Friday, November 23, 1917. Lunched at Ciro’s, stopped at office for mail and heard that Ken [Smith] had been lost at sea at 2 o’clock.128 Ken was out patrolling in a flying boat with a couple of observers and miles out the motor stopped and Ken landed in the sea. Although it was pretty rough the ship held together pretty well and the boys stuck up a distress signal and spent the time when not seasick bailing out water and gradually cutting off parts of the wings as their machine went to pieces. They had the radiator water and a couple of sandwiches. Sixty hours after they lit a destroyer found them and took them off. Before they were able to get a line from the boat to the destroyer, the damn thing sank. Finely figured, I’d say. No mail. Dinner at Madam Bonard.
Saturday, November 24, 1917. Out to factory and then came back here after lunch and there was Di back from Havre. He and I went to the D’Iena [headquarters] where he got his orders to Dunkirk immediately. Certainly am sorry he is not to fly avion de chasse with us. Ken MacLeish is coming instead. Then we met Griffin, Bartlett and Dichman and Bob, went to Villa Coublay. Arriving late we saw some flying.129 I had an early dinner and [French?] lesson. Di and Bob went to the Yale dinner.
Sunday, November 25, 1917. French lesson at 11:00, lunch at Ciro’s with Hull, Bartlett, Bob and Di. Then Di and I went to Villa Coublay and saw the Morain [sic] monoplane.130 It flew circles around a SPAD. Absolutely incredible speed—it must have been 20 mph faster than the SPAD. Light dinner and movies.
Monday, November 26, 1917. Cashed a check at Morgan Harjes and shopped. Di ordered magazines, etc. Last night Bob received a package of clothes etc., from U.S. Met Bishop and Mac Whitney at Chinese Umbrella at lunch.131
Tuesday, November 27, 1917. Dined with Evelyn Preston,132 father’s brother, Miss Stephens, and head of YWCA. Then saw some of Parisian life, was disgusted.
November 28, 1917. Di left and Ken MacLeish arrived to take his place.
November 29, 1917. Thanksgiving, had a fine time dining with Mrs. Bowler, daughters Jane and Alice, and Chase Davis [from Cincinnati].
Friday, November 30, 1917. Ken and I had tea with Mrs. Buswir.
Hotel Chatham, Paris, Nov. 30, 1917
My Dear Mother,
Yesterday we learned, much to our delight, that we are to go to England very soon for our land training before returning to the water machines. As conditions are not now favorable for our attending the U.S. school here in France for quite some time, an attempt was made to send us to England and so far it is successful, so within a week or so I hope to be again in London. It will be a great relief to have a little more flying. I imagine from then on we shall have all we want.
Lately I’ve been having a fine time, as Mrs. Bonand [Bonard?] is awfully nice and when she informed several other old friends of yours that I was at hand and would not, with a little care, be a disgrace to them, one and all are very cordial. Wednesday afternoon I went to tea at Madame Bonand’s [Bonard?] and met a number of people. Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, Mrs. Bowler invited me to the most wonderful American Thanksgiving dinner I ever had. She has two daughters, one in the YWCA and the younger working at the British embassy, who are great. A Cincinnati man, Chase Davis, and I, were guests and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I hope to see Miss Bowler in London, as she returns Saturday and we may go any time now. This afternoon I am going to call on Mrs. Buswir, I think it is, and take Ken along. Ken has taken Di’s place with us to fly the small fast machines as the latter is too heavy and has gone to his station. The rest of us will have possibly two months more training.
You probably read in the paper about Ken R. S[mith] having been compelled to land at sea while patrolling and spent 60 hours before he was picked up. The machines are pretty strong and sea-worthy, as may be seen by that, as it was pretty rough. Although out that long, all three of the men are all right and in fine shape again, though they were exhausted slightly when picked up. I’ve seen a lot of fellows I know around here, especially Terry Bob who was at S.P.S. [St. Paul’s School] and came over at the beginning of the war in Ambulance, enlisted in French aviation, flew at the front for about two years, and is now a Capt. in our aviation. It is very interesting to hear the stories of some of these fellows when they will open up. Bart [Read],133 Aut, and Harry D[avison] are expected here soon, hurrah! All of our old unit will soon be here.
I was greatly amused last night when Mrs. Bowler said that Mrs. Bonard had come to her in great fear of how young D.S.I. was getting along here alone in Paris, but next day said she was feeling better, as I evidently greatly surprised her by not drinking and smoking. Well, mother, what do you think? Yesterday I got two packages from you; the first one some chocolate, etc., in fine shape. The chocolate is great and when I finally get settled the prunes will be most useful, so packages come and are very welcome. Love, Dave
Saturday, December 1, 1917. Took in and sent off 100 men from Britain to Dunkirk.134
Sunday, December 2, 1917. Read and wrote.135
December 3, 1917. Lunched at Tipperary, fine place. Wrote Dad all the Navy’s troubles.136 [See letter following.]
Hôtel Chatham, Paris, Dec. 3rd, 1917
Dear Dad,
I received your letters of Oct. 29 and Nov. 11, enclosing a letter of introduction to Mr. Thomas of American Express Co. and two papers—my oath of allegiance and my commission papers. Thank you ever so much, also please thank Mr. Taylor, as it will be invaluable to have some one here to fall back on in case of trouble.
Naval aviation here seems to be getting along very well now as we have several stations underway and some doing active work, but it seems to me they are not yet going at it in the right way. So far we of the [Yale] Unit and a few older men are the only naval pilots trained in flying sent from the United States. The large number of men who have been sent over have had no previous training or practically none. Most of them are men who, on enlisting, were immediately shipped across regardless of their ability or adaptability for aviation. All the flyers here, except us few, have been trained here, first on land machines, then at several French water schools. These men, turned out as pilots ready for active service, have had very little time in the air and from my observation do not in any way seem to be the picked men that a country of our size and resources should send to the front. The observers, for most of the water machines carry more than one man, have gone through the French water observers’ school. These men have had a very primary course in bombing and machine gun work. The mechanics, men picked from different positions of life, are not trained mechanics; some of them with perhaps a small knowledge of engines, have been sent through factories rapidly, listening to lectures mostly in French, a few translated, and they have had to pick up what they could in, at most, three weeks. The rest are learning from these and from trying to take care of the machines at the stations.
Now, to take the case of the pilots. Here, it is at best a long and inefficient course because of the great scarcity of materials, oil, gas, training machines, etc. The pilots, except for a comparatively small number, will be used for patrolling and convoying. They do not need advanced training in different types of machines and machine guns. They need merely plenty of flying in large machines with practice in rough weather and rough landing. With everything at hand and plenty of materials these men could be more easily and cheaply trained in the U.S. than here.
The observers for these large patrol machines in the same manner could be easily trained by a great deal of experience in machine gun work and especially bombing in the best large machines at home. As a patrolling machine does not necessarily have great speed, the observers would be able, on our machines, to have the same conditions in practice that they would have later when actively engaged. Thus the pilots and observers could have plenty of practical training.
Now