History

THIS week we have another story by the prolific O.B. Myer’s! Myers was a pilot himself, flying with the 147th Aero Squadron and carrying two credited victories and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Following up his first story last week, we have his second published story. “Pip” Preston brings down the great von Stangel. But von Stangel turns out to be an undercover agent…. From the pages of the January 31st, 1929 issue of War Stories it’s O.B. Myer’s “The Buzzard’s Guest!”

Either that lone Jerry was afraid to fight, or else he thought he was too good. But he needed a better excuse than either of those to run from a Yankee ace and get away with it.

• Download “The Buzzard’s Guest” (31 January 1929, War Stories)

Somewhere in France

With another story by O.B. Myers we have another letter from the front reprinted in O.B.’s hometown paper the MOUNT VERNON ARGUS. This one isn’t by O.B. though, it’s from a fellow Mount Vernonite who ran into old Myers as they called him in France who offered to take him for a ride!

Published in the MOUNT VERNON ARGUS, May 25th, 1918:

Following is an extract from a letter received by his parents from Corporal Valentine Treyvoux from “Somewhere in France”:

Well, I’ve got a bit of real news that may be of interest. Your boy is “flying very high these days’’ I bumped into another old Mount Vernonite, old Oscar Myers, who is first lieutenant in the aviation. We sat around and talked for awhile and he said if the weather was fine the following day he would give me the flight or fright of my life. You can bet I was Johnny Thomson on hand—and up we went. Holy smoke! I thought for sure I was straight on my way to meet St. Peter. The earth soon faded beneath us and I found myself passing as Myers called it, through cloud banks. Gee! but it sure was a funny feeling. We dropped down a few hundred feet, about 600 or 700 and gradually mother earth hove into view. Then he thought he would pull a few stunts as he called it, and so he looped the loop, glided, banked and a few others which I forgot in the excitement and then we made a beautiful volplane to the sod. Well, I Just can’t begin to explain or express the feeling one has while in the air, or while doing some of those things, but one thing I can say is this. Before going up we were strapped into the seats with a big strap across our chest and when doing the loop, the machine is turned completely upside down and there we were out of our seats and lying flat on this belt face to earth. Boy, oh boy! that’s the only time I said good-bye to friends so dear, to home and mother in fact everything, but it was only for a moment for he again righted her and it was over. I’ve given you but a vague description, Mother and Dad, but I guess you can get some idea as to what we did. Just as soon as I have a chance again and it’s a fine day, I’m going to bring Mac over and the three of us are going up.

I sure do envy old Myers that’s what we used to call him, but now it’s Lieutenant Myers.

Have Just been called so will close for a while.

Your boy who is always thinking of you. —VAL.

THIS week we have a story by the prolific O.B. Myer’s! Myers was a pilot himself, flying with the 147th Aero Squadron and carrying two credited victories and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The story this week is the first Myers had published in the pulp! Printed in the pages of the January 1929 issue of War Birds, it’s “No Heroes Allowed.”

“Pop” was training these fledglings of his to be careful. He didn’t want any heroes whose medals and extra breeches are sent home through the mail.

• Download “No Heroes Allowed” (January 1929, War Birds)

A Letter from O.B.

As a bonus we have a letter O.B. wrote home to his folks during The Great War that was shared in his hometown paper, the MOUNT VERNON ARGUS. The letter was written on October 11th, the day after he lost two of his pals—Lt. Wilbert White who went down and Billy Brotherton who failed to return from his solo flight. Events described in “No Heroes Allowed” seem reminiscent of events in O.B.’s letter.

Published in the MOUNT VERNON ARGUS, November 13th, 1918:

Dr. S Oscar Myers, of this city, has received the following letter under date of October 11, at the front, from his son First Lieutenant O.B. Myers, of the aviaition section:

“Not only do things happen pretty fast around here, but they happen so fast that you can’t keep your letters even with ’em. Enough comes off most every day to fill an ordinary epistle, but for that very reason, one can’t write every day, nor anywhere near it. Here goes to tell something about yesterday, anyway.

The things which seem to stand out most prominently are that I participated—more actively this time—in shooting down a Hun, and that two pilots from my flight—my ‘buddies,’ as we call ’em—were lost.

Three of us. “White-ee,” Ken Porter and myself, went out on a voluntary patrol about noon; we found a single two-seater way up high just over the lines and attacked. Ken Porter waited to one side to look out for others or to come to our assistance if necessary; White dived first and fired a few bursts, but his guns jammed and he drew off. Then I dived on him and fired quite a burst; just as I dove past his tail and started to pull around on him again, I noticed that the right gun was Jammed. Then the motor quit going (found later than an air pressure lead from the gas tank had broken off), and I noticed that one of the sheet metal handhole covers on the side of the hood had come off and wrapped itself around one of the wires. That made me think that the motor had been hit (I had seen the boche observer shooting at me and his tracer bullets going past as I was diving on him) so I kept right on diving out of the fight, and eventually glided back and made a landing about five kilometres behind our lines. Ken Porter reported that he saw the Hun falling, apparently out of control, directly after and took a few shots at long range, but couldn’t follow him down because others were approaching. So I think my bullets were the ones that got him this time, all right. It took me all the afternoon to get a telephone call through to the aerodrome, to get a car sent up after me, and when I got back about 9:30. I found that White had gone out on another patrol later In the afternoon, got into a fight and ran head-on into a Hun, both going down out of control completely, of course, Besides that, Brotherton, the other chap from our flight went over on a strafing trip, alone and never came back. The tough part is that ’White-ee.” having been on the front here for several months, was slated to be sent back to the states—his orders were on the way through in fact. Also, he is married and has two children at home. He was about 27, I think. We go right on though: only made one patrol today, but that was on account of the punk weather. My machine Is being carried in from the field where I lit; was unbroken, but couldn’t possibly take off there, as it was full of barbed wire.

Mail is still conspicuous by Its absence. It’s getting too dark to write—I’ll send love instead.

And if that wasn’t enough…

For all his many published stories, O.B. Myer’s didn’t really have any series characters. The few recurring characters he did have in the pages of Dare-Devil Aces, we’ve collected into a book we like to call “The Black Sheep of Belogue: The Best of O.B. Myers” which collects the two Dynamite Pike and his band of outlaw Aces stories and the handful of Clipper Stark vs the Mongol Ace tales. If you enjoyed this story, you’ll love these stories!

ALTHOUGH you’d think a pulp magazine publishing stories about the exploits of aviators in the Great War was tailor made to capture the imagination of boys everywhere, it also garnered female readers. Some so ardent they wanted to become commissioned officers in the War Birds Club. Allowing girls to join the War Birds club was even brought up by the C.O. (Feb 34).

Feb 34. But we have to salute the ladies. There is one of them in our midst. Delores Bosanko, of 3286 Stuart Street, Denver, Colorado, has applied for membership; has voted in favor of admitting the Germans and is anxious to do a little writing to members. What do you think of this? Can the ladies belong, or shall we be a stag organization? There was a women’s auxiliary to the Royal Air Force during the war, you know, and many women’s organizations backing up the lads in ’18 right here in the U.S.A. Up at H.Q., we don’t know. What do you say?

But there never seemed to be quite the debate over it like there was for allowing German readers to form their own club (Feb 34). After all, there were “many women’s organizations backing up the lads in ’18 right here in the U.S.A. Up at H.Q.” But it did take a couple months before they agreed to let them in.

April 34. DELORES BOSANKO really started WORDS A-WING with her suggestion, so we can hardly leave her out, can we? But we’re puzzled about Delores. It seems that the opinion of the membership is “No Lady War Birds.” Well, she gets her listing here anyway, by special dispensation. She wants mail.

May 34. MARY A. GRAEF, 1728 North 13th St., Philadelphia, Pa.—A very interesting suggestion that, in the event that girls are barred from the WAR BIRDS, some provision be made for a girls’ squadron or a girls’ auxiliary so that air minded girls can have some rallying point. Miss Graef has Written to Miss Bosanko, of Denver, who started a debate in our organization some months back, and Miss Bosanko agrees with her enthusiastically. (Now there’s a proposition put squarely up to you WAR BIRDS. Do the girls come in and belong to the squadrons we already have—or shall we create a special squadron and give it to them—or shall we bar them entirely? There have been a number of letters written in, but not nearly as many as on the subject of admitting German members. So far, the voting is very close with maybe a slight edge in favor of refusing membership to girls and making the organization stag. Miss Graef has made a fair proposition. What say?)

The matter was resolved by the June issue.

You have been a little careful in your voting on the admission of the ladies. Most of you have evaded the issue entirely and the rest of you are about evenly divided; the slight shade being in favor of admitting the girls in a special squadron if they can qualify. So be it. Girls will be Lady Birds and their squadron numeral—no matter where they live—is “80.” (The Adjutant says that he will take a limited number of lady non-coms, too, and try them out. But he isn’t promising anything unless they behave themselves.) Well, that’s settled.

It was also in the June issue that Dorothy L. Kohn was listed in the WORDS A-WING column.

DOROTHY L. KOHN, 1546 W. 12th St., Davenport, lA., wants to hear from other Lady Birds and says, “Happy landings to the whole outfit. We’ll show those ‘peelots.’ Suppose there were another Anne Lindbergh or Amelia Earheart among us! Would your faces be red?”

Dorothy would go on to be quite active in the club pages. In December 34 she was awarded both a citation for her letter in perfect military form containing six suggestions and a proposed new membership card; and a promotion to 1st Lieutenant (effective October 1st 1934). She garnered additional citation the following year. In January for a very interesting report on the first Mississippi commercial seaplane; February for submitting suggestions and reports in military fashion and, particularly, for an excellent report on her local airport; and in the final month, June, for exceptional service. Dorothy was listed as being a member of Iowa’s 39 Squadron in all her citations rather than the Lady Bird’s 80 Squadron.

Dorothy was go getter outside the club as well and was frequently mentioned in the local Quad City Times. Born July 24th, 1916, she graduated from Davenport High School in 1933 from what was called the “Commercial Course.” She worked as a stenographer her entire career and was employed by the City of Davenport Public Works Department from 1941-1960; secretary to Mayer John H. Jebsen from 1966-1971; administrative assistant to general managers Ken Blackman and Harry Pells at John O’Donnell Stadium during baseball seasons from 1962-1964 and 1976-1978.

She was member of CASI, Putnam Museum, Plus 60, and lifetime member of Newcomb Presbyterian Church and Crown and Anchor Society.

Somehow she found time to indulge in her many hobbies that include traveling, cruising, compiling scrapbooks, correspondence with numerous pen pals, and above all, a lifetime interest in local baseball—where she attended virtually every game at Municipal Stadium, now John O’Donnell Stadium, since it’s opening in 1931 when she was 15 until her death in 2008.

In 1945, the Quad City Times ran an article about Dorothy’s passion for collecting service man’s patches.

Dorothy received shoulder patches from friends in many foreign countries and continues to add to her colorful collection of emblems of fighting units which took part in engagements in the Pacific area as well as in Europe. At the time of the article, Dorothy hoped to add a number of English army medallions to her collection form a young Englishman she had been corresponding with since 1934! At present he was doing guard duty in Germany at a camp where Nazi SS units were being held prisoners.

Somehow during all her secretarial work, collecting, traveling, corresponding, scrapbooking and baseball games are found time to get married in 1954 to Frank Wulf who had served with the Navy in WWII. Frank shared many of Dorothy’s passions including traveling and going on cruises. They would often bring back mementos and souvenirs, which if not put in a scrapbook would find their way on to their Christmas “travel tree” as ornaments.

