May 6 (Tuesday). After cleaning up in the office in the morning, I flew with Schirra in the new DH-4 to Chatillons; landed on the 168th Observation Squadron Airdrome and found them prepared for their move which starts tomorrow. Lt Starbuck was temporarily in command of the squadron until the arrival of Capt Devereux. Curry came in tonight from Trier and started in at once on his walking marathon. Yesterday, on my return from Paris, I found a letter from GHQ saying I had been awarded the DSM. Very nice of course but somehow I can’t seem to get wildly elated over it. The presentation is to be made later.
May 8 (Thursday). Capt Oldys and I started out with the Bug this morning; had trouble with the carburetor so landed and got off in No. 6, making Paris in an hour and 35 minutes. We lunched with Corcoran who is now in command at Orly – Was promptly put on a board by Whitehead when I reported at the 45 Avenue de Montaigne – to investigate and report on the present organization and operation of the Air Service and make recommendations for changes. (This significant board was made up of Gen Foulois, Cols Whitehead, Lahm, Gorrell, and Dunwoody, Lt Cols Fravel and Royce, Maj Naiden, and Capt Christine).
May 9 (Friday). Board meeting almost all day.
May 10 (Saturday). Board meeting all day. Lunched with Whitehead, Exton at their house outside of the Porte Maillot. The perfect days of this entire week certainly make up for a lot of the past miserable weather. Louise Kimball and I for dinner at the Abbaye Albert, Place Clichy – we found a large representation of the Air Service there, beside Corky Davis, the Adjutant-Gen and party including Jimmy Jones and James. Word came today out of a clear sky that all but the 3rd Corps Air Service were ordered out of the 3rd Army at once. This looks like ‘home’ and ‘bientot’ (soon) – no reason for my going up there now. And the 3rd Army comes back just at the moment the Boche is showing his teeth and threatening to not sign the Peace Treaty which was put in his hands four or five days ago. Well, he can’t do more than show his teeth – he must sign or starve and perhaps be overrun by the Russians and Bolshevism which means practically his destruction.
May 11 (Sunday). Oldys and I left Orly this morning and landed on the Toul Field 1 hr 35 min. later. Spent the afternoon closing up matters at HQs. Preparatory to moving everything and everybody out of Toul. I could not leave the officers and enlisted men who have so willingly and cheerfully served the past 7 months at HQs Air Service 2nd Army, without a certain pang and without expressing my appreciation for their services. Oldys and I agaîn left in the DH 4 and in 2 hrs. 20 min. against a west wind, made the trip back to Paris. When still some miles out, a dark object rose straight out of the mist – a little later it proved to be the Eiffel Tower – visible long before Paris itself showed up. Surely these are the days of rapid transportation, and what a boon the airplane is. Here I leave Paris in the morning after 1000, lunch in Toul, 175 miles away, spend the afternoon closing up my HQs, then return to Paris for dinner – no inconvenience, simply two delightful trips and no time lost.
May 12 (Monday). Working on reorganization most of the day. Dined with Katherine at the Hotel d’Iena and took her back to the school afterward, Where I met Anne Marie de Mangen, now a grown-up girl, whom I last saw at Chambley when Katherine and I visited there în 1905. Her mother is not going to rebuild the chateau which had been pretty well wrecked by the Germans who used the cellar as an HQs, and by Allied shells, but is going to keep a hunting lodge there.
May 13 (Tuesday). Ran onto Ralph Van Deman on the street this afternoon – he is with the Peace Commission at Hotel Crillon – has been over here since June in G-2 until lately.
May 14 (Wednesday). The Board is still meeting hard – we tried to have a final meeting and sign it this afternoon but only went on discussing it till 1830. Saw more or less interesting films at the Champs-Elysées Theater today – a special performance given by the Aero Club of America, ‘Fit to Fly’, showing the work of the Medical Department in the US in supervising the flyers – their physical condition. Lt Col Isaac Jones, M.C. was introduced by Gen Patrick and gave the lecture part as the films were shown. Mrs. Woodrow Wilson was in Gen Patrick’s box. This evening I picked up Louise Kimball and Miss Andress, who has been head of the Toul Red Cross for a year and a half – took them to Vatel‘s for dinner and afterward to the Casino where we saw the last half of a very good show – mostly beautiful costumes and dancing.
May 15 (Thursday). The Board finally finished up and signed the proceedings – at 1545, Oldys and I left Orly in the DH, Engine trouble came on just as we were getting to Ormeaux, a French field 50 kilometers east of Paris, so we landed – found a leaking water jacket – I phoned în to Gorrell who arranged to send a car, but as it had not arrived at 2030, the NC0 in charge of the French Detachment sent us in to Marles-en-Brie where we caught a train and were in Paris at 2300. My four preceding trips between Toul and Orly have been made without a skip of the motor, so the average is pretty good – but it is surely inconvenient when the motor does go bad.
