XXIX. THE EYES OF OUR ARMIES IN THE FIELD 207 XXX. RUSSIAN PRAISE AND RUSSIAN ACHIEVEMENTS 213 XXXI. ITALY’S PART 219 XXXII. ENEMY ACTIVITY 224 XXXIII. A GENERAL VIEW 231 XXXIV. THE HEROIC DEAD 253 XXXV. CONCLUSION 265 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE FLIGHT-COMMANDER W. L. ROBINSON, V.C. _Frontispiece_ DISTINCTIVE MARKS USED BY BELLIGERENTS IN THE AIR 31 DIAGRAM ISSUED IN THE EARLY PART OF THE WAR BY THE FRENCH WAR OFFICE 41 SECTIONAL VIEW OF ZEPPELIN AIRSHIP 49 LIEUT. WARNEFORD, V.C. _face_ 104 BOMB-DROPPING _face_ 128 GUARDING OUR COASTS: A NAVAL PATROL IN DIFFICULTIES _face_ 154 AWARDS AND DECORATIONS _face_ 192 ‘All our airmen are heroes, at home and in France, and the gratitude of the nation is due to them for the splendid success with which they have got the upper hand of the air service of the enemy.’ —_The Daily Press_, October 2, 1916. HEROIC AIRMEN CHAPTER I BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION We approach an intensely interesting subject. Indeed, there is the danger that we may be tempted to dwell on thrilling achievements before learning what those achievements really mean. We have all talked freely in the past of airmen and flying; yet how limited has been our knowledge! These pages will not, however, touch ground of a purely technical nature. Matters intricate and involved will be avoided. Harm rather than good might come from trespassing on ground presided over by experts. But there is a middle course: we may learn sufficient to appreciate in a fuller and deeper sense the achievements of our heroic airmen. Our subject is wide, as wide, indeed, as the heavens. We must needs cover much ground, and must regulate our pace accordingly. Much as we may be tempted to dwell upon this or that branch of the subject, we shall often be compelled to pass on. For this is a book of heroic deeds, and our aim in touching briefly upon the birth and early development of various forms of aircraft will chiefly be with the view of giving a fuller and deeper meaning to the achievements of such men as Lieutenant Robinson, V.C., and Lieutenant Warneford, V.C. Happily there are many such heroes.