“HAW-W-W-W-W!” That sound can only mean one thing—that Bachelor of Artifice, Knight of Calamity and an alumnus of Doctor Merlin’s Camelot College for Conjurors is back to vex not only the Germans, but the Americans—the Ninth Pursuit Squadron in particular—as well. Yes it’s the marvel from Boonetown, Iowa himself—Lieutenant Phineas Pinkham!

That Frog dentist thought he was pretty funny when he gave Phineas “Carbuncle” Pinkham laughing gas. Well, as Phineas says, “He who laughs last—laughs last!”

• Download “Nothing But The Tooth” (March 1933, Flying Aces)

“HAW-W-W-W-W!” That sound can only mean one thing—that Bachelor of Artifice, Knight of Calamity and an alumnus of Doctor Merlin’s Camelot College for Conjurors is back to vex not only the Germans, but the Americans—the Ninth Pursuit Squadron in particular—as well. Yes it’s the marvel from Boonetown, Iowa himself—Lieutenant Phineas Pinkham!

Solemnly The Who’s Who of the Kaiser’s Cabinet gathered together and made a momentous decision. Since Phineas “Carbuncle” Pinkham could not be brought down by force in the air, he must be gotten by tricks on the ground. But we all know tricks were Phineas’ meat––he always had better ones up his sleeve!

From the February 1933 number of Flying Aces! it’s Joe Archibald’s Phineas “Carbuncle” Pinkham in “Sleuthing Syrup!”

• Download “Sleuthing Syrup” (February 1933, Flying Aces)

“HAW-W-W-W-W!” That sound can only mean one thing—that Bachelor of Artifice, Knight of Calamity and an alumnus of Doctor Merlin’s Camelot College for Conjurors is back to vex not only the Germans, but the Americans—the Ninth Pursuit Squadron in particular—as well. Yes it’s the marvel from Boonetown, Iowa himself—Lieutenant Phineas Pinkham!

You all know Phineas “Carbuncle” Pinkham—that past master at throwing the bull. But here’s the story of one time when the bull threw Phineas—a bull named Rittmeister von Holstein!

From the January 1933 number of Flying Aces!

• Download “The Bull Flight” (January 1933, Flying Aces)

THIS week we have a story by Syl MacDowell! MacDowell was an inveterate traveler—traveling across and all over the country many times—even living for a time in a trailer. Born June 16,1892, in Denver, Colorado, MacDowell found transitory homes on both coasts when not on the road. He worked as a foreign correspondent for the UPI and a free lance writer and rewrite man on various newspapers in New York and on the West Coast. He had a large following as a magazine columnist and general adviser on matters concerning Western travel, traditions, attractions, and opportunities. Somehow he found the time to also write numerous pulp stories. Although he’s best known for his westerns—the Painted Post series is probably his most well known—he was a regular in the pages of Navy Stories, War Birds, Sky Riders, War Aces, The Lone Eagle, Sky Fighters, and Flying Aces from the late twenties through the mid thirties.

This week we have Sly MacDonald’s “The Sky Salt” from the March 1933 Flying Ace!

“Sky skimmers”—that was what 1st Class Gunner Weaver of the U.S. Navy called the seaplanes that patrolled the English Channel. But that was before a certain morning when an old freighter met up with a U-boat in the choppy seas off the coast of France.

• Download “The Sky Salt” (March 1933, Flying Aces)

THIS holiday season we’re going all in on The Flying Devil! The Flying Devil was a regular feature of the first fifteen issues of The Lone Eagle and, more importantly, as they announced beneath each month’s story—“the Only War-Air Cartoon Story to Appear in Any Magazine!” The strip was drawn by Terry Gilkison and features the exploits of Buck Barton, a.k.a. The Flying Devil, as he wages a one man war against the Germans in his Spad with the devil on the fuselage.

From the December 1933 issue of The Lone Eagle, it’s Terry Gilkison’s The Flying Devil in “The Masked Impersonator!”

Next Time: The Kidnapped Commander!

THIS holiday season we’re going all in on The Flying Devil! The Flying Devil was a regular feature of the first fifteen issues of The Lone Eagle and, more importantly, as they announced beneath each month’s story—“the Only War-Air Cartoon Story to Appear in Any Magazine!” The strip was drawn by Terry Gilkison and features the exploits of Buck Barton, a.k.a. The Flying Devil, as he wages a one man war against the Germans in his Spad with the devil on the fuselage.

From the November 1933 issue of The Lone Eagle, it’s Terry Gilkison’s “The Flying Devil!”

Next Time: The Masked Impersonator!

THIS holiday season we’re going all in on The Flying Devil! The Flying Devil was a regular feature of the first fifteen issues of The Lone Eagle and, more importantly, as they announced beneath each month’s story—“the Only War-Air Cartoon Story to Appear in Any Magazine!”

The strip was drawn by Terry Gilkison. Gilkison had achieved some fame by the time the first episode appeared in the September 1933 issue. There were a couple short lived syndicated comic strips—”Home Sweet Home” and “Pinky Dinky”—as well as editorial cartoons syndicated by Autocaster and having his work published in the likes of Life, Judge, and Collier’s Magazine.