May 16 (Friday). Took the train for Toul, but the heavy mist made it impossible to fly; Mitchell Handy was in the compartment. The country is beautiful, so fresh and green, with apple blossoms in full bloom and lilacs in abundance. Found Air Service HQs, had not succeeded in getting out of Toul – no one seems to be in a hurry – all are enjoying themselves apparently.
May 17 (Saturday). Spent part of the day in Nancy, trying to get the 2nd Army Air Service book out of the printers, Berget & Levrault. Law is working on it all the time, with Corp. Mayers, the cartoonist. The end is in sight. The monument dealer, with considerable encouragement, finally decided he could go to work în two days on the stone for the Lufbery Memorial Tablet to be placed in Maron. Ran onto a number of the 3rd Arny Air Service pilots at the Café Liègeois at noon, on their way from Coblenz to Colombey-les-Belles for demobilization. At Colombey, this afternoon, I ran into any number of pilots and a lot of the balloon men – Koenig, Parris, Hayward, etc., etc. The place is filled up with 3rd Amy Air Service, here to demobilize and go home.
May 18 (Sunday). After working many hours, I today finished going over the material for the Air Service manual and flew to Chaumont from Colombey with Schirra in the DH 4. I went over, the manuals with Reinburg, MeNarney, and Kindley, flew back, and reached Toul in time for dinner.
May 19 (Monday). Schirra and I left in a DH 4 from Colombey this morning and landed at Orly after a good trip. Went with my father to the Federation Aéronautique Internationale meeting at 1430 at the Aero Club and Found a number of old friends there – M. Jacobs representing Belgium; Perrin, Ogilvie (whom I met at the Wrights in Dayton in 1911), 0’Gorman and McClean representing Great Britain; Prince Roland Bonaparte, Surcouf, Besançon, Tissandier, Gasnier, etc.; Father, Campbe1l-Wood, Veit, Beaumont, Hogan and myself representing the US. The main discussion was over the question of putting the Boche and Austrians out of the Federation, which was done. At the banquet at the Hotel du Quai d’Orsay, Father had as his guests, Gen Patrick, Col Whitehead, Col Fravel, Col Gorrell, and Col Jones (medico). Capt Bénézit did not get there. Mr. Henri Deutsch de la Muerthe presided. As usual, all the old timers were there – Melandri, Mallett, Kapferer, – and new ones such as Fonck, and Roget (who has just crossed the Mediterranean twice in one day) – the last two both received gold medals. Usual speeches, and cinema afterward. Everyone was particularly interested in a report that Hawker had reached Ireland on his flight from Newfoundland but it was unconfirmed. In fact, Hawker came down at sea where he was picked up by a Dutch ship. Lt Com Read reached the Azores in 15 hrs, 13 min. in his seaplane with 4 Liberty engines, Towers and Bellinger both landed on the water some distance out and were picked up. The crossing of the Atlantic is a fact to all intents and purposes – tho’ Read still has 1000 miles to make to reach Portugal.
May 20 (Tuesday). This afternoon, the F.A.I. delegates were taken out to Villacoublay where the French had an exhibition for our benefit. All types of planes were out on the field from the Morane monoplanes, Spads, and Nieuports to the Farman aerobus with enclosed cabins and upholstered seats, and the great 4-engine Goliath – Pilots were there to take them up and demonstrate. The best-looking plane of all was a Morane biplane biplace observation machine that looked like the Boches Hanoveran and was equipped with our Liberty motor. Met Gen Sykes of the British Air Ministry, a very young general.
May 21 (Wednesday). Sat on the board at the F.A.I. to revise our statutes – finished at 1800 when the F.A.I. adjourned and we all said Au Revoir, till the regular meeting in Bruxelles in October.
May 22 (Thursday). Father and I called on Capt Bénézit at the Schneider Offices. He was in the US as a balloon liaison officer late in 1917 and early in 1918. From there I went to 280 Boulevard St Germain and called on Commandant Lalame, head of the Colonial Air Service, then on to Capt Rolland, for information relative to their air service in Africa as Gen Patrick said yesterday he was thinking of sending me on a trip to Russia, Africa, Hungary or elsewhere to see foreign aviation working under unfavorable conditions of climate, etc. Oldys and I left Orly in a DH 4 this afternoon and made Colombey in 1 hr, 55 min. Hurried over to Nancy to see Law about getting out the Second Army Air Service book but he had gone. Ran onto Newbill and a Major leaving the Schoot at Trier to go home with their regiment – the 3rd Field Artillery.
