‘A Short Life in the Sky’: the story of a WWI pilot
First crash, November 1915 
(NRS reference: GD486/85)

Transcript:

Calshot Naval Air Station,
Fawley, Hants. 
Friday 19 Nov[ember] 1915
p.m.

Dear Mother

Oh day of woe! Alas alack & welladay! etc, etc. 
I have had my first smash today. I went up in a Schneider for the first 
time today and got up to 7000 feet - my record now - in 20 minutes. Came 
down with my engine off at 90 knots - about 110 miles an hour - and landed in 
a most delightful sea – waves about 4 feet high. Some landing. I leapt 
from one wave to another until the starboard float went & jerked the 
wheel out of my hand, the engine picked up and before I could switch off, the machine slewed round to the right and charged the Calshot light buoy, smashing the prop. So then I got out and stood on the remaining float & when the motor boat dashed up at 19 knots I caught their line & made fast. The 
moment they began to tow, the machine turned over, so I dived 
overboard right into a wire which has left a nice bump on my head and 
struck out for the motor boat & clambered on board. It took us an hour 
and 40 minutes to tow the machine back, so you may guess I was a bit 
cold when I got in, and as the tide runs about 7 knots there was 
nothing worth saving out of the mess except the engine. As the machine 
costs about £1500 and the engine £950 that’s £550 damage to my credit!! 
And there is a Flight Commander now at the CFS [Central Flying School] at Upavon who has 32 smashes to his credit, and boasts of it too!!!

Much love to all

Douglas