Today was, unusually, the occasion of a whole-squadron mission. There was a “hot-air” bomb raid from which all returned but, alas, the intended target got away.
Log Book
Date: 4.7.18 Hour: - Machine type: RE8 No.: E27 Passenger: Lt Pring Time: 1 hr Height: 7000 Course/Remarks: Bomb raid. Bombs dropped on road near Estaires.
Diary
Thursday July 4th. 1918 Hot-air bomb raid on Fritz’s back area. Someone reported lorries – consequently squadron goes over to bomb them. None seen. Archie jolly hot. Dropped bombs near Estaires & fired off all the rounds into Fritz’s lines. Quite a good show, everyone returned.
Hot-Air Bomb Raid
In what sense is Greg using the phrase ‘hot-air’? Full of sound and fury and signifying nothing, as the Bard had it, because the intended target wasn’t found?
Possibly. But I get the impression that Greg may have meant that the air was ‘hot’ because of all the aircraft, engines and bombs. In other words, he may have been conveying a sense of excitement rather than futility. In support of that theory, there is a later diary entry (for 21 July 1918), when he said that it was very windy all day and that he ‘hot aired’ it up into the atmosphere to do a shoot. Against it, I have found no mention of that sense of the phrase in the reference works and websites that I have consulted. Any useful further information will be rewarded with an honourable mention.
Header image: 42 Squadron Record Book extract for 4 July 1918