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EARTHLING · 30 April 2006, 06:49 AM

Thank you Taz for your timely reminder because my last input should be about aeroplanes fighting. Robinson, after all was writing a book about a squadron called Hornet flying and fighting in 1916, just before the Battle of the Somme. The piece quoted reflects his unsentimental style of writing.
Taz, I did not know there was a sequel to Heller’s Catch 22 and I would be interested in reading it, if I knew what it was called.

NOTE
Paxton is the observer and O’Neil is the pilot. The plane is an F.E.2d which has a 150 H.P. Beardmore engine with a fixed forward firing gun for the pilot. Paxton also has a forward firing M.G. and one on a pillar mounting for firing over the 6 cylinder engine and tail.

“C” Flight’s orders were to go trench-strafing in support of the attack, but the mist would have to clear first. O’Neil hung about until the archie became a pest. It was curious how they could see him up here when he couldn’t see them down there. He changed height and course, and flew near some British Nieuports having a scrap with some Fokkers. It was none of his business until a Nieuport dropped out, looking unhappy: one wing down, dirty smoke pumping from the exhausts. It was heading west at no great speed and being overhauled by one of the Fokkers.
O’Neil flew an interception course and arrived in time to make a nuisance of himself. Paxton fired a drum at long range, the Fokker got distracted, the Nieuport limped across the Lines. O’Neil was ready to leave it at that but the Fokker was determined to fight someone. It wanted to make a flank attack while O’Neil preferred a head-on attack, so they had a head-on attack. Paxton welcomed it. The Lewis clattered cheerfully, the enemy blossomed in his sights, tracer drifted towards the Hun as if it were being hauled in by hand. The enemy tracer flicked harmlessly past, as it always did. Someone stuck a red-hot poker through his right arm, ripped his hand off the Lewis and flung him back in his seat. Then the sun went in.
It came out again, but the sky was not blue. It was a milky white. O’Neil’s fixed Lewis was banging away. The Fokker was twisting and dodging. Paxton reached out to grab his own Lewis and discovered a right hand and arm covered in blood. There was so much blood he couldn’t work the trigger. There was so much blood, the slipstream blew it along his sleeve. The funny thing was, his arm didn’t hurt. He used his other arm to feel it. That hurt. Oh Christ did that hurt! The sun went in again. Night fell early.

The really funny thing Paxton tried to tell everyone at the Casualty Clearing Station, was the way getting shot in the arm turned other people deaf. It was really very funny. He could clearly remember O’Neil and someone else lifting him out of the cockpit and O’Neil asking something, or at least his mouth kept opening and shutting but no sounds came out. Same with Dando, when Paxton was lying on a stretcher. Much mouth action, no sound. Which meant they had all gone deaf and that was very funny, you must agree. Paxton tried to tell everyone. Some smiled, some didn’t. They were all deaf too. In the end he gave up. It was awfully tiring talking to deaf people. He fell asleep.

30 April 2006, 06:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
EARTHLING Two-seater Pilot Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 153	War Story (Continued) Thank you Taz for your timely reminder because my last input should be about aeroplanes fighting. Robinson, after all was writing a book about a squadron called Hornet flying and fighting in 1916, just before the Battle of the Somme. The piece quoted reflects his unsentimental style of writing. Taz, I did not know there was a sequel to Heller’s Catch 22 and I would be interested in reading it, if I knew what it was called. NOTE Paxton is the observer and O’Neil is the pilot. The plane is an F.E.2d which has a 150 H.P. Beardmore engine with a fixed forward firing gun for the pilot. Paxton also has a forward firing M.G. and one on a pillar mounting for firing over the 6 cylinder engine and tail. “C” Flight’s orders were to go trench-strafing in support of the attack, but the mist would have to clear first. O’Neil hung about until the archie became a pest. It was curious how they could see him up here when he couldn’t see them down there. He changed height and course, and flew near some British Nieuports having a scrap with some Fokkers. It was none of his business until a Nieuport dropped out, looking unhappy: one wing down, dirty smoke pumping from the exhausts. It was heading west at no great speed and being overhauled by one of the Fokkers. O’Neil flew an interception course and arrived in time to make a nuisance of himself. Paxton fired a drum at long range, the Fokker got distracted, the Nieuport limped across the Lines. O’Neil was ready to leave it at that but the Fokker was determined to fight someone. It wanted to make a flank attack while O’Neil preferred a head-on attack, so they had a head-on attack. Paxton welcomed it. The Lewis clattered cheerfully, the enemy blossomed in his sights, tracer drifted towards the Hun as if it were being hauled in by hand. The enemy tracer flicked harmlessly past, as it always did. Someone stuck a red-hot poker through his right arm, ripped his hand off the Lewis and flung him back in his seat. Then the sun went in. It came out again, but the sky was not blue. It was a milky white. O’Neil’s fixed Lewis was banging away. The Fokker was twisting and dodging. Paxton reached out to grab his own Lewis and discovered a right hand and arm covered in blood. There was so much blood he couldn’t work the trigger. There was so much blood, the slipstream blew it along his sleeve. The funny thing was, his arm didn’t hurt. He used his other arm to feel it. That hurt. Oh Christ did that hurt! The sun went in again. Night fell early. The really funny thing Paxton tried to tell everyone at the Casualty Clearing Station, was the way getting shot in the arm turned other people deaf. It was really very funny. He could clearly remember O’Neil and someone else lifting him out of the cockpit and O’Neil asking something, or at least his mouth kept opening and shutting but no sounds came out. Same with Dando, when Paxton was lying on a stretcher. Much mouth action, no sound. Which meant they had all gone deaf and that was very funny, you must agree. Paxton tried to tell everyone. Some smiled, some didn’t. They were all deaf too. In the end he gave up. It was awfully tiring talking to deaf people. He fell asleep.