A Popular History of The Great War/Volume 1/Page 268

Not Proofread. The contents of this page needs to be proofread. Currently, there are multiple typos / OCR errors that require attention.
THE BRITISH RETREAT


in tracing the movements and exact positions of tlie British troops, Pilots who landed at corps headquarters were able to reassure the commanders as to the condition of their distant units and the movements of the enemy. But their greatest service during these anxious days was to expose von Kluck's manoeuvres and confirm the news of his wheel in a south-easterly direction. They certainly contributed to the escape of the British army from the toils of the Germans. How elementary was their equipment, compared to what it became later, can be gathered from the fact that they possessed no bomb-throwing gear, but carried small grenades in their pocketsandlargerbombstiedtotheirbodies. Littlehadbeen done to equip the a^oplanes, and officers were often armed only withserviceriflesandrevolvers. Butexecutionwasdoneagainst enemy aeroplanes. In Sir John French's first dispatch, issued September 7, and addressed to Earl Kitchener as secretary of state for war, he said I wish particularly to bring to your lordship’s notice the admirable work done by the Royal Flying Corps, under Sir David Henderson. Their skill, energy, and persevemnee have beenbeyondallpraise. Theyhavefurnishedmewiththemost complete and accurate information which has been of incal- culable value in the conduct of operations. Fired at con- stantly, both by friend and foe, and not hesitating to fly in every kind of weather, they have remained undaunted throughout. Further, by actually fighting in the air, they have succeeded in destroying five of the enemy machines. Firedonbyfriendandfoe”isaphrasewhichdemandssome explanation. In these early days the machines had no identifica- tion marks, and though these were quickly improvised it was some time before mistakes of identity could be entirely avoided. Sir John French concludes his dispatch by referring to the great services rendered by his chief of staff, Sir Archibald Murray, the quartermaster-general. Sir W. Robertson, the adjutant- general, Sir N. Macready, and other members of the general and personal staffs at headquarters.

← 267   ·   268   ·   269 →
(page index)
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.