When the squadron was in Paris on its way from Luxeuil to Cachy in the Somme sector, Willis Haviland, Frederick Prince, and Robert Soubiran joined the squadron.

At Cachy, the Escadrille was assigned to Groupe de Combat 13 under Major Fequant, and it remained part of the 13th for the remainder of its duty with the French Air Service.

The weather was foul, and rain, fog, snow and mud were the prevailing conditions. From mid-November to mid-January, only 12 days were suitable for flying.

During November in response to German diplomatic protests, the squadron’s name was changed from Escadrilles des Americaines to Escadrille de Volontaires. Then in December, it was renamed L’Escadrille Lafayette.

While at Cachy, Edmond Genet, Ronald Hoskier, and Edwin Parsons joined the squadron.

Sergent Robert Soubiran and his mechanics in front of his Nieuport at Cachy, While at Cachy, the first SPAD’s began arriving.   Paul Pavelka and Ronald Hoskier at Cachy with “Fram” in the foreground.

The squadron was ordered to Saint-Juste field near Ravenel to winter over and to prepare for the spring offensive. Living conditions were harsh, and the cold weather severely limited flying.

During March, the Germans began a retreat in the Somme sector, and the Allies pursued them with the squadron flying reconnaissance for General Nivelle’s forces.

From mid April to early June, the fighting was fierce both on the ground and in the air, and the squadron lost Edmond Genet, Ronald Hoskier, and Lieutenant deLaage deMeux within a few weeks. In April and May, the unit fought 66 air battles, one a day average, and downed seven of the enemy.

And while at Saint-Juste, William Thaw went to Paris and bought “Soda,” a female lion cub, as a companion for “Whiskey.”

On 6 April, President Woodrow Wilson declared America at War with Germany.

Ray Bridgeman, Andrew Courtney Campbell, Carl Dolan, John Drexel, and Henry Jones joined the squadron at Ham.

	Sergent Harold Willis beside his Nieuport at Saint-Juste. Willis, a trained architect, redesigned the Indian insignia on the fuselage. In World War II, Willis returned to Europe with the American Field Service Ambulance Corps.
	Sergent William Dugan with the recently acquired “Soda” at Saint-Juste. April 1917.

In early June, the squadron moved from Ham to Chaudun in the VI Army’s Aisne sector. At this time, the Nieuports were replaced with SPAD VII’s and its designation changed to SPA.124 from N.124.

The area covered by the squadron included the historic Chemin-des-Dames.

During the Chemin-des-Dames offensive, the Allies mounted heavy bombing attacks which at first sustained heavy (80-85 per cent) losses. Finally, the Escadrille and other Allied pursuit planes drove back the German aircraft.
During this period, Lufbery scored his tenth victory; James Hall was shot down and hospitalized.

James Doolittle, Douglas MacMonagle, and David Peterson joined the squadron.

The squadron was transferred from Chaudun to St. Pol Sur Mer in mid July. The aerodrome with it long smooth runway was located less than two miles from Dunkirk on the North Sea.

The squadron’s mission was to support the Allied offensive in Flanders, but poor flying weather severely limited their combat time. As a result, they enjoyed a respite. As one pilot noted, “it was a pleasant interval...a continuous round of sea bathing, poker, and drinking parties with the pilots from the English squadrons.”

	James N. Hall while a student pilot at the Buc School of Aviation, Spring 1917. Hall with Lafayette Flying Corps veteran Charles B. Nordhoff would write “Falcons of France,”“Mutiny on the Bounty,” and other works.
	Sergeant William Dugan in front of his SPAD S.VII at Chaudun.

