Open Cockpit

by Arthur Gould Lee

Thanks to a broken leg during flight school, Arthur Stanley Gould Lee gained valuable additional time flying trainers before he was posted to France during World War I. In November 1917 during low-level bombing and strafing attacks, he was shot down three times by ground fire. He spent eight months at the front and accumulated 222 hours of flight time in Sopwith Pups and Camels during a staggering 118 patrols; being engaged in combat fifty-six times. He lived to retire from the RAF as an air vice-marshal in 1946. Author of three war books, this is by far his best. Lee puts you in the cockpit in a riveting account of life as a fighter pilot at the front. At turns humorous and dramatic, this thoughtful, enlightening, true account is a classic to be ranked with Winged Victory by V. M. Yeates, also published by Grub Street.

Genres: Aviation, World War I, History, Biography, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Stanley Gould Lee began his aviation career during the First World War in the Royal Flying Corps. He scored seven confirmed victories and rose to the rank of captain during the war. He continued his service in the Royal Air Force until he retired in 1946. He was also the author of several books, including the three autobiographical books below.

Reviews

[KOMET · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the First World War pilot memoirs I’ve read over the years, this is one of the best. Arthur Stanley Gould Lee relates how he managed to wrangle a transfer in 1916 from his army unit to the Royal Flying Corps, where he soon discovered that flight training was haphazard and often dangerous. Most of the instructors under whom he trained (many of whom had seen active service in France) were unskilled in imparting the skills of flying to their pupils. Oftentimes, the expectation was for the pupil to get in the cockpit, remembering the few bits of advice passed on by the instructor, and get on with it! In Lee’s words: “There was no instruction technique, no standard method. Nobody could explain in simple, practical terms how a plane was piloted. There was no communication between instructor and pupil in the air. It was obvious to us all that instructors should have been taught their job. There were competent instructors at the civil flying schools at Hendon and Brooklands, who were engaged mostly in teaching novice pilots to get the R.A.C. [Royal Aero Club] brevet, but these should long ago have been assembled into a school to give crash courses to R.F.C. [Royal Flying Corps] novice instructors.”

Fortunately, for Lee, he had a patient instructor who freely gave him advice and helped make him a competent pilot. Furthermore, as if by a stroke of fate, Lee had fallen ill, which delayed his departure to France for several weeks. Once he got well, Lee put in some extra flying time on the Sopwith Pup, a fighter he later flew in combat over the Western Front during the spring and summer of 1917. Later his squadron converted to the redoubtable, though tricky, Sopwith Camel. In all, Lee served in France with 46 Squadron from May 1917 to January 1918, surviving numerous close calls.

Lee also goes on to shed light on his subsequent flight duties in Britain up to the Armistice. Taken in sum, this book (originally published in 1969 when Lee was in his early 70s) aptly sums up a pilot’s perspective on his life in war and peace. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Don Alesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling memoir of a WW1 pilot without the "Swagger "

One of the best well written books of WW1 aviation that tells the story of a British pilot. His memories are clear. Hard to put down at times. You should also read "No Parachute". It has more stories and details.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

We tend to be a “here and now” society these days, but perhaps we’d be better off if we recalled the lessons our grandparents and great grandparents learned the hard way.

This book is action-packed, but it is also full of valor and lessons.

World War I was hell on earth and makes our Vietnam blunder look like a skirmish, yet it is largely forgotten these days, except among WWI scholars. It was a world altering event gone from our collective consciousness in just 100 years.

And in just 21 years, the world fought another war, on the same Euyopean soil but also all over the planet. The B-25 and B-24 bombers my Dad flew in the South Pacific during WWII were Ferraris of the air compared to the wood, wire and cloth machines Lee and his fellows fought in less than 20 years after the Wrights first flew at Kill Devil Hill.

This was a great read for anyone interested in history - something we all should understand and remember.

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Britisher's first hand account of war in the air 1917-1918. The author flew Sopwith Pups and Camels. His account of pilot training and learning to fly the Camel are pulse thumpers. And, war in the air is revealing answering many questions about how the pilot with stood arctic temperatures while flying at 15,000 feet and what was done when nature called during those flights. His descriptions of aerial encounters is eye opening when compared to German experience; the key factor being that the author fully realized that his machine, the Pup, was not a match for the Albatross and combat should not be engaged unless absolutely necessary. The last chapters were a disappointment since they were a conglomeration of stories heard rather than personal experience. The book does much to make the "knights of the air" more human.

[KennyO · Rating 3 out of 5]

A memoir of a combat pilot of The Great War (WWI). This is a well written memoir describing clearly the state of military aviation during the war from the point of view of a young combatant. Lee effectively takes the reader into the cockpit during patrols and dogfights, showing how actions that are easy to describe are, in fact, usually frustrating and often impossible to perform. The achievements and the failings of individuals and the follies of official organizations are amply covered. If WWI is of interest, then by all means add this to your reading list.

[I may well return to add a star after I’ve considered awhile.]

[ZorroG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book by this author

Covers before and after his previous book. While I have very serious doubts about the benefits of his beloved British Empire I acknowledge his values, morals, and hopes that were dashed between 1918 and when he wrote this book. The horror that was reaped in World War 2 and the threat of nuclear Holocaust was indeed sowed by the hatred and vengeance spawned in the “peace treaty” that followed World War 1.

[Joe A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent Semi-Sequel/Follow Up to “No Parachute” detailing the aspects of being a fighter pilot, rather than the daily accounts/letters home.

Of particular note and interest are recollections and aspects not covered in No Parachute.

As well as the final chapter which gives us the first hint of the Author’s opinion on modern Britain (1969 Britain) as well as the reflection upon the First World War, fought 50 years prior to his writings.

[Regenia Mayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping first hand account of the WW1 air war

This is a superior introduction to the history of the air war in the Great War. It details the exciting action of the dog fighting but also analyzes the politics that drove the action, which sometimes pointlessly put the flyers’ lives in peril due to a profound misunderstanding of what an armed air service could and could not accomplish. Mr. Lee is a very good writer and this is an enjoyable and recommended read.

[John R. Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting in the air at the beginning.

Personal recollections of an early RFC and later RAF pilot of the 1st World War in Europe. Good descriptions of the day to day operations and conditions in which the pilots and crew lived. Vivid enemy encounters and aerial battles recounted.
This was the war of my Grandpa and I'm so glad he returned safe.
A good read!

[christopher r pitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authentic and Sincere

This is a great book for recreating life in the air in WWI. The author speaks with well earned authority about the trials and tribulations of warfare with simple directness.

[Jesse Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, one of the best pilot's autobiographies that I have read. Read this and Somme Mud for the best World War I autobiographies. I would like know what the best naval memoir is to complete the ground, air & sea set.

[Ken Reich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down

The author puts you right in the cockpit with him. You are flying over the trenches in France during the great war, where there was so much unnecessary slaughter.

[Dave Hammett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heros

Parts of this are fascinating; men who routinely flew in the most primitive of machines, trying to fight and learn how to fly. Those are the parts I really enjoyed. However, he also spends a lot of time telling us how he would have fought the war.

[Mark Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eyewitness account of WWI in the air

The writing and details are very captivating. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the man-in-the-air viewpoint of this conflagration.

[Jon Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent first-hand account of WWI flying

I thoroughly enjoyed this. The technical aspects of the plains; tactics and strategies of the war; and personal accounts of his experience all lead right through to his concluding thoughts 50 years on.

[Sid Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

A View of WWI from the Air

An excellent read from a pilot who fought for England during the Great War. This tells of the air battles between the English and Germans in their flimsy aircraft.

[Mary-Jane Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Tale

A fine first hand report of a young WW1 pilot. If you only read two First World War flying biographies they should be Cecil Lewis’ Sagittarius Rising and Arthur Gould Lee’s Open Cockpit.

[G Poc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare insight to the WW1 air war.

A few interesting and understandable criticisms of the beauracracy of the time.

A little repetitive of daily events, in places. Probably realistically so.

[Geoff Boxell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy to read book that tells what it was like to be a fighter pilot in WWI: poor training, obsolete aircraft and all.
This book is very well written.

[Chris Ainsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not as eloquent and poetic as Cecil Lewis' wonderful book, Open Cockpit achieves a higher level of verisimilitude and detail thanks to Arthur Lee's deep dives into the day to day life of the WWI aviator.

[George Polansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative read.What it was like to be a fighter pilot in World War One.Very engaging.

[travis sipe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Planes

The descriptions of dogfight was interesting but still not good enough to hold my attention. Haven't read his other books.

[Ian Barratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great account from a pilot during WWI. It goes from flight school to the end of the war. It is really just a collection of a few “war stories” that the author reminisces about.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cockpit

Great story telling about combat flying in WWI. Felt I was part the admirable team that flew these scary airplanes.

[Cynthia Kareski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of what and how the American pilot got his experience as a fighter pilot in WWI. Each mission was experience to survive the next. Good book.

[Drake McCrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look into what it was to be a WWI pilot but I get the impression that Lee white washed it a bit.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Gave a new perspective on the WW1 pilots and what they went through!

[M.T. Bass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Open Cockpit is a well-written account of a Royal Air Force pilot during World War I, from Arthur Gould Lee’s initial instruction, deployment, and return to England to command a training squadron. The book’s best parts were the descriptions from the cockpits of Sopwith Pups and Camels he flew during the war. I had no idea that pilots patrolled up to 20,000 feet exposed in the open cockpits of the Pups, where they had the only performance advantage over the German Albatross aircraft. Lee also has some less-than-favorable things to say about ground strafing. There are insights into the thoughts and feelings of pilots and comparisons between life on the air base and the trenches. One of the best WWI aviation books written.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dedication in "No Parachute" reads "To my first wife Gwyneth Ann, who died long ago and to whom the letters in this book were sent in the springtime of my life." Arthur Gould Lee's wife had to have been as tough as nails to endure her husband's daily graphic descriptions of death and carnage. It is as if Lee's senses are hyper electrified, recording everything he sees, feels, hears, smells in a simple, visceral, razor sharp manner. Yet at the same time his letters have an almost preconceived, novel like continuity and development. Lee transitions from a naive, idealistic young man, enthralled with aviating and excited by the challenges of combat, to a battle hardened existentialist, and finally descending, spinning towards the depths of depression and fear, becoming a broken, shell shocked fatalist. Out of the dozens of autobiographical accounts of the air war of World War I, "No Parachute" stands out as the best of the best.

[Greg Pronger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story. A historic account of a WW1 pilot. Not as dark of an opinion as Tales of a Lost Pilot, but the challenges these guys faced in flying aircraft that was as much a danger to them as the enemy comes through.