Crawfordsville High School - Athenian Yearbook (Crawfordsville, IN)

Page 14 text:

THE ATHENIAN A Day watch a. Bomowrrclmetnt Squadron BY LT ARTHUR CLEMENT Y W, N the llfe of every soldier there are certain outstanding events of pecullar VN?v vlvrdness but none I daresay IS more momentous than he first charge over the top or the lnltlal fllght over the lrnes the baptism of fire 1s 1,099 rt IS called After my asslgnment to the tenth ltalxan bombardment X squadron l began loolung forward toward this ordeal v lth a mlngled QT 70- 'V-9 feeling of eagerness and hesltancy Everyone IS anxious to have the but because he IS anxious to learn just how he vvrll bear up under extrarodlnary clrcum stances to test himself out as It were for no one can predict with certamty how hrs nerves wrll behave under fire It was the usual policy among the Italians to try out a newcomer on a nlght expedl tlon for whlle night flying has Its dlfTlCUlllCS and drabw aclcs lt IS more proprtlous IH varlous ways for brealvng ln the novlce It happened that my lnltlatlon occurred on a mldntght rard against an enemy avratlon camp beyond the Piave exchanging courtesres rn a w ay But Instead of dwelling upon the details of an lndrvrdual venture I wlsh to recount the general actlvltles of a day when the fortunes of the entlre camp were at stake when personal conslderatlons were dwarfed ln comparison wrth the perll of the group On October 24 the anmversary of the great dlsaster of Caporetto the drrve was launched that was to redeem Italy from that reverse and clear her soll of the Invader During this final ten clay offensive rn whlch Austrla was routed from her mountain strong holds and lmes of entrenchment along the Piave River and forced to sue for peace the actlvltles of the alr servlce were greatly compllcated by unfavorable weather ln spite of the adverse condltlons our planes had to make expedltlons that ordlnarlly would never have been considered When the llves and fortunes of the troops are dependent to a cer tam extent upon the support of the axr men difficulties are of llttle moment Three days had been required to break the llnes and then began the withdrawal which soon developed mto a retreat and then a rout Toward the last only cavalry and airplanes could keep ln contact with the enemy Their forces had been dislodged rn the Alps and on the plalns were pushed back almost to the national frontiers Posltrons w hrch w exe bombed one day would be ln the hands of the Allies the next Thrs constant flux of the battle llne necessitated our keepmw well posted concerning the advances rn order that we mlght not destroy cur own men This advance of the front from our camp also required longer raids of about 300 mlles occupying over three hours rn continuous Hrght It was during the latter part of the show fa term always employed by the Engllsh that the following expedltlon occurred Durrng the morning of this part cular dav the squadron had attempted one rard mto the Alps but a heavy fog rolling ln from the Adn tlc and the Venetlan marshes completely enveloped the camp After vainly endeavorlng to brealv through the clouds and mlst the machines whlch had talten to the alr were compelled to return to the field By afternoon however everything was set for a new attempt len large Capronl blplanes were llned across the fleld, wlng to wlng, all ln readiness for the tack off The cargoes of bombs were ln place the gasollne supply had been renewed, and the motors tested out, ready for the spmmng of the propeller Clusters of soldrers were lolterlng o i 1. l ' vw , . . V 1 , 1 , P' I L-'L c-: , ,-.1 sc cg . siN4 fffftx . . l T ' ,kit ,.,5 YJ . . of ...fx ju . ' . ' , ' 1 , 7, X---, , . , Shi U ' , 3 - W , . , , initiation over, not so much through a spirit of dare-devil adventure. 9 O T I . V . ' . . . 7 . .- ' 1 Y s -v T ' V l v 2 v I 1 V . . , .V , I . . Y . I . T ! 9 - , , , , ., . ' l - ' J . . . , V , . .R . . ' V i r K ' A I , v v , 1 . v K v l V T ' . . , ,

Page 13 text:

