Finally Got WOFF

[Sailor Steve]

2 September 1914

Clermont-en-Argonne:
Noel Kay writes: "0622: Patrol over German territory. 2 hours 11 minutes."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Helped pick up trash again all day, and haul it to a place they had picked out, where we buried it. Hard work, but it keeps my mind off what I'm missing."

Juilly:
Nos 3 and 4 Squadrons move again, from Juilly to Serris.

La Ferté sur Chiers:
Odis Först writes: "1256: Flew our first real patrol today, south to the lines then eastward for awhile. 52 minutes."

[Sailor Steve]

3 September 1914

Clermont-en-Argonne:
Noel Kay writes: "0849: Patrol over German territory. They are at Chateau-Theirry. 2 hours 19 minutes."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "The Germans are still moving westward. They are now at Chateau-Thierry, only 50 miles from Paris. We have still heard nothing of our own armies."

Touquin:
Ries Meismer writes: "Transfered yet again, from Juilly to Touquin."

Chatel:
Odis Först writes: "Yesterday the Boelcke brothers took off looking for a better field. They returned this morning and have found one. We spent the morning packing and took off at 1403, and after a short 15-minute flight we were at Chatel.

Saint-Cyr, just north of Paris:
Filimor Hance writes: "No flying today. Tomorrow we join the war!"

[Sailor Steve]

4 September 1914

Clermont-en-Argonne:
Noel Kay writes: "No flights. Preparing to move again."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Word has reached us that the Germans have been stopped northeast of Paris. We are awaiting word of whether Bouvais will be evacuated."

Melun:
No 3 and No 4 Squadron RFC transfer again, from Touquin to Melun.

Chatel:
Flieger Odis Först and Hauptmann Reinhold Straub make an exploratory flight around the area of their new base.

Vincennes:
Filimor Hance "joins the war" when MS-26 moves 30 miles to their new airfield at Vincennes, southeast of Paris.

[Sailor Steve]

5 September 1914

Clermont-en-Argonne:
Esc 13 Transfered to Le Petit Maulan.

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "No definite news of the fighting around Paris, but it doesn't seem to be heading this way. Life continues here as normal, including my own work. Capt Carlson is helping various shopkeepers with their books while I found myself helping a local shopkeeper repair his lorry. He repaired while I operated the jack-lift."

Melun:
Ries Meismer writes: "1040: Long flight to the southeast. The Germans are to the north and east, but we have to make sure. 2 hours 22 minutes."

Chatel:
:Odis Först writes: "1650: Scouting mission, looking for the French army. 1 hour 24 minutes."

Vincennes:
Filimor Hance writes: "1026: Our first patrol. Everybody searching to the east. 1 hour 42 minutes."

[Sailor Steve]

6 September 1914

Clermant-en-Argonne:
Noel Kay writes: "1635: Area patrol. The Germans haven't moved."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Good news!!! A motorcycle dispatch rider arrived today with a message for Captain Carlson. It seems Colonel Blayne reported our situation as soon as he could. It took a couple of days for HQ to get the message, and a couple more before a rider could be arranged to come look for us. Transport will be unavailable for the next few days but as soon as it is we will be taken to HQ to await further transport to our squadron. They seem to have moved around a lot, and their exact location will have to be ascertained before we can join them. Now it's only a matter of time.

Melun:
Ries Meismer writes: "No flying today. Moving again tomorrow."

Sainte Menehould:
Odis Först writes: "0428: Transfered from Chatel to Sainte Menehould."

Vincennes:
Filimor Hance writes: "1224: Patrol to the east again. 2 hours 26 minutes. No Germans in that sector."

[Sailor Steve]

7 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan:
Noel Kay writes: "0800: Patroled lines. Seems to be stalemated. 1 hour 12 minutes."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Spent the day helping a local farmer load his crops into a lorry."

Touquin:
Ries Meismer writes: "1319: Transferred from Melun to Touquin. 27 minutes.

Sainte Menehould:
Odis Först writes: "0919: Familiarization flight. 1 hour 16 minutes."

Vincennes:
Filimor Hance writes: "1505: Patrolled east yet again. It doesn't matter how many times they send us east of Paris. There are no Germans here. 1 hour 19 minutes.

[Sailor Steve]

8 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan:
Noel Kay writes: "1118: Patrolled lines again. Germans seem to be withdrawing. 1 hour 31 minutes.

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Another day working in a field. I haven't been in the air in two weeks. I'm most anxious to get back to flying."

Touquin:
Ries Meismer Writes: "1400: Flight north to look for Germans. Maybe next time. 1 hour 46 minutes."

Sainte Menehould:
Odis Först writes: "1428: Patrol to the west, over our right flank. Our forces seem to be pulling back. 1 hour 8 minutes."

Vincennes:
Filimo Hance writes: "1639: Patrolled to the north this time. Still no Germans. 1 hour 23 minutes."

[Skybird]

There is somebody who feels properly immersed, eh? :

[Sailor Steve]

I don't know what you mean. Just because I have one pilot who's separated from his unit and can't get back because said unit keeps moving around and can't get to HQ because Paris may come under siege any day now? Just because half the airfields they were really stationed at aren't in the game and I have to find other aerodromes that are in the game and keep track of them all? Just because I'm re-reading the '100 Years' thread to find out where the front lines are each day and can't wait until they finally dig the trenches so I can use the game properly? Just because I'm flying several missions ever day (thank the developers for time-compression) in late 1914 and haven't seen a single enemy plane yet?

Nah, I'm not immersed.

[Sailor Steve]

9 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan:
Noel Kay writes: "1118: Patrolled lines again. Germans seem to be withdrawing. 1 hour 31 minutes."

