Journal Entry: January 6, 1916
St. Pol-sur-Mer

I'm beginning to really dislike Northern Flanders, if it isn't raining non-stop, it is snowing non-stop. It has snowed for the last six days, but yesterday we threw caution to the wind and completed a mission. Once aloft, I realized quickly that we should have just scrubbed the whole affair and returned to our warm mess. I did speak to the 'Old Man' about starting a squadron library because eventually one gets rather tired of cards, playing the piano, or drinking. He gave me the go ahead and I've started searching the local villages for any reading material. The one interesting aspect of yesterday's sortie was that it was an escort mission. This was the first we had flown and I fear that we will be called to fly many more. The actual flying isn't any more dangerous that our regular sorties, but it was very tedious and it's been my experience that tedium has killed many a pilot. I must think of ways to keep our pilots alert and attentive when we are flying these sorties. I've included a photograph of our charges yesterday and you can see for yourself that we should have stayed home. Naturally, we didn't see anyone else in the air and I would bet the BE2c drivers didn't see anything on the ground either. Oh well, at least it got us out of our huts.



Member and provider of banjo music for the Illustrious BOC