Series 01 Part 02: Hughes family correspondence, 3 April 1917-22 September 1918 - Page 135
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[Page 135]
[This page follows on from Page 133]
dark he asked me to run the engine which he assured me was O.K. So I ran it up and it seemed all right so I said I would test it next the following day. There were half a dozen mechanics standing round and the sergeant asked me when what time I would test it as he would like to see me do so. I said "Oh you can come up with me when I test it." I may as well tell you that it is usual for the engineman to jump at the chance to come up when an engine is to be tested. Imagine my amazement when he replied "I'm not going to go up in an RE8. "I've seen too many accidents on them."
I was so utterly taken aback that I did'nt know what to say. Never having experienced such a refusal before I was not certain that I could order him to come up, so I simply said as cuttingly as possible "I have never before met in the Flying Corps a mechanic who would not willingly come up with a pilot to test an engine and I hope to Heaven I never meet another."
Next morning I met the Colonel and asked him point blank could I order the man
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