Aerial Victories and Wounds
He scored his initial victory on 17 December 1916, making numerous passes at a French Caudron over Bras before shooting it down.
On 17 July he scored victory number 11 although he was wounded again and did not score again until 9 August. On 11 August he downed a British RE 8, and was wounded yet again the next day. Victory 14 was on 29 September, possibly because the wound kept him out of action.
On 18 November he was commissioned as a Leutnant. He was wounded for the fourth time on 30 November 1917, wounded in both his arms and chest. His subsequent crash then completely broke both arms. He lay under his smashed aircraft for hours before counter-attacking German infantry overran the wreckage and rescued him. On 4 December 1917, while he was recovering from his wounds, he was awarded the Pour le Mérite. The injuries kept him out of action for months and he would not score again until 16 April 1918.
After recovering, he rejoined Jasta 17. At this time had two airplanes dedicated for his personal use. He dubbed them Mops and Lilly. He flew "Mops" and "Lilly" to score 3 more victories before he was severely wounded yet again on 6 May 1918, this time in the left ankle. His next victory came 5 months later on 5 October. He scored twice more in the final days of the war, and had his second unconfirmed triumph on 8 November.
Read more about this topic: Julius Buckler
Famous quotes containing the words aerial, victories and/or wounds:
“Every year lays more earth upon us, which weighs us down from aerial regions, till we go under the earth at last.”
—E.T.A.W. (Ernst Theodor Amadeus Wilhelm)
“The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The last faint spark
In the self-murdered heart, the wounds of the sad uncomprehending
dark,
The wounds of the baited bear,—
The blind and weeping bear whom the keepers beat
On his helpless flesh . . . the tears of the hunted hare.”
—Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964)