In March 1970, the Quad City Times featured an interview with Dorothy in the second of a series of article on secretaries who have worked for the mayor. In the article she describes her general daily routine and duties working for the mayor. She also talked about her other love—travel. She said she’d been everywhere in the United States and Hawaii twice, even bought an acre there dreaming of living there one day. But it was their upcoming trip that was to be the fulfillment of their travel dreams.

The Wulfs were planing trip to London that summer during which time Dorothy would finally meet a pen pal she had been corresponding with since 1934—and still exchanged letters with about four times a year!

“He’s a postal worker there, and we wrote to each other all through the war. We sent him packages when things were bad over there. I can’t believe that maybe now we’ll be able to meet for the first time.”

He was also a War Bird!

Pair of Pen Pals Are Now Pals In Person

by Elsie Ryan • Quad City Times, November 14 1971)

FOR 37 YEARS Ernest Benns has had “another woman” in his life. Recently, he finally introduced her to his wife.

But his wife, Rosina, very attractive, blonde and vivacious, wasn’t the least bit jealous. For the “other woman” was an American pen pal, and Rosma’s husband had never met her either except through thousands of letters.

Benns, of Boundary-road, East Ham, England, began to write to Miss Dorothy L. Kohn of Davenport, after he saw a notice back in 1935 in one of those 10-cent magazines, called “War Birds,” asking for English pen pals. Both were interested in aviation at the time.

AS THE YEARS passed, each got married, but they continued to write. “Everything I ever mailed or sent to him arrived safely.” said Mrs Frank (Dorothy) Wulf, secretary to Mayor John Jebens. “I didn’t realize how bad things were there during the blitz years. I would send items such as a pudding mix, and Ernie later told me they couldn’t use it because it called for their entire ration of eggs (one each per family member) for the week Then. I sent mixes that called for water only.”

The Davenport couple left Davenport last Aug. 18—exactly 37 years after the postmark date of the first letter from Benns—but flew first to Germany to Kaiserslautern, Davenport’s sister city in the people-to-people program.

There, they met the Oberburgemeister (mayor) Dr. Hans Jung. “Mayor Jebens had been there five years ago when they were just starting their new city hall, said Mrs Wulf. “Their city hall is 21 stories high and really modern! As modern as anything in Chicago.

“We also visited Switzerland, then on to England. We landed at Heathrow Airport and I knew my pen pal right off the bat. I just knew it was Ernie!”

English newspapers did a story on the two pen pals, and interviewed Mrs Wulf during her visit there.

BENNS TOLD the British press. “When we started writing, Mrs Wulf and I shared the same sort of hobbies, but since then we have written about every topic under the sun. Even during the war we still managed to write. Dorothy would send her letters to Rosina who would forward them to me, in the service.”

Mrs Wulf is almost part of the family, for she is godmother, by proxy, to the English couple’s son, Roger, now 25-years-old. “I don’t know what kind of difficulties I expected.” Mrs Wulf told friends after her trip, “but we didn’t have any. No trouble at all. We left two days after Nixon floated the dollar, but no one refused our money.”

What did they enjoy most. “All kinds of things,” Mrs. Wulf enthused “We saw Winchester Cathedral, the Kew gardens which are fantastic So many roses! Every kind. And dahlias everywhere. Even the smallest yard has flowers All the colors are so intense.

“Possibly it’s due to the moisture, or the temperature. They think they’re having a heat wave at 75 degrees. We enjoyed the countryside, it’s so totally different. At Newforest, which is like a game preserve, purple heather covers the hills.”

“ANOTHER highlight was seeing the crown jewels! Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls . . . everything They’re on display because they’re part of the English people’s heritage. And you should see and hear the orators on soap boxes in Hyde Park! They talk on everything . . . religion, politics, Communists, and the end of the world . . . to anyone who will listen.”

“They have very few appliances in England, not even toasters. Toast is still made in the oven. The food in both Europe and England is delicious. The bread? Well, there’s nothing like it here. It’s a good thing we walked so much or we’d sure have put on weight!”

“We stopped in Suffolk for tea at a littie place and they served creamed tea and big scones hot out of the oven. Scones are richer than baking powder bisquits, lighter, and you spread them with a whipped cream so thick it is like butler, then cover with home made strawberry jam.”

“When you get up in the morning the hot tea is wailing. They did buy some coffee just for us, though. Breakfast is cheese and lunchmeat, soft boiled eggs, tea rusk and crusty bread.”

In the beginning Mrs Wulf and Benns corresponded about every two weeks, then whenever they got a letter, and now average one or two letters a month.

Dorothy retired in 1978. Frank and Dorothy continued to travel and collect things and scrapbook and continue the work she did with the Newcomb Presbyterian Church and, of course, root on the home team at her beloved John O’Donnell Stadium every summer.

Dorothy passed away in 2008 (obit).

• Download “Pair of Pen Pals Are Now Pals In Person” (November 14 1971, Quad City Times)

EYES RIGHT! Pass in review before one of the livest of live-wire outfits, Galveston’s “Lucky Seven Flight” 37 Squadron, Texas.

Roll Call. Captain Robert L. Meade, Flight Commander. Second Lieutenants William A. Meade, Billy Ague, Arthur Lucas, Jr., Carol Oppermann, Malcolm Kirschner, John Hardin, Jr., Francis Dwyer, Jules Lauve, Jr., Cornelius Lauve, and civilian J.T. Russell.

From The Galveston Daily News, April 19th, 1934.

Their Flight Insignia is Winged Dice with Seven showing (pictured above). Meetings are held every Monday night at the Lucky Seven Hutment located behind Robert Meade’s house at 1406 Avenue K. The building is a large, one-room structure decorated with almost every conceivable part of an airplane. The floor is painted green, white and red. The walls are white with a bottom and ceiling border of orange. Hanging on the four walls are pictures of airplanes, blue prints, pictures of aces. Aerial bombs stand in each corner and model planes hang from the ceiling. The hutment contains an aviation library, a bulletin board and on the walls are printed the names of the leading aces of each nation during the war. A large picture of President Roosevelt decorates the C.O.’s corner.

The members of the Lucky Seven Flight met in the Boy Scouts where they were in Troop 20 together. In fact they were still quite active in the scouts attending meetings on Fridays, while attending meetings of the Lucky Seven Flight on Mondays. (Password for admittance: 7 come 11.) Flight Commander Meade described what went on at their meetings in a letter to the WAR BIRDS CLUB C.O.:

Galveston, Texas.
August 18th, 1934.

TO: Wing Commander
SUBJECT: Lucky Seven Flight Meeting Routine.

The Lucky Seven Flight meetings are held every Monday night from 7:30 o’clock to 9:00 o’clock.

The meeting is called to order by the Flight Leader. He is then seated. This is followed by roll call by the Adjutant as he has a record of each individual officer. Members that are absent are fined unless they are able to furnish a very good excuse, and tardy members are fined one cent for each minute they are late. Dues are then collected. These are twenty-five cents a month.

Reports are then heard from certain officers who have been detailed to bring information about certain events that occurred during the World War. (As our object is to study World War Aviation reports always bear upon it). Open discussion of these reports follow.

Members are given the floor by raising their hand and are addressed as “Lieut. Blank.” The C.O. having prepared a list of questions and answers concerning the World War, reads them to his Flight, who in turn write them down on paper and take them home to be studied. Officers are given a written examination on these questions once a month. The man making the highest grade three times in succession is awarded a prize by the Flight Leader. Following this, suggestions for the betterment of the Flight are taken by the C.O. We discuss these suggestions and choose the best submitted. The Flight Leader then asks for donations from each member for the decoration of the Hutment. Each officer Hands in his decoration and certain members are ordered to remain after meeting and arrange them in their proper places. Men seeking entrance into the Flight are then introduced, if any.

General discussion follows; athletic activities, individual activities, such as model making, social activities of the Flight, etc.

Following this all members stand and sing our Flight song, “The Song of the British Airmen.” Meeting is adjourned with the salute to the colors led by Flight Leader.

ROBERT L. MEADE, Jr.
CAPTAIN AND FLIGHT LEADER, SQUADRON 37.

Meade was an outspoken leader who kept his Flight busy. And he kept the WAR BIRDS CLUB C.O. updated with frequent letters of suggestions and activities which were mentioned in the both the FLIGHT NEWS and CITATIONS AND PROMOTIONS sections of THE COCKPIT.

a LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT timeline

FEBRUARY 1934

• ROBERT MEADE, JR., of Galveston, Texas on the subject of admitting German members: “The spirit of patriotism flows in the veins of these German applicants just as it does in the rest of us. As the object of the WAR BIRDS is to revive and retain the ‘Spirit of ’18,’ a man’s patriotism should be the test. It shouldn’t make any difference if he’s patriotic to a different country than ours.”

MARCH 1934

• PROMOTIONS: ROBERT L. MEADE, Jr., 2nd Lieut. Squadron 37, Galveston, Texas. 1st Lieut. Effective immediately. Valuable suggestions.

MAY 1934

• WORDS A-WING: ROBERT L. MEADE, JR.—1406 Ave K, Galveston, Texas, sends along a fine post of eleven men and all the data is drawn up in a military manner. He has evidently formed a live organization. His letters to those who write him should be interesting and valuable.
• CITATION: ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., 2nd Lieut., 37 Sq.—For his suggestion that we publish booklets on Airplane engines, Airplane instruments, Airplane Dictionary. He believes that we should put out four booklets each month.

JUNE 1934

• WORDS A-WING: ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., 1406 Ave. K., Galveston, Tex., has one of the liveliest squadrons in the U.S. He would like to hear from WAR BIRDS attending commercial flying schools. His outfit, “Lucky Seven Squadron,” has a well decorated clubhouse, a library and hold regular meetings.

AUGUST 1934

• ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., has been promoted to the rank of Captain for his general military manner of attending to duty, his faithfulness in forwarding reports and news of his Flight and the value of suggestions submitted. Congratulations, Bob, and “Lucky Seven.”
• Full Page write-up with half page photo of group, a description of their Flight Hutment, and mention of a large house party and dance with an aviation theme the club threw that had been written up in the Galveston Daily News.
• FLiGHT PARADE: LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT—1406 Avenue K, Galveston, Texas. Captain Robert L. Meade, Flight Commander. Second Lieuts. and civ. William A. Meade, Billy Ague, Arthur Lucas, Jr., Carol Opperman, Malcolm Kirschner, John Hardin, Jr., Francis Dwyer, Jules Lauve, Jr., Cornelius Lauve, J.T. Russell. Flight Insignia is Winged Dice with Seven showing. Meetings every Monday night. Password 7 come 11.

NOVEMBER 1934

• CiTATION: CAPT. ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., Squadron 37, for his thoughtfulness in submitting a report on his visit to the Seventh Pursuit Squadron at San Antonio.

DECEMBER 1934

• A page of war bird flight insignias includes Lucky Seven Flight, Squadron 37, Galveston, Tex.
• A letter on Flight Meeting Routine (printed above).

JANUARY 1935

• FLIGHT NEWS: LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT, 1406 Avenue K, Galveston, Texas, reports through Captain Robert L. Meade, Jr., that the flight made a group visit to Galveston Municipal Airport in September and presented the membership cards to the Airport Manager, Mr. Robert Scholes. Besides permitting inspection of facilities. Mr. Scholes consented to give the group FREE ground course instruction.

