Above The French Lines; Letters Of Stuart Walcott, American Aviator.: July 4, 1917, to December 8, 1917 [Illustrated Edition]

By Stuart Walcott

“It is now seven weeks since the dispatches from Paris reported that Stuart Walcott was attacked by three German airplanes and brought down behind the German lines, after he himself had brought down a German plane in his first combat on December 12, 1917, and that it was feared he had been killed; but even now, after the lapse of nearly two months, it is not definitely known whether his fall proved fatal, or whether the earnest hope of his friends that he is still alive may be realized.”

Unfortunately for the family and friends of Stuart Walcott, his grave was located not long after the Princeton Alumni Journal printed the above. He had given his life for his ideals of Democracy and Freedom fighting above the fields of France as a pilot. His letters recount his experiences training and fighting with the famed Lafayette Escadrille with fellow Americans.

Author — Walcott, Stuart, 1896-1917.

Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in Princeton, Princeton university press; 1918.

Original Page Count – 93 pages

Illustration — 3 illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucknow Books
• Release date: Jan 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781782891154

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Text originally published in 1918 under the same title.

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Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

ABOVE THE FRENCH LINES

LETTERS OF STUART WALCOTT, AMERICAN AVIATOR:

JULY 4, 1917, TO DECEMBER 8, 1917

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 5

INTRODUCTION 7

[From the Princeton Alumni Weekly of January 30, 1918.] 7

FROM PRINCETON TO FRANCE 9

STUART WALCOTT’S LETTERS 11

I— July 4, 1917. 11

II— July 13, 1917. 12

III—July 17, 1917. 13

IV—August 11, 1917. 15

V—August 25, 1917. 17

VI—August 31, 1917. 18

VII—September 1, 1917. 20

VIII—September 4, 1917. 21

IX—September 9, 1917. 22

X—September 14, 1917. 23

XI—September 27, 1917. 24

XII—October 22, 1917. 26

XIII— November 1, 1917. 28

XIV—November 5, 1917. 29

XV—November 10, 1917. Evening. 32

XVI—November 13, 1917 33

XVII— November 17, 1917. 35

XVIII— November 30, 1917. 36

XIX—December 1, 1917. 37

XX—December 3rd, 1917. 38

XXI— December 8, 1917. 40

XXII— December 8, 1917. 41

THE FINAL COMBAT 42

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Stuart Walcott in His Aeroplane

Stuart Walcott at the Front

War Cross with Palm, Awarded in Recognition of Walcott’s Service

ABOVE THE FRENCH LINES

INTRODUCTION

[From the Princeton Alumni Weekly of January 30, 1918.]

It is now seven weeks since the dispatches from Paris reported that Stuart Walcott was attacked by three German airplanes and brought down behind the German lines, after he himself had brought down a German plane in his first combat on December 12, 1917, and that it was feared he had been killed; but even now, after the lapse of nearly two months, it is not definitely known whether his fall proved fatal, or whether the earnest hope of his friends that he is still alive may be realized. The reports are conflicting. A cable message of January 7 said that in Germany it was reported that S. Walcott had been killed by a fall on December 12 near Saint Souplet; but Dr. Walcott received a letter on January 19 which holds out some hope that the fall was not fatal and that his son may be a prisoner in Germany. This letter, dated December 17, is from a young aviator named Loughran{1}, who was Stuart Walcott’s roommate at the flying station. He gives this report of what was told to him by an observer and pilot who saw the combat:

"On the 12th of December at 11:30 a. m., there were five pilots to go out on high patrol, including Stuart and myself. But I was prevented from going, because of a wrenched ankle. Stuart and the other pilots left here at 11:40 a. m. for high patrol, which means they are to fly above the thousand metres. Two of the pilots had to return because of motor trouble, leaving one pilot whom Stuart was following.

"At 12:50 a. m. they ran across a German biplane machine. The French pilot attacked first, but had to withdraw because of trouble with his machine gun. He reports that the ‘Spad [Stuart Walcott’s machine], that had been following him, he last saw a thousand metres above him, or the German. Also that the German had gone back over his lines. The infantry and artillery observers report the French pilot’s attack and combat. And that six minutes later the German returned over our lines. And that the Spad that was seen flying at a very high altitude, came down and attacked the German, and succeeded in bringing him down in flames. In doing so he had to fly quite a way over the German territory. And that the Spad had started to return, when three German fighting machines were seen diving on him, and forcing him down. The Spad was last seen doing a nose-dive perpendicular, behind their lines. That is all the information I have received up to date.

"This is what makes all the boys think that Stuart is alive:

"A nose-dive perpendicular is used very often in combat, but is very