Following the relative quiet of St. Pol, the Escadrille saw intense action at Senard. Its primary mission was to fly patrols and escort allied bombers which were supporting the Verdun offensive.
The weather was perfect for flying and the squadron was flying three sorties a day and enduring German bombing raids at night. In all, the squadron fought 150 air battles over a six-week period.
The high activity took a heavy toll on the group. Douglas MacMonagle and Courtney Campbell were killed in action. Harold Willis was downed and taken prisoner of war, and Stephen Bigelow was seriously wounded and forced to leave the squadron. Willis Haviland and Thomas Hewitt also left the squadron.
At the end of September, the squadron was sent back to Chaudun where it had served during June and July. Its mission was to support the Malmaison offensive.
Lt. Thaw took command of the squadron when Captain Thenault took ill.
The offensive was launched on 10 October and on that day, Lufbery downed six German aircraft, a squadron record.
November was marked by foul weather which curtailed the squadron’s air activity.
During this time, Masson, Didier, Lovell, and Johnson left the squadron. The two lion mascots “Whiskey” and “Soda” were sent to a Paris zoo where they lived out their days.
James Hall returned to the group, and Christopher Ford joined it. Ford would be the last American volunteer.

	The dashing Sergent Andrew Courtney Campbell was an Errol Flynn look-alike. One of the most daring of squadron pilots, he usually wore a set of ladies pink garters on his shirtsleeves, a memento of a past romance. On 1 October, over Chemin-des-Dames, he was shot down by a German reconnaissance plane; he had misplaced the garters and took off without his talismans.
	“Soda” and “Whiskey” surrounded by some of the pilots on the lions’ last day, 15 October 1917, with the squadron. Commandant Philippe Fequant ordered the lions removed after “Whiskey” playfully knocked him down and chewed his tunic and cap. The lions were sent to a zoo in Paris.

In mid-January 1918, William Thaw who had been commissioned a Major assumed command of the 103rd Pursuit Squadron. Escadrille veterans served as the nucleus of the squadrons, and they were joined by airmen who had served in other French air units as part of the Lafayette Flying Corps and by the newly arrived pilots from America.

In March, the Germans began the offensive that would be known as the Second Battle of Somme and would threaten Paris.

The 103rd, its SPADs still bearing the Indian head insignia, saw heavy action that would continue until the War’s end.

On 7 May, James Hall was shot down by anti aircraft fire but survived the War as a prisoner.

Less than two weeks later on 19 May, Raoul Lufbery was hit while attacking an Albatros observation plane. He was seen falling out of his flaming Nieuport. It is assumed he jumped to escape death by fire, although some speculate that he was thrown out of the plane when it went out of control. Lufbery’s body was found in a backyard in the village of Maron, and he was buried the next day with his comrades flying overhead and dropping flowers.

In July, Major Thaw took command of the Third Pursuit Group which included the 28th, 93rd, 103rd and 213th Pursuit Squadrons. This group flew together through to end the War and accounted for 87 downed airplanes and two balloons. The group lost 29 pilots.

Other Lafayette Escadrille veterans besides Thaw assumed command positions. Robert Rockwell followed Thaw in the 103rd post and in turn was followed by Robert Soubiran. Dudley Hill had command of the 138th Pursuit Squadron; Raymond Bridgeman had command of the 22nd Pursuit Squadron, and David Peterson command of the 195th Pursuit Squadron.

When it was released from the French Air Service at the end of 1917 and taken into the American Air Service, the Lafayette Escadrille had made three significant contributions to the Allies’ War effort.

First, it served the French as a valiant and valuable air combat unit. Second, the exploits of the Escadrille captured the imagination of the American public and intensified sentiments for the Allies. Third, when the Lafayette combat veterans joined the American Air Service, they provided the leadership and experience needed in the newly formed American squadrons.

	Captain James Hall in a German staff car after he was shot down over German lines in May 1918. Hall suffered badly injured ankles and a broken nose and spent the rest of the War as a prisoner. Highly decorated, Hall received the Croix de Guerre with five Palms, the Medaille Militaire, the Legion d’Honneur, and the American Distinguished Service Cross.
	Captain Kenneth Marr joined the Escadrille in March 1917 and was commander of the famed 94th “Hat-in-the-Ring” Squadron from June to September 1918 when he was followed by Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s top ace. Marr is in front of his Nieuport 28.