Cobby on Mannock

This appears in "Australian Airmen" (thanks Andrew) in a later part of the book on air fighting written by Arthur Cobby;

"To Capt Mick Mannock ( of No.74 and Afterwards Major and CO of No.85 RAF ), 4th Sqdn AFC owes a large amount of its success. This officers squadron was for some time stationed on the same aerodrome as 4th AFC at Clairmarais, and he took upon himself the task of making all the pilots around him keen and aggressive. Several talks of his to the Australian pilots there were responsible for some fine aggressive shows against the enemy, and numerous combined affairs were successfully carried out. I regard Major Mannocks character and spirit as the finest I have met in the air force. He was practically blind in one eye, yet he could recognise various types of enemy aircraft when the average person could barely see the machines. No matter how great the odds, Mannock always managed to extricate his patrol without losing machines. I was extremely pleased to see that the Air Board officially recognized him as the greatest of all British pilots, with the wonderful record of 72 enemy machines officially confirmed as destroyed. Unfortunately this very gallant officer was shot down in flames and killed just a few months before the Armistice; but his wise teachings and splendid example bore abundant fruit after his death amongst those pilots who were priviliged to be associated with him in his work."


I wonder if the "extricate his patrol wihtout losing machines" is fishing for compliments, since Cobby never lost a flight member to enemy action. The "was shot down in flames and killed" is an pretty off-hand way to describe a rather gruesome and horrible way to die, I guess when faced with it continually, it becomes a fact of life.




cam
AFC - http://members.nbci.com/pointcook/