File:New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14595583227).jpg

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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BENNETT WELLS First Lieutenant, A.S.A., U.S.A., One Hundred Forty-Seventh Aero Squadron, First Pursuit Group Son of Herbert Clifford and Amy C. (Bullard) Wells, of Wayland,Mass.; was born in Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 16, 1894. He was edu-cated at Cambridge Latin School and at Harvard College, class of1918; leaving college during his sophomore year to go to France. Hesailed on May 5, 1917, to join the American Field Service in France,driving an ammunition truck to and from the front for six months.He then transferred to Aviation, in Sept., 1917, enlisting in U.S.A.S.He was trained in the American Aviation School in France, andwas then sent as chasseur to the front. He was commissioned1st Lieut, about Feb. 1, 1918, and was assigned to the 147th AeroSquadron, 1st Pursuit Group, Zone of Advance. While in active service Lieut. Wells took part in the great battleof Chateau-Thierry. ( 96 )
Text Appearing After Image:
FIRST DAY BOMBARDMENT GROUP As its name implied, the 1st Day Bombardment Group wasAmericas first attempt at such work and mistakes were naturally tobe expected. Unfortunately no adequate use was made of the exper-ience of the Allies, and both in tactics and equipment much waslearned only by a needless sacrifice of many lives. Two of the Squad-rons, the 20th and the 12th, were the first to be equipped wholly withAmerican machines — De Haviland 4s, with Liberty motors. Thesemachines quickly earned the soubriquet of flaming coffins, fromthe vulnerability of the gasoline tank. In the De H. 4s these tankswere directly between the two men. They thus not only made a thirddistinct vital spot as target for the enemy — the engine, the pilot,and the gas tank — but separated the pilot from his observer, sothat all communication had to be indirect, a tremendous handicapnot only against cooperative work, but to that moral support whichdirect contact of one person with another can give. These

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