May 23 (Friday). Oldys and I ran down to Colombey, then over to Nancy where I found the First 100 2nd Army Air Service books ready for delivery. After luncheon, Oldys, Law, Graves (the last two are editors), and myself went to Mr. Steinhal’s house, just across from Berget-Levrault’s printing establishment, for coffee, and liqueur. Mme Steinhal is a Berget-Levrault – her husband is the present head of the firm. The Berget-Levrault family founded the printing house in Strasbourg in 1600 and something and it has been in the family continuously ever since. The last male descendant was killed on the Somme in 1916 – that is, the last one connected with the printing establishment. By 2130 tonight, 200 books were delivered to squadrons and balloon companies that are at Colombey ready to entrain for Marseilles or Brest for return to the US. I have never seen a more perfect evening than this one – as the sun went down behind the hills west of the Air Depot. It was so calm and still, and the evening glow so striking.
May 24 (Saturday). In Toul, Nancy and Colombey getting the Air Service book distributed.
May 25 (Sunday). I put Graves in charge of the book, relieving Law and having him and Corp. Mayers ordered back to Colombey. Oldys and I flew up to Paris in the afternoon. Got a taxi and rode out the Champs-Elysées, Avenue du Bois de Boulogne and thru the Bois to Parc des Princes. A typical Paris Sunday in the summertime – with the Bois filled with people of all ages, kicking soccer footballs, knocking tennis balls, lying on the grass, enjoying themselves to the limit. A new and different touch was given to the scene by those that were playing baseball, and again, by the sights of our American soldiers playing with the French – many with their coats off, joining in the children’s games as tho’ they were one of them – and they are apparently. When the Americans are gone, ît is going to leave a large unoccupied place in the French order of things. When I was sitting at breakfast in the Comédie Hotel this morning, the last body of American troops in Toul, the MPs, marched past on their way to the station. All the personnel of both the Comédie and
May 26 (Monday). Went with Father to see an eye specialist, He gave me the usual prescription for infected eyes and said there is nothing wrong with them – that they are naturally bloodshot. Dropped in to see Ralph Van Dean at the Crillon. Called on Mrs. Potter, 15 Avenue Président Wilson, but she was out.
May 27 (Tuesday). Oldys and I left Orly and landed at Colombey at exactly 1200. To Nancy în the afternoon to see Berget-Levrault and Graves. Law and Mayers returning to Colombey this evening to go back home on orders issued today.
May 28 (Wednesday). Had 49 minutes in an Avro after dinner tonight at Colombey – with Oldys on the ground to criticize – took Mulrennan up for ten minutes in the end, ‘in return for some of the times he has taken me out’, Mulrennan being my chauffeur of the past 7 months. Out to Evacuation Hospital No. 1 tonight. Half of the cemetery has been moved off to Thiaucourt, including Lufbery’s body. The hospital has gone except for half a dozen caretakers and I found Col Gosman who is staying back a few days on leave, visiting at the Sebastopol Farm. He is broken up over his cemetery being moved away in this unseemly manner. The farmer, his wife, and his daughter were very cordial, invited me in, and insisted on serving coffee and eau-de-vie (spirits) of their own brew. The story of the naming of the Sebastopol Farm is this: In 1854, the year of the siege of Sebastopol, the French had had a bad year, poor crops – and to raise money, the owner of this land cleared and sold a lot of timber, then sold the land for farmland – and as this occurred during the siege of Sebastopol, it was so named.
May 29 (Thursday). Took Louise Kimball and Bryan in the Cadillac, thru the old American sector – Ménil-la-Tour, Flirey, Essey, to Thiaucourt where we found the new American Cemetery all nicely fixed up for Decoration Day services tomorrow. Gen Ely is to speak; a company of the 9th Infantry and one of the 23rd Infantry are here, sent down from Germany for tomorrow. Gen Ely commanded the brigade made up of these 2 regiments in the 2nd Division and fought over this very ground on September 12-14, and at the time, of the St Mihiel Offensive in 1918. Capt Baker is in charge here with a colored pioneer battalion (a labor battalion used to build roads and bridges). Raoul Lufbery is buried near the center of the cemetery and Hobey Baker is not far from him. We had dinner at the officers’ mess, then back to Euvezin where we left the car and with the aid of a drawing Louise had gotten from the Graves Registration Service, after tramping about a mile along the stream running back to Essey we located the grave of Maj W. M. Bland, 354th Infantry who was killed here on September 12. He was buried beside the hole made by the shell that killed him. He was a very bright young lawyer from Kansas City – Louise took a snapshot of the grave to send to his mother with whom she has been corresponding – also took his helmet to return to the family. We came back along the old Boche front lines. This evening I ran to Colombey, then to Nancy to find Graves who will start with a load of books for Brest tomorrow. Oldys left with 200 in a DH 4 this morning for Cobtenz.
