File:New England aviators 1914-1918; their portraits and their records (1919) (14759107456).jpg

English: First Lieutenant Bertram Williams, United States Army Air Service. Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 96th Aero Squadron, U.S. Army Air Service, A.E.F., between Chambley and Xammes, France, 13 September 1918. As observer, Lieutenant Bertram accompanied Lieutenant Hopkins, pilot, on a flight of three planes which were attacked by 15 enemy planes. Despite the overwhelming number of the enemy by which they were surrounded, the American planes proceeded on their mission and bombed their objective. In the action which followed he and his pilot continued the unequal fight until they were shot down and killed. The heroic conduct displayed greatly inspired the members of the squadron and enabled one of the American planes to return to its airdrome with valuable information of the enemy.

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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he was at once ordered overseas, and sailed on Oct. 17, 1917.He wrote at sea: We got so efficient at abandon ship drill that itwas almost disappointing not to have a chance to use it. Immedi-ately on his arrival at St.-Nazaire, he was sent to the 3d AviationInstruction Centre at Issoudun. He stayed there until March, 1918,when he volunteered, with 25 others, for a two weeks ground coursepreparatory to becoming an observer, and was ordered to Gondre-court. From there he wrote: We are the first fighting observers, and ever since we volunteered for it,they have never known just what to do with us. For this reason we all wearwhite elephants on our identification plaques. He was at the Aviation Instruction Centre at Tours until April,and was then sent on to Cazaux. He wrote home: There are four of us picked according to our grades at Tours, who aregoing to the School of Aerial Gunnery at Cazaux. All this may not meanmuch to you, but any one who has been through the French School at ( 138 )
Text Appearing After Image:
BERTRAM WILLIAMS Cazaux is a little bit better than any one else in the flying world over here,and I am tickled to death. In a later letter, he said: When we were shooting at a silhouette of an airplane on the ground, Iwas lucky enough to get 28 per cent, which put me on the Tableau dHon-neur — the third American to get on it. He was commissioned 1st Lieut, at Cazaux, in May, 1918, and orderedto Clermont-Ferrand, where he remained until Sept., when he wasattached to the 96th Squadron. On Sept. 13 Lieut. Williams andhis pilot, Stephen Hopkins, were in one of three planes flying overChambley. One of the American planes was separated from the rest,and 20 German machines attacked the remaining two. Both wereshot down in flames. Lieut. Williams and Lieut. Hopkins were re-ported missingin action, in the middle of Sept., and later killedin action. They were buried at Charey, France. In June they werereinterred at Thiaucourt, one of the national cemeteries. The fol-lowing is quoted from a l

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