During the Great War, observing the battlefields of France and Belgium from the air was a vital but dangerous pursuit and it wasn’t just the pilot who needed nerves of steel, it could be a terrifying experience for the passenger too.
In fact, as the editor of “The Aeroplane” magazine, C. G. Grey, wrote in 1915, while the pilot had control of an aircraft, his passenger – whether artillery ‘spotter’, scout or gunner, was powerless if anything happened to the pilot. Grey related a particular incident where a pilot flying over German lines had his leg smashed by shrapnel and became unconscious. The plane dived without control for a few thousand feet, the observer was helpless to do anything to save the situation. Fortunately, the pilot recovered consciousness and brought the machine back to an even keel, consulted with his passenger and managed to locate the nearest British aerodrome some 35 miles away. He remained conscious just long enough to safely land the aircraft before passing out again.
More incredible still though, is another account of an aircraft being badly hit at 6000 ft. The pilot on this occasion remained conscious to within 200 feet of the ground, when he finally blacked out yet still managed to safely land his plane.
The astounding heroism of both pilot and passenger of these fearsome yet fragile aircraft can never be underestimated. In another instance, a pilot was hit in the neck and jaw but managed to retain control of his aircraft while his observer bound up his wounds in mid-air with dressings from his first aid kit. Rather than turning the aircraft around and heading back towards safety, the men continued with, and completed, their mission. Both men received the D.S.O for their endeavours.
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