bQlol1Q is of C WARREN DAv rs The class of I9 feels much honored rn hav rng a hero from the World War rn tts ranks Warren Davrs was for erghteen months wrth the Amerrcan Expedrtronary Forces rn France and took part rn some of the most desperate battles of the war lhe accounts whrch he has reluctantly grven us of hrs experrences rn the battles of Montdrdrer Cantrgny and Sons sons have farrly made our blood run cold He was wounded three trmes but declares they couldnt krll hrm Hrs frrst wound was caused by a shell splrnter strrkrng hrs shoulder A Sorssons the Huns agam trred to get hrm but thus wrry lrttle doughboy pulled through after a long trme rn the hosprtal where he suffered from concussion of the lung After hrs recovery he agarn went after the Hun and chased hrm to the last ln February Uncle Sam decrded that thrs 'I anl-t had done hrs brt and Warren lost no time rn returnrng to old Craw fordsvrlle A tew days of rest and he was ready to take up hrs hrgh school work where he had left off The change rn lrfe from the front ol battle lrne to the confrnement ot class rooms and tudy halls has not been easrly made and often we have known that Warren s mrnd was back on the battle held when he would rnvoluntarrly Jump at unusual norses or step asrde for crumpled papers that happened rn hrs w ay thrnkrng rt some Germany treach ery but thrs young man has stayed wrth the fight to the last and the class of I9 rs justly proud to have hrs name rncluded on therr roll PALL Monrzrsorx The junror cla s also has a real oldrer Paul Morrrson Paul was for many months wrth a drvrsron of LJ S cavalry statroned near the Mexrcan border In hrs preparatron for antrcr pated servrce overseas Paul had many expe rrences rangrng from chasrng Mexrcan bandrts to berng porsoned by a German c mp cook Paul s experrence as a musrcran rn the army makes hrm a valuable addrtron to the C H S band The school rs proud to welcome such new comers as he has proved to be fs-1 ' r . f -114 'o o 0 Y l , . .. , V V 1 9 D' - V . ,. . . - . Y f ' ' . I . , . 4 . , , V , :- r .. ' , .. . Q .C , - V v . V Y. , . V' f , . 3 - . , . .. .

Page 15 text:

THE ATHENIAN around the machmes the mechanrcs always ln attendance the pllots and crews ln their flying mlts all lmpatlently awaltrng developments We had been Ykaltllig ln our hot fur lmed Teddy bears srnce noon Twlce we had cllmbed mto the seats adjusted helmet and goggles and started the motors only to be Interrupted by orders suspending the action Wuth each false alarm the fretful ness Increased The afternoon w as wearing on and the weather thlckenlng whlch gave llttle promise of any actlon that day but the command w as to stand fast and be prepared at any moment to start for a new objectne It w as now three o clock and the mlst was turnlnv mto a sllght drizzle maklng It dlfficult to see much beyond the boundarles of the camp A general clamor w as arlslng to taxl mto the hangers when suddenly the gray Flat tourlng car of the commandant rushed out on the held The Italian major jumped out and shouted for all the crews to gather for a conference Word had armed from headquarters that the Austrlans ln their retreat were attemptmg so cross the Tagllamento Rner and we were to destroy the brldges oxer that stream at Palmanowa and Latlsana at all costs It w as as rf a bomb had dropped ln our midst The order seemed Incredible For a moment we looked at each other dazedly and ln consternation It would be utter folly to attempt an expedltlon mto that mist xt would hardly be possible to follow the course to such a dlstant objectne and It would be necessary to fly low ln order to see the ground that the antl alrcraft would hawe easy plcklng Moreower the hour was so late that darkness would arrlve before we could return and what machines survtved collisions and Arcfhles would become lost ln enemy terrrtory These were a few of the thoughts that flashed through our minds But the hlgher authorltles knew best the condltlons and the emergency Ours was only to obey The scene was soon one of bustling actlvlty Pilots bent oxer maps endeaxorlng to puck out the route whlle their attendants fastened on addltlonal flying garments Me chamcs labored w'th the motors many of which persisted ln balkmg at the wrong moment but soon thlrty propellers were splnnlng When I climbed lnto the carlnlga wrth my com panlons It was with the convlctlon that more than half of the crews would never return Disaster perwaded the atmosphere Yet no farewells were said As my companion pllot took his place beside me a broad smile through his grotesque face mask was hls only comment The major urging haste took hrs place before the llne and fired a Hare shell as a slgnal for the first machine to depart The low hum of tts ldllng motors burst forth Into a roar as lt charged down the held a stream of mud flying from the wheels While manv of us were still adjusting our apparel other planes followed ln close succeslon One machine broke a propellor on leawlng the ground and was out of commlsslon As the slgnal for our departure came I settled lnto the seat fastened the safety belt and tried out the llght swrtches whrch mrght be necessary on the return trlp I opened the three throttles the bus lowered nts head and rushed through the soft held and soon we were ln the alr off agam to the unknown A jagged hlll surmounted by the rums of a medlewal fortress was the chlef land mark of our regions But as we swung around thls outpost ln the dlrectlon of the front tts outlmes were scarcely dlstlngulshable Companlon machlnes a few hundred yards dlstant were lost ln the murk It soon became ewldent after prellmlnary clrclmg that a squadron formatlon would be rmpossrble Every bus must strxke out for Itself and steer clear of the others Nexer dld I peer so intently into the haze stralnmg my eyes ahead V 1 c, . . . . . U ,, . . V V v -V - v n 1 . . 1 - . . . . . Y 5 1 .V V V , . , ., s s . . ' . . - V V V V - v V V n V r 1 - s ., ' - v n V V V V V , . V s 1 , . V y - V . s , . ' s V V .. ,