World War I Collection

One year ago today the M.C. unit sailed from New York. After a fine fast run from Chaumont we arrived at Tours at 9:30 Left Tours at 11 o'clock for St. Pierre, left St. Pierre at 12 o'clock on the Bordeaux express for Portiers. Got into Portiers at 1:45 after a schorching hot ride and had to stand up all the way. Had a wonderful time in Portiers. Bummed around with Percy Brown.

Monday May 20 '18. Left Portiers at 7:17 for St. Maxient. Arrived at 9 o'clock. All the boys that were still left there greeted us with open arms. St. Maxient is a most beautiful place now, with

flying and finished B1. It was very rough about noon time, but I enjoyed every minute that I was up. I went up for a half hours air work, and while on a little trip of my own I saw a machine going down on a forced landing. I spiraled down and looked him over. It was Boggie Roberts coming back from his cross country. He made a good landing, and went by. Boggie was five days in making his voyage.

Percy Brown finished B1 this morning and started on his voyage this afternoon.

He started out with a rotary

Friday Aug. 16 ‘18.

Today has been a hard one for loosing men. Another fellow “took off” into Smyth as he was sitting in his machine on the ground. The prop cut him to pieces. He was killed instantly. Woodward got it in a fall. Sutton was cutting up capers and dove through the smoke of an engine and hit a stone wall. Poor old Smyth chumed with Percy Brown and myself in Tours. He was very quiet, but an awfully good hearted fellow. It is hard to see him go, and especialy, through no falt of his own. He had a leg and an arm broken in a fall at Tours last winter, but he