Air Stories — page 62: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee ON “y. “Jy a0 x Bea ee: z¢ wR, rae Pieisens at : eas s He . fe ‘ ie i FOOTLIGHT ACE That Suicide Club, the Balloon Busters, had no Stranger Member than Basil Harlow, the Actor.Airman, who, even in War, was not Content with a Part in the Chorus the bellying monster 60 CHAPTER I Behind the Scenes [FE had always been a little too easy for Basil Harlow. Even when the Great War spread insecurity and disaster, Basil carried on with greater success and acquired even more money than had come his way in times of peace. It happened that war enhanced Basil’s assets, just as it produced grand pianos and limousines for purveyors of bully- beef, blankets and gas-masks. True, Basil’s attributes were of a more esthe- tic nature. He was the possessor of strikingly good looks, decided acting talent and a flair for the theatre fostered through several generations of a theatrical family. At twenty-three, he was a popular musical comedy artiste. In the early years of the War he rose to stardom with the celerity of a starshell soaring over No-Man’s-Land, except that in Basil’s case, the flickering-out process was more prolonged. By RUSSELL MALLINSON With the leave trains pouring thousands of war-jaded soldiery into London, the theatres in 1916 were playing to crowded houses. The quality of the show did not matter particularly, so long as there were lights and music and pretty girls to help blot out the war horrors and drug overwrought nerves into temporary quiescence. On a certain October evening in 1916, an unexpected cloud drifted across the peaceful vista of Basil’s existence. The Palaceum Theatre was packed with khaki. It was a restless excited crowd. News from France was not too good. Outside in the darkened streets the raucous shouts of newsboys heralded the first tidings of the British offensive. Comicaook Vy) (©