FEBRUARY 1935

• FLIGHT NEWS: LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT, 1406 Avenue K, Galveston, Texas, continues to be the most active of all War Bird flights. Through the Commander, Captain Robert L. Meade, Jr., various activities are reported: the regular attendance of the flight at ground school classes of the Galveston Municipal Airport, attendance in a body at Galveston Air Show and at the Aerial Circus of Galveston Flying Service Inc., and the addition of several new books to the Flight library. On the personal side, Captain Meade reports a visit paid to the VICTORY FLIGHT at Victoria, Texas, and an attempt at contact with the DEATH ACE FLIGHT of Fort Worth. Captain Meade was unable to locate any of the officers or members of the DEATH ACE FLIGHT. We would like a report on this from the flight in question or any more data in the possession of Capt. Meade. We are in favor of inter-flight visits and if any flight has changed its address, we should be notified immediately.
• CITATION: CAPT. ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., 37 Squadron, for his well written, interesting reports; his intelligent direction of the Lucky Seven Flight and his active interest in other flights. This officer has visited various War Bird flights, been generous with his time in behalf of the organization and has, in every way, conducted himself splendidly.

APRIL 1935

• FLIGHT NEWS: LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT—1406 Avenue K, Galveston, Texas. Captain R. L. Meade, Commanding—continues to be our most active flight, and its reports are models for detail. This flight keeps actively in touch with all happenings at the Municipal Airport and at Fort Crockett, headquarters tor the Third Attack Group. Captain Meade has sent detailed reports with pictures which we may he able to publish later. The flight is also attending ground school and special flight programs are arranged for significant holidays; Armistice Day, Wright Day, etc. A recent guest of the flight was Captain Frederick Kreuzberg, German World War ace credited with 17 victories. During a recent visit to the Coast on the part of the Commander, the flight was led by Second Lieutenant William A. Meade.
• CITATION: CAPTAIN (hereafter, Major) ROBERT L. MEADE, JR., Squadron 37, Commanding Officer of the Lucky Seven Flight, Galveston, Texas.
• MAJOR MEADE, by his unflagging energy, has made the Lucky Seven Flight outstanding even in an organization which boasts justly of its active and enterprising flights. His achievements as a flight leader and the accomplishments of the flight that he leads have been recorded in these columns before. We congratulate Major Meade and the Lucky Seven Flight equally; we believe that they are interdependent and that what the flights owe to good leadership is balanced by its leader’s debt to devotion and discipline.

JUNE 1935

• PROMOTIONS: For exceptional service and outstanding ability, the following officers are raised to the ranks indicated (effective May 1, 1935): 2ND LIEUTENANT BILLY AGUE—37 Squadron—to 1st Lieutenant.

WITH the the final COCKPIT column in the June 1935 issue, so went any news of the Lucky Seven Flight. What became of the Club? The Hutment? The members? Scouring the newspapers of the day I could find no more mentions of the club or its activities.

All the boys registered for the draft with their local boards on R-Day—October 16th, 1940—the date on which all men between ages 21 and 35 were required to register for the draft. By 1940, John Hardin had moved to Nueces and Francis Dwyer to Houston, but the rest of the boys were still in Galveston.

1940 census lists the boys as holding down the following jobs: Robert Meade, 27, was listed as being a traveling salesman for advertising while his younger bother, now 23, was working as a clerk for a steamship line—both boys were still living at home with their Father and 12 year old sister at 1406 Avenue K; Billy Ague, 21, was living with his mother and sister while working as a helper at Beach Amusements; Robert Lucas, 20, was still living at home and working as an attendant at a filling station; “Bubba” Oppermann was 24, still residing at home and working for the Texas State Employment Service; Malcolm Kirschner, 25, living at home with his parents while driving a delivery truck for the Galveston Oil Company – Abe Seibel; John Hardin, also 25, had moved to Nueces where he was working for Brown & Root on the Corpus Christi Naval Air Base; Francis Dwyer, 26, was living in Houston with his mother and step-father and working as a carpenter’s helper for A. Copeland, General Contractor; Jules Lauve, 23, was still at home with his bother Neal, 21—Jules had already started his sign painting shop while his brother toiled as an assistant bookkeeper at the bank; and Russel Mullins, now 22, was a Texas A&M College student.

Okay. But what became of the members after that? Well…

ROBERT LEO MEADE, Jr. (Jul 20, 1913 – Aug 6, 2000) Flight Commander and driving force behind the club, he had been a Junior Assistant Scout Master back in his Boy Scout Days and was the oldest member of the Lucky Seven at 20 when they formed. Born in Galveston, he served in the Navy aboard the USS PLUNKET during World War II and worked for the Civil Air Patrol afterwards being described as a Second Lieutenant in 1953. He married in 1954. At some point he moved to Robertsdale, Alabama near Mobile. He passed away there on August 6th, 2000.

WILLIAM “BILLY” GASTON AGUE (Sep 25, 1918 – Jul 25, 1963) William Ague was born in Sewickley, Pa, just outside Pittsburgh in on September 25, 1918, moving to Galveston in 1920. He was employed by the City of Galveston Water Department as a pipe fitter until the time of his illness. He was a veteran WWII where he was a Private First Class with the 385th Bombardment Squadron Army Air Forces. He is survived by his mother and younger sister. (obit)

WILLIAM ASHTON MEADE (Feb 2, 1917 – Jun 21, 1990) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Jun 24, 1990): “William A. Meade was born March 2, 1917, in Galveston. He was an employee of the Old Southern Select and Falstaff Brewery, retiring in 1984 after many years of service. He was a lifelong resident of Galveston, and a member of St. Patrick’s Church. He was active in the YMCA, and a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army. Survivors include his two daughters and son.”

ARTHUR ROBERT LUCAS, Jr. (May 1, 1919 – Sep 7, 1996) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Sep 19, 1996): “Mr. Lucas was born May 1, 1919, to Arthur and Vera Lucas Sr. in Galveston, Texas. He was retired as owner/manager of Luke’s Supermart & Deli’s of Galveston and was servicing a vending machine business at the time of his death. Known as “Junior” to most of his childhood friends, he was a resident of Galveston for many years, serving his country in the U.S. Army during WWII. Mr. Lucas attended Ball High School and apprenticed under the guidance of his father, who owned Lucas’ Meat Market on 39th. Mr. Lucas was a 32nd Degree Mason, AF & AM Harmony Lodge No.6, worked for many years in Galveston and touched many lives throughout the county. He dedicated his life to his family, the Abundant Life Church of Galveston and his community.”

CAROL WERNER OPPERMANN (Apr 27, 1916 – Dec 9, 1994) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Dec 9, 1994): “Mr. Opperman was born April 27, 1916 in Galveston. He was retired as Assistant Manager of Texas Employment Commission in 1972 with more than 37 years of service, receiving many honors. He had been a lifelong resident of Galveston; a member of the First Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the Tucker Lodge #297 A.F. & A.M. serving 10 years on the Auditing Committee. He was a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies since 1950; a member of El Mina Shrine since 1965; a member of the Entertainment Committee and served as Chairman in 1974; he was a member of the Director’s Staff and served as President in 1987; he was a member of the Mainland Shrine Club; a member of the Transportation Corps since 1980, and has driven in excess of 65,000 miles; he was a member of Mizpah Chapter #2 Order of the Eastern Star since 1979 and has served 4 years as Warden and also 4 years as Sentinel. HE is survived by his wife, three daughters, and eight grandchildren.”

MALCOLM CLYDE KISCHNER (Aug 2, 1914 – Nov 10, 1994) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Nov 19, 1994): “Mr. Kirschner was born August 2, 1914 in Galveston, Texas. He was retired in 1974 from Western Weighing and Inspection Bureau, he was a member of the Catholic faith and a veteran of the U.S. Army serving during World War II, a lifelong resident of Galveston, a member of the Sons of Hermann and the Galveston Melody Orchestra.”

JOHN HARDIN, Jr. (Jan 27 1915 – Jun 22, 1960) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Jun 23, 1960): “John Hardin Jr., 45, a native of Galveston, died at 5a.m. Wednesday, June 22nd in Washington, D.C. He left Galveston in 1940 for service in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was born Jan. 27, 1915. Mr. Hardin was connected with the transportation department of the army in Washington at the time of his death. While in Galveston he was active in the Red Cross lifeguard service; and was prominent in Boy Scout work while in Washington.”

FRANCIS BARNETT DWYER (Nov 2, 1913 – Jul 21, 1954) Francis Barnett Dwyer was born November 2, 1913, in Galveston and lived there in his boyhood. He had moved to Houston with his step-father and mother in 1937, finding work with general contractor as a carpenter’s helper. He married his first wife just after Christmas in 1942, with a bouncing bay girl girl June born the following year. He served with the U.S. Armed forces in Italy in 1944 . Upon his return, his family grew with the birth of two more sons, Thomas and Joseph. And Francis found work as a pipe fitter for the Houston National Gas Company. He was still employed with them when he passed away from testicular cancer at 40 in 1954 leaving behind a second wife, daughter and two sons. (obit)

JULES JOSEPH LAUVE, Jr. (Dec 6, 1916 – Feb 7, 1998) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Feb 10, 1998): Jules Lauve Jr. was born December 6, 1916, in Galveston. He is survived by his wife, Mary Evelyn Gutierrez Lauve, his five children, and 16 greatly loved grandchildren. Jules was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, a five generation tradition, and a graduate of Ball High School. Over the years he belonged to numerous local civic groups, service organizations, and served on many municipal and state boards and commissions including the Galveston Electrical Examiners’ Board. He was a board member and lifetime member of The Fifty Club of Galveston Comity Inc., and served a lengthy appointment as honorary commodore in the Tidelands Guard for Mud Island, as commissioned by the Texas Attorney General in 1953.
    Jules Lauve Jr. is best known as founder and owner/operator of Jules Lauve Jr. Inc. Outdoor Advertising, a billboard company and commercial sign shop, founded in 1936 in Galveston and recently recognized as the oldest independent outdoor advertising company in the state of Texas. He was renowned for his generous capacity and involvement in a multitude of worthwhile community programs, especially those involving Galveston’s youth. Above all, Jules Lauve Jr. was a devout family man who trusted fully in his God at all times.”

CORNELIUS (NEAL) AUGUST LAUVE (Dec 5, 1918 – Dec 18, 1993) Cornelius Lauve was born Dec. 5, 1918, in Galveston. Before he enlisted Lauve was employed as teller at the W.M. Moody bank in Galveston. He served in the 15th U.S. Army Air Force, 449th Bomb Group in the European Theater operation in Italy and Africa for nine months during World War II. When he returned stateside, he was stationed at Harlingen Army Air Field, as an instructor at the gunnery school. He was the shop foreman at his bother’s outdoor advertising sing shop from 1946 to 1983 when he retired. He was a Master Electrician, member of the St. Patrick’s Men’s Club, member of Msgr. Kirwin Council #787 and Duck’s Unlimited. He was married and had two children. (obit.)

JOHN RUSSEL MULLINS (Apr 26, 1916 – Dec 26, 1994) From his obituary in the GALVESTON DAILY NEWS (Dec 29, 1994): “J.R. “Rusty” Mullins Sr., 76, departed this life on Monday, December 26, 1994 at St. Mary’s Hospital, Galveston. Rusty was a longtime resident of Galveston. His studies at Texas A&M University were momentarily interrupted by WW II. At this time he very proudly served in the 94th Bomb Group 8th Air Force in the European Theater where he was a decorated B-17 Pilot. After his tour in the European Theater, he also served in the Pacific Theater. After the war he then resumed his studies at A&M University and graduated in the Class of ‘43. He was proud to be an Aggie and always ready for a good Aggie joke. After graduation, he returned to Galveston where he worked as an accountant for various local firms. With his love for aviation, he served as airport manager at Scholes Field, Galveston for 28 years, retiring in 1983. Rusty was a true outdoors-man which has been passed on through his children and grandchildren.”

The Lucky Seven Flight is just one of the many such clubs formed through their love of War Birds magazine and the fellowship and shared interests of the War Birds Club in the thirties. Many other flights were mentioned in the pages of THE COCKPIT column—their member’s names recorded, their activities listed. Long may they all be remembered as War Birds!