Beauvais:
Corrie Aujla writes: "More field work. My French is getting to a point where I can communicate my needs. No real conversations yet."

Coulemmiers:
Ries Meisner writes: "1601: Transferred from Melun to Coulommiers. 19 minutes (but it's only 6 miles)."

Sainte Menehould:
Odis Först writes: "0658: Patrolled the lines. The enemy does not seem to be following our withdrawal. 46 minutes."

Vincennes:
Filimor Hance writes: "No flying today. Moving tomorrow."

[Sailor Steve]

10 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan:
Noel Kay writes: "No flying today. Pouring rain."

Paris:
Corrie Aujla wirtes: "Woke up this morning to pouring rain. We spent the morning sitting and chatting with M and Mme Jumonde. Their daughter-in-law came for lunch, with two small boys, aged 6 and 4. in tow. Her husband, the elder couple's son, is a clerk in the French HQ in Paris. We were enjoying the rainy afternoon talking to them and playing with the boys when a car pulled up and a fellow British sergeant knocked on the door. He enquired as to our identities and told us that the Germans were on the run. General Joffe had accomplished this feat by sneaking a third army through the city by recruiting all the local taxicabs! This new group was joined by the rear-guard pieces of pieces of the two armies facing the two German armies, then drove this new force up the middle between the two German forces. Taken totally by surprise, the the Germans had pulled back across the Marne River and today, in the rain and the mud, have stopped ant the Aisne. Paris was safe, and Sergeant Bellerman was here to take us to British HQ. We said our goodbyes to the Jumondes, of whom we had grown quite fond, and climbed in the car, Capt Carlson beside the driver and me having the back seat all to myself. The drive from Beauvais to Paris took almost 5 hours, and as Mme Jumonde had made us a nice basket of sandwiches and a bottle of wine we had no need to add a dinner stop to the time or to go hungry. I wound up in a small barracks with eight other enlisted men and three empty beds. Capt Carlson of course got his own room."

Coulemmiers:
Ries Meismer writes: "Heavy rains. Everyone is grounded."

Sainte Menehould:
Odis Först writes: "Nothing is flying today. Heavy rains. Last night, following a late flight. Hptmn Streccius and Ltn Wilhelm Boelke (the observer) were driven off to dinner with General von Pritzelwitz. Today at lunch there was some kind of to-do at the officers' mess. Later the officers came to visit us, and called us to attention. Ltn Oswald Boelke (the pilot) very seriously announced that the Captain and the senior Boelke brother had both been awarded the Iron Cross! With the younger brother leading we gave them both three resounding cheers."

Saint-Soupplets:
Filimor Hance writes: "0418: After being awakened at 0300 we checked everything out and were ready to transfer from Vincennes to Saint-Soupplets. As it grew light the sky was heavily overcast. The flight took 29 minutes through intermittent rian squalls. Later in the day we were glad we started so early, and it turned to contiuous pouring rain for the resr of the day.

[Sailor Steve]

11 September 1914

The entire Marne region of France is driving rain, with no sight of letup. Reports from various units are pretty much the same.

In Paris, Corrigan Aujla writes: "I don't know what Capt Carlson is doing. I myself was put to work running messages back and forth to various offices. It''s pouring rain everywhere."

In eastern France the Germans are retreating toward the Aisne river. At Sainte Menehould Odis Först writes: "Still raining. We spent the day watching our retreating troops march by. Soon we will have to fly, rain or no."

[Sailor Steve]

12 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan;
Noel Kay writes: "No flying today. Still raining. No news of where the German armies have got to."

Paris:
Corrie Aujla writes: "My new job is not hard. It's still raining and still no news of No 3 Squadron. I'm sure it will happen soon."

Fere-en-Tardenois:
Ries Meismer writes: "Waited all day for the rain to lift. At 1630 we were preparing to take off in driving wind and rain when suddenly both let up. We flew from Coulommiers to Fere-en-Tardenois at 1635, taking 57 minutes for the flight. The rain remained light the whole way."

Sainte-Menehould:
Odis Först wirtes: "If anything the rain has gotten worse. The number of troops marching past is dwindling. Word is they are forming up on the east side of the River Aisne, and that they are starting to build some kind of barricades."

Saint-Soupplets:
Filimor Hanse writes: "We are still grounded by this infernal rain. I still haven't seen one single German, or even heard their artillery. I long to be of some service in this so-called "war"."

[Sailor Steve]

13 September 1914

Le Petit Maulan:
Noel Kay writes: "The rain has let up some, but extremely strong winds are keeping us on the ground. Word has come that our forces have crossed the Aisne River and have the Germans pinned down there.

Paris:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Third day pushing the message cart. Still no word on No 3 Squadron."

Fere-en-Tardenois:
Ries Meismer writes: "The rain and wind have picked up again. We managed to get here alright. Now we need to get into the air again."

Buzancy:
Odis Först wirtes: "Hptm Steccius has determined that we fly today. The troops are gone except for a small rear guard, and Ltn Oswald Boelke suggested we sleep in our clothes with weapons at our sides. At 0230 we were awakened by the noise of artillery fire, and we've been up ever since awaiting the sun. Took off at 0730 for Buzancy. Everyone made it safely. 35 minutes."

Saint-Soupplets:
Filimor Hanse writes: "Still waiting for better weather. It feels like I'm going to spend the rest of my life on the ground."

[Sailor Steve]

14 September 1914

All across the front a series of storms keep everything grounded.

Paris:
Corrie Aujla writes: "Got paid a visit from Cpt Carlson. He's been working with the office with some job, and he's been in touch with the group responsible for keeping track of where everyone is. Just this morning he found that No 3 Squadron is in Fere-en-Tardenois, and likely will be for some time. As soon as transport can be arranged we are heading back to our friends, our machines, and our flying!"