Transcript of Above the French Lines
Introduction to Above the French Lines, Letters of Stuart Wolcott, American Aviator, July 4, 1917 to December 8, 1917. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox .org. Introduction from the Princeton Alumni Weekly of January 30, 1918. It is now seven weeks since the dispatches from Paris reported that Stuart Wolcott was attacked by three German airplanes and brought down behind the German lines, after he himself had brought down a German plane in his first combat on December 12, 1917, and that it was feared he had been killed. But even now after the lapse of nearly two months, it is not definitely known whether his fall proved fatal or whether the earnest hope of his friends that he is still alive may be realized. The reports are conflicting. A cable message of January 7 said that in Germany it was reported that S. Wolcott had been killed by a fall on December 12 near Saint -Soupleil. But Dr. Wolcott received a letter on January 19, which holds out some hope that the fall was not fatal and that his son may be a prisoner in Germany. This letter, dated September 17, is from a young aviator named Loughran, who was Stuart Wolcott's roommate at the flying station. He gives this report of what was told to him by an observer and pilot who saw the combat. On the 12th of December at 11 .30 a .m. there were five pilots to go out on high patrol, including Stuart and myself, but I was prevented from going because of a wrenched ankle. Stuart and the other pilots left here at 11 .40 a .m. for high patrol, which means they are to fly above the thousand meters. Two of the pilots had to return because of motor trouble, leaving one pilot whom Stuart was following. At 12 .50 a .m. they ran across a German by -place machine. The French pilot attacked first but had to withdraw because of trouble with his machine gun. He reports that the Spod, Stuart Wolcott's machine, that had been following him, he last saw a thousand meters above him, or the German. Also that the German had gone back over his lines. The infantry and artillery observers report the French pilot's attack in combat and that six minutes later the German returned over our lines, and that the Spod that was seen flying at a very high altitude came down and attacked the German and succeeded in bringing him down in flames. In doing so he had to fly quite a way over the German territory, and that the Spod had started to return when three German fighting machines were seen diving on him and forcing him down. The Spod was last seen doing a nose dive perpendicular behind their lines. That is all the information I have received up to date. This is what makes all the boys think that Stuart is