Bizarre or humourous WW1 Aero stories

Breguet · 3 May 2005, 10:02 PM

I saw this on another forum and thought what a great topic. The following story, which appeared there, is not WW1 but could well be. Good Laugh anyway.

This came from a WW1 pilot and passed on to me by the late Brian Trubshaw:
The aircraft in use was the Gamecock and on taking off from a very rough field, lost a wheel. Apparently this was a common problem on that type and posed a real hazard on landing. Of course this was before the use of radio, so another Gamecock was sent up with a passenger holding the lost wheel as a way of bringing to the attention of the first pilot that he had lost a wheel. Unfortunately the second Gamecock also lost a wheel so the first pilot saw the other aircraft formating alongside him with a wheel missing and the passenger apparently holding it above his head.
I did'nt enquire what the final outcome was!

Cigogne · 4 May 2005, 07:07 AM

How's about this for a true story. A fellow named Ritscherle who served as a fighter pilot in Jasta 60 wrote about this in the early 1920s about his time as an observer/gunner in an Aviatik C-type. As you may know, the Aviatik C.I-III had the observer seated in the front cockpit. The armament was two Parabellum machine guns mounted on each side on a sliding rail system. Each of these guns was secured by a clamp. Ritscherle and his pilot were on a flight when they were attacked by a French Nieuport fighter. Ritscherle immediately went into action and unclamped the Parabellum gun and proceeded to fire between the wires, etc. His pilot banked to evade the pursuer. When Ritscherle turned to switch to the other gun... it met him... on the side of the head, having been left unclamped. In the violent curve, it swung and knocked poor Ritscherle out, shattering his goggles. He came to, and got up to join the fight a second time... only to have the other gun, which also was unsecured... knock him in the other side of his head. Ritscherle explained that... "the war ended a second time for me." Another item he mentions is the grin on his pilot's face... when witnessing Ritscherle being cudgeled by his own guns!