File:New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14576721387).jpg

English: Captain Arthur Raymond Brooks, , A.S., U.SA., 22d Aero Squadron, Second Pursuit Group. Son of Frank E. and Josephine (Levasseur) Brooks, was born at Framingham, Mass., Nov. 1, 1895. He attended the public schools of Framingham and graduated from the M.I.T. in 1917, where he was editor-in-chief of the "Tech" Magazine. He enlisted in the U.S. Service Sept. 1, 1917, at M.I.T. ; and was ordered to Fort Wood, N.Y. He trained with the R.F.C. at Toronto, Can., from Sept. 10 to Nov. 10, 1917. From Nov. 10 to Feb. 25, 1918, he trained at Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas, with the 28th and 139th Squadrons. He was commissioned 2d Lieut, on Feb. 25, 1918, and sailed overseas March 12 to France, where he completed his training at the 3d A.I.C., Issoudun. On Aug. 16, 1918, he was transferred to the 22d Squadron as Flight Commander and was prominent in the brilliant exploits of that Squadron. On Sept. 14, 1918, he won the Distinguished Service Cross, and recommendation for the Medal of Honor, in combat with eight Fokkers, bringing down two and making an official credit of six. Lieut. Howard Clapp, afterwards killed in action, wrote of this combat: "Twelve Fokkers attacked our formation of six from above and in the sun. . . . Brooks had about five after him, and they stuck very tenaciously. But he is a fine flier and a good shot, and, though he only fired 75 rounds during the whole affair, succeeded in bringing down two of them — one in flames. They have both been confirmed, so he is now officially an ace. His machine was very badly shot up. The rudder wires were cut through on one side, so that the rudder was useless; one of the main spars in his top wing was smashed and a tire punctured. Yet, in spite of all this he brought the machine safely down in a rough field north of camp." A quotation from Capt. Brooks's own description of the affair follows: "We were still at 5000 metres or about three miles up. The " we" in this case referring to myself and eight red-nosed Richthofen Circus planes bent on an eight-to-one shot. We were ten miles behind the lines of the infantry and my chances of escape were so slight that I figured I had come to the end. I was frankly scared, but in spite of much high tension and futile yelling at the top of my voice, I calculated, by nature of my training, I suppose, to get as many of the Fokkers as possible before the inevitable. The only thing that saved me was that being entirely surrounded, the Germans could not shoot at me without being in their own way. A stream of white ribbons from the incendiary bullets and the tracers would cut through the gap in my wings so that if I reached out my hand they were close enough to cut it off. . . . Twice I tried to ram the Fokkers that had me in a direct line with their guns. One red-nosed "Night Mare" came in from my right and endeavored to draw me under by playing as a foil in a swoop to my level and then perceptibly below. I had just time to dip enough to see his features before I let him have a few incendiary bullets. I was n't even sorry for him after that. Another I turned upon and after a short, close burst was satisfied that a second had quit, although he did not, like the first, apparently catch fire. . . . Two more of the Boches, in their tactical work, happened to get in the way of my line of fire and I finally had the better feeling of finding myself with a good 2000 metres, directly over the huge, boomerang lake (Lachausee) with only four of the enemy still paying me too much attention to suit me. This was rather more dangerous than with a swarm, because the individuals could far better get a good shot at me where they had less chance of being in their own way. A 220 horse-power Spad can out-dive a Fokker D-7 and for 1500 metres, with almost full motor, I spun, nose-dived, and slithered, flattening out just over the rolling country, with a fair chance over those four. Two of these, and finally one, kept up the chase for a feeble distance, but retreated to my glad astonishment, before crossing the lines." Brooks was commissioned 1st Lieut. Oct. 7, 1918. After the signing of the Armistice he was stationed at Grand, as Commanding Officer of the 22d Squadron. He was commissioned Capt. on March 12, 1919. Stationed at Selfridge Field, and later at Kelly Field. Citation, D.S.C.: "For the extraordinary heroism in action over Mars-la-Tour, France, Sept. 14, 1918. Lieut. Bkooks, when his patrol was attacked by twelve enemy Fokkers over Mars-la-Tour, eight miles within the enemy lines, alone fought bravely and relentlessly with eight of them, pursuing the fight from 5000 metres to within a few metres of the ground, and though his right rudder control was out and his plane riddled with bullets, he destroyed two Fokkers, one falling out of control and the other bursting into flames.(Signed) Pershing".

Identifier: NewEnglandaviatVol2Tick (find matches)
Title: New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Ticknor, Caroline, 1866-1937, ed
Subjects: Biography Aeronautics World War, 1914-1918
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin Company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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just over the rolling country, with a fair chance over those four. Two of these, and finally one, kept up the chase for a feeble distance,but retreated to my glad astonishment, before crossing the lines. Brooks was commissioned 1st Lieut. Oct. 7, 1918. After the sign-ing of the Armistice he was stationed at Grand, as CommandingOfficer of the 22d Squadron. He was commissioned Capt. on March12, 1919. Stationed at Selfridge Field, and later at Kelly Field. CitationD.S.C. For the extraordinary heroism in action over Mars-la-Tour, France, Sept.14, 1918. Lieut. Bkooks, when his patrol was attacked by twelve enemyFokkers over Mars-la-Tour, eight miles within the enemy lines, alonefought bravely and relentlessly with eight of them, pursuing the fight from5000 metres to within a few metres of the ground, and though his rightrudder control was out and his plane riddled with bullets, he destroyedtwo Fokkers, one falling out of control and the other bursting into flames. (Signed) Pershing ( 12 )
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* JAMES DUDLEY BEANE First Lieutenant, A.S., U.S.A., Twenty-Second AeroSquadron, Second Pursuit GroupKilled in action, Oct. 30, 1918 Son of Edmund Murry and Kate (Miles) Beane; was born in NewYork City, Jan. 20, 1896. He took up residence in Concord, Mass.,in 1909, and attended the Concord High School where he made arecord on the track team. On graduation he entered the employ ofthe Department of Education at the State House, in Boston. He sailed for France in June, 1916, and from July 8, 1916, toJuly 20, 1917, served as ambulance driver in the American Am-bulance Field Service on the Verdun front. He joined the FrenchArmy in Aug., 1917, and was assigned to the Lafayette Escadrillefor training. After acting as Avion de Chasse to the French, fromAug., 1917, to Feb., 1918, he was transferred to the U.S. Air Serv-ice in Feb., 1918, and shortly after commissioned 1st Lieut. He had several German planes to his credit, when on June 27,1918, he was shot down, badly wounded after a hard battl

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