THE October 1933 issue of WAR BIRDS hit the stands with Belarski’s Eagles of the Black Cross cover and a wealth of stories within lead off by William E. Barrett’s factual article that goes with the cover. There were also stories by Hogan, Myers, MacDowell and Brownestone. And in the back was a new feature for the readers—The Cockpit. This was the place where the WAR BIRDS gang and the editor could get together every month to spin the vocal prop.

The Cockpit brought with it The War Birds Club! Run by “The Adjutant” and overseen by the Editor and C.O. of War Birds, Carson Mowre, The Cockpit became a lively column where readers could voice their opinions, swap and trade stuff, find a like-minded reader to become pen pals with, as well as boast about their squadron’s achievements, see who’s received a promotion or citation and general club banter.

The first column from the October 1933 issue sets up the club, it’s particulars and how to join:

HERE is the most important announcement of the year. Sixteen years ago, the youth of America climbed out of civvies and into khaki. Overnight, we learned to substitute the bugle for the alarm clock. Our ears caught the distant thunder of the guns. We rode to them, we marched to them—and we flew to them.

We have captured much of the wild thrill in the stories that have appeared in WAR BIRDS’ stories written by veterans who lived the epic and who remember. But it isn’t enough.

The readers of WAR BIRDS are of the breed that, in another day, would have ridden flaming skies. Their selection of reading matter demonstrates it. The electric something that called their blood brothers to war calls them to the re-living of it.

And it is to their hands that the torch of ‘17 is flung. To them falls the responsibility of closing up the gaps. That flaming spirit that America took into the skies of ‘17 and ‘18 must not be allowed to die. We won’t let it.

This month a new organization comes into being—an organization with a name that was born of ‘17 and that has been preserved on the masthead of the oldest air-war magazine—WAR BIRDS.

A man must qualify for War Birds. His membership is not a gift. The war bird of yesterday won his wings. It is but fair that the war bird of 1933 do the same.

There were ships and guns that shared the glory of those by-gone years as well as men. A man who has the spirit that made the air service will know about those ships and those guns and those men. In knowing of them and remembering them, he makes them immortal; he preserves the spirit of the thing for which they stood.

No one will wear the War Birds wings or carry the War Birds card who does not know of, and respect, the things that make up the life of a sky warrior. There is an examination to be passed before you qualify—and it is not an easy examination. But, when you have passed it, you will know the glory of really “belonging.” Your wings will not be a mockery—they will stand for something tangible and you will have won the right to wear them.

APPLY FOR YOUR WAR BIRDS MEMBERSHIP NOW

Memberships in War Birds are neither sold nor given away; they must be earned!

(1) Clip the coupon from this issue and mail it to Wing Commander, War Birds, 100 Fifth Avenue, New York City, N.Y., properly and completely filled out.

(2) If you want the free booklets described below enclose five cents in coin or stamps to cover postage and handling. You do not have to order these booklets if you do not want them, but they will be helpful in passing the tests.

THE ENVELOPE the booklets and exam questions arrive in with only a 1½¢ stamp on it.

(3) The Adjutant will mail you your examination questions and problems. They will be based on information contained in the previously mentioned booklets and in current issues of WAR BIRDS. Your answers to the questions and the problems should be mailed back promptly to Headquarters.

THE EXAM. Please answer on a separate sheet of paper.

(4) If your grade in the examination is satisfactory, the Wing Commander’s adjutant will mail you a handsome card of membership certifying to the fact that you have qualified for “War Birds” and are entitled to the privileges of membership.

(5) You will be assigned to a squadron and your squadron designation will appear upon your card.

That is all there is to it but we want to emphasize the fact that War Birds is a patriotic organization solely. We have nothing to sell. For all purposes of the organization, the War Birds card is sufficient. It is the member’s identification and obtains for him all of the privileges allowed to members.

As a convenience, however, to those members who would like silver lapel wings we are making arrangements with a manufacturer to supply the War Birds emblem at a nominal price. Future issues of WAR BIRDS will contain further details on such insignia as well as on the various other plans now being formulated.

A membership in War Birds is going to mean something. Get in on the ground floor now and be one of the originals. Mail your application TODAY.

A FREE LIBRARY FOR YOU

You may have the following booklets free by mailing your request promptly to the Wing Commander, War Birds, 100 Fifth Ave., New York City, N.Y., with five cents to cover postage and packing. (The material in the booklets had previously appeared in the pages of War Birds or War Aces.)

WAR PLANES OF ALL NATIONS—a booklet containing the full dope on 135 war time planes; speed, horse-power, performance. (originally published in the May 1931 War Birds (v14n42))

MORE PLANE FACTS—a war pilot’s frank discussion of little known phases of flying in France. (originally published in the January 1932 War Aces (v8n22))

SYNTHETIC ACES—an expose of the fakers who pose as war flyers with tips on how to unmask them. (originally published in the January 1932 War Aces (v8n22))

ARCHIE—the complete story of anti-aircraft; its successes and its failures, with extracts from anarchy gunner’s dope book. (originally published in the March 1932 War Birds (v18n52))

These booklets will help you to pass your examination for admission to War Birds. Don’t delay in placing your order. Send your request today on the coupon form provided below.

They even laid out future plans for the club:

In the days ahead, qualified War Birds will share in many good things; free copies of genuine war photographs, discounts and special prices on aeronautical equipment, special rates on flying courses and a hundred and one other privileges that will cause the War Birds card to grow in value with the passing months.

There is in prospect at present a FREE distribution to members of:
(1) Genuine war pictures
(2) A special discount price list on planes and equipment
(3) A discount price on flying instruction
(4) Conventions for members
(5) Special services of a research bureau.

a WAR BIRDS CLUB timeline

OCTOBER 1933

• A new “The Cockpit” feature begins. It is the place where the WAR BIRDS gang and the editor get together every month to spin the vocal prop.
• Run by the “Wing Commander,” the Cockpit announces the Formation of the WAR BIRDS, a club for readers and lays out everything you need to know to apply to join (see above).
• Also lists future plans for the club: they want to offer members genuine war pictures, a discount price list on planes and equipment as well as a discount on flying instructions, services of a research bureau and conventions for members!

NOVEMBER 1933

• The Adjutant says applications are flooding in. News of exciting offers next month.
• A commissioned member of the WAR BIRDS can win a citation by exceptional service. This includes but is not limited to making a suggestion that will make the magazine more interesting, or a constructive criticism, or an idea for club activity, or a scheme for enrolling more members, or a plan for squadron mates in the same city getting together.
• Only a few commissions have been earned so far, and some have failed to qualify. They will provide a way for re-examination in the future, but it will be tougher.
• Every state and the District of Columbia and Canada have been give their own squadron number. These are listed.
• The four booklets—War Planes of All Nations, Plane Facts, Synthetic Aces, and Archie—are now available for 5¢ in stamps or coins.

DECEMBER 1933

• The Adjutant’s office has been snowed under and he’s been slow in mailing out the commissions.
• You qualify for the wings you wear and you can neither buy nor finagle them. To get them you must pass rigid tests that will prove or disprove the genuineness of your interest in flying and in the traditions of wartime service.
• Every qualified member of the WAR BIRDS whose commission is in good standing by midnight of December 20, the C.O. is going to send out a personal Christmas present which may be a package of genuine war photographs: aces, ships, etc., that have never been distributed before.
• Members are getting together and starting to organize their own flights with names.
• Additional Squadron numbers for foreign readers are listed: Alasks (51), England (52), Hawaii (53), Irish Free State (54), Mexico (55), Panama Canal Zone (56), Cuba (57), Philippines (58), Belgium (59)
• In the process of making arrangements with a manufacturer to supply silver wings at a nominal price

JANUARY 1934

• The Adjutant says that any notice of the change in rank will appear in the Honors List. And suggests you clip it and paste it on the back of your commission card.
• That’s the key to promotions and honors—service to the rest of the WAR BIRDS.
• The question of having a German squadron is raised. They have 2 applications. One from Berlin, the other from Hamburg.
• Australia becomes the 60th squadron. (Squadron numbers for the original 50 squadrons and Mexico (mislabled as 69) are listed.
• The lapel wings have just been designed—a beautiful set of silver wings. In the center of the wings in blue is “War Birds.” They won’t cost much—less than a quarter.

FEBRUARY 1934

• Offices have moved from 100 Fifth Avenue to 149 Madison Avenue.
• Many inquiries about the wings—all the dope on the next issue.
• A few of you are asking about the free pictures. They’ll be along. Just watch the sheet.
• H.Q. will grant a Captain’s commission to the organizer of any club reaching a membership of twenty. The qualifications are: (a) The organizer must be himself a commissioned officer in the WAR BIRDS; (b) He must turn in a list of his members when the membership reaches twenty; (c) All members must be officers in the WAR BIRDS or must have their applications in for commissions; (d) In cases where the member’s town is small, the club will be recognized with less than twenty members. Just convince us that you have done the best possible with the town or the neighborhood that is yours.
• To every WAR BIRD post so organized, we will give a WAR BIRD Charter to be hung in the club house, plus certain concessions which will enable them to buy club equipment, etc., at cost.
• News on the various posts being formed: Shelbyville, Indiana. Brooklyn. Long Island Traverse City, Michigan.
• Germany is established as 70 Squadron. Comments from other stateside WAR BIRDS are noted.
• Should there be a women’s auxiliary squadron?

MARCH 1934

• The COCKPIT gets a new header.
• The WINGS are here! Any commissioned member can have theirs for 15¢.
• The Adjutant suggests every squadron deign their own insignia if they haven’t already.
• Members who wish to correspond with one another will be listed in the next issue.
• Any group commander will rate promotion who can report six commissioned members of WAR BIRDS as assembled in one post provided the post is regularly organized, has a regular meeting schedule, an insignia and a name. His rank for a six to ten member post will be “Captain” provided that he sends in a notice of his election as Post Commander signed by each of the post members. For an eleven to twenty member post, the commander’s rank will be “Major” and he will be entitled to one Captain under his command. Lest this seem to make the higher rank available only to men in the larger towns, we wish to add that a six member post can qualify by special service as an A-l post, giving it the same rank privileges as the larger post.
• suggestions from members
• promotions from 2nd Lieutenant 1st listed for 4 officers.

APRIL 1934

• your WAR BIRDS commission earns you a salute at one of the finest air colleges in this man’s country—THE CASEY JONES SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS at Newark, N.J. The staff will be glad to answer his questions and take him on a tour of inspection upon presentation of his WAR BIRDS card.
• Supply of the 4 booklets is nearly exhausted.
• WORDS A-WING column starts.

MAY 1934

• THE PITTSBURGH-BUTLER AIRPORT INC., at Butler, Pa. will be glad to extend courtesy of the drome to commissioned officers of WAR BIRDS who present their identification cards. Pittsburgh-Butler operate an A-l flying school at their airport.
• Likewise for THE RYAN SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS, LTD., at Lindbergh Field, San Diego, Calif.,
• The C.O. goes over all the club aspects
• List of new posts and their organizers.
• Long list of people for WORDS A-WING
• Honor citations listed.

