Lt. Edward Eastwood
RNAS4
Aug. 18, 1916
Because of a lack of planes we only fly one mission a day. Today we are to bomb the front lines SE of Bethune. Me and my gunner Drury are the only members of our flight with no escorts. Bloody lovely job! We make the target without contact and drop our load. With nothing around we start a circle to see our hits. Big mistake! As I look up and around 6 Hun scouts are on us. I dive but not befor I hear and feel bullets striking our crate. Into a cloud and out and 3 are still on our tail. I turn to engage but quickly stall. The controls are very sloppy. This is some fix. I dive as hard as I dare and Drury drives off 2 of the 3. I turn gently to engage the last one and he makes one pass and heads for home. With my controls not responding well we head to Le Gorgue and make a shaky landing. That's the last time I loiter to see where my eggs fell. Lesson learned.


Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end.
BOC Member since....I can't remember!