homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation Wings: Over Flanders Fields DiD Centenary Challenge

Thank you all for the condolences.
Fullofit, great story Hoss!
Lou, good writing as always. Nice paint on your machine.
Carrick, be safe with your new pilot. I feel your pain!

Will be away for a short time. Evan Everheart will join you soon.

Some really great stories in this campaign now! Fullofit, I'm really enjoying Aldi's tale. That green girl with the butterfly wings would look great on the side of his Albatros. Robert, thanks for the great stories and videos. The work you put into these is really appreciated. And very big thanks to you for your help in skinning Colin's Pup "Sheila." Lou, it's a real pleasure to have you flying and posting again. I hope your cat's tribulations are not too taxing! Finally, MFair old pal, PLEASE take care of Evan. Who will he fly for?

Here is Colin Urquhart's latest account...

A journal of the Great War – By an Anonymous Aviator

Part 20

My seventh confirmed kill was deemed bingeworthy, and as luck would have it, a combination of events supported that noble end. On 3 January we had a heavy snowfall in the morning which cancelled all flying. In the afternoon we paraded the entire ship’s company to trample down the snow over the airfield, and then staked out a pitch for a rugger match against 5 (Naval) Squadron, which we won handily. Our squadron concert party had long been scheduled for that evening. The stage was set up in the transport hangar, and Colonel Longcroft was the guest of honour, along with most of Naval Five and officers and men of 23 Squadron. The highlight of the evening was a ventriloquism act by A.C. Clare, who had made up his dummy to look like General Trenchard. It passed ribald comments on the senior officers in the front rows while barking orders to “Make a note of that, Clare!”

The show was followed by a wonderful dinner in A and B Flight Mess, at which Squadron Commander Bromet read a congratulatory telegram about my latest kill which had arrived from General Trenchard himself. The General went on to praise the support we had all given to the RFC during a difficult period.

Franks, the steward, had done up a devastating punch, which he styled “Punch, generals, for the disabling of, Mark I.” It was a steaming hot concoction of rum, brandy, curaçao, mixed liqueurs, and lemons. Captain Walker, the Brigade Major, was quite undone by it. I, too, was – in naval parlance – “overserved.”

I was transferred to Robert Little’s Flight. Little, who prefers to be called “Alex”, is a brilliant pilot with three Huns to his credit. He is Australian, although he told me his father came from Canada. Over punch, Little ordered me to name my Pup. Many of the fellows have taken to painting names on their machines, usually girls’ names. Little has “Vera”, Booker has “Maud”, Simpson has “Binky’, Jenners-Parsons has “Angel’, and so on.

“Isn’t there anyone you think of every time you fly?” Little asked me. There was. Not exactly a love interest, but I often thought with amusement about how I’d ended up flying in France. I recalled that night I’d gone over the wall from Upper Canada College with my pal Matty Novak, and how I’d shared a flask of bootleg whiskey with a girl named Sheila who’d spoiled the romantic evening by throwing up on the two of us.

And so my Pup was christened “Sheila.”



We flew twice to Riencourt on the 5th and 6th to shoot up the Hun aerodrome there. Little let me lead both flights. I nearly bought it on the 5th when bullets from a ground machine gun severed the petrol line. I managed to get up to 2000 feet before the engine coughed and died. It was a long and tense glide over the lines, with Hun Archie and machine guns reaching out for me the whole way. I managed to put “Sheila” down in a rutted and shell-holed field just behind our lines. Fortunately the machine was sheltered from observation by a low rise, so after a long cold day in a forward supply area the recovery team arrived just before nightfall and I walked four miles to Bapaume, where I arranged a drive back to Vert Galant. We revisited Riencourt the next morning, and this time shot the place up properly. Flt Sub-Lieutenant McNaughton, a recent arrival, did not return from the flight on the 5th and was being written off strength when he turned up just before dinner on the 6th. He'd been hit by Archie and crashed not far from where I'd come down, but had spent the day in a shell hole under fire. The squadron commander has given him 48 hours' leave.

