Diary Entries versus Reality

Typically a person's diary entries are brief and sparse, often in sentence fragments, revealing little of the excitement and reality of what actually took place as they attempt to compile a full day (or more) into a few short sentences or descriptive notes. As an exercise in demonstrating the huge differences which might exist between real actions and events and the summary descriptions which might result in a diary, I penned the following.

This is the first of several individual diary entries from the daily journal of the fictional Steve Robinson Pilot Officer, 1st Lieutenant, American Expeditionary Force, 1st Pursuit Group, 95th Pursuit Squadron “Kicking Mules”, Western Front – France. They take the form of a detailed "verbal" narrative description of a day’s events, followed by the extremely brief/terse diary entries used to record those same events for those same days.

--------------------------------------------------------------

NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION - March 5th 1918

We have completed our combat flight training at Issoudun and the Squadron has been posted to Villeneuve-Les-Vertus. With us at the aerodrome is the 94th Pursuit Squadron.

We have been told that our assigned patrol area will eventually be located nearly west-to-east along the front lines from St. Mihiel on the Meuse River at the west end to Pont-a Mousson on the Moesselle River on the east end. Our aerodrome is to be some twenty miles from the front lines, lying almost dead south of the center of the east-west line.

There is a Boche observation station atop Montsec, just a bit to the north of the lines, which provides them with a commanding view of the entirety of our sector, and a Boche aerodrome at Thiacourt which lies some seven miles behind the lines and some twelve miles northeast of Montsec.

We have been told to expect our flying machines before the end of the week. The French are to provide us with Nieuport N28 machines. I’ve heard that both the French Escadrilles and the British RFC have rejected these machines in favor of others. I must wonder what quality our mounts will have against the Huns if they have been summarily dismissed by our allies.

Our pilots occupy several houses near the edge of the field which have been abandoned by their former residents. The hangars are the sort used by the French, having metal and wooden frames over which are stretched canvas sheathing. The enlisted men occupy tents along the border of the field, each rigged atop wooden flooring so that they might keep out of the mud on wet days. The pilots of the 94th occupy similar quarters with us, though their members are not actually berthed with ours.

We have all the necessary mechanic sheds, fuel tanks, trucks, and equipment, and look to all outward appearances to be a working aerodrome… save for the conspicuous lack of flying machines. The Boche seem very interested in our activities and sent over a low-flying machine to have a look. I could actually see the observer in the rear seat leaning over the edge of his office to use a large camera. The black silhouette of his mounted machine gun was clearly outlined against the sky beside him.

The French sent two machines aloft after the Boche reconnaissance machine from their field two miles to the east, but the Hun quickly turned and climbed back toward his lines before they could engage him. I feel a bit like a mouse that has been discovered by a hungry cat.

DIARY ENTRY - March 5th 1918, [Tuesday]
Flight training at Issoudun complete and we are posted at Villeneuve-Les-Vertus with the 94th Sqdn. Ultimately we will patrol St. Mihiel to Pont-a-Mousson. Our Nieuports will arrive soon. Germans are aware of our presence. Sent recce machine with photographer. French chased it unsuccessfully. I feel like a mouse watched by a cat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WWI aviation is of great personal interest to me, and I really enjoy writing that involves that tremendous conflict. Stay tuned for more examples of NARRATIVE vs DIARY ENTRY comparisons as the fictional 1st Lieutenant in the 95th Pursuit Squadron (a very real unit in the war) continues to encounter THE BOCHE and deal with all that THE GREAT WAR entails.