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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0671.PDF
JULY 5, 1917 WSMSFROMTiMDS - DESPATCHES from Zurich some time ago made much fuss of "the fact that Germany and Austria are covering their aero- plane wings with paper instead of fabric, the latter being none too plentiful in the Central Empires. If the despatches were sent out with the idea of giving another proof of the Germanic race's cleverness, like their usual custom, they are once again but copyists, as paper covering of aeroplane wings .is an old idea in this country. Ask Mr. A. V. Roe. If we "are not mistaken he had several memorable experiences with his earlier machines in the way of paper-covered wings. For slow, lightly loaded machines, paper is not a bad material at all as a makeshift, but one does not quite fancy it for the modern scout loaded at the rate of some 7 or 81bs. to the square foot. Once a small tear is started—as, for instance, by a machine gun bullet—paper has a nasty habit of ripping, but perhaps the idea is that when a 'bus has " gone west," as not infrequently happens when our boys can get at them, the enemy can shrug his shoulders and comfort his public by saying that it was " only a scrap of paper." X)tJR regular air patrols over "London during the daytime are occasionally, when noticed, raising a curious feeling of un- certainty in the minds, not to say bodies, of the citizens. Is it a Hun or one of our own is the question that must necessarily arise. There is one comfort about it, that the patrolling machines being sufficiently high up are not, owing to the hum of London traffic, often heard, and still less there- fore seen or noticed, else might we expect a regular punc- tuation of confusing siren shrieks and bell clanging according to the particular taste of each local municipality. It's a mercy anyway that London is pronounced free from the infliction. THAT picturesquely painted description, by one of the participants, which has gone the rounds of the German papers, of the aeroplane attack on London, in which the writer callously refers to the bomb " greetings from the German to the English people," which he helped to distribute, has at least found little favour with Vorwaerts, which journal, upon many occasions, to its credit, has during the war recorded its opinion, in the face of the Censor, against some of the Hunnish methods of conducting war. Vorwaerts' comment upon this latest v.ry questionable effusion is to the effect:— " It is necessary to remark that the writer of this article discharged a military order but no political mission from the German to the English people. A military action in which, unfortunately, non-combatants and women and children also lost their lives, cannot suitably be described as greetings from the German to the English people." THAT the deeds of the R.F.C. and R.N.A.S. during this war will live in history there is not over much doubt. The one .difficulty will be to truly record them, with a due sense of proportion, having regard to the dates when accom- plished and the surrounding circumstances of each individual deed of heriosm. That an effort in this direction is being made, however, we have very much pleasure in announcing. It is proposed to gather together a war record of the R.F.C., and it is to Capt. G. L. Campball, Devonshire Arms Hotel, Bandon, Co. Cork, to whom all information bearing upon, the subject should be sent. Out of over 700 flying officers killed in action, died of wounds or accidentally killed, the compilers of the biographies have already track of about 600. Officers' relatives therefore should see that they communicate with The identification marks for aircraft adopted by our new ally, America. The centre is red, the star white, and the background blue. The colours on the rudder are red, white and blue, as on our own machines. m *m mm m* m 671 ••-•.••/;.-
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