THRILLING AIR FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2670, 