Around that same time, Gilkison also started drafting his “Famous Sky Fighters” feature in Sky Fighters; a two page spread illustrating different Aces that rose to fame during the Great War. His work appeared in Clues, Thrilling Adventures, Texas Rangers, Thrilling Mystery, Thrilling Western, and Popular Western. Gilkison provided similar features in a few other Thrilling Publication—there was “Famous Soldiers of Fortune” and later “Adventure Thrills” in Thrilling Adventures and “Famous Crimes” in Thrilling Detective. He signed most of this work with only his initials “T.G.” to maintain a low profile and preserve his reputation as a syndicated newspaper cartoon artist.

Terry Gilkison’s The Flying Devil premiered in the first issue of The Lone Eagle and would run installments in each of the first fifteen issues at which point it abruptly disappeared from the publication. This first adventure introduces us to Buck Barton, a.k.a. The Flying Devil. Barton flys a Spad with a devil on it’s fuselage and wears a flying helmet has been altered with the addition of horns to complete the impression of a flying devil (although the horns would dissapear from his headgear by the fifth adventure). He is presented in this first story as an independent agent working for the allies against the Germans.

From the September 1933 issue of The Lone Eagle, it’s Terry Gilkison’s “The Flying Devil!”

Next Time: Another Buck Barton, Flying Devil Story!

THIS November we’re celebrating William E. Barrett’s Birthday on the 16th with four of his pulp stories—one each Friday.

Before he became renown for such classics as The Left Hand of God and Lilies of The Field, Barrett honed his craft across the pages of the pulp magazines—and nowhere more so than in War Birds and it’s companion magazine War Aces where he contributed smashing novels and novelettes, True tales of the Aces of the Great War, encyclopedic articles on the great war planes as well as other factual features. Here at Age of Aces Books he’s best known for his nine Iron Ace stories which ran in Sky Birds in the mid ’30s!

This week we have the fourth and final of our four stories celebrating William E. Barrett’s birthday this month.

His tunic was Bond Street and there was a flair to it that only a tailor with three years of war experience could impart. His breeches were cut wide and were a coral pink. The gloss on his boots could only be attained on a boot costing five pounds—and he carried a swagger stick that was made of cartridge casings, surmounted by a knob that was nothing else but the spark plug out of a crashed German plane.

All in all, the new C.O. was an elegant figure; one to inspire hatred—and a fierce envy in the breast of any pilot. He made the mistake of looking for the hatred and expecting it. He might, if he’d known it, as easily found friendship and liking—

It’s William E. Barrett’s “The C.O.’s Stripes” from the pages of the January 1933 Flying Aces.

There were ribbons on the tunic of that new C.O. that showed he had not felt fear when German lead was singing and death was combing the air—ribbons no coward could have won. Yet now, with nothing in sight below but the pilots of the 19th Pursuit Squadron, their new commander was afraid to land!

• Download “The C.O.’s Stripes” (January 1933, Flying Aces)

TODAY we have a story by Franklin H. Martin. Not much is known about Martin aside from the fact he worked as a reporter on Newark newspapers. He had almost a hundred stories published in the pulps with roughly three quarters being detective or weird menace stories and the remaining quarter being air stories in the pages of Sky Birds, War Birds and Wings.

Ronald Sexton and his brother, Kenneth, came to the squadron together while we were up near Bar-le-Duc, during the St. Mihiel drive. They had gone to school together, enlisted together, trained side by side and gotten their little gold shoulder bars and wings together. Ronny was a year older, darker, huskier and livelier. Ken was quiet and inclined to be studious. It’s a mystery where Ken got time to do all his reading, because Ronny liked parties, and whenever Ronny went on a binge, Ken went along. They flew together, too. And even when Ronny was shot down and killed, he continued to look after his brother. Kenneth seemed to develop a kind of prescience that the squadron leader found hard to believe and led H.Q. to believe he was a German spy.

Many strange and weird stories have been told about the war. At some of them men have shrugged their shoulders, and lifted a doubting eyebrow. Others, men have believed—because they must. Here is one of the strangest of them all—the story of a squadron, and the blood-chilling Thing that almost drove them mad. It all began one afternoon bach in 1918, when Ronny Sexton crashed at Hill 420, near Exermont, France, and his smoking-hot motor dug him a six-foot grave. A powerful and unusual novel of war skies.

• Download “Patrol of the Dead” (September 1931, Sky Birds)

If you enjoyed this taste of Franklin H. Martin’s writing, you’ll be happy to hear that we’ve collected the five stories Martin had in Aces in the Fall of 1932. We’re calling it Franklin H. Martin’s Aces—the volume includes the Black Hawk of Prussia duology and three other stories!

THIS year for Mosquito Month we’re going to focus on some of Ralph Oppenheim’s Detective fiction. An overwhelming majority of Oppenheim’s pulp output were aviation stories, many featuring our intrepid trio, The Three Mosquitoes. In 1933, when the Mosquitoes were winding down their adventures in Popular Publications aviation magazines, Oppenheim tried his hand at a new genre that was very popular at the time—detective fiction. Over the next fourteen years oppenheim would produce eighteen detective stories for the some of the leading magazines in the field—Dime Detective and Dime Mystery Magazines, Popular Detective, Thrilling Detective, Thrilling Mystery, Black Book Detective, Detective Fiction Weekly, Strange Detective Mysteries and Phantom Detective—as well as even ghost writing a Phantom Detective story (”Murder Calls the Phantom” March 1941).

