AIRMAN ELLIOTT'S DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 161, 9 July 1926, Page 7

AIRMAN ELLIOTT'S DEATH.

WHY WAS HE KILLED?

THE SHOT IN THE DESERT

1 LONDON, July 8. Referring to the death of Mr. A. B. Elliott, the mechanic who was accompanying Mr. Alan J. Cobham on the flight to Australia, the Labour paper, the "Daily Herald," says: "Why did a wandering Arab in Iraq shoot at the aeroplane? A young, useful life fell a victim to a stray bullet. "Win- was this bullet discharged? Because the British in Iraq have taught the Arabs to look upon aeroplanes as death-dealing monsters. They have been used to bomb villagers who had not paid their taxes or in other ways had objected to British rule. They spread panic and inflamed hatred. "The Arab who killed poor young Elliott no doubt thought the machine was on the way to carry death and destruction. We are reaping what we have sown."—(A. and N.Z.) EIXIOTT'S FUNERAL. BURIED IN WAR CEMETERY. BASRA, July 8. The funeral of the late Mr. Elliott took place yesterday at the Makinah Cemetery, where lie thousands of men who lost their lives in the war. Members of the Iraq Air Force carried the coffin. The Force and the civil population were largely represented. Dozens of wreaths covered the coffin. (Sydney "Sun.") MAY CARRY ON. MAN TO REPLACE ELLIOTT. LONDON, July 8. An official attached to the Air Ministry states that no request has been received to supply Mr. Cobham with a mechanic to replace Mr. Elliott. It would be quicker, he says, to obtain one on the spot than to send one from England. If a request should be made, however, the commander of the Air Force in Iraq would have to seek approval from London. The manager of the De Havilland Company says Mr. Cobham telegraphed asking if he "ecommended him to complete the flight to Australia. In reply he had informed the airman that it was desirable for him to carry on if he had no objection. He was now awaiting Mr. Cobham's decision. There were two choices. One was to send out a mechanic and the other was to procure one from the Iraq Air Force. It seemed most probable that the former course would be adopted, as it might be difficult for Mr. Cobham to secure a mechanic at Basra who would understand the Siddeley-Jaguar engine which the airman was using.

In Iraq they used mostly SiddeleyPuma engines, which were greatly different from Jaguars. But there might be some mechanics at Cairo who were used to Jaguars. The late Mr. Elliott underwent special training in the study of Jaguar engines. Whether the journey to Australia were continued or abandoned it would be necessary to provide another mechanic who understood the engine (A. and N.Z.-Sydney "Sun.") COBHAM TO GO ON. SEARCH FOR THE SNIPER. LONDON, July 8. The firm of De Havilland is sending an engineer to join Mr. Cobham, and the flight to Australia will definitely be continued. In a dispatch to the Australian Press Association from Basra Mr. Cobham says he joined a flight made by Air Force machines to find the epot" fnm which the fatal t.ullet was fired. Fie located the placi , within a mile. Drastic steps are being taken to find the culprit. Air Force machines fly daily over the spot. They have'never been fired on. "We flew low near the spot fn an endeavour to draw the Arab's fire," says Mr. Cobham, "but without result." (A. and N.Z.)