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Carrick, very sorry to see the end of your man Keith, he had a fine run. Here's hoping Sgt. Lavasure has a long and lustrous career.
A drink to the dead already, "Hurrah!" for the next man to die.

Fullofit, glad to see that Toby managed to coax his dead mount back across to the friendly side. Those errant bomb hits though will no doubt give the Hun press something to write about - the murderous Brits killing innocent civilians and all that rot.

Raine, it's great to see Collins back in France. I am impressed and then some that he is able to fight and win in that steady old B.E.12. Well done.

MFair, I agree completely about flying outside of the DiD, it just seems like so much practice and testing. As for my part in giving this event a bit more life, it's really all Raine's doing, I'm just an unpaid clerk.

Hasse, a wonderful, poignant episode to catch us up on Julius. Superb writing.

Wulfe, great to see a report from your man as well. Good to know he is still on the green side of the sod. His crew is having a tough time of it and I fear it will get tougher in terms of losses. And fourteen confirmed now eh? Some more palms to the CdG are in order, HQ will look into that.

Harry, Lazlo has been busy as well I see. He's becoming an old hand in that Halb of his. Nice dead-stick landing by the way, and an enjoyable group of videos.

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Captain Swanson has settled in nicely in his new position as 37 Squadron's station commander at Stow Maries. It's a small group with only three B.E.12s to keep track of at the moment. He has spent his time this last week or so getting to know the men in the camp and his new mount, the latter being a far cry from the Strutter he'd been flying in France. He's grateful he doesn't have to suffer one of these beasts against the Albs, or worse the Rolands. What he has had to suffer however was the same tedious, chinless colonel that his friend James Collins had to endure. The man interrogated Swany for nearly an hour about the article that broke first in the American papers and then in the British rags concerning his record and the fact that he was the highest scoring ace in the RFC, (or the RNAS for that matter). The man acted as if Swany were some sort of subversive or spy, hellbent on bringing down the proper order of His Majesty's realm. After 45 minutes of questions and less-than-thinly-veiled accusations Swany had taken enough and fired back.

"Colonel, if you tink I'm such a threat you can just cut me loose and send me back to da States. I did volunteer to help, you know, I don't need to be here. So how about I go home and just tell everyone that England wants us Americans to keep our noses out of their business, that way we can keep our million or so troops right where dey are and save da taxpayers in my country a whole lot of money. Sound good --- Sir?" A brisk salute and Captain Swanson turned and left the office without being dismissed.

He was summoned the following day to talk with General Henderson who first apologized for the interrogation, after which he reminded the Captain that, volunteer or no, he still had to follow military protocol and show the proper respect when dealing with a senior officer, no matter how large an ass that senior officer might be. Swany took an immediately liking to the General, he seemed a real soldier's soldier.

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