Throughout all his detective stories, he had a number of detectives that returned in subsequent stories. These are the detective stories we’re going to feature this month. To get things going, we’ll start with the first of Oppenheim’s detective stories—”The Death Lady” featured on the cover! and in the pages of the July 15th, 1933 issue of Dime Detective Magazine!

“The Death Lady” introduces us to “Honest” Glen Kelsey, a private dick who’s built his reputation on the strength of his trustworthiness! “‘Honest Glen Kelsey’—the man you can trust—three years with the Department of Justice, etcetera, etcetera.” His assistant, Mr. Peebles, was the direct antithesis to the young, broad-shouldered Kelsey, whose blue eyes, with their humor wrinkles, showed the lust for adventure—rather he was bald, near-sighted, and very clerkish, with spectacles on his thin nose.

George Cranford visits Kelsey’s office and explains the crux of the case:

“We have become what you might call country gentlemen,” George Cranford explained. “And since we’ve settled up there our life has been stainless; our reputation in the town is unimpeachable. But unfortunately,” his voice faltered, “there is something in the past, something which Stephen and I—Lord, I had hoped it was buried. But the past always comes back. Mr. Kelsey—the past always comes back. I was just beginning to forget—and then, only last week, came the first of the threats. Threats, Mr. Kelsey, from somebody my brother and I were both certain had died years ago—somebody,” his voice was a shaky whisper, “who has returned as if from the grave—from the dead—”

Cranford refuses to divulge too much information in Kelsey’s office and requests he come out to their Connecticut home, but entrust him with a valuable box before departing telling him to keep it in a safe place! Upon opening the box, Kelsey finds only small sharp rocks.

After narrowly getting crushed by a tree just outside the Cranford’s home, Kelsey arrives at the Cranford’s to find a a small group of suspects in the house: besides George and his brother Stephen, their niece from a third brother Ellen; “old family friend” Curtis Harvey; and the swarthy, almost olive-skinned Carlos, the new chauffeur.

Shortly after his arrival, George himself turns up dead and brutally mutilated on the porch! The sheriff is called in, questions everyone and locks down the house with Kelsey inside which does afford him a chance to get more information on people and search for information.

In addition to the question of who the murder is, is the question of why and or how the bodies are turning up mutalated. A question which is spoiled by the cover of the magazine which shows a man torturing another within a Iron Lady! That still leaves the questions of who and why—

From the pages of the July15th, 1933 issue of Dime Detective Magazine, It’s Ralph Oppenheim’s “Honest” Glen Kelsey in “The Death Lady!”

There she stood—that enigmatic murder smile welded on her lips—waiting to clasp her victims in a death embrace. What was this horror-creature who cast her torture shadow over the House of Cranford—whose lightest caress meant bloody mutilation for those she wooed?

• Download “The Death Lady” (July 15, 1933, Dime Detective Magazine)

“Honest” Glen Kelsey would return for a second and final time a few months later. Once again featured on the cover and in the pages of the September 15th 1933 Dime Detective Magazine in a story titled “Brand of the Beast”.

Next week: It’s Thrilling Detective’s Dave Rogers, State Trooper!

THE October 1933 issue of WAR BIRDS hit the stands with Belarski’s Eagles of the Black Cross cover and a wealth of stories within lead off by William E. Barrett’s factual article that goes with the cover. There were also stories by Hogan, Myers, MacDowell and Brownestone. And in the back was a new feature for the readers—The Cockpit. This was the place where the WAR BIRDS gang and the editor could get together every month to spin the vocal prop.

The Cockpit brought with it The War Birds Club! Run by “The Adjutant” and overseen by the Editor and C.O. of War Birds, Carson Mowre, The Cockpit became a lively column where readers could voice their opinions, swap and trade stuff, find a like-minded reader to become pen pals with, as well as boast about their squadron’s achievements, see who’s received a promotion or citation and general club banter.

The first column from the October 1933 issue sets up the club, it’s particulars and how to join:

HERE is the most important announcement of the year. Sixteen years ago, the youth of America climbed out of civvies and into khaki. Overnight, we learned to substitute the bugle for the alarm clock. Our ears caught the distant thunder of the guns. We rode to them, we marched to them—and we flew to them.

We have captured much of the wild thrill in the stories that have appeared in WAR BIRDS’ stories written by veterans who lived the epic and who remember. But it isn’t enough.

The readers of WAR BIRDS are of the breed that, in another day, would have ridden flaming skies. Their selection of reading matter demonstrates it. The electric something that called their blood brothers to war calls them to the re-living of it.

And it is to their hands that the torch of ‘17 is flung. To them falls the responsibility of closing up the gaps. That flaming spirit that America took into the skies of ‘17 and ‘18 must not be allowed to die. We won’t let it.

This month a new organization comes into being—an organization with a name that was born of ‘17 and that has been preserved on the masthead of the oldest air-war magazine—WAR BIRDS.

A man must qualify for War Birds. His membership is not a gift. The war bird of yesterday won his wings. It is but fair that the war bird of 1933 do the same.

There were ships and guns that shared the glory of those by-gone years as well as men. A man who has the spirit that made the air service will know about those ships and those guns and those men. In knowing of them and remembering them, he makes them immortal; he preserves the spirit of the thing for which they stood.

