6,000ft above the French countryside, routine patrol on our side of the lines with two new chaps...
The 'Scout Experimental' office... quick check of instruments, all is good, I wonder?....... wait a minute, what's that?
Huns!... and I've got the new boys... Too late now, here we go!
Two of the blighters breaking left... Righto! I turn into them.
In what seems a blur, and is usually the norm in these encounters, I find myself alone and closing with only one of the enemy flyers.
Where the other one has gone I have no idea...
In the distance I catch a glimpse of an aeroplane going down, ours or theirs? I hope to god it's not one of my new chicks...
With my mind distracted I suddenly realise, I've lost sight of him... in a panic I look behind me and my hair stands on end!
I roll and pull hard on the stick... COME ON!
Maybe this one is a new chap as well, because he should have had me... somehow I close to him again and get off a few rounds as he passes me.
I'm sure I hit him...
Yes... I'm sure he was hit now, he's slowing down, constantly checking where I am... his controls may be damaged, he's not evading.
Why isn't he throwing that kite around?
Time to close in and finish it... I give him another good burst and he flips over. He's going down!
And he's out of the game... I feel elation, tinged with some sadness, as there is after all another man in that sleek looking craft.
I flip over and plummet after him like a hawk, intent on really spoiling the hun's day, but as I rapidly close on him I see why he wasn't evading... his propellor has stopped, I did hit his engine!
I decide he's helpless, and I can't shoot him. I watch him coasting in to land on the fields below... I surmise he'll soon be picked up by some of our infantry lads.
As I skim over him I give him a wave and waggle my wings... who knows, I may get to meet him later!
I gain height and check my compass... Now, where are those new chaps? If they've bagged a hun between them, I'm going to get them both a large pink gin!
