five Years in the Royal Flying Corps