I was deeply affected to learn that Dudley Duckett, the young English schoolboy I'd recently got to know, collided with an Albatros in a scrap and his machine was seen to break up.

And then the snows returned.

Cheap booze and a messy ending, sounds like a fairly standard Saturday night here Raine. Well written

Raine;

Nice one!! I really liked the part about the Trenchard Puppet. I could almost hear the routine going down. I would have loved to hear it all!

Glad you like the skin.

Cheers!

Thanks, Ace! If you want to catch up on the original messy story about Sheila's role in how Colin ended up in the RNAS, it's at page 191 of this thread.

And thanks again, Robert. I feel more like one of the gang now that the Pup has a name!

Thanks Raine, that's a great idea, although I'm not sure how well green goes with blue. Will need a white background. But even before that, Aldi will have to down 5 opponents. Cheers!

Would this do? If so, I can send you the skin.

You are quick Robert. Man, that's green! Send it away! Thanks!

Oooo, just googled the green fairy. Wonder what's Green Fairy in German? I think I'm going to stick with this one.

Grüne Fee

Thanks Lederhosen. Is that "Die" or "Das", or no need?

.

Carrick, sorry to learn of the fall of von Tralenheim. Another brave flieger gone to Valhalla. Here’s hoping Gilbear makes it through.

Fullofit, Aldi best look out for absinthe, it can sneak up on one in some rather nasty ways. By the way, I did a fairy emblem on one of the OFF Albs a long time back. I’m sure I still have the artwork if you’re interested. I won’t be able to look for it though until I get home Friday night.

Raine, congrats on Colin’s seventh confirmed victory, and it must have been a lucky number for him given that forced landing he pulled off. Looks like “Sheila” will fly again soon.

Robert, that is one snazzy-looking bright green fairy, but I fear it may serve as an unwanted beacon to those pesky Nieups.

Glad you all like Allard’s new livery. It took some time to get the cowl sorted out as well as the empennage, thanks to those tricky little wrap anomalies.


Now I am off to meetings in Elkhart, Indiana, but I’ll check back tomorrow morning.

"Die"

you can leave it out or in.
as a a logo I'd leave it out

but I'm not German so maybe someone else will add his komment

wow super looking Albatross Skin.

Gilbear du Bassy
Sgt, C-104
Rosnay, Marne.


May 9, 1917.

Up and down 2 times today, there were foul ups in both. On the morning flight, no escorts showed up so the flight leader cancelled and back to the barn. The afternoon flight had a solid overcast down to 300 meters over the lines. The 2 of us tried going in but took rife hits so canx and returned home.

When Fullofit asked about a Green female, I thought it was one of these two.
:neaner

:

Lou, Aldi looked on Wikipedia: "Recent studies have shown that absinthe's psychoactive properties (apart from that of the alcohol) have been exaggerated."
Also, thank you for the offer. My hart is set on this fairy.



Carrick, that's a bit too far into the future, heh heh!

Now for the sad part. Capitaine Dominique Urbain was following an Albatros with a dead engine, which he earlier "switched off". Instead of using the speed of his "brick" he followed his prey at just above the stall speed. They were approaching Saint Mard when a gust of wind buffeted his SPAD, the left wing stalled and he plummeted to the ground desperately trying to recover. There was not enough distance to get it done. The brick hit the ground to the amusement of the Hun still sailing towards safety. Incroyable!



Otherwise everything is good. Squadron Commander Cyrus Gold is enjoying his Tripe. Germans are not.



Offizierstellvertreter Aldi Schwarzkopf is waiting for the snow to stop while trying to find out the name of the green drink.

One more thing. Just before the fateful flight Dominique was given a new toy: Nieuport 24, but just 5 minutes later it was taken away and the old SPAD was thrust back into his hands, with the explanation that it is new now (again). What gives?

The high brass apprehended the fate of Dominique and saved new airplane .
My condolence to you for the lost of Dominique.