No one will wear the War Birds wings or carry the War Birds card who does not know of, and respect, the things that make up the life of a sky warrior. There is an examination to be passed before you qualify—and it is not an easy examination. But, when you have passed it, you will know the glory of really “belonging.” Your wings will not be a mockery—they will stand for something tangible and you will have won the right to wear them.

APPLY FOR YOUR WAR BIRDS MEMBERSHIP NOW

Memberships in War Birds are neither sold nor given away; they must be earned!

(1) Clip the coupon from this issue and mail it to Wing Commander, War Birds, 100 Fifth Avenue, New York City, N.Y., properly and completely filled out.

(2) If you want the free booklets described below enclose five cents in coin or stamps to cover postage and handling. You do not have to order these booklets if you do not want them, but they will be helpful in passing the tests.

THE ENVELOPE the booklets and exam questions arrive in with only a 1½¢ stamp on it.

(3) The Adjutant will mail you your examination questions and problems. They will be based on information contained in the previously mentioned booklets and in current issues of WAR BIRDS. Your answers to the questions and the problems should be mailed back promptly to Headquarters.

THE EXAM. Please answer on a separate sheet of paper.

(4) If your grade in the examination is satisfactory, the Wing Commander’s adjutant will mail you a handsome card of membership certifying to the fact that you have qualified for “War Birds” and are entitled to the privileges of membership.

(5) You will be assigned to a squadron and your squadron designation will appear upon your card.

That is all there is to it but we want to emphasize the fact that War Birds is a patriotic organization solely. We have nothing to sell. For all purposes of the organization, the War Birds card is sufficient. It is the member’s identification and obtains for him all of the privileges allowed to members.

As a convenience, however, to those members who would like silver lapel wings we are making arrangements with a manufacturer to supply the War Birds emblem at a nominal price. Future issues of WAR BIRDS will contain further details on such insignia as well as on the various other plans now being formulated.

A membership in War Birds is going to mean something. Get in on the ground floor now and be one of the originals. Mail your application TODAY.

A FREE LIBRARY FOR YOU

You may have the following booklets free by mailing your request promptly to the Wing Commander, War Birds, 100 Fifth Ave., New York City, N.Y., with five cents to cover postage and packing. (The material in the booklets had previously appeared in the pages of War Birds or War Aces.)

WAR PLANES OF ALL NATIONS—a booklet containing the full dope on 135 war time planes; speed, horse-power, performance. (originally published in the May 1931 War Birds (v14n42))

MORE PLANE FACTS—a war pilot’s frank discussion of little known phases of flying in France. (originally published in the January 1932 War Aces (v8n22))

SYNTHETIC ACES—an expose of the fakers who pose as war flyers with tips on how to unmask them. (originally published in the January 1932 War Aces (v8n22))

ARCHIE—the complete story of anti-aircraft; its successes and its failures, with extracts from anarchy gunner’s dope book. (originally published in the March 1932 War Birds (v18n52))

These booklets will help you to pass your examination for admission to War Birds. Don’t delay in placing your order. Send your request today on the coupon form provided below.

They even laid out future plans for the club:

In the days ahead, qualified War Birds will share in many good things; free copies of genuine war photographs, discounts and special prices on aeronautical equipment, special rates on flying courses and a hundred and one other privileges that will cause the War Birds card to grow in value with the passing months.

There is in prospect at present a FREE distribution to members of:
(1) Genuine war pictures
(2) A special discount price list on planes and equipment
(3) A discount price on flying instruction
(4) Conventions for members
(5) Special services of a research bureau.

a WAR BIRDS CLUB timeline

OCTOBER 1933

• A new “The Cockpit” feature begins. It is the place where the WAR BIRDS gang and the editor get together every month to spin the vocal prop.
• Run by the “Wing Commander,” the Cockpit announces the Formation of the WAR BIRDS, a club for readers and lays out everything you need to know to apply to join (see above).
• Also lists future plans for the club: they want to offer members genuine war pictures, a discount price list on planes and equipment as well as a discount on flying instructions, services of a research bureau and conventions for members!

NOVEMBER 1933

• The Adjutant says applications are flooding in. News of exciting offers next month.
• A commissioned member of the WAR BIRDS can win a citation by exceptional service. This includes but is not limited to making a suggestion that will make the magazine more interesting, or a constructive criticism, or an idea for club activity, or a scheme for enrolling more members, or a plan for squadron mates in the same city getting together.
• Only a few commissions have been earned so far, and some have failed to qualify. They will provide a way for re-examination in the future, but it will be tougher.
• Every state and the District of Columbia and Canada have been give their own squadron number. These are listed.
• The four booklets—War Planes of All Nations, Plane Facts, Synthetic Aces, and Archie—are now available for 5¢ in stamps or coins.

