The Aviator
Translation details
Model:mistral-medium-2604.Translated text
Section titled “Translated text”In the forest, an aviator has crashed and lies helpless. It is not known where he fell or to which side he belongs. Both the Whites and the Reds, encamped on opposite sides of the forest at a distance of 1–3 km from each other, receive this news simultaneously. Both sides set out at the same time to search for the aviator, so that upon determining which side he belongs to, they may either take him prisoner or defend him from the enemy and escort him to their own camp.
The aviator, wearing a distinct insignia on his shoulder, remains passive throughout the exercise as a wounded man. If he has no companion (White or Red) with him, he must not move from his spot. Depending on whether the terrain is easy or difficult to search, the leader hides him in a more or less hard-to-find hiding place. In any case, the aviator must not reveal his hiding place to his friends, as this would give one side an unfair advantage over the other.
This leads to a whole series of surprises and varied situations. For example, the Whites, whether individually or in small groups, scour the entire forest in search of the aviator. Upon encountering a Red, they may hide from him (since finding the aviator is more important than capturing an enemy), or they may force him to retreat, suspecting that the aviator is hidden in that very area. Someone finds the aviator and quietly leads him away (the wounded aviator can only walk at a slow pace). However, if they feel threatened, they order the aviator to lie down on the ground and rush for help. But then three Reds arrive and take the aviator with them. A White sees this but cannot retake him alone, so he follows their trail and, with a prearranged vocal signal, alerts his comrades that he is on the trail of the captured aviator. The Whites gather, learn what has happened; a brief council is held, and they all disappear. The forest is ending, so the Reds will soon be in their camp, but it turns out that the Whites are waiting for them in an ambush. A sudden raid—the aviator is recaptured, two are killed. The exercise continues. Finally, one side brings the aviator to their camp and wins.
As seen in the example, the exercise offers room for a variety of ideas; it requires, on the one hand, thoughtfulness and deliberation in actions, and on the other, often great cunning and dexterity. To orient oneself in the situation, seize the right moment and method of action, and, if the circumstances change, maintain presence of mind and quickly make a new decision—all of this puts the Scout to a severe test. If the exercise fails, it is usually due to a lack of patience and a strange eagerness to hastily resolve every situation, even when there is time to think. For instance, a Scout who finds the aviator may take him away on his own, only to immediately fall into enemy hands. Would it not be better, if there is no immediate danger, to find another hiding place and, at the right moment, move the aviator there, gradually getting closer to his own camp, while notifying his comrades along the way and requesting clever and cautious assistance and protection?
This game will only succeed if the players do not cluster around the found aviator to defend him, but rather keep their distance, entrusting only one person with his escort, while drawing the enemy’s attention to themselves. If they do not do this, a fight will soon break out, and the game will stall.
Since this exercise often involves encounters between individual Scouts or groups, the conditions for such encounters must be clearly established before the exercise begins, based on the rules provided in the introduction (preferably without removing armbands).
Any number of Scouts may participate in the exercise. Neutral observers with white armbands on their caps should move through the forest to resolve any doubts that arise.
Source scan: Polona / National Library of Poland, marked “Public domain”. View scan — PDF pages 181–183.
Metadata
Section titled “Metadata”- Type: game
- Traits: Not stated in the source
- Source: Zygmunt Wyrobek, Harcerz w polu: zabawy i gry terenowe (1946)
- Printed pages: 175–177 / PDF 181–183
- Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
- Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 175
- Read the source text: hwp-090