Norman Macmillan enlisted as a Private with the Glasgow Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry. He served as an infantryman in France from November 1914 until September 1916, when he was commissioned to the Royal Flying Corps as a temporary second lieutenant. This was his calling. Norman describes one particular strafing mission at Passchendaele that became the most thrilling flight of his life. With a natural flair for manoeuvres and for developing his own combat techniques, Norman excelled in what was a very lonely and terrifying task. The skies of Passchendaele were also the stage for dogfights, and with incredible detail Norman recalls tactics that scattered seven German Albatross Scout planes and shot down their leader. His account is a rare opportunity to hear of the differences between life in the trenches and in the air.