DECEMBER 1933

• The Adjutant’s office has been snowed under and he’s been slow in mailing out the commissions.
• You qualify for the wings you wear and you can neither buy nor finagle them. To get them you must pass rigid tests that will prove or disprove the genuineness of your interest in flying and in the traditions of wartime service.
• Every qualified member of the WAR BIRDS whose commission is in good standing by midnight of December 20, the C.O. is going to send out a personal Christmas present which may be a package of genuine war photographs: aces, ships, etc., that have never been distributed before.
• Members are getting together and starting to organize their own flights with names.
• Additional Squadron numbers for foreign readers are listed: Alasks (51), England (52), Hawaii (53), Irish Free State (54), Mexico (55), Panama Canal Zone (56), Cuba (57), Philippines (58), Belgium (59)
• In the process of making arrangements with a manufacturer to supply silver wings at a nominal price

JANUARY 1934

• The Adjutant says that any notice of the change in rank will appear in the Honors List. And suggests you clip it and paste it on the back of your commission card.
• That’s the key to promotions and honors—service to the rest of the WAR BIRDS.
• The question of having a German squadron is raised. They have 2 applications. One from Berlin, the other from Hamburg.
• Australia becomes the 60th squadron. (Squadron numbers for the original 50 squadrons and Mexico (mislabled as 69) are listed.
• The lapel wings have just been designed—a beautiful set of silver wings. In the center of the wings in blue is “War Birds.” They won’t cost much—less than a quarter.

FEBRUARY 1934

• Offices have moved from 100 Fifth Avenue to 149 Madison Avenue.
• Many inquiries about the wings—all the dope on the next issue.
• A few of you are asking about the free pictures. They’ll be along. Just watch the sheet.
• H.Q. will grant a Captain’s commission to the organizer of any club reaching a membership of twenty. The qualifications are: (a) The organizer must be himself a commissioned officer in the WAR BIRDS; (b) He must turn in a list of his members when the membership reaches twenty; (c) All members must be officers in the WAR BIRDS or must have their applications in for commissions; (d) In cases where the member’s town is small, the club will be recognized with less than twenty members. Just convince us that you have done the best possible with the town or the neighborhood that is yours.
• To every WAR BIRD post so organized, we will give a WAR BIRD Charter to be hung in the club house, plus certain concessions which will enable them to buy club equipment, etc., at cost.
• News on the various posts being formed: Shelbyville, Indiana. Brooklyn. Long Island Traverse City, Michigan.
• Germany is established as 70 Squadron. Comments from other stateside WAR BIRDS are noted.
• Should there be a women’s auxiliary squadron?

MARCH 1934

• The COCKPIT gets a new header.
• The WINGS are here! Any commissioned member can have theirs for 15¢.
• The Adjutant suggests every squadron deign their own insignia if they haven’t already.
• Members who wish to correspond with one another will be listed in the next issue.
• Any group commander will rate promotion who can report six commissioned members of WAR BIRDS as assembled in one post provided the post is regularly organized, has a regular meeting schedule, an insignia and a name. His rank for a six to ten member post will be “Captain” provided that he sends in a notice of his election as Post Commander signed by each of the post members. For an eleven to twenty member post, the commander’s rank will be “Major” and he will be entitled to one Captain under his command. Lest this seem to make the higher rank available only to men in the larger towns, we wish to add that a six member post can qualify by special service as an A-l post, giving it the same rank privileges as the larger post.
• suggestions from members
• promotions from 2nd Lieutenant 1st listed for 4 officers.

APRIL 1934

• your WAR BIRDS commission earns you a salute at one of the finest air colleges in this man’s country—THE CASEY JONES SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS at Newark, N.J. The staff will be glad to answer his questions and take him on a tour of inspection upon presentation of his WAR BIRDS card.
• Supply of the 4 booklets is nearly exhausted.
• WORDS A-WING column starts.

MAY 1934

• THE PITTSBURGH-BUTLER AIRPORT INC., at Butler, Pa. will be glad to extend courtesy of the drome to commissioned officers of WAR BIRDS who present their identification cards. Pittsburgh-Butler operate an A-l flying school at their airport.
• Likewise for THE RYAN SCHOOL OF AERONAUTICS, LTD., at Lindbergh Field, San Diego, Calif.,
• The C.O. goes over all the club aspects
• List of new posts and their organizers.
• Long list of people for WORDS A-WING
• Honor citations listed.

JUNE 1934

• Adjutant says: “Exactly 3,148 lads who have made application for membership, in WAR BIRDS, have not returned their examination papers.”
• The Adjutant plans to start a NON-COM’S MESS for those air-minded lads they are, who want to get the feel of things before going after commissions.
• Girls will be Lady Birds and their squadron numeral—no matter where they live—is “80.”
• Suggestions under consideration by the C.O.: including model plans in the magazine; covers without text all over them.
• Working on getting various airport to extend courtesies to members; discounts on equipment; and, free pictures which had become harder with the flood of members.
• a lengthy WORDS A-WING listing
• Citations and/or Promotions for 19 members.
• Coupon now included each month for signing up for the NON-COM’S MESS

JULY 1934

• The C.O. takes over the meetings while the Adjutant handles the NON-COM’S MESS which starts this issue.
• C.O. asks members to send in a postcard listing their two favorite authors (including ones not in WAR BIRDS) and they will feature the ones who get the votes.
• NON-COMS can use the Swap and Words A-Wing columns and can offer suggestions. They are also afforded the right to join a Flight, but not organize one.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 17 members.
• SWAP COLUMN starts up
• 10 more people listed in WORDS A-WING

AUGUST 1934

• C.O. measures readers that all letters are read. But it takes a while. And please print your name.
• C.O. plans on offering $5 for the best picture of a model plane sent in.
• FLIGHT PARADE. A listing of flights who have sent in their information. Listing of members and location.
• Full page on Galveston’s LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT with member’s picture.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 10 members.
• SPARE PARTS HANGER takes the place of the SWAP column.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed.

