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ILN Going Down In Flames with triplanes
While searching for Mike's requested issue of The Illustrated London News, I came across this great illustration in that volume. ILM is full of full and double page-spread illustrations, many of which depict WWI aerial events. This appears to be a pencil sketch byJoseph Simpson/France 1918. For background and captions: The page title is: "Fought To A finish: Remarkable Exploit On a Blazing Plane." the bottom image caption says, The pilot standing on a wing, keeping control and side-slipping his machine down so that the flames are blown away from him and his observer;The observer firing at the enemy-Before the "crash."
Descripion of the event reads: Describing the incident above, Mr. Boyd Cable writes: "One of our machines emgaged in combat with a half dozen triplanes, was shot down in flames, with the escaping petrol ablaze. Both pilot and observer must have known that an immediate and cruel death could hardly be averted" Goes on in much greater detail informing that observer continued to fire at attackers though wounded in five place. after side-slipping landing from outside the cockpit, plane crashed. Pilot and observer each had six bullet wounds and both were rescued by the infantry, clear of the burning wreckage...Thought some others may enjoy it.
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WWI (and other) aviation artifacts, documents, photos & art at:
www.memaerobilia.com
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