JUNE 1934

• Adjutant says: “Exactly 3,148 lads who have made application for membership, in WAR BIRDS, have not returned their examination papers.”
• The Adjutant plans to start a NON-COM’S MESS for those air-minded lads they are, who want to get the feel of things before going after commissions.
• Girls will be Lady Birds and their squadron numeral—no matter where they live—is “80.”
• Suggestions under consideration by the C.O.: including model plans in the magazine; covers without text all over them.
• Working on getting various airport to extend courtesies to members; discounts on equipment; and, free pictures which had become harder with the flood of members.
• a lengthy WORDS A-WING listing
• Citations and/or Promotions for 19 members.
• Coupon now included each month for signing up for the NON-COM’S MESS

JULY 1934

• The C.O. takes over the meetings while the Adjutant handles the NON-COM’S MESS which starts this issue.
• C.O. asks members to send in a postcard listing their two favorite authors (including ones not in WAR BIRDS) and they will feature the ones who get the votes.
• NON-COMS can use the Swap and Words A-Wing columns and can offer suggestions. They are also afforded the right to join a Flight, but not organize one.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 17 members.
• SWAP COLUMN starts up
• 10 more people listed in WORDS A-WING

AUGUST 1934

• C.O. measures readers that all letters are read. But it takes a while. And please print your name.
• C.O. plans on offering $5 for the best picture of a model plane sent in.
• FLIGHT PARADE. A listing of flights who have sent in their information. Listing of members and location.
• Full page on Galveston’s LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT with member’s picture.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 10 members.
• SPARE PARTS HANGER takes the place of the SWAP column.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed.

SEPTEMBER 1934

• BETTIS FIELD, located on the McKeesport-Pittsburgh Road, extends an invitation to the War Birds
• Start of PROP WASH section, a sort of grunt and growl and talk it over department.
• It’s suggested that every War Bird Flight should have a specific interest in addition to our common interest in aviation. Set a specific time to hold meetings, organize a treasury.
• General events and course of a meeting are discussed.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 11 members.
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 9 more flights.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

OCTOBER 1934

• Flight insignias continue to pour in.
• That offer of Five Dollars for the best photograph of a model plane—either flying or scale model—built by a member is still open. Five dollars every month.
• Someone suggests there be a special WAR BIRDS code for members to communicate with.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members and 4 non-commissioned officers
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 13 more flights.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

NOVEMBER 1934

• Many members have still not adopted the military form of address yet.
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 15 more flights.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members.
• Insignias will be printed in next month’s issue.
• two flights of non-coms have been formed and several non-coms have received citations.
• A report of the SONS OF SATAN FLIGHT’s special meeting.
• no WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

DECEMBER 1934

• There is talk of a uniforms, stationary and honorary members.
• a page of Flight Insignias.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members and 11 non-commissioned officers
• Charters have been mailed to all Flights
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights.
• A letter from the LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT reports their Meeting Routine.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

JANUARY 1935

• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights and updates the BATTLE ACES FLIGHT OF San Francisco.
• FLIGHT NEWS updates the latest with 8 flights and provides a letter from the MYSTERY FLIGHT.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 11 members
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

FEBRUARY 1935

• Six new flights are listed and updates on 4 previously announced flights.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 28 members and 7 non-coms.
• A report by Dorothy Kohn on a visit to Davenport Airport, Cram Field, Iowa.
• Bouse Resolution No. 7413
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

WITH the March Issue, WAR BIRDS changes it’s name to TERENCE X. O’LEARY’S WAR BIRDS and it’s focus. The lead story will now feature the exploits of Arthur Guy Empey’s Terence X. O’Leary, but the stories are more science-fictiony that O’Leary’s previous exploits in the magazine which were set in WWI. THE COCKPIT column continues with all it’s previous sections. And the coupon to join is still included. The Booklets can still be obtained for 5¢ and the wings are a bargain at 15¢.

MARCH 1935

• Title change due to popular demand of the readers.
• Actual Vickers machine guns on offer (rendered inoperable)
• Citations for 9 2nd Lt’s and 11 Corporals
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

APRIL 1935

• It is possible to become a Major. Two have so far. Majors can recommend three men a year for promotion.
• Still publishing coupons to join club. The wings and booklets still on offer.
• someone wrote to another magazine for the answers to the exam questions.
• strange but true aviation facts
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights and 10 non-com flight.
• Updates on three flights—LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT, W.E. BARRETT AND GRIN FLIGHT, and COBRA PATROL Flight.
• many Citations and Promotions
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

JUNE 1935

• For the first time, non-coms outnumber commissioned officers.
• One member wants to start Zeppelin Division of the War Birds. And another is into rocket propulsion.
• There is no coupon to join the club as an officer or non-com in this issue.
• Numerous Citations and Promotions listed.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed

The WAR BIRDS CLUB does not continue when the magazine returns to being called WAR BIRDS again in October.

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note. Today’s full page illustration is not an installment in that series, but rather tells the story of how Flight-Lieutenant G.E. Jackson won the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 30 July 1938 issue of Flying:

HIGH COURAGE ON THE FRONTIER

The Distinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to Flight-Lieutenant G.E. Jackson, of No.5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (India), for gallantry in action on April 14th last. A party of about a hundred South Waziristan Scouts were cut off and surrounded by 500 tribesmen. With ammunition down to five rounds per man their desperate plight was noticed by Flight-Lieut. Jackson, who, flying low through a hail of bullets, dropped by parachute four loads of ammunition each of a thousand rounds to the besieged, who, however, would also need Very lights to repulse night attacks. Having no parachutes left, Flight-Lieut. Jackson improvised one from a tablecloth and string, and with this succeeded in getting a Very pistol and 40 cartridges to the Scouts, who were thus enabled to hold out until they were relieved. This spirit does more to win wars than all the ponderous perorations in Parliament.

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 6 August 1938 issue of Flying:

MAJOR LIONEL REES ENGAGED IN A DOG-FIGHT ON JULY 1st, 1916

MAJOR, as he was then, Lionel Rees won the V.C. on July 1, 1916. He was 32 years of age, older than most officers in the Royal Flying Corps at that time. It was through a mistake that he came to win the V.C., for what he took to be British machines were in reality German. He had been on a reconnaissance flight when he saw what he thought was a squadron of British bombing machines returning home. Being in a single-seat fighter, the D.H.2, he decided to escort them home, but when he approached them he saw that they were about ten enemy aircraft; all of them scouts. One left the formation to engage him, but within a short time was behind its own lines in difficulties. Major Rees was wounded in the thigh, but he continued to fight until his ammunition was exhausted, when he returned home. It seems probable that the award of the V.C. was made not for this one act alone, but that his gallant career was taken into consideration. Happily, he survived the war and retired from the R.A.F. in 1931 with the rank of Group Captain.

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 30 July 1938 issue of Flying:

CAPT. J.A LIDDEL WINNING THE V.C. IN BELGIUM, JULY 23rd, 1915

On July 23rd, 1915, Captain J.A. Liddel, V.C., was making a long range reconnaissance patrol over the area around Ostend and Bruges. At that time he was in No.7 Squadron and flying an R.E.5. In order to get plenty of information he had to fly very low, with the result that he came under a great deal of anti-aircraft fire. He managed to escape the shrapnel for a little time, but he was eventually wounded in the thigh. He fainted, but the flow of cool air revived him and he took control of his machine once more, and in spite of the agony he was suffering from his wounds he continued his reconnaissance. He could have landed at once and received medical attendance, but he preferred to remain in the air, although shrapnel was now bursting around him more ferociously than before. At last, his work finished, he turned for home. On landing he was hurried to hospital where, unhappily, he died from his wounds one month later. Notification of the award was made in the London Gazette on August 3rd, 1915, with the following words: “The difficulties overcome by this officer in saving his machine and the life of his passenger cannot be readily expressed, but as the control wheel and throttle control were smashed, and also one of the undercarriage struts, it would seem incredible that he could have accomplished what he did.”

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 23 July 1938 issue of Flying:

CAPTAIN ALBERT BALL, Y.C., IN COMBAT WITH GERMAN FIGHTERS

CAPTAIN ALBERT BALL was awarded the V.C. for a series of conspicuously brave actions, unlike many others who received this high award for one gallant deed alone. Born in Nottingham, he was not nineteen years old when he arrived in France to join No. 13 Squadron. That was in February, 1915, and for a few months he was flying B.E.2C.’s. His courage and his habit of engaging all enemy machines on sight soon won him a transfer to a Fighter Squadron: No. 11, which was equipped with Nieuport Scouts. Towards the end of June he scored his first victory, a balloon. It was tne first and last he shot down, for he thought balloon straffing “a rotten job.” For a short time he went back to a two-seater squadron, but he soon returned to fly Nieuports. His score of enemy machines rose rapidly until, in 1917, it had passed forty. By this time he was serving in the renowned 56 Squadron, where S.E.5’s were used, and it was in an S.E.5 that Ball met his death. All that is really known of his death is that it occurred on May 7, 1917, over Anoellin. How he died is not known, for, although there were many witnesses, their accounts differ very widely. Thus passed Albert Ball, like the great Guynemer, his death shrouded in mystery.

WHILE recently looking through Harold Hersey’s short-run aviation titles, I came upon what I thought was a new series we could feature on the site, or maybe in a book if there were enough stories. Thumbing though the first issue of Hersey’s Eagles of the Air there was an ad for the next issue stating, “Another Story of The “WASPS”"

I looked in the next issue and there they were as well as running in three of the other seven issues of the run—five tales in all. I scanned the pages to read later and continued searching through the various titles.

Later, while reading the first one, I was thinking this all sounds so familiar. I was thinking this was a story I had just read—and it was, but then it was a story staring Ralph Oppenheim’s “Three Mosquitoes,” not D. Campbell’s “Three Wasps.” So I pulled up the Mosquitoes version of the story and Campbell’s story was a virtual word-for-word copy of of Oppenheim’s—all he did was change the names of the characters.

So Kirby, the young impetuous leader of the Three Mosquitoes becomes Gary, the young impetuous leader of the Three Wasps. “Shorty” Carn, the mild-eyed, corpulent little Mosquito becomes the mild-eyed, corpulent “Shorty” Keen, complete with briar pipe in Campbell’s Wasps. To complete the inseparable trio, Travis, the oldest and wisest of the Mosquitoes, has his name changed to Cooper.

The Text. A portion of the D. Campbell’s “Dangerous Business” (Eagles of the Air, Nov 1929) on the left and the similar passage from Ralph Oppenheim’s “Stacked Cards” (War Birds, Jul 1928) on the right.

I couldn’t believe it. So I checked out the Wasps story in the next issue and it was the same thing. And so on with the other three—sometimes even forgetting to change “Mosquitoes” to “Wasps”. All five stories were plagiarized from Oppenhiem’s stories. Instead of just stealing a random story like Robert A. Carter had done, D. Campbell was plagiarizing a whole series!

It seemed a bold move that nobody seemed to notice. Weirdly, I could find no mention of it in the newspapers of the time. The only hint of something being up was pointed out by a reader whose letter ran in the same issue as the final Wasps story.

So who was this D. Campbell? I thought at first it was just an alias for Oppenheim who was simply trying to repackage his Three Mosquitoes stories as The Three Wasps and get paid for them again—’cause nobody would be so bold, but D. Campbell it turns out, is an actual guy.

Donald Marr Campbell was born on September 2nd, 1904 in Cambellton, Texas and had his first story in the pulps, “King Ranch,” in the February 11th, 1928 issue of West. He’s credited with a couple dozen stories that run the gamut from aviation to detective to spy to westerns with his last appearing in the March 1932 issue of The Shadow

Campbell listed his occupation as Cafe Operator in the 1940 census and signed up for the war effort in 1942. Sadly, in the 1950 census he is listed as being unable to walk. He moved to Houston in 1956 where he lived until he passed away in 1974 at the age of 69 following an extended illness.

Looking at some of his other published stories, it turns out there was an earlier plagiarized Wasp story that appeared in the April 1929 Flying Aces. This would make it the first of the Wasp stories. The issue also include a letter of thanks for publishing from Campbell!

