Re: Springs quotation

Lionel_kearns@sfu.ca
Sat, 14 Jan 1995 01:37:24 -0800

> As I got it, from Ray Brooks, actually, the passage appeared like this:
>An artist\author by the name of Clayton Knight did sort-of an Artsy-
>Fartsy book in 1929 called Pilot's Luck. The book featured artwork and
>prose by the author, along with anecdotes and passages by several pilots
>from WWI, including Springs, Roy Brown, Floyd Gibbons, etc. Ray told me
>that he had been so approached, but turned the offer down (he was never much
>for words, that man). One of Springs contributions was the phrase in question.
> According to legend, Springs was supposed to have sat down at a table
>and simply penned those magnificent words-- just like that. Although such
>a feat seems beyond my comprehension, I have heard this claim repeated by
>so many persons that I usually consider to be reliable that I now am
>convinced that it's true. The phrase appeared again, as I understand, in
>Spring's only other work "The Clothes Make The Man", which I think is a
>series of short stories/anecdotes by himself. Its supposed to be very
>well worth reading, but, alas, I haven't been able to find a copy, so far.
>
> Erik

Thank you Erik. That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I
didn't know about the Clayton Knight book, although I know a little about
him, from Grider's "War Bird" diary, in which there are also a number of
Knight's illustrations. I will try to locate his Pilot's Luck book, even
though you call it artsyfartsy. (Hope its isn't TOO artsyfartsy). One
reason I am interested in Knight is because he flew DH9As, which my father
flew, and whom I am researching at this time.

I would also like to get a look at that other Springs book that you
mention, though it doesn't sound like it is focussed on flying. Springs
was quite a character in his own right, at least that picture of him that
comes through in the Grider diary.

BTW, I am making a collection of this kind of reading material, so if any
of you gents have some obscure WW I flying classics that you are itching to
get rid of, I would gladly buy them from you.

Cheers,

Lionel