SEPTEMBER 1934

• BETTIS FIELD, located on the McKeesport-Pittsburgh Road, extends an invitation to the War Birds
• Start of PROP WASH section, a sort of grunt and growl and talk it over department.
• It’s suggested that every War Bird Flight should have a specific interest in addition to our common interest in aviation. Set a specific time to hold meetings, organize a treasury.
• General events and course of a meeting are discussed.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 11 members.
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 9 more flights.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

OCTOBER 1934

• Flight insignias continue to pour in.
• That offer of Five Dollars for the best photograph of a model plane—either flying or scale model—built by a member is still open. Five dollars every month.
• Someone suggests there be a special WAR BIRDS code for members to communicate with.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members and 4 non-commissioned officers
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 13 more flights.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

NOVEMBER 1934

• Many members have still not adopted the military form of address yet.
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 15 more flights.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members.
• Insignias will be printed in next month’s issue.
• two flights of non-coms have been formed and several non-coms have received citations.
• A report of the SONS OF SATAN FLIGHT’s special meeting.
• no WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

DECEMBER 1934

• There is talk of a uniforms, stationary and honorary members.
• a page of Flight Insignias.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 18 members and 11 non-commissioned officers
• Charters have been mailed to all Flights
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights.
• A letter from the LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT reports their Meeting Routine.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

JANUARY 1935

• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights and updates the BATTLE ACES FLIGHT OF San Francisco.
• FLIGHT NEWS updates the latest with 8 flights and provides a letter from the MYSTERY FLIGHT.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 11 members
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

FEBRUARY 1935

• Six new flights are listed and updates on 4 previously announced flights.
• Citations and/or Promotions for 28 members and 7 non-coms.
• A report by Dorothy Kohn on a visit to Davenport Airport, Cram Field, Iowa.
• Bouse Resolution No. 7413
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

WITH the March Issue, WAR BIRDS changes it’s name to TERENCE X. O’LEARY’S WAR BIRDS and it’s focus. The lead story will now feature the exploits of Arthur Guy Empey’s Terence X. O’Leary, but the stories are more science-fictiony that O’Leary’s previous exploits in the magazine which were set in WWI. THE COCKPIT column continues with all it’s previous sections. And the coupon to join is still included. The Booklets can still be obtained for 5¢ and the wings are a bargain at 15¢.

MARCH 1935

• Title change due to popular demand of the readers.
• Actual Vickers machine guns on offer (rendered inoperable)
• Citations for 9 2nd Lt’s and 11 Corporals
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

APRIL 1935

• It is possible to become a Major. Two have so far. Majors can recommend three men a year for promotion.
• Still publishing coupons to join club. The wings and booklets still on offer.
• someone wrote to another magazine for the answers to the exam questions.
• strange but true aviation facts
• The FLIGHT PARADE lists 6 more flights and 10 non-com flight.
• Updates on three flights—LUCKY SEVEN FLIGHT, W.E. BARRETT AND GRIN FLIGHT, and COBRA PATROL Flight.
• many Citations and Promotions
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed
• more items on offer in the SPARE PARTS HANGER.

JUNE 1935

• For the first time, non-coms outnumber commissioned officers.
• One member wants to start Zeppelin Division of the War Birds. And another is into rocket propulsion.
• There is no coupon to join the club as an officer or non-com in this issue.
• Numerous Citations and Promotions listed.
• more WORDS A-WING pen pals listed

The WAR BIRDS CLUB does not continue when the magazine returns to being called WAR BIRDS again in October.

THIS week we have a story from the pen of a prolific pulp author O.B. Myers! Myers was a pilot himself, flying with the 147th Aero Squadron and carrying two credited victories and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Bat Armstrong and Chuck Pearce were tired of réglage work in an old Sopwith behind enemy lines. But when a new, speedy S.E.5 is stolen, they manage to prove it’s not how fast your ship is, but knowing where you are—and hopefully that’s not “At Target 808!” From the pages of the January 1933 number of Flying Aces!

Down upon that swiftly moving Fokker dived the ancient Sop Strutter—and the Fokker fled. But those two Yanks should have guessed that tohen a speedy German scout ran from a clumsy observation crate, danger lay ahead—a danger greater than Spandau bullets!

• Download “At Target 808″ (January 1933, Flying Aces)

FROM the pages of the December 1933 number of Sky Fighters:

Editor’s Note: We feel that this magazine has been exceedingly fortunate in securing R. Sidney Bowen to conduct a technical department each month. It is Mr. Bowen’s idea to tell us the underlying principles and facts concerning expressions and ideas of air-war terminology. Each month he will enlarge upon some particular statement in the stories of this magazine. Mr. Bowen is qualified for this work, not only because he was a war pilot of the Royal Air Force, but also because he has been the editor of one of the foremost technical journals of aviation.

Flying Comfort

by Robert Sidney Bowen (Sky Fighters, December 1933)

SO! SOUND asleep, the lot of you, eh? Well, my pin-feathered buzzards, that suits me just fine. In fact, it’s perfect. It gives me an idea of what to chin about this time. For a week I’ve been lying awake nights, tearing out my hair, wondering what I could talk about that would be close to your dear little hearts, and which you’d all understand.