In all Campbell had six stories of the Wasps published. Each was a virtual word for word copy of a preexisting story of the Three Mosquitoes by Ralph Oppenhiem. They were:

• Flying To Glory (Flying Aces, Apr 1929) is based on Oppenheim’s Down from the Clouds (War Stories, Aug 19, 1927)
• Reckless and Lucky (Eagles of the Air, Oct 1929) is based on Oppenheim’s Two Aces~and A Joker (War Birds, Jun 1928)
• Dangerous Business (Eagles of the Air, Nov 1929) is based on Oppenheim’s Stacked Cards (War Birds, Jul 1928)
• Luck of the Wasps (Eagles of the Air, Jan 1930) is from Oppenheim’s An Ace In The Hole (War Stories Mar 29, 1928)
• Three Flying Fools (Eagles of the Air Feb 1930) is from Oppenheim’s Get That Gun (War Stories Nov 8, 1928)
• The Wasps (Eagles of the Air Mar 1930) is from Oppenheim’s Two Aces—In Dutch (War Stories, Dec 6, 1928)

But what better way than to see for yourself. So we’ll be posting couple of the Wasps’ adventures over the next week. As the Three Mosquitoes and the Three Wasps would both say, “Let’s Go!”

The first of D. Campbell’s Three Wasps stories appeared in the pages of the April 1929 Flying Aces. The greatest fighting war-birds on the Western Front roar into action. The three Spads flying in a V formation so precise that they seemed as one. On their trim khaki fuselages, were three identical insignias—each a huge, black-painted picture of a grim-looking wasp. In the cockpits sat the reckless, inseparable trio known as the “Three Wasps.” Captain Gary, their impetuous young leader, always flying point. On his right, “Shorty” Keen, the mild-eyed, corpulent little Mosquito, who loved his sleep. And on Kirby’s left, completing the V, the eldest and wisest of the trio—long-faced and taciturn Cooper.

A new C.O. has been assigned to the squadron and he can’t stand pilots who “grand-stand” which is the Mosquitoes stock-in-trade and boy do they catch hell when they get on the C.O.’s wrong side—that is until the C.O. gets in a jam and it’s trick flying that’ll save him when the Boche attack!

The C.O. called them babies and forbade stunt flying. Not content with that he separated the Three Wasps, the greatest flying, fighting trio he had. Hatred was rampant. But all this was forgotten when the great call came!

• Download “Flying To Glory” (April 1929, Flying Aces)

Compare this to Oppenheim’s original version of the story with The Three Mosquitoes!

Down from the Clouds

The C.O. of the flying field was sore—the Three Mosquitoes, dare-devils supreme were doing their “grand-stand stuff” again. But when the C.O. found himself in difficulties, with Boche planes swarming all around him—things were different. The best flying story of the month.

• Download “Down form the Clouds” (August 19, 1927, War Stories)

And check back on Friday when the Wasps will be back with another exciting adventure!

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 16 July 1938 issue of Flying:

CAPT. A. BEAUCHAMP-PROCTOR. V.C., DESTROYING A GERMAN KITE BALLOON, 1918

CAPTAIN ANDREW BEAUCHAMP-PROCTOR, who was a South African, served in France with the renowned 84 Squadron, where he won many decorations. He flew an S.E.5A. Like Albert Ball, he was awarded the V.C. for continuous bravery over a long period, not for one particular action. Very little is known about this valorous air fighter, so let us quote from the London Gazette of November 30, 1918. “Between August 8, 1918 and October 8, 1918, this officer proved himself victor in twenty-six decisive combats, destroying twelve kite balloons, ten enemy aircraft, and driving down four other enemy aircraft completely out of control. . . . Captain Beauchamp-Proctor’s work in attacking enemy troops on the ground and in reconnaissance has been almost unsurpassed in its brilliancy, and as such has made an impression on those serving in his squadron and those around him that will not be easily forgotten.” Unhappily this gallant officer lost his life in a crash after the war. On June 21 he was practising for the R.A.F. display, when his machine went into a spin and crashed before he had time to get it under control. In this way ended the career of one who had cheated death so many times in aerial combat.

IF FRIDAY’S story seemed a little familiar to you, there may be a reason for that. The entire story was plagiarized from another. In this case it was Ben Conlon’s “Flyers of Fortune” (Air Trails, July 1929). Yes, Carter’s “Fortune Flyers” was a virtual word for word rip off of Conlon’s earlier story.

Everything seemed to be going Robert A. Carter’s way. A former Canadian war time ace, he was Married in 1925, with a girl born the following year, the former Canadian war time ace had found a way to profit off his past experiences by not only editing two of Fiction House’s Aviation pulps—Air Stories and Wings, but he was also getting his own stories in including a 14 part series on “How to Become a Pilot” that ran in both magazines.

Toward the end of 1928, it all started to unravel.

Turns out that loving wife and child was more of a ball and chain to Carter who found he preferred the company of his friends over them. As the Port Chester Daily Item reported on January 12th:

Alimony of $35 a week and counsel fees of $500 must be paid to Mrs. Michelena Carter, of 88 Chatswood Avenue, Larchmont, by her husband, Robert A. Carter, editor of aeronautical fiction magazines, according to award made here by Supreme Court Justice George H. Taylor, Jr., in Special Term. The award was made by default as no opposition was presented by the husband.
      According to the wife’s complaint, she married Carter on August 6, 1925, at Catskill and they have lived since in this county. There is one child, Mary Elizabeth, born November 17, 1926.
      Carter, according to his wife, is thirty years of age and is employed by the Fiction House, Inc., 271 Madison Avenue, New York City. as editor of two aeronautical fiction magazines, “Wings” and “Air Stories.” He receives a salary of $40 weekly, she alleges, and from $25 to $60 for each story he furnishes the magazines.
      Basing her plea for separation on the grounds of cruelty and abandonment, Mrs. Carter alleges that without cause or provocation, Carter absented himself from their Larchmont home for several nights a week from August to December of last year. Even the Christmas holiday was spent away from home, she says, her husband telling her he preferred to spend his time with friends.
      On December 28th, she says, he packed his clothes and left with the statement that he did not intend to return and that he was “through” with her. She alleges that he left no money for her needs, that her baby is ill, and that she is without funds with which to purchase medicines or the services of a physician.
      The alimony awarded is pending the trial of the separation action.

Although the home life may have fallen apart, his writing career seemed to flourish as he started to see print in other titles—Aces, Air Trails, Flying Aces and War Birds. Which is good, since Carter and his estranged wife entered into a stipulation on June 4th whereby he was to pay $40 weekly out of his $100 weekly earnings as a magazine writer and the daring hero of many magazine exploits in the air.

He lived up to the agreement for two weeks before disappearing sight unseen.

Maybe this is why he was so hard to pin down and seemed a little cagey in that Air Trail’s biographical piece from November 1929. Or maybe it was the fact that he had already plagiarized several stories and submitted them to his boss at Fiction House, John B. Kelly as his own! And with the publication of the December 1929 issue of Wings, it all hit the fan!

The Stories in Question. The opening pages of Ben Conlon’s “Flyers of Fortune” (Air Trails, July 1929) and Robert A. Carter’s “Fortune Flyers” (Wings, December 1929)

The Port Chester Daily Item reports (on the front page!):

When the Muse failed and he resorted to plagiarism to keep the candle burning at both ends Robert A. Carter, thirty-two, self styled World War aviator, who is well known in Harrison and Rye, let himself in for plenty of trouble. He was lodged in the Tombs Prison in New York City today, charged with grand larceny as the result of a confession that he copied aviation stories verbatim from one magazine and sold them to another.
      The specific instance on which the charge is based concerns the story “Flyers of Fortune,” by Ben Conlin, published in “Air Trails.” Carter is alleged to have copied it word for word and sold it to the magazine “Wings” under the title “Fortune Flyers.” For it he received $240 from John B. Kelly, head of Fiction House, Inc., of 271 Madison Avenue, New York City.
      Carter, who formerly lived in Harrison, was arrested by a detective from the office of Assistant District Attorney Edward Laughlin at his home, 25 East 30th Street. He was indicted by the grand Jury on a grand larceny charge and a bench warrant issued for his arrest. The Indictment was based mainly on a written confession to Kelly, in which Carter admitted having plagiarized the story as well as two others.
      According to Kelly, Carter came to him about two and a half years ago and asked for a job. He said be had served in the Royal Flying Corps in Italy during the war and thought he could write stories of his experiences. He was given a Job and his stories, when published, were enthusiastically received. He was soon made managing editor of “Wings” and a little later arranged a broadcast from the Hotel Roosevelt in which he introduced several famous wa races. He also did some work for a Brooklyn station and later represented himself as the director, which was the first Intimation that Kelly had of his duplicity.

Kelly estimated Carter managed to extract $1,100 from the company through his plagiaristic efforts.

After his apprehension, it was discovered that fiction filching was the most remunerative, but not the exclusive manner of his making a living. Two Manhattan hotels had $850 worth of bad bills against him.

Convicted of the charges petty larceny, Plagiarist Carter was sentenced to serve not less than six months, nor more than three years in the penitentiary.

The 1930 US Census lists Robert A. Carter as an inmate of Cell Block A at the Hart Island Reformatory Prison in the Bronx.

This story was big news. Although it never received large splashy headlines, Carter’s plagiarism was reported in papers as if it had just happened well into 1932. It even made Time magazine—twice! Once in the 23 December 1929 issue and a more detailed piece two months later in the 24 February 1930 issue.

WHEN Flying, the new weekly paper of all things aviation, started up in England in 1938, amongst the articles and stories and photo features was an illustrative feature called “Heroes of the Air.” It was a full page illustration by S. Drigin of the events surrounding how the pictured Ace got their Victoria Cross along with a brief explanatory note.

Russian born Serge Drigin became a successful illustrator in the UK in the 1920s with his work regularly appearing in such British magazines as The Detective Magazine, Modern Boy and Chums. He is probably best known for his startling covers for Scoops, Air Stories, War Stories, Fantasy and others in the 30s.

From the 9 July 1938 issue of Flying:

CAPT. F.M. WEST WINNING THE V.C. OVER THE GERMAN LINES, AUGUST 10, 1918

ON THE morning of August 10, 1918, Captain Ferdinand Maurice West took off with his observer to strafe the German back areas. For this purpose he went far over the enemy lines and he was flying low, attacking infantry, when seven German scouts came upon him. In his Armstrong Whitworth the odds against him were enormous. Quite early in the fight an explosive bullet shattered his leg, which fouled the rudder-bar and caused the machine to fall out of control. No sooner had he lifted his leg clear than he was wounded in the other. In spite of his predicament, he managed to manoeuvre his machine so as to enable his gunner to get in sufficient bursts of fire to drive off the hostile scouts. Then, with great courage and determination, he set off for the British lines, where he landed safely. Weak from loss of blood, he fainted, but when he regained consciousness he insisted on writing his report before going to the hospital. Happily this gallant officer recovered sufficiently to remain in the service, where he is now a Wing Commander.

WE’RE celebrating Christmas with The Coffin Crew this year. So why not get to know the author a little better? And what better time than his birthday! Arthur George Joseph “Arch” Whitehouse was born on this day, December 11th, in 1895 in England. To Celebrate the genius behind The Coffin Crew, here’s a great feature on Whitehouse from the Sunday magazine for the Hackensack, New Jersey Record.

Arch Whitehouse: An Early Bird Looks Back

The Record Magazine, Hackensack, New Jersey • 17 April 1965, p38-39

MONTVALE’S MAGNOLIA AVENUE is a rural, winding road, and the modest yellow house at No.63 looks like many other suburban homes.

So it’s not surprising that when Arch Whitehouse, the owner, steps into the brisk air for an afternoon constitutional that his neighbors may look up and say:

“Well, there goes that nice Mr. Whitehouse out for his afternoon walk. Retired gentleman, I guess. It’s nice that he can still get around so well.

