WAR

them disappeared in the direction of Menin, pursued by our anti-aircraft fire.
The other,
which was piloted by Roland Garros, headed toward Landelede.
"Precisely at this moment a train was passing on the Ingelmunster-Courtrai
line, arriving from the north. Immediately on perceiving the train, Garros made
a vertiginous descent, at an angle of some sixty degrees, coming down from
2000 metres to about 40, executing a series of tight turns over the train.
"Garros dropped one bomb which fell upon the rails, digging a crater
one metre deep and two across.
"Some sentinels opened fire on him at a range of 100 metres. The aviator
dropped a second bomb and climbed to 700 metres.
"Suddenly his motor stopped. The aeroplane wavered and descended in
a glide in the direction of Hulste.
"Garros set fire to his machine on touching the ground and took refuge in
a peasant homestead. The soldiers who were pursuing him had to look some
time for him. They finally discovered him crouching in a ditch behind a thick
hedge.
"The soldiers asked him if he did not have a companion. Garros gave them
his word of honor that he had been alone in the machine, the engine of which
was capable of but 80 horsepower and able, consequently, to carry but a single
passenger.
"Garros then explained that at 700 metres his motor had been hit during
the shooting and that this had forced him to land."
It was subsequently learned that the soldiers of the Landsturm who had
effected the capture had been awarded a bonus of one hundred marks. Cheap
indeed, considering the value of the prize.
by his mobilization orders, Adolphe Pegoud was recalled to the Briancon Light
Artillery, but as one of Europe's most famous exhibition pilots he was quickly
detached to the Service d'Aeronautique. He flew the usual army co-operation
missions—reconnaissance, observation, photography. He also flew ground attack
missions, dropping those beastly ftechettes on enemy troops, but here he brought
his personal flair into play, for he also dropped them on enemy observation
balloons.
The end of January 1915 he was transferred to Ste-Menehould. As a good
luck charm he carried a plush doll, a penguin. Since the elementary training
machines were called Penguins and Pegoud was one of the most skillful aviators
of the day, the little plush penguin was in the nature of a personal joke.
He had scored several victories when he was transferred from the Vosges
front to Alsace, escadrille M-S 49, stationed then at Fontaine. Previously, he had
flown mostly parasols, but with M-S 49 he had the opportunity to fly a singleseater
type "N" with armored propeller, the same type that Garros had introduced
on April first.
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