homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields Deep Immersion DiD campaign -- Player Instructions (UPDATED 28 Nov 2018)

I sure have missed you Gentleman! It seems everyone is still here and no one has gone west. Great stories all.

Dec. 22, 1916
Sgt. Frank F. Lucas
54 RFC
English Channel headed to France

54 Squadron had been formed in May as a home defense squadron but things change during war. It was equipped with Pups in October in anticipation of its need at the front. Frank Lucas had been posted to 54 along with Sgt. Sears in Mid December. The weather had been horrible and the squadron had not up much when the orders came to ship to St. Omar. As the weather was still too bad for flying, the squadron would go by transport across the channel. Frank was hoping he might receive a new machine as his Pup at Castle Bromwich was prone to engine failure. Out of the 4 patrols he flew after being posted, two had ended in engine failure.

Acting Major Kelham Kirk Horn was CO of the squadron. Frank liked the man very much and had a lot of respect for the 30 year old Australian. He was a had but fair taskmaster. Frank liked the fact that he did not look on the two sergeants, himself and Sears, as being anything less than Pilots in his squadron. One of the points he stressed was that once combat patrols started, only claims that were an absolute certainty would be submitted. Frank figured this might be his way of stressing that the squadron fight as a unit.

Sears and Frank stood on the cold wind swept deck of the transport as opposed to the dank smelly bowels of the ship. “Might as well get used to this. What you say friend?” Frank asked Sears. Sears pulled his coat closing the neck a little more. If that was possible. “I suppose you are right” he replied as he watched the low grey clouds skid across the sky.

Frank liked the 27 year old Englander. In his short time with the squadron they had become good friends. The friendship might have come from necessity. As the CO treated them as equal pilots in the air, on the ground they were still sergeants.

Frank gripped the rail a little tighter and his mind flashed back. How the hell did a 20 year man from Alabama end up on he ship in the English Channel? He could not wait to get down to the business of combat flying.