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2nd Lt. Mark Fairchild
56 RFC
Liettres
August, 1917

Lt. Fairchild sat on a table in the medical tent getting his arm bandaged. A nasty cut on the upper arm courtesy of the Hun archy while attacking Douai aerodrome.

Rhys Davis stuck his head in the tent. “How’s the arm ol’ boy?

“Just a nick” Mark replied. “I will be ready for the next mission Sir.”

“That’s the spirit yank! if the rest of your countrymen are as game as you we could end this show pronto! IF they were here” he said sarcastically.

Mark was used to the American jokes. It upset him at first but learned he would have to get used to them or have a miserable time. It had been a long journey to a medical table in France. He had joined the army in 1913 and served in the cavalry during the Poncho Villa campaign in Mexico. It was there he volunteered to be an observer in an airplane the first time America used them. He was hooked. Not being able to join the American air service he had gone to Canada and joined the RFC. Being in the cavalry and being an “experienced observer” he had no trouble being accepted.
He chuckled to himself at the “experienced observer” part. He may have stretched the truth a bit.

This wound came on his second mission after returning to 56. Two months ago his flight had attacked 3 bombers and just when he fired his last burst that sent the Hun machine in a nose dive to the ground the observer hit his machine and a bullet broke his leg at mid thigh. He was lucky to have made it back. How the bullet missed the artery was a miracle. His longtime wingman Fluke had been killed on the same mission he learned later. To add salt to the wound no one saw his DWFC tumble to the ground. At that his confirmed total stood at 7.

It was a long 2 months and 2 operations to get back on his feet, even though he still walked with a very pronounced limp. Still, it was good to back among his friends. He had gained their respect and they had earned his.