A RAGE for EX-SERVICEMEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 286, 3 December 1938, Page 11 (Supplement)

A RAGE for EX-SERVICEMEN

An Airman's Adventure Held Prisoner By The

A BOUT the burning remnants ** of the wrecked bomber worked a K roup of German aircraftsmen there was only one survivor, an Australian airman, and he was unconscious. He was Tus'ied to a casualty clearing station, and from thence to the military hospital at Nazareth, Palestine, if that most famous of all town names needs 'to be located. As he whs taken from the clearing station, still unconscious, a German cameraman took a photograph, and the following day that photograph was drop|Kvl frpm a German 'plane over the British lines. It told its own story. From the list of the "missing" was removed one name—and in its place was added a name to the list of "prisoners."' It was to remain there for a year— Victor .J. Parkinson, Australian airman, prisoner of the' Turks. Mr. Parkinson is now resident in Auckland, and on this page is reproduced the unique photograph that was taken that day in Palestine early in 11)18. But the story doos not begin or end there. Mr. Parkinson, late Lieutenant Parkinson, A.F.C., has an enthralling tale to tell of his own adventures and those of many other/4 who in that time when Europe was rent with war were prisoners In Turkey. It was a tale told because of memories aroused by the recent meeting in London of many of the men with whom Mr. Parkinson was associated in those days. Among those present was Colonel T. \V. White, who recently resigned from the post of Australian Minister of Trade and Custom*, and from him by cable Mr. Parkinson received a greeting from those ♦ho were gathered at that dinner. Also there were many whose exploits and escapes from the Turk* have enlivened the literary records of war history— Yeats-Brown, "the Bengal Lancer," A. J. Bott, "Contact," Commander H. H. G. Stoker, K.N., Sir Leonard Woolley, and Lieutemat-Cotoiiel E. H. Keeling, M.P. A eea at tfce tiiue of the declaration of war, Mr. Parkinson was "turned down" when he attempted tar enlist in Sydney, because the authorities wished to keep all wireless men to their ships. However, Sir Ernest Fiik, then Mr. Fiek, offered him the position of chief wireless officer aboard the big collier Koolonga—destination unknown. With that savour of mystery the vessel sailed on an adventurous cruise from Sydney in October, 1914. and arrived at Suva almost immediately after the sinking of Admiral Craddock s 'fleet off South America, The cruiser Australia and the Koolonga left for Fanning Island, where Instructions were received from the

Unspeakable Turk"

Admirally to proceed iin media tcl v to Acapiilro. |i u as fortunate that at the tunc Mr. I'aikinson was reading a book "II ~1.1 vailing days dealing with the 11 '"t coast (it Mexico, tor the captain ot the Koolonga did not know where Aeapulco was. However, the book helped, and the vessel arrived there to lind a revolution in full swing. An Ainciican cruiser was there also and the .•oilier, which was classed as a ship of war, was told to "beat it" within 24 hours. The American Conciliate was a heap of ruin's, and it was not a comfortable trip a Shore tor those who ventured it. They might have been mistaken for Americans, and that would lune meant a short life at that time. On again the mystery crui<<> was continued, this time to J'unta Arenas. Costa Kien. and thence to a bay between Ecuador an.l Peru, almost on the equator. Here was found an assembly of the •Japanese Navy, then an ally, and of Hritish colliers. An Knglish naval otlicer and another wireless otlicer joined them there, and for the time the duty of the vessel was to receive wire lens messages fioin British warships east, of Panama, transpose thein to another code and pass them on to the Japanese 2savv. To the Cocos Island* and then again to Costa Pica, where 1000 tons of coal were sold to the Costa Piean Government as a. "blind"' to inquisitive German residents of the place. On this work of varied adventure Mr. Parkinson remained until the. German

vaiship Dresden, which hail from the battle of Falkland Island, had lieen accounted for. ,On }iis return to Sydney in May. 1915, lie joined tlie troopship AYandiila on the run to J'-gypt, and in the months following that had nil o.\<rit i n<j time, with some close ''shaves'' from German submarines. Down in Flames It \va» following that that Mr. Parkinson joined the Australian Flying Corps, being stationed in Egypt. It is interesting that hits old squadron commander is now A ir-Yice-Marshal R. Williams, cliainnan of the JX'fcnce Committee of Australia, and that lie had contact with such personalities as Kow {Smith, whose llandlcy J.'age bomber maintained G.H.Q. communications. and is held largely responsible for the success of the I'alestine campaign, W. H. F.vsh, now managing director of Qantas Kmpire Air»»y«S l.imiled, and Colonel (then Captain) AVhite. Telling the story of his own capture. -Mi". Parkinson states that al>out twentv inacliines were sent out to bomb an aerodrome about "ill miles behind the German lines. They arrived at dawn and did their job, but after letting their bombs go at 10,(100 feet they had to come down to make » reconnaissance below the cloud level. One of the K.F.C. machines above developed engine trouble and was cut off by the German*. It was sent down in flames, and at 8000 feet crashed into the PKH in which Mr. Parkinson waß observer. "I woke up three weeks after."' he said. "I was the only survivor, and was suffering from a skull fracture." Mr. Parkinson paid a tribute to the Germans who looked after him in that period. He was in hospital in Nazareth, and was given every attention. That I lasted for two and a half months. Then

lie was handed over to the Turks "and tlie fun l>egan." The three or four-day journey from Palestine seemed as many weeks to the prisoners, who were consoled by the Turkish guards with the words: "Chokee . . . Stamboul . . . very good." That may have sounded all right, but when they got there Mr. Parkinson was thrown into a dark cell and. in company with a South African artillery orticer, had six weeks' "solitary.". "That was one time in my life when T wished 1 had been killed," he said. "Remember I was just out of hospital. We had two meals a day, given us in a dish. It was called 'karawana' and was a sort of soup, in which you occasionally found pieces of meat—if you were lucky. There was bread also."

(Continued next week.)