Tuesday June 4th, 1918
Mounted Balloon guard 6am for 24 hours. Balloon moved but Johnny puts a hole in it. Moving the whole plant back to [blank] late at night. Shooting fish in afternoon – good catch.
Balloon Guard
Today Frank gets down to work – but doesn’t seem to make a very good fist of it as the balloon is hit by enemy fire. Presumably it doesn’t go down in flames though – as surely even Frank with his laconic writing-style would have been forced to say more about it!
Harry Burtenshaw served with the 27th Kite Balloon Section until invalided back to Britain under the Y-scheme shortly before Frank arrives.
In his diary, damage caused by the enemy seemed to be the norm. As he reported on May 1st 1917, ‘Balloon up at 6 am, weather fine, hostile attack on balloon 10.30 failed, 5 pm 2 hostile planes attacked balloon, one fetched down in flames, pilot burned to death in our camp, the other brought down intact 2 miles away, balloon safe but no end of shots through it, finished worked 11.30.’¹ Coincidentally, Harry is describing the same incident as the 27th KBS War Diary entry reported in yesterday’s post.
The photograph shows a kite balloon being repaired prior to its ascent in October 1916. You will see all the men holding onto ropes to keep the balloon steady while the man on the ladder plugs the leak.*
Sometimes the impacts of enemy fire were not so benign.
Down in Flames
It is not often that we can tie together related accounts, but again on March 30th 1917 we can.
Harry Burtenshaw, records ‘Weather fine and warm, reveille 5.30 am, balloon up 7, hostile machine fired at balloon but missed it, 1 pm hostile machine attacked balloon several rounds fired balloon set on fire and destroyed, observers Captain Mellor and a Major of the RFA escaped unhurt by parachute, very exciting time, 6 pm on guard, had parcel and papers from Wife.’¹
The 27th KBS War Diary records the same incident with more colour. ‘March 30 K & B went up at 7am. In addition to getting a battery on the gun spotted yesterday they saw troops and transport moving along a road in enemy country, and brought the battery’s fire to bear on these, with good results as far as could be observed. A hostile plane came over very soon after this, with an obviously evil design and a machine gun, which he pooped off at the balloon.’ Failing to hit the balloon, the plane went away and later on that day Captain Mellor and the Major go up as spotters.
Then the enemy plane reappears, firing tracer bullets (that can ignite the gas), and ‘hits the balloon. Both observers dropped just as she burst into flames and, both parachutes opening beautifully, they landed safely, though the Major fell upside down. He came down in the middle of the RAMC camp and was up-ended so promptly that he was of the opinion the medical people taking him for a corpse, were going through his pockets….’²
The film clip from ‘Over the Front’ shows the operation of a KBS as well as an incident similar to that described above. The link to the complete film is also provided below.³
13th (Service) Battalion War Diary – 4th June 1918 – La Marraine
The Battalion in its present position has many guards to find, and the work to be done is very scattered. It consists mostly of canaling parties in the Rates ravines and various RE etc fatigues. What men are left over are employed preparing the Horse Show ground for the show on the 7th and 8th programme.
References & Further Reading
¹ ‘Diary of Harry J.E. Burtenshaw‘, (1878-1956), 45040, 27 Kite Balloon Section, Royal Flying Corp Aug 1916 to June 1918 (invalided home with malaria)
* Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3395194. Image may be subject to copyright
² ‘The Salonika Front‘ painted by William T Wood RWS & described by AJ Mann MA (Captain & recording officer 22 Balloon Company) extract of 27 KBS War Diary on pages 176/177
³ ‘Over the Front‘, copyright the Australian War Memorial. The footage was used as reference material for the video produced by Peter Jackson for the film, light and sound show for the Over the Front exhibit at the Australian War Memorial.
‘Hydrogen for Airships’ (article courtesy AM Burgess and Cleveland Industrial Archeaology Society)
‘Kite Balloons at Salonika‘ thread on the Great War Forum