Book-An Airman's Wife

wings · 20 December 2003, 09:49 AM

Does anyone have info on this book?

cameldriver · 26 December 2003, 11:50 AM

An Airman's Wife was published by Herbert Jenkins Ltd. in 1918. It has 299 pages consisting mostly of letters written home by the author's husband. It was also published in the US by Moffat, Yard & Co., 1918 under the title My Airman Over There. I haven't read it in many years but my recollection is that it was a good read.
If you need anything more, I will be happy to dig it out and let you know.

wings · 27 December 2003, 12:03 AM

Thanks! I would like to know if the letters give any details on the colors and markings of German scouts encountered during specific combats of 1917.

cameldriver · 28 December 2003, 05:49 AM

I had a chance to thumb through the book. Sorry to say that it is short on the specifics that you seek. There are no dates associated with the letters, so individual engagements are almost impossible to identify. No letters mention markings, and only a few even talk about the color of the enemy planes. There are a few letters that mention "red scouts". Early on there is a desciption of a two seater with a "polished yellow wooden body and green wings". Finally, "There were, roughly, a dozen of them-all Scouts and wonderfully painted. No two were alike, and hardly one machine was painted the same color. Green wings and red fusilage; pink and purple; yellow tails and white and black wings! They were hideous."

That's about all that can be gleaned from the letters. Hope it's of some help.

Gregvan · 28 December 2003, 01:44 PM

Hi,

Thanks for the info , Cameldriver. Do we know the name of the airman who was writing to his wife, his squadron, etc ?? That would certainly help narrow things down a bit.

Greg

cameldriver · 28 December 2003, 04:33 PM

According to Noffsinger, he was Capt. Wm. A Bond, DSO, MC & Bar, Flight Commander in No. 40 Squadron and had 7 victories before being killed in combat.

Gregvan · 28 December 2003, 05:48 PM

Thanks, Cameldriver !!

Here's what

Above the Trenches has to say about Bond: "After serving in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Bond transferred to the RFC, and joined 40 Squadron early in 1917, flying Nieuport Scouts. During early summer he claimed five enemy aircraft in a month. He was promoted to flight commander in July, but was killed in action on tje 22nd of that month in Nieuport B1688 at Sallaumines, probably by Uffz Beyer and Lt Ebert of Fl. Abt. 235, although the squadron claimed that he had been shot down by AA fire. He had been awarded a DSO, MC and Bar."

As implied, ATT credits him with five victories, not seven. All of his victories were scored in May and early June 1917.

Greg VanWyngarden

wings · 29 December 2003, 12:09 AM

Cameldriver,

Thanks for the details! That last reference to colors that you mentioned is certainly of interest. Are there any details in that letter that would indicate when it was written?

cameldriver · 29 December 2003, 05:49 PM

Sorry. As I said, the letters are all undated. He does mention that it was at night, by which I take it to mean evening. Also, while the planes were sighted, there was no mixing up, as neither side saw it to attack the other. B)