Well, you yourselves gave me the idea. What subject could you better understand than one dealing with comfort?

And so, I will proceed to raise my usually calm and soothing voice above the stentorian chorus of snores, and bellow at you about the art of flying comfort.

We Were Comfortable

Though it breaks my heart to reveal the truth, my conscience forces me to draw aside the veil and show just how comfortable we baldheaded eagles were in the days when the word German was something that made you jump and jump fast.

As your big sisters have probably told you, wartime airdromes were never located in the middle of No-Man’s-Land. In fact, they were usually fifteen to twenty miles behind the lines. Such being the case, we had no fears of waking up and finding German infantrymen plowing through the room. And so, we could add the old home sweet home touch to our abodes and know that it would all still be there when we got back from a gallant patrol.

Sure! We had hutments to live in, blankets and clean sheets. A mess lounge to get plastered in, too. True, the furniture was not all mahogany or birdseye maple. However, it didn’t fall apart, much. And most important of all, my dears, the grub was good. It wasn’t dropped in the mud, and it was cooked (by a cook) in a real stove. There was usually some sort of a piano that worked. And, of course, the ever-present phonograph.

Now, before I mislead you too much, let me explain that the pilots more or less enjoyed solid comfort only as compared to the men holding the line.

I COULD name lots of places that are heaven compared to a wartime airdrome, and not even exaggerate. So, just keep it in your think-box that I’m speaking of flying comfort as compared to infantry or artillery comfort.

Visiting the Neighbors

And so, we were able to install all the little things that helped to make life enjoyable when not in the air. Usually there was a village near-by, with at least one worthwhile estaminet where we could go between patrols or any time when we were off duty. Also, if the field was big enough, more than one squadron used it, with the result that you had neighbors to visit, etc.

IN OTHER words, while an airman was on the ground, it really was a pretty good war.

In the air, though, it was different. And naturally so, because for us, that’s where the war was—in the air.

But here’s the point—we didn’t confine all our efforts for comfort to the time when we were on the ground. We took it along with us when we went up, providing, of course, it didn’t interfere with air scrapping.

That, of course, was the one essential thing to think about. And as a result, the comfort that we tried to get in the air was in reality a type of comfort that actually helped air performance.

Just a Few Examples

For a few examples of what I mean, unbutton your ears to these.

Straight flying—ordinary patroling between two points—is about the most monotonous thing east or west of the Seven Seas. There’s nothing to do but sit and fly, and then sit and fly some more. On a smooth day your legs and arms and neck get so doggone cramped, that you suddenly’ find yourself praying aloud for a flight of enemy ships to drop down on you.

True, you’ve got to keep your eyes open, to spot said enemy ships ahead of time.

And also you’ve got to keep on the alert so that you won’t slide out of formation position. But after awhile at the Front that sort of thing becomes almost mechanical. Like a sixth sense, you might say.

To permit themselves the opportunity to relax, some of the boys had headrests fitted to the top of the fuselage just back of the cockpit. The headrest was just a leather pad streamlined into the top of the fuselage. On some ships, the S.E.5, for example, the headrest was already there. And to show you how queer war pilots can be, some of the guys had the headrest of their S.E.5
taken off, because they said it cramped their necks! (See Fig. A.)

Every Little Thing Counts

ANOTHER little thing that we added for comfort’s sake, was a little box fitted to a fuselage crossbrace inside the cockpit. In ships that had a Lewis gun mounted on the top center section, the box was already there. That is, there were two boxes in which you carried a couple of spare Lewis drums of ammo. So you simply carried one extra drum—and the other was your box.

What for? Why, to keep things in, dummy. What things? Well—that depended upon the pilot’s likes and dislikes. Me, I used to slip a couple of bars of chocolate in, a cloth with which to wipe oil spatterings off my goggles, a couple of nips of this and that in a flask (in case of a cold, you understand), a picture of the current girl friend to gaze at if I felt lonely, a box of matches, and at least one deck of cigarettes.

Cigarettes?

Ah, I knew darn well that buzzard over there in the corner wasn’t asleep! Sure, we carried cigarettes. Why not? No, not to smoke while we were in the air. Nix! Can do, as a stunt. But didn’t as a regular practice.

No, the idea was, in case we got forced down and taken prisoner. Yes, sir, we were that way. Made sure of our comfort—in case. And if you think that’s a funny idea, go get yourself taken prisoner some day, and find out how many smokes the enemy gives you! Yeah, you’!I learn!

If We Were Captured

AND speaking of being taken prisoner. Some of the lads used to sew a small compass and a map or two in the lining of their flying suits. I once heard of a case where that little stunt was the means of a bird escaping an enemy prison camp. Well, all I can say is, that guy sure was lucky, and then some!

In the first place, the enemy wasn’t as dumb as the newspapers try to make them out to be. They knew a few things about fighting a war just as we did.

And searching a captured prisoner for anything that might help or hinder him was something that the Germans did nothing else but. However, for argument’s sake, let’s say that the searching officer was blind in one eye, couldn’t see out of the other, and both hands were cut off. Well, the hero goes to a prison camp, tells the guard to look the other way, and sets off for home. He uses the compass and starts south. Soon it gets darn cold and he meets an Eskimo. Heavens, he’s been walking all these weeks in the opposite direction.

And why? Because that little compass sewed in his flying suit was long ago sent haywire by the metal and ignition system of his engine.

