19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Photo Reconnaissance - April 8, 1917

Part of a conversation overheard in a corner of the ‘Bear ’n Beast’ pub in East London.

“No, it’s all about our Brian. Mrs. Woolgren got the letter from her son who’s a fitter in the No. 5 Squadron, a two-seater outfit which, if you know anything about the bleedin’ army, are the work horses, you know - doing all the photographs and bombing, like that. Mrs. Woolgren says that Charlie said in his letter that two 5 Squadron planes with three scouts accompanying them went over the lines to photograph Hun troops. (He can’t say exactly where, can he, what with all the censorship but she knows her lad is in the Arras area where that big push is goin’ on.) And our Brian’s a pilot and he was flyin’ one of the two-seaters. First, as they neared the area they was supposed to photograph they spotted a crippled Hun machine going all out for ‘ome. They attack him seein’ as how he was about at their height and by his lonesome. The scouts takes a couple shots at ‘im and miss and then Brian comes up and finishes ‘im off like, sending him down in a ball of flame. Shows them fighter pilots ‘ow it’s done, doesn’t he.

“So ain’t that what ‘e’s supposed to be doin’?

“No, Cob, that’s the point, that’s the job of them scouts, the two-seaters are there to do the real work, like I told you. Anyway, they get to the area and start photographin’ and who shows up? It’s the bleeding ‘Mr. bloody Red Baron’, himself, and two other planes with ‘im. Well, to make a long story short, one of the other Huns gets too close to Brian and ‘e sends him ‘ome with a bloody nose, shooting up the Hun craft pretty well, does our Brian. And the Baron, gets real ‘ot, gets on Brian’s tail but he can’t get ‘im in his sights seein’ as how Brian out-flies him like, pretty soon the Baron just gives up and leaves the fight. Goes home, don’t you know, flies off into the clouds. I know Cob, you don’t keep us with this, having just a daughter, but that’s a real feather in our lad’s cap, so to speak. He’s a bloody ‘ero, is our Brian!

He turns to the group of men in the pub and calls out, “Listen up lads, I’m buying a round for the ‘ouse to celebrate my son the bloody ‘ero takin’ on the Red Baron and the whole bleeding Hun air force.”

Mission Points:
Cambrai area photographed (enemy build-up):
One damaged non-Jasta 11 plane shot down (Sgt. Brian Cornell): +15
One non-Jasta 11 plane aborted (Sgt. Brian Cornell): +3
Average quality plate: +20
Mission Deduction: 0
Mission TOTAL: + 38