Go, Get 'Em! an American Aviator in the Lafayette Flying Corps During the First World War

by William A. Wellman

The adventures of a renowned American fighter pilot-in his own words After initially enlisting as an ambulance driver during the Great War, American born Wellman transferred into the French Foreign Legion. By the end of 1917 he had earned his wings as a fighter pilot and had joined N. 87 escadrille of the Lafayette Flying Corps. The 'Black Cats' flew Nieuport 'pursuit' aircraft-first 17s and latterly 24s. Wellman named his own plane Celia-after his mother. In his career as a fighter pilot Wellman chalked up three confirmed 'kills' and five 'probables' before eventually being shot down by German anti-aircraft fire in March 1918. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with two palms. Due to his crash injury he was invalided out of French service and returned to the United States where he began a highly regarded career as a film director. This book, published in 1918, recounts Wellman's wartime experiences while they were still fresh in the mind, as such it is an invaluable first hand account of the aerial war over the Western Front from the first days of air combat. Recommended.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1918

Reviews

[bernard j denver]

An excellent historical story of an American Aviator in WW1

Here we have a well written true story of how America will always succeed in the air then and now.

[John Goodrich]

Propaganda, to be sure, but there's a lot of insight into the character of young William Wellman, later Hollywood director. When researching the flight of WWI aviators, books written by the men who did it are the best references. Here, Go Get 'Em! is an excellent resource for the training and four months of flying and fighting Wellman performed.

Wellman's style is plain, but never uninteresting. Decently written and the story moves along. He doesn't devolve into histrionics, nor does he lionize himself. Although there are likely exaggerations in the narrative, this doesn't seem too far away from the truth. Worth reading if you are interested in the era, the infancy of combat flying, or Wellman himself.

[Jonathan]

while it is an interesting autobiographical account of Wellman's few month in the Lafayette Flying Corps, it is so jingoistic that I cannot rate it higher than a 3.5 really. Page published several books in 1918 that were designed to both capitalize on interest in the Great War and also drum up enlistment. Full of "the great game" and chivalry of the air mythos, and replete with anecdotes of the evil Hun.
Still, it is an interesting historical artifact, and one of only a few first hand accounts of aviation in the First World War. and that it was the personal story of a man who later directed films of the experience adds to the interest.