But to get back to that box—comfort box, you could call it—I’ve told you a few of the things I used to lug along. Other guys used to carry other things. One chap, for instance, used to take along pen, paper and envelopes. Sure! Do his letter writing while waiting for action.

No Identification!

However, that was just an unusual stunt. Don’t get the idea that it was general practice. And also don’t get the idea that the box was big enough to hold a couple of spare props and
a tire maybe. And also, take it from me, you did not carry anything that would be valuable to the enemy if captured. I carried the girl friend’s picture, but I didn’t carry any of her letters to me.

No, smart guy, not because I was afraid the ship would catch fire! Simply because they were identification, and might contain information of something seemingly unimportant, but perhaps most important when pieced together with what the enemy might already know.

In other words, we carried in the box, or on our person, nothing that would divulge information to the enemy.

I Call It Laziness

MAYBE you’d call this next item comfort, but I call it just plumb laziness. It was a flight leader’s trick. As you know, a flight leader has to keep his eye on the ships back of him, just as much as the other lads have to keep their eyes on him.

So this bird, in order to save wear and tear on his neck, got hold of a piece of looking glass and fastened it near the top of his right rear center section strut. Yup, a rear view mirror for airplanes. And believe it or not, the thing worked swell—so he claimed! (See Fig. B.)

Another idea for comfort, and a thing that was mighty useful in a dog scrap, was a pair of shoulder straps fastened to the sides of the cockpit seat. (See Fig. C.) As you know, every ship had the regular safety belt that fastened about your waist. That was okay for level flight, but should you get hung in a loop, gravity would start to slide you out and pull your feet off the rudder bar.

So we installed two straps; one that came up the back and over the right shoulder and down the left side of the seat, and the other came up over the left shoulder, crossed the other at your chest, and down to the right side of the seat. Thus you were held back by the safety belt, and held down on your seat by the double straps. Naturally, snap fastenings were used, in case you had to get clear fast—like in thr event of a forced landing.

It’s All How You Look At It

Yup, our motto was, comfort east or west of No-Man’s-Land. Of course, it wasn’t like home. We did get our feet wet now and then. However, in case the Grim Reaper ever reached out for us, we kind of planned it so we’d at least die on a full stomach. For the lads on the ground shoving about the trenches, such was not the case. They had to take it on the chin day and night.

Yet, after all, it’s the way you look at it. The doughboy in the trench looks up at the aviator and says, “Cripes, that damn fool up there with nothing to hang onto!” And the pilot looks down and says, “Cripes, that damn fool down there with nothing but mud to sit on!” And, so what? As far as I’m concerned, it’s, so long!

FOR FOUR successive months in 1933, War Birds ran a series of covers featuring “Strange War Planes.”—those freak planes that were used during the First World War. The covers were by Eugene M. Frandzen—known here for the covers he did for Sky Fighters from its first issue in 1932 until he moved on from the pulps in 1939. The Final freaky ship in the series was the Deperdussin Monoplane!

Strange War Ships:
Deperdussin Monoplane

BEFORE synchronization of machine gun fire was perfected, many strange ways were devised to fire in the direction of flight. The Deperdussin Monoplane, with machine gunner mounted atop the wing was one of these. A rudder attachment kept the gun from whipping from side to side. The ship was armoured and a superstructure of steel pipes formed the gunner’s cockpit. A gunner on this ship had to have a sense of balance equal to an acrobat to be accurate with the gun.

The Deperdussin was the forerunner of the 5pad. This ship and the single place were used extensively on the Russian front. Germany, at that time, considered these ships the most dangerous used by the allies. The single seater had the phenomenal speed of 131 m.p.h. when stripped.

LENGTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24′
SPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36′3”
AREA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 sq.ft.
WEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1050 lbs.
MOTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 h.p. Gnome
SPEED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 m.p.h.
CLIMB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 ft.per min.

Strange War Ships: Deperdussin Monoplane • War Birds, August 1933
by Eugene M. Frandzen

FOR FOUR successive months in 1933, War Birds ran a series of covers featuring “Strange War Planes.”—those freak planes that were used during the First World War. The covers were by Eugene M. Frandzen—known here for the covers he did for Sky Fighters from its first issue in 1932 until he moved on from the pulps in 1939. The third in the series was the Spad Tractor-Pusher.

Strange War Ships:
Spad Tractor-Pusher

THIS was one of the freakiest ships of the war, presenting the diverting 5pectacie of pilot and gunner in the same ship but separated by the whirling propeller.

Before the days of the front fire fokker engineers and pilots were dreaming of a device which would enable them to fire a machine gun in the direction of flight. The existing pushers permitted this but they were being replaced by tractors with their higher performance. The pilot wanted to take his front fire gun with him from the pusher to the tractor, but synchronization was unheard of then.

The result was as pictured on the cover and in this sketch. Sechereau, the designer, took the standard Spad tractor with 150 h.p. hisso and suspended a nacelle before the prop by a pair of members which formed part of the undercarriage.

The ship flew and was being considered for military use when the Fokker Eindecker came out. Naturally this type of ship became obsolete immediately.

Strange War Ships: Spad Tractor-Pusher • War Birds, August 1933
by Eugene M. Frandzen

What is next month’s strange ship? Check back again for pictures and complete data on another freak ship of the war!