When the mailman leaves a 2-foot pile of books on the Whitehouse doorstep, a neighbor may shake his head and silently question, “I wonder if he reads all those books?”

Possibly a few people in Montvale know the answer to the Whitehouse mystery, but the man himself is quite certain that the majority of those who have made note of his presence are content with the thought that he’s no more than a retired businessman.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Though now in his 70th year, Arch Whitehouse is busier than many men half his age. In the past 10 years he has written 25 books. Before that, he authored more than a thousand short stories and articles.

A flier with the British Royal Flying Corps in World War I, Whitehouse ranks today as probably the leading aviation writer in the world. He is regarded as THE expert on World War I flying.

But his writing has run the gamut of the military field.

He went on a North Atlantic cruise aboard the atomic submarine Skipjack while writing “Subs and Submariners”.

He made two trips to the Mediterranean with the Sixth Fleet, and made 11 catapult takeoffs from, and arrester-gear landings on aircraft carriers to write “Squadrons of the Sea”.

He inspected every type of tank that has ever been built, and rode in many of the modern tank tests to write “TANK — History of Armored Warfare”.

He flew on practically every type plane available in the U.S. Air Force, including 2-seater jet fighters, to tell the story of the Tactical Air Command. He also went to McMurdo Sound, Antartica, to cover T.A.C. cargo operations at the South Pole.

He went to Puerto Rico with the Navy and Marines to write his recent “Amphibious Operations”.

Some years Whitehouse averages 60,000 miles of flying to get material for his books.

In addition to his technical books, short stories, and articles, Whitehouse has written juvenile and motion-picture scripts. Two of his stories — “Spitfire Squadron” and “‘H’ For Arry” were sold to the movies. He has illustrated some of his own volumes, also.

Among Whitehouse’s recent books — he contracts for several at a time — is “The Fledgling,” an autobiography.

Whitehouse was born in England in 1895. He was brought to the United States when he was 9 years old. He attended grade schools in Newark and Livingston. He was taken out of school, however, and worked in a Newark bookshop, a shoe factory, and in the Edison Laboratory before the outbreak of World War I.

In 1914, he worked his way to England on a cattleboat and enlisted in the British army. After a spell in the infantry, be requested and received a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps, and served as an aerial gunner with No. 22 squadron from March 1917 to Jan. 18, 1918. He then became the pilot of a Sopwith Camel with the home-defense squadron until the Armistice.

During his days as a gunner, he flew more than 1,300 hours over enemy lines. He destroyed 16 enemy planes and six kite balloons, but since he was not the pilot he received no personal credit. His kills were chalked up to his squadron.

During those clays. Whitehouse swapped bullets with many of the German aces, including the best of them all, Baron von Richthofen. The Red Knight, as von Richthofen was to become known, claimed 80 victories. One of these, No.42 to be exact, is disputed by Whitehouse.

In his “Years of the Sky Kings”, Whitehouse writes:

“Let us consider victory No.42, scored on April 13, 1917. In his report, von Richthofen stated that this flight took place at 12:45 P.M. betwen Monchy and Feuchy. The plane, a Vickers 2-seater, was downed behind British lines. In this report, we have at least one example of a Richthofen victory that was no victory at all.

“I was the gunner aboard that 2-seater. It was a F.E.2b, not a Vickers, but the Germans often made this mistake since both planes were almost identical. We were not shot down by Baron von Richthofen.”

Whitehouse went on to explain that his plane, piloted by Captain Bush, was returning from a photography patrol, when attacked by German planes over German lines. The propeller of the British plane was eventually shot away by antiaircraft fire. As the plane dove for a crash landing behind British lines, Whitehouse noted that they were pursued by two German planes, one of them red, and piloted, as he was learn later, by the Baron.

After returning to the United States in October, 1919, Whitehouse found the competition for work rather stiff. He tried his hand at selling rat poison, magazine advertising space, and automobiles. He spent some time in an insurance office.

In 1920 he married Ruth Terhune of Rutherford. Today they have a son and two grandchildren.

In 1922, he applied for a job as sports cartoonist on a Passaic newspaper. He was hired, though he had no prior experience. A year later, he moved to the Elizabeth Daily Journal as sports editor.

When Charles Lindbergh made his solo flight to Paris in 1927, Whitehouse wrote a column about it. A friend who read it suggested he try writing for one of the aviation pulp magazines. He submitted a story, and received a check for $100. The editor was impressed by the authenticity of the story, and hired Whitehouse to check the facts in other stories being submitted.

At the same time, he found a waiting market for his own fiction, and eventually quit the newspaper job to devote his full time to this work.

The start of World War II signaled a new phase in Whitehouse’s career. He became an accredited war correspondent, and served in the North Atlantic and Great Britain. He was also in on the Normandy invasion.

He returned to the States in 1945, and spent 2 years as a film writer before tearing up a 7-year contract, and returning East.

His first book, a juvenile, “The Real Book of Airplanes”, appeared in 1955. He has written juveniles also on General Pershing, Billy Mitchell, and wartime courier pigeons, and has agreed to do a long series of books fictionalizing the exploits of the Lafayette Escadrille.

Five volumes of his aviation short stories have appeared so far. Other recent or forthcoming books are “Adventures in Military Intelligence”, “The Early Birds—Wonders and History of Early Flight”, “Frank Luke—The Arizona Balloon Buster”, and a novel, “Squadron 44”.

Commenting on the continued popularity of World War I books, Arch credits much of it to nostalgia. “You’ll find a similar nostalgia catching up with the veterans of World War II,” he said. “For a few years they just want to forget it all. Then one day there seems to be that urge to recapture the past.”

And when they do, you can be sure Arch Whitehouse will be around to help them.

• Download “Arch Whitehouse: An Early Bird Looks Back” (17 April 1965, The Record Magazine, Hackensack, NJ)

Be sure to drop by Friday for another mad cap romp through hell skies with Whitehouse’s Coffin Crew!

TODAY we bring you an article about the Independent Air Force for a little background on the squadron The Coffin Crew were a part of!

SQUADRONS OF DEATH

The Epic Story of the Independent Air Force, the Most Amazing and Mysterious Organization of the World War in the Air
by A.H. Pritchard (Air Stories, December 1935)

A FEW months ago a story appeared in this magazine with the title of “Suicide Squadron.” Doubtless there were some readers who scoffed at this apparent exaggeration, refusing to believe that any form of aerial combat, even in time of war, could be so fraught with peril as to justify such a title. Yet truth is ever stranger than fiction, for here is the true story of the real “Suicide Squadrons” of the war. It is the story of a force that was composed entirely of such squadrons—the Independent Air Force.

Never before has the story of its epic deeds been presented in a magazine; its greatest deeds of heroism and daring are virtually unknown and, hitherto, unrecorded. Stories of the R.F.C., R.N.A.S., L’Aviation Militaire, and the Imperial German Air Force have appeared in their thousands, but seldom a line about the Independent Air Force. Nor do any of its pilots or observers appear on any list of British “aces,” yet dozens of German ’planes went down before the fury of their guns. Brief notices in the official despatches about a certain raid that “was successfully carried out” were all that the public ever learnt about the greatest fighting force in the Flanders skies.

Every man of them was a hero—they had to be, for a coward or a cautious man would not have lasted a day in their ranks. Their offensive policy always kept them flying over the enemy side of the lines. They fought their way to a target and then fought their way home, always against great odds. Many went down behind the German lines and spent the rest of the war in a prison camp, for a disabled ’plane meant certain capture. Yet, no matter how high the casualties, eager young men were always clamoring to join the Force. Men from every outpost of the Empire, from every walk of life, could be found in its roster, the most daring and reckless of their respective breeds.

The Birth of the I.A.F.

THE formation of the Independent Air Force was chiefly brought about by the intensive Gotha raids on England during the first six months of 1917. The public morale was slowly but surely being affected, and a demand went up for reprisals. “Give the Hun a taste of his own medicine,” was the cry. “Bomb his towns and his women and children!” So strong was this feeling that the War Office decided that something must be done, and they prepared to carry the war into Germany. However, all the squadrons at the front were far too busy to carry out the proposed raids, and it was decided to organise a separate force—a force that was to fight and raid under the direction of its own officers, not at the beck and call of the Army, as were the R.F.C. squadrons.

Accordingly, on October 11th, 1917, three squadrons were banded together as the Forty-First Wing, and were destined to form the nucleus of the Independent Air Force. These squadrons were No.55, No.100 and No.16 (Naval) Squadrons, and their ’drome was at Ochey. The total number of their machines was fifty-one. Beyond a few feeble raids, nothing much was heard of them until Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchard, Now Marshal of the Royal Air Force the Lord Trenchard Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, affectionately known to his men as “Boom,” arrived at Nancy on May 20th, 1918, to take command of what had then become officially known as the Independent Air Force. He found No.55 Squadron equipped with D.H.4 day-bombers (Rolls-Royce 375 h.p. “Eagle” VII’s) and No.100 with F.E.2b night-bombers (160 h.p. Beardmores), and he immediately applied for additions to his small force. He received No.33 Squadron, flying D.H.9’s (230 h.p. B.H.P’s) and No.216 Squadron, equipped with Handley-Page 0/400’s (two 250 h.p. Rolls-Royces), both stationed at Azelot.

Even then the Force did not really get into action, for delay was caused by the limited range of some of its machines. Only the Handley-Pages had a sufficient range to enable them to bomb the German frontier towns, and make the return journey. The normal duration of the F.E.’s and D.H.’s was only three and a half hours, so that extra petrol tanks had to be fitted to give them a duration of six hours, equivalent to a range of about 450 miles. Fuming at the delay in going into action, the men made the changes in record time, and in June, 1918, the I.A.F. set about its work of destruction, a work that was never to falter until Armistice was signed.

The Greatest Raid of the War

IN ITS first month of action the Independent Air Force carried out one of the greatest raids of the whole war. On the morning of June 28th a scout pilot spotted unusual enemy activity around Fere-en-Tardenois; dumps of ammunition were being made, and heavy transport lorries cluttered up the roads. Back he went to report the concentration, and the Independent Air Force was quickly informed. The ’dromes at Ochey and Azelot became seething ant-heaps of activity. All through the night great bombs were loaded into the gaping bellies of the Handley-Pages and the racks of the D.H.’s and F.E.’s were festooned with the steely beads of death. Working by the light of flares made from petrol-soaked cotton waste, the mechanics and armoury officers toiled on, whilst the pilots and observers tried to snatch a few hours’ sleep—for some the last that they were to take. Two hours before dawn machine-guns crackled harshly as they were tested at the butts.

Then, in the chilly air that comes in the pre-dawn, the four squadrons took-off, with a squadron of S.E.5’s following close behind, and with a roar rattled away towards their objective. The S.E.5’s had been lent by the R.F.C. to keep off enemy scouts until the bombers had laid their eggs.

Coming in over Fere-en-Tardenois at just under one thousand feet, they laid their bombs squarely on the first dump. A great sheet of flame leaped skywards, and debris rained around the bombers. Huge lorries hurtled up as the first great concussion set off the remaining dumps, and things that once had been men flew about the heads of the deafened Britishers. When the smoke had drifted away, all that remained of the woods that had concealed the dumps were a few fire-blasted stumps and smoking ruin.

The raiders, however, were not to escape unscathed. Fokkers, Pfalz, Albatri and “Tripes” gathered round them like flies round a jam-pot. Machine-guns rattled madly, tracer bullets weaved fantastic patterns across the sky, and an F.E.2b was the first to go. Caught in the converging fire of three Fokkers, its wings dropped off like pieces of paper, and the fuselage fell like a stone, burning fiercely. A second later two Pfalz collided and fell burning, leaving a trail of smoke and blazing fragments. Thirteen British bombers went down in the battle that followed, and five S.E.5’s, but the rest fought their way out, leaving behind them the shattered wrecks of twenty-six German machines.

