1/Lt "Chet" Wright and the balloon

[spad]

Was Wright ever credited with a balloon destroyed? His combat report states it was lowered (the observer had jumped) and the was "lots of smoke" but no mention of flames. In the RAF this would be "driven down, damaged" and the US combat reports resemble the RAF only classify victories as crashed, in flames or "out of control". A list of Harvard alumni gives him credit for eight victories, not nine, but does not state which victory was not accepted.

Keith

[regular122]

See the attached excerpt from General Orders No. 20, dated 23 October, 1918, para. 28.

He was given credit for destruction. It was also cited as destroyed in his first DSC narrative.

For extraordinary heroism in action near Beffu, France, 10 October 1918. Lt. Wright attacked an enemy observation balloon protected by four enemy planes; despite numerical superiority, he forced the planes to withdraw and destroyed the enemy balloon.

Steve