JAMES J. BACH aka Jules James Bach / Buck
JIMMIE BACH has the distinction - a doubtful one in his opinion - of being the first member of the Lafayette Flying Corps, and also the first American, taken prisoner in the Great War. He enlisted in the Foreign Legion, Infantry Section, with Thaw, Soubiran, Bouligny, Kiffin Rockwell, Dowd, Trinkard, and other Americans who answered the call in August, 1914; was transferred to Aviation and first went to the Front as a pilot in a French squadron of Morane Saulniers, biplace monoplanes, which were used in those days, for both chasse and reconnaissance. On September 23, 1915, he was sent on special mission with Sergent-Pilote Mangeot, their duty being to land two French soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, behind the enemy lines in the vicinity of Mezieres. The two soldiers carried with them a large quantity of explosives with which they were to destroy a section of the railway line between Mezieres and Hirson. After gathering information as to the disposition of enemy troops, they were to try to make their way back across the lines.
Plans were laid carefully, and the start was made. Landing-ground had already been chosen by the two soldiers, who knew the country well, but being soldiers of earth, they had selected a field not at all suitable from the airmen's point of view. It was rough and covered with bushes and small trees. However, a landing was made without accident, and a moment later, the soldiers with their load of explosives were on their way toward the railroad.
Bach put on full gas and was off immediately, making toward the French lines. Looking back, he saw that Sergent Mangeot's machine had turned over on the ground. He landed again, picked up the French pilot, who was unhurt, but in taking off the second time, one wing of his Morane struck the limb of a tree. The machine crashed, of course, and although neither was hurt, they were face to face with a very serious situation. If the four men should be captured, and it could be proved that the two soldiers had been landed by the airmen, death was certain for all of them. Bach and his companion remained hidden in the woods until they were sure that the soldiers were far from the neighborhood. Then they started homeward.
They were captured a few hours later and taken to Laon. Suspicion against them was strong, and they were twice court-martialed, on October 20 and October 30, 1915. The first time there was no verdict, and the second, owing largely to the able defense of a German lawyer, they were found not guilty.
Bach spent more than three years as a prisoner in various German camps. By right of seniority he becomes the Herr Direktor of the Amerikanischer-Kriegsgefangenen Club. His eligibility for this office is no fault of his own, however. He made several attempts to escape, but was recaptured each time. He came back, after the Armistice was signed, the same quiet, genial fellow his old comrades had known, in the Foreign Legion, and in Aviation, long before the Escadrille Lafayette was organized.
Source - Google Books "The Lafayette Flying Corps, Volume 1" by James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, Edgar G. Hamilton, Houghton Mifflin publisher, 1920.
JIMMIE BACH has the distinction - a doubtful one in his opinion - of being the first member of the Lafayette Flying Corps, and also the first American, taken prisoner in the Great War. He enlisted in the Foreign Legion, Infantry Section, with Thaw, Soubiran, Bouligny, Kiffin Rockwell, Dowd, Trinkard, and other Americans who answered the call in August, 1914; was transferred to Aviation and first went to the Front as a pilot in a French squadron of Morane Saulniers, biplace monoplanes, which were used in those days, for both chasse and reconnaissance. On September 23, 1915, he was sent on special mission with Sergent-Pilote Mangeot, their duty being to land two French soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, behind the enemy lines in the vicinity of Mezieres. The two soldiers carried with them a large quantity of explosives with which they were to destroy a section of the railway line between Mezieres and Hirson. After gathering information as to the disposition of enemy troops, they were to try to make their way back across the lines.
Plans were laid carefully, and the start was made. Landing-ground had already been chosen by the two soldiers, who knew the country well, but being soldiers of earth, they had selected a field not at all suitable from the airmen's point of view. It was rough and covered with bushes and small trees. However, a landing was made without accident, and a moment later, the soldiers with their load of explosives were on their way toward the railroad.
Bach put on full gas and was off immediately, making toward the French lines. Looking back, he saw that Sergent Mangeot's machine had turned over on the ground. He landed again, picked up the French pilot, who was unhurt, but in taking off the second time, one wing of his Morane struck the limb of a tree. The machine crashed, of course, and although neither was hurt, they were face to face with a very serious situation. If the four men should be captured, and it could be proved that the two soldiers had been landed by the airmen, death was certain for all of them. Bach and his companion remained hidden in the woods until they were sure that the soldiers were far from the neighborhood. Then they started homeward.
They were captured a few hours later and taken to Laon. Suspicion against them was strong, and they were twice court-martialed, on October 20 and October 30, 1915. The first time there was no verdict, and the second, owing largely to the able defense of a German lawyer, they were found not guilty.
Bach spent more than three years as a prisoner in various German camps. By right of seniority he becomes the Herr Direktor of the Amerikanischer-Kriegsgefangenen Club. His eligibility for this office is no fault of his own, however. He made several attempts to escape, but was recaptured each time. He came back, after the Armistice was signed, the same quiet, genial fellow his old comrades had known, in the Foreign Legion, and in Aviation, long before the Escadrille Lafayette was organized.
Source - Google Books "The Lafayette Flying Corps, Volume 1" by James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, Edgar G. Hamilton, Houghton Mifflin publisher, 1920.
JAMES J. BACH aka Jules James Bach / Buck
JIMMIE BACH has the distinction - a doubtful one in his opinion - of being the first member of the Lafayette Flying Corps, and also the first American, taken prisoner in the Great War. He enlisted in the Foreign Legion, Infantry Section, with Thaw, Soubiran, Bouligny, Kiffin Rockwell, Dowd, Trinkard, and other Americans who answered the call in August, 1914; was transferred to Aviation and first went to the Front as a pilot in a French squadron of Morane Saulniers, biplace monoplanes, which were used in those days, for both chasse and reconnaissance. On September 23, 1915, he was sent on special mission with Sergent-Pilote Mangeot, their duty being to land two French soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, behind the enemy lines in the vicinity of Mezieres. The two soldiers carried with them a large quantity of explosives with which they were to destroy a section of the railway line between Mezieres and Hirson. After gathering information as to the disposition of enemy troops, they were to try to make their way back across the lines.
Plans were laid carefully, and the start was made. Landing-ground had already been chosen by the two soldiers, who knew the country well, but being soldiers of earth, they had selected a field not at all suitable from the airmen's point of view. It was rough and covered with bushes and small trees. However, a landing was made without accident, and a moment later, the soldiers with their load of explosives were on their way toward the railroad.
Bach put on full gas and was off immediately, making toward the French lines. Looking back, he saw that Sergent Mangeot's machine had turned over on the ground. He landed again, picked up the French pilot, who was unhurt, but in taking off the second time, one wing of his Morane struck the limb of a tree. The machine crashed, of course, and although neither was hurt, they were face to face with a very serious situation. If the four men should be captured, and it could be proved that the two soldiers had been landed by the airmen, death was certain for all of them. Bach and his companion remained hidden in the woods until they were sure that the soldiers were far from the neighborhood. Then they started homeward.
They were captured a few hours later and taken to Laon. Suspicion against them was strong, and they were twice court-martialed, on October 20 and October 30, 1915. The first time there was no verdict, and the second, owing largely to the able defense of a German lawyer, they were found not guilty.
Bach spent more than three years as a prisoner in various German camps. By right of seniority he becomes the Herr Direktor of the Amerikanischer-Kriegsgefangenen Club. His eligibility for this office is no fault of his own, however. He made several attempts to escape, but was recaptured each time. He came back, after the Armistice was signed, the same quiet, genial fellow his old comrades had known, in the Foreign Legion, and in Aviation, long before the Escadrille Lafayette was organized.
Source - Google Books "The Lafayette Flying Corps, Volume 1" by James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, Edgar G. Hamilton, Houghton Mifflin publisher, 1920.
JIMMIE BACH has the distinction - a doubtful one in his opinion - of being the first member of the Lafayette Flying Corps, and also the first American, taken prisoner in the Great War. He enlisted in the Foreign Legion, Infantry Section, with Thaw, Soubiran, Bouligny, Kiffin Rockwell, Dowd, Trinkard, and other Americans who answered the call in August, 1914; was transferred to Aviation and first went to the Front as a pilot in a French squadron of Morane Saulniers, biplace monoplanes, which were used in those days, for both chasse and reconnaissance. On September 23, 1915, he was sent on special mission with Sergent-Pilote Mangeot, their duty being to land two French soldiers, dressed in civilian clothes, behind the enemy lines in the vicinity of Mezieres. The two soldiers carried with them a large quantity of explosives with which they were to destroy a section of the railway line between Mezieres and Hirson. After gathering information as to the disposition of enemy troops, they were to try to make their way back across the lines.
Plans were laid carefully, and the start was made. Landing-ground had already been chosen by the two soldiers, who knew the country well, but being soldiers of earth, they had selected a field not at all suitable from the airmen's point of view. It was rough and covered with bushes and small trees. However, a landing was made without accident, and a moment later, the soldiers with their load of explosives were on their way toward the railroad.
Bach put on full gas and was off immediately, making toward the French lines. Looking back, he saw that Sergent Mangeot's machine had turned over on the ground. He landed again, picked up the French pilot, who was unhurt, but in taking off the second time, one wing of his Morane struck the limb of a tree. The machine crashed, of course, and although neither was hurt, they were face to face with a very serious situation. If the four men should be captured, and it could be proved that the two soldiers had been landed by the airmen, death was certain for all of them. Bach and his companion remained hidden in the woods until they were sure that the soldiers were far from the neighborhood. Then they started homeward.
They were captured a few hours later and taken to Laon. Suspicion against them was strong, and they were twice court-martialed, on October 20 and October 30, 1915. The first time there was no verdict, and the second, owing largely to the able defense of a German lawyer, they were found not guilty.
Bach spent more than three years as a prisoner in various German camps. By right of seniority he becomes the Herr Direktor of the Amerikanischer-Kriegsgefangenen Club. His eligibility for this office is no fault of his own, however. He made several attempts to escape, but was recaptured each time. He came back, after the Armistice was signed, the same quiet, genial fellow his old comrades had known, in the Foreign Legion, and in Aviation, long before the Escadrille Lafayette was organized.
Source - Google Books "The Lafayette Flying Corps, Volume 1" by James Norman Hall, Charles Nordhoff, Edgar G. Hamilton, Houghton Mifflin publisher, 1920.
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