2nd Lieutenant Kevin Carroll 41 Squadron Conteville
1 confirmed kill
12th June 1918
The rain had finally relented overnight but it was still the afternoon before the airfield was ok to use.
Major Bowman had briefed the squadron on their mission which would be taking off at 4pm.
At 2.30pm the aircraft were being readied. Kevin was sat in his cockpit helping to load the vickers and lewis drums.
The Adjutant appeared at his office window and shouted for Major Bowman. The Major went over and there was a short conversation which Kevin couldn't hear.
The Major then came back and called the chief mechanic to him. "How many aircraft our ready right now, fueled and armed?" asked Bowman.
"Three sir, your's, Captain Hemming's and Lieutenant Carroll's sir." replied the Chief.
"Right, start the engines on those three, we have incoming aircraft" said the Major.
"2nd Lieutenant Carroll, Captain Hemming, grab your gear. We have incoming two seaters coming towards us. There's no time to get the others ready" said the Major.
Kevin was airborne shortly after and formed up with the Major and Hemming.
They'd climbed up to around 2000 feet when Kevin saw dark specks coming in from the east.
He didn't wait to be asked. He throttled up and climbed as fast as he could.
He now saw they were German DFW's and there appeared to be seven of them.
The other two now followed Kevin on climbing as fast as they could but Kevin was some way ahead of them. He was nearing the bombers now and crept up on the leader.
The other two seaters started evading but the leader held his course for a few more seconds which allowed Kevin to come up behind him and blast the unsuspecting hun. Now the German tried to evade but Kevin just kept on hitting him. The next moment the DFW lurched into a spinning fall and Kevin watched him most of the way down.
He now came around for another target. He came up behind another DFW. This one tried to evade but Kevin swung with him. He'd reloaded his lewis gun and now poured both weapons into the Hun. Another burst and the DFW rolled over and fell.
Kevin wasn't sure he wasn't trying to fool him though so he dived with him.
The DFW was trying to level out but Kevin hit him again. The DFW now fell into the same spinning fall that the previous one had done and went into the ground.
Kevin realised there was no chance of catching any others so spotted the other two SE's and formed up. Together they headed home.
On landing Kevin climbed out and joined Major Bowman and Captain Hemming, together they headed in. "How did you coax that much climb out of your crate Lieutenant? I couldn't get anywhere near you" said the Major.
"Well, however you did it, you flew fantastically well. I saw you down those two DFW's myself, so you can count them straight away" said the Major.
"Thank you sir, I thought if we attacked them quickly we might break their group up and it worked" said Kevin.
Later on the Major spoke to the squadron in the mess. "Enjoy your drinks chaps but don't be going mad. We'll be out early tomorrow".
"A great deal of an aeroplane could be holed without affecting its ability to fly. Wings and fuselage could be—and often were—pierced in 50 places, missing the occupants by inches (blissfully unaware of how close it had come until they returned to base). Then the sailmaker would carefully cover each hole with a square inch of Irish linen frayed at the edges and with a brushful of dope make our aircraft 'serviceable' again within an hour."
