Air Stories — page 78: what you’re looking at

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

AIR STORIES HEURTEAUX’S VICTORY LOG 1 Aviatik 2 Rolands 2 Rumplers 4 L.V.G.’s 6 Fokkers 6 Albatri Heurteaux caught the unlucky Rumpler a few moments before mid-day, and this time he made sure. The German observer died in the first exchange of shots, then an incendiary bullet found the petrol, and the machine burst into flames and fell in Mangues Wood. Confirmation of this victory had been sent on before Heurteaux had reached home. 3 But 1917 was to be a year of ill-omen for Heurteaux, for he now received bullets in his body instead of his machine. Towards the end of January a bullet went through the palm of his left hand, and thereby hangs a tale. It may be just another ‘‘tall story,’’ but it was reported by Dorme and so deserves to be recorded. It is said that during a fight with Albatros Scouts, one enemy machine put a long burst through Heurteaux’s machine just behind his back. Where- upon, with his fingers to his nose, the Frenchman made a face at the German pilot, and that worthy retaliated by shooting up MHeurteaux’s instrument panel, and putting one bullet through the still extended hand. Heurteaux’s Last Fight EURTEAUX was soon back in action, | however, and on March 16th he attacked five Albatros Scouts and shot a ge ee eee ean A Great New Adventure of the Three Squadrons THE ACE OF TWISTERS two down in flames. On May 3rd he . secured his twenty-first, and last, victory, when he shot the wings off an L.V.G. two-seater. Two days later he had been shot down seriously wounded. With reckless abandon, he had attacked nine Albatros Scouts and was almost immediately hit in both thighs. Another bullet ploughed a furrow across the top of his scalp, and yet another passed clean through both cheeks. Half dead from loss of blood, he just managed to reach his own lines and was rushed off to hospital. Mid-August found him once more at the front, but the Fates had decreed that he should not stay long, for on September 3rd he was again shot down seriously wounded after an attack by five enemy scouts. While lying in hospital he was decorated with the Legion d’Honneur, and told that he would never fly again. Discharged from hospital with legs spliced with silver wire and the scars of a dozen bullet wounds on his body, Heurteaux applied time and again for active service, but his superiors would have none of it. At last he was sent to America by the Minister of Propaganda, and toured all over the States, lecturing on war-flying. One wonders what American flying cadets must have thought of their own chances in the War as they looked at this bullet-shattered veteran, who was himself only a young man of twenty-five. Like so many other War pilots, the Armistice saw Heurteaux disappear ‘* somewhere in France,’’ but the author believes that he is still alive. If so, let us hope that he flies once more, but in skies that hold no hint of sudden death— for of that he has had his fill. | | By WILFRID TREMELLEN Is one of the many “Star ’’ Features in Next Month’s | | ENLARGED and IMPROVED | | | For Full Detail See Page 189 | [_ For Full Details’ ATR STORIES _ SePe oe 172 Comic sooksneon