Apart from the damage done, the raid had served another good purpose, for the War Office, at first inclined to be parsimonious, now gave Trenchard all the men and material he required. Workshops sprang up on the ’dromes of the I.A.F., and even their own intelligence service was formed. Spies would cross the lines into Germany and send back information as to new dumps, troop concentrations, schedules of munition trains and new factories, and the lads of the I.A.F. would go over and do the rest.

“Jock” Mackay Leads the Attack

ON the morning of July 31st, word came from one of their agents of the massing of supplies in the big station at Saarbrucken. Nine D.H.9’s of No.99 Squadron were quickly loaded with bombs and set off post-haste for Germany. Ten miles from their objective they were attacked by forty-six enemy scouts. Four D.H.’s went down, but the remaining five fought their way through and dropped their bombs dead on the station yards. A running fight all the way home awaited the survivors, and three more went down before they could reach the safety of No.55 Squadron’s field at Ochey. No sooner had the two battered machines landed than nine more D.H.4’s, this time of No.55 Squadron, took off for Saarbrucken. Under the leadership of Captain D.R. (“Jock”) Mackay, one of the best bomber pilots of the war, they found the stations and factories unprepared for this second raid, and exacted a terrible toll as revenge for the fourteen gallant men who had died in the first raid. After taking part in over a hundred raids, the gallant Mackay met his death through a direct hit from “Archie” on the day before the Armistice was signed.

The German towns that were coming in for the heaviest bombing raised a furious protest at the tactics of the I.A.F. pilots, and the Imperial High Command allotted twelve new squadrons to protect the towns along the Rhine. Thus did the I.A.F. make its might felt, after only one short month of action. The German bombers, too, tried to get even with them. The F.E.2b’s of No.100 Squadron had specialized in raiding Saarburg, Metz and Conflans, and had played havoc with the factories there. The first German raid on their field wounded a mechanic and wrecked an empty hangar. Five nights later they tried again, and had the satisfaction of seeing a number of fires light up, machines burst into flames, and a hangar collapse. Early the next morning two high-flying Rumplers came over and photographed the damage. The prints, which can still be seen at the German War Museum, showed burnt-out hangars and wrecked machines, whilst the sleeping quarters were a shambles.

And the men of No.100 Squadron laughed loud and long.

For the fires had been caused by petrol-soaked rags ignited by a timing device, the hangar was an old one, and the wrecked machines were old, crashed ’planes and tree trunks. After that first raid, Major Tempest, the C.O., had had the Squadron moved to the opposite side of Ochey Woods, and all hands turned out to sit in the trees and watch the display of fireworks provided nightly by the German Air Force. The Germans never could make out how it was that the Squadron continued to carry out its two raids a night.

Fighting Against Odds

MEANWHILE, the enemy air resistance was becoming stronger. Reinforced by the twelve new squadrons, they attacked every group of British machines that ventured near the Rhine towns. Undeterred, the bombers carried on, but their casualties became terribly heavy. Take the case of one raid by six D.H.4’s of No.55 Squadron.

On the morning of August 27th, they set out to bomb the docks at Offenburg, and when over the town were attacked by a formation of eight Pfalz scouts. Such odds were familiar to them, and, unperturbed, they carried on with the raid and turned for home. Then came disaster. Another formation of thirty Pfalz, Albatri and Fokkers came down on them, and after a running fight lasting over an hour, only one D.H. managed to limp home. True, three German ‘planes had gone down in flames, but the score was on the wrong side of the ledger. Still, no squadron could fight against the odds they were meeting and get away scot-free every time.

On the 10th of the month the same squadron had been attacked by thirty enemy scouts whilst returning from a raid on Frankfort. Flying a tight formation, they held the attackers off, and even when the enemy was reinforced by another forty machines they never broke formation. Against seventy enemy scouts not a British machine went down, and only one observer was killed. Four German ’planes were sent flaming to earth.

Two days later twelve machines took-off for another raid on Frankfort, as usual, without any escort of single-seaters. They carried out the raid unhindered, but on the return journey the inevitable enemy scouts appeared. Thirty-five Huns opposed them, and after a running fight that lasted an hour and twenty minutes, ten German machines had been destroyed, while the twelve bombers escaped with nothing worse than bullet-riddled machines.

The Handley-Pages of No.216 Squadron had also been giving a good account of themselves. On August 21st, in a raid that lasted over six hours, two H.P.’s had dropped over a ton of bombs on Cologne station, and had destroyed three enemy ’planes on the way home.

Besides the enemy aircraft, the British fliers had another great enemy to face, and one that the German pilots were never troubled with. Every English ’plane that crossed the German lines had the wind to contend with on its return journey. Always blowing out of Germany, many pilots owed their forced landings and subsequent capture to them. Even the I.A.F. had losses due to this wind.

One case, in example, was the fate of seven Handley-Pages of No. 216 Squadron. On the night of September 16th they set off to raid Mannheim. They bombed the chemical works and aircraft factories, fought off a dozen enemy scouts, and then started for home. When still many miles from the British lines one of their number went down, due to a shortage of petrol, and one after another the rest of the raiders followed suit. An extra strong wind had upset all their calculations, and seven 0/400’s were presented to the enemy by a trick of the wind.

The objectives chosen by the I.A.F. bombers were in some cases over one hundred and seventy miles away, and some idea of what the men had to put up with can be obtained when one remembers that even if the outward journey was fairly safe, the raiders had still to run the gauntlet of every available enemy squadron over that one hundred and seventy miles of the journey back. In the wind and blinding rainstorms of September and October they carried on, and their proud boast was that no raid was ever cancelled on account of inclement weather.

The Coming of the Giants

BY NOW the Independent Air Force was no longer an experiment. It was a tried fighting force, and the War Office knew it. All the men and machines that Trenchard required were now given to him freely, and many American officers, who had been chafing at the inaction while waiting for their own country to obtain ’planes, were transferred to the I.A.F.

New machines were needed to carry the raids still further into Germany, and great pressure was brought to bear on the aircraft works at home. The De Havilland people were trying out a new type of ’plane with the factory number of D.H.17. The machine was totally enclosed, and well streamlined, but except for the first experimental model, it never went into production. The same firm also had the twin-engined D.H.10 and D.H.10a., but neither machine fully satisfied Trenchard. The Handley-Page and Vickers factories, however, were building real dreadnoughts of the sky. The Vickers machine was the famous Vickers Vimy, and was powered with two 350-h.p. Rolls-Royce engines, and had a wing span of sixty-eight feet. But it was the machine being made by the Handley-Page works that really appealed to Trenchard. This was the V/1500 and in general appearance it was similar to the O/400. It was powered, however, with four 360-h.p. Rolls-Royce “ Eagle ” engines that could send the monster along at 103 miles an hour, with its full bomb load of 2,700 pounds. It had a non-stop range of one thousand three hundred and fifty miles, and could soar up to ten thousand feet in twenty minutes. Small wonder that “Boom” expected great things from it.

Meanwhile, the men at the front were carrying on in air that bristled with enemy fighters, whose instructions were to stop them at all costs.

On September 25th, No.110 Squadron went out to bomb Frankfort. They had been with the I.A.F. only a short time, and it was to be their first long-distance raid. Over Frankfort they were met by a terrific “Archie” fire and shells by the dozen burst all round them. Luckily, none was hit, and after dropping a ton and a half of bombs on the railway and goods yard, they turned for home. Summoned by the black bursts of the anti-aircraft shells, the enemy scouts came down, thirsting for blood. Four bombers went down, two Observers were killed, two pilots and one observer wounded. Only two German machines had been observed to fall, one in flames and one “out of control.”

The German scout pilots were now fighting with redoubled fury. The I.A.F. bombers were doing great execution among the troops quartered at Metz and Luxembourg, and had effectively shattered their morale. Twice, towards the middle of October, the troops in these towns had threatened to mutiny. A whisper went round that an armistice was coming and that the enemy pilots had determined to give a good account of themselves before the end came.

Blind Bombing

Sometimes, though, the I.A.F. outguessed the Germans and eluded the enemy scouts.

On the night of October 21st-22nd, a great raid was planned on the barracks and railway yards at Kaiserslautern, and Nos.97 and 100 Squadrons were given the job. It was a night of wind, rain and fog, with visibility almost nil, but the squadrons refused to cancel the attack. Taking-off down a lane of flares, they climbed above the fog blanket and set a course for Kaiserslautern. The journey became a nightmare as the weather got steadily worse. Blinded by the rain, and unable to catch a glimpse of the ground below, the fliers fought against the elements until their instruments showed them to be in the vicinity of their objective. Going down through the fog they could just faintly discern the lights of the town. Down screamed the bombs, and several large fires were observed to spring up, but, due to the mist obscuring the target, no definite report of the damage could be made.

Groping their way homeward, nearly every machine made a forced landing. One machine cracked up against a tree when attempting to land in a “pocket handkerchief” field, but, apart from the observer breaking his little finger, both occupants escaped scot-free. This was the only casualty, for every machine got back safely. Not an enemy scout had been seen during the whole time that they had been out, for the enemy protection squadrons had not dared to take-off in the fog. Some idea of the accuracy of the navigation may be obtained from the German official report of this raid, which stated that two hits had been made on the barracks, and the railway track had been badly damaged by a direct hit from a 650-pound bomb.

Berlin to be Bombed

BACK in England the work of forming still more I.A.F. squadrons was going forward apace, and on November 2nd these squadrons embarked for France—complete with the new and deadly giant bombers. Then came the news that set every flying man agog with excitement, and caused the blood to course the quicker through their veins—Berlin was to be bombed on November 18th by three full squadrons of Handley-Page V/i500’s and the total force was to consist of nearly one hundred machines!

For a week skilled mechanics toiled with loving care over the engines of the giants, and by the 10th the great machines were ready to go. That night came the greatest blow the Independent Air Force had ever suffered; orders were given for all preparations to be cancelled. On November 11th the wings of the Black Eagle folded in the dust, and the long story of bloodshed was over. Who knows—but perhaps advance news of the proposed raid had done much to persuade the Germans to beg for an armistice. To a country already bled white by four years of bitter strife, a raid on its capital might well have been feared as a means of setting ablaze the smouldering fires of revolt.

The morning of the 11th was the first to which the Independent Air Force did not awaken to the thunder of guns. No more for them the rattle of machine-guns, the tight feeling inside as the enemy hove into view, the hoarse “woof-woof” of “Archie,” the banshee wail of falling bombs, or the shrill scream of wires. All that was over, the world was at peace, and who can blame them if they felt thwarted of their last, and, what would have been, their most glorious fight. The day of the Independent Air Force was over.

In the few months of its existence the force had carried out over seven hundred raids, had dropped 160 tons of bombs by day and 390 tons by night, and had done damage to the extent of millions of pounds. Two hundred of these raids had been on enemy aerodromes, and much of the Imperial Air Force’s effectiveness had been quenched. In their battles with the enemy scouts they had lost one hundred and eleven machines, but one hundred and fifty-seven German machines had been destroyed by their guns, and over two hundred driven down out of control. That alone put them on the right side of the final account. Their men had fought the best that the enemy could send against them and beaten them in fair fight over their own ground. Their continual raids on the great gas-plants at Mannheim had been instrumental in saving the lives of countless infantrymen, and their systematic bombing of the enemy supply areas, dumps, and munition works did much to bring about the final downfall of German arms.

Never more than eleven squadrons strong, they had done the job expected of them, and they leave behind a glorious tradition. Born in the War, and fated to die in the War, we should salute—and remember—them.