Victory 69

1645 hrs. Wood south of Contalmaison. Sopwith 1; burnt in the air. Englishman. Flying with five gentlemen of Jasta 11, at low level, I encountered a Sopwith single-seater at the Front, with Leutnant Udet. At first the adversary attempted to escape me by skillful flying. From a distance not more than the length of a plane, I shot him down in flames. During the fall it disintegrated. The fuselage crashed into the small wood of Contalmaison. Weather: fine with strong winds, overcast at times. Several other victims have been postulated over the years, but Donovan is the best fit for time and location. These others include Lt W Knox (54 Sqn), who was actually killed two days earlier, Lt ATW Lindsay (54 Sqn), who was lost two hours earlier, and one of two 19 Sqn. Sopwith Dolphins lost that day.