Item 04: Thomas Goodwin war diary, 20 July 1917-18 March 1918 - Page 76
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[Page 76]
with me at one time
17-10-1917 Tuesday. 11.30 A.M
Weather fine. I witnessed a most fearful sight this day. 5 Hun aeroplanes over, up a terrible height, a squadron of ours attack them, bringing down three. The first brought down caught on fire, when about half way down, and one of the occupants fell out, and crashed to earth. Some of our boys carried him away on a sheet of iron, just a mass of pulp. I believe he was a Captain. The other man was burried under the machine. Our airmen says it was a new type of machine. The man who brought this plane down, landed to get particulars, when he went to start again, his machine nose dived and broke a propeller blade. We had to mount a guard on it. Six gunners down from Bty gassed. The 3rd Bty, only 5 gnr in action, the rest got gassed. Major Thompson seriously wounded, arm off, one of our gunners went to his assistance, he also was wounded.