WWI Militaria/Royal Flying Corps: WWI Militaria/Royal Flyin...

Hammer

£1,000

WWI Militaria/Royal Flying Corps:

WWI Militaria/Royal Flying Corps: Extremely rare archive of over 50 letters written by 2nd Lt. Leslie Reader (10 Squadron). The collection numbers over 50 letters from 1918-1919 including numerous sent from the front (see below for transcript). Also included is a photo of 2nd Lt. Reader with his plane on Armstrong FK8.

10 Squadron

RG8

BEF

France

Saturday, 22 September 1918

Dear old dad

I don’t want to put the wind up into or frighten you in anyway but you nearly lost your only son yesterday. I will tell you about it. The weather was dud during great part of the day but it cleared up about five and I had to go on patrol at six. First of all my engine wasn’t running well but I took off and got over the lines about 6:20 pm . We carried up and down the lines making observations and using our wireless and as far as Archie was concerned everything was fairly quiet. Well, it began to get dark and we always have two bombs with us. I decided to make a dash over let them go and return home, we were about 6000 feet at the time with a strong wind following us right over Hun land. Just above us was a thin film of cloud.

We got over the Bosch line only too quickly and I just dropped my bombs and turned around to get back when Archie started shells burst all around us and that was not all. The firing suddenly stopped and out of the cloud seven Fockers came at us firing all the time. Only saw two at first these dived straight at me nose on like this (diagram) I realised in the umpteenth part of a second if I dived steeply they would overshoot us which they did and their bullets went over us like this(diagram).

Pulling her out of the dive (whereby I’d nearly thrown my observe out). I looked over my shoulder and saw five huns diving on my tail. Just realisethe position here, I was about 4 miles over Hunland battling against Strong wind and fighting seven Bosch Scouts who were much smaller and faster than our old slow two seater.

We were absolutely cold meat and they knew it. The wind was my greatest trouble. I could not get back over our lines and they could do 100 mph faster than us. They dived on our tail after the firing continual bursts bullets zipped and ripped our canvas and I was terrified less my observer should be hit but he got his gun going and fired away at them regardless of his own danger. I could see the bullets going in a stream past my head with a little green flame. The dirty skunks used explosive bullets. I then did a colossal side slip to the left making for our lines all the time but we still were a long way from home and the Hun still persisted. One fellow came straight for us from behind diving at about 200 mph firing like fury. I thought he was going to ram us but when only about 30 feet away zoomed up and over us then my pal got in a lovely burst and he went down in a nose dive below us. We don’t know what happened to him but we didn’t see him again and this morning I am trying to find out if it crashed. My only chance was side slipping and diving and so great was my speed (about 170 mph) that I expected my wings to fall off under the strain. The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes and we shook them over. No man’s land the dirty XXX couldn’t follow us any further otherwise we should have been absolutely shot to pieces. As it was my tail had about 30 bullets through it and was almost shot away. It was now quite dark and my engine was conking, the petrol tanks under my seat were hit and I had to come home on the emergency. To make things worse, I lost my way and had to fire very light which was answered by our own drone. I made a good landing. My observer had his glove ripped open by a bullet but otherwise we were both unhurt. I went to look at the fins this morning and it was worse than I thought there were 59 bullet holes in various parts of the machine. What a lucky escape we had.

It only goes to show what a dirty lot the Huns are. They won’t attack us unless we are over their lines and are in greatly superior numbers even when they had us cold they turned and ran as soon as our Archie got them over no man’s land but again seven what do you do with that? And a much larger XXX they XXX artillery.

Well that’s about all and please do not let mother know and unless you think it would not upset her everything else okay we’re moving today. The address will be the same by the way can you send me a couple of pairs of khaki socks and some handkerchiefs also collars size 15.

Well, cheerio and I’ll let you know if we get that item.

Yours Les.