Carrick, just another day at the office, right?

3 September, 1916 05:10 morning mission
Luxeuil, Alsace Sector
3 Wing RNAS
FC Tobias Chester Mulberry
13 confirmed kills

The two Fokker claims by the lake from yesterday have been confirmed.

Mulberry was flying north toward Lunéville. It was a high altitude ‘A’ flight escort mission to perform recon duties over the front. 12,000 feet, who flies this high? The voice in his head had an answer immediately. Nobody. Exactly, that’s why the recon planes fly so high to avoid harassment from the enemy scouts. It was difficult to climb to 10,000, even harder to reach 11,000 and it was a task and a half to get to 12,000. After 25 minutes of keeping the machine from stalling they were ready to get back. Armstrong was missing. Where could he have gone to? Toby looked lower and then even lower to see a flash of sun reflecting of a wing. There, that was him and a Fokker. Mulberry dove immediately and after some time got on the Hun’s tail and fired. It was difficult to keep his machine steady. They sparred almost to the ground level. He was surprised the E.IV could not get away by simply climbing and accelerating. What a difference dead weight of a useless gunner can make! Now he knew he had made the right choice. The enemy machine went down NE of the Parroy Pond. Armstrong claimed one more Fokker. It was a successful mission.

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3 September, 1916 14:40 afternoon mission
Luxeuil, Alsace Sector
3 Wing RNAS
FC Tobias Chester Mulberry
13 confirmed kills
Awaiting 1 claim confirmation

There were three of them. Flying in a formation over the front east of Belfort, their monoplane shapes clearly visible against the backdrop of a pale cloud layer. Toby was at a favourable altitude and could engage at will. Two of them came up to meet him, while the remaining Fokker flew in the opposite direction. Mulberry fought them both at once and after a while there was only one. The other disengaged at some point, leaving his wingman to fend for himself. It became easier from then on. The green Fokker came down north of the Holzweiher lake in the murk of the ghostly fog. Toby made sure his friend didn’t change his mind and quickly made his way back to camp. A nice, warm cup of tea with a splash of scotch was what he needed.

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"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys,
The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain,
From out of my arse take the camshaft,
And assemble the engine again."