File:New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14595485409).jpg

English: First Lieutenant Walter Roger Avery, A.S., U.S.A., 148th Aero Squadron attached to the Thirteenth Wing, Royal Air Force. Son of Nicholas F. and Mary Henderson (Taylor) Avery; was born at Charlestown, Mass., Feb. 6, 1894. He attended the public schools in Boston and Pepperell, Mass., and graduated from Tufts College in 1914. He entered the employ of Sloane, Huddle, Feustel & Freeman, consulting engineers, and was carrying on his work in Chicago at the time of his enlistment, May 13, 1917. He attended the first Officers' Training Camp at Fort Sheridan, 1ll. (Co. I, 1ll. Engineers). He was one of eight men to be chosen for the Air Service, and was transferred to the Aviation Section June 18,1917; he graduated from the School of Military Aeronautics, Champaign, Ill., Aug. 1,1917, and went overseas Aug. 18, 1917, with the first detachment of aviators to go across. He trained in England at Oxford University Ground School, receiving flying training at Stamford, Joyce Green, London Colney, Hounslow, and Marke; during this time he was injured in a crash, in which his companion was killed, and spent three months in English hospitals. He was commissioned 1st Lieut. May 29, 1917, and was assigned to the 148th U.S. Aero Squadron (Pursuit), attached to the 13th Wing, R.A.F., Sept. 6, 1918. In the following weeks he took active part in patrols, bombing, and observation expeditions, and participated in a fight in which between 80 and 90 machines were engaged; although outnumbered about two to one, his group suffered no casualties and brought down enough enemy machines to win a congratulatory letter from the General in command. He was cited for extraordinary heroism in action on July 15, 1918, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. On Oct. 1, while flying at a low altitude, some distance over the lines, his engine was put out of action by an enemy machine gun and he was forced to land a few kilometers southeast of Cambrai, behind the German lines, where he was captured. He was confined in the prison camps at Caudry, Solesmes, and Le Quesnoi, until Oct. 10, when he was put on train for Germany; some hours later he escaped from his guards and jumped from the train, which was moving at the rate of 25 miles an hour, near Valenciennes; for the next two days he travelled by compass without food or water, hiding in ditches during the daylight and crawling through the middle of a German transport camp. Forced to take shelter in a shell-hole by the Allied bombardment, he was recaptured by the enemy, and while being marched through the streets narrowly escaped death from bombs dropped by his own Squadron. He was imprisoned from Oct. 18 to 31 at Siognies, under the poorest conditions, suffering from insults, hunger, and filthy surroundings; on Nov. 2 he was transferred to Maransart, where, on Nov. 6, he escaped with a British officer, by a rope suspended from a barn, between guards stationed outside. Aided by friendly Belgians he remained in hiding during the following week, travelling back by degrees to Siognies, where he was located on Nov. 11, and witnessed the evacuation of the town the next day by the enemy. On Nov. 14 Lieut. Avery was returned by airplane to his Squadron at Toul, which had given him up for lost. He was for some time confined in the hospital as a result of his ill-treatment by the Germans. He was honorably discharged at Garden City, N.Y., Feb. 5, 1919.

Identifier: NewEnglandaviatVol1Tick (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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nsportcamp. Forced to take shelter in a shell-hole by the Allied bombard-ment, he was recaptured by the enemy, and while being marchedthrough the streets narrowly escaped death from bombs droppedby his own Squadron. He was imprisoned from Oct. 18 to 31 at Siognies, under thepoorest conditions, suffering from insults, hunger, and filthy sur-roundings; on Nov. 2 he was transferred to Maransart, where, onNov. 6, he escaped with a British officer, by a rope suspended froma barn, between guards stationed outside. Aided by friendly Belgians he remained in hiding during the fol-lowing week, travelling back by degrees to Siognies, where he waslocated on Nov. 11, and witnessed the evacuation of the town thenext day by the enemy. On Nov. 14 Lieut. Avery was returned byairplane to his Squadron at Toul, which had given him up for lost.He was for some time confined in the hospital as a result of hisill-treatment by the Germans. He was honorably discharged at Garden City, N.Y., Feb. 5,1919. ( 258 )
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ROYAL WINTER WETHERALD Exxsign, U.S.N.R.F., U.S.N., A.S.Son of James I. and Eliza (Phelps) Wetherald, of Boston, Mass.;was born in Newton, Mass., Dec. 29, 1893. He was educated at theNoble and Greenough School, Boston; St. Andrews School, Con-cord, Mass.; and Mass. Institute of Technology. He played on thefootball and track teams. Previous to enlistment he completed theprescribed Infantry and Cavalry Course of the U.S. Military Train-ing Camp, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., on May 30, 1916. He entered the Curtiss School of Flying at Newport News, Va.,on March 5, 1917. He received a certificate as pilot after 600 min-utes instruction in Curtiss F Boat type and land tractor J.N. 4.He enlisted in Naval Air Service on April 19, 1917. On Nov. 5 hepassed the Naval Aviators tests and examinations at Naval Base,Hampton Roads, Va.; and on Dec. 19, 1917, was commissionedEnsign, U.S.N.R.F. After receiving his commission Ensign Wetherald was detailedto instruct students in flying, until ordered to Fort Wo

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