Skegness Magazine

Hucks is Among ‘Em
B C Hucks Drives Off a Hostile Aeroplane

An interesting account of an aviator believed to be Mr. B. C. Hucks who gave Skegnessians their first view of a fight in the town has been given by Private Thomas O’Dea of the 2nd Battalion, Sea-forth Highlanders, who has returned home wounded in the hand, to a newspaper reporter. Speaking of the British retirement Pte O’Dea says:

” We retired for a fortnight, seeing little of the Germans all the time. They were just about 20 miles behind us, and an occasional shell fell near, but did little damage. All the way, however, we saw the German aeroplanes flying around, and after we d been eight days on retreat we witnessed an exciting affair. One of the enemy’s, aeroplanes was hovering above and endeavouring to give their artillery the range, when a British aeroplane appeared on the horizon. It came nearer. I was told it was an airman named Hucks who was in it – and suddenly flashed alongside the German aeroplane. We could see what happened very plainly. Hucks was working his machine with his right hand and when he came up with the German he fired a revolver at him with his left hand. There was no answering shot from the German, and from the way he lay we thought he was dead or very badly wounded. The aeroplane, however, went back towards the enemy’s lines and Hucks, after speaking for a few minutes with a French airman who came on the scene, took his departure.”

Source: Skegness, Mablethorpe and Alford News 1914