HEROIC AIRMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 142, 18 June 1929, Page 7

HEROIC AIRMEN.

AFGHAN SERVICES.

Rescue Of Nationals From Kabul

In Critical Days.

" SAVED ENGLAND FROM WAR."

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, June 17,

Sir Francis Huniphrys, recently British Minister at Kabul, Afghanistan, referred in a speech on Saturday to his exciting experiences during the period of the evacuation of British and foreign residents from that city in December and January.

He recalled the fact that when all means of communication by land were hopelessly cut off members of the British Air Force flew to their rescue from Bagdad, and even from Egypt, covering as much as 1100 miles in a single day.

Thoso airmen had operated before only in hot climates at a maxiiwuni height of 4000 ft. They were suddenly called upon to fly over snow-bound and inhospitable mountains at heights far greater than those of the Alps and in a temperature i!Q degrees below zero. They had to land on a strange aerodrome in 2ft of snow with a fierce battle raging in the neighbourhood. Six hundred British subjects and foreigners were conveyed to safety without a single casualty. There was one exciting incident in January, said Sir Francis. Ex-King Inayatulla, whose brother Amanullali had abdicated in his favour, was besiege 1 with a garrison of 5000 men.

Inayatulla was given 24 hours in which to surrender to Bacha-i-Sakao's attacking force of 16,000 troops. The alternative was a murderous assault with scaling ladders, no quarter, and general loot and massacre.

The reply of Inayatulla was that nothing would induce him to surrender unless the safety of his party of women and himself was taken in hand by Englishmen.

"We had no soldiers and no means of enforcing our authority, except with our tongues," said Sir Francis. "The aerodrome was situated between the two armies, which were only 400 yds from each other, and it was raked with a devastating cross-fire. We had to take the risk.

"Wo telegraphed for aeroplanes. When they came in sight we gave the signal to both armies to cease fire. Fortunately for us they obeyed the' signai. The aeroplanes landed in silence and Inavatulla and his party, escorted by unarmed Englishmen from the Legation, went to the waiting machines, entered them and were flown safely to India. "There is no doubt whatever that the men of the Royal Air Force on that occasion by their gallantry not only saved the city and the foreign Legations from a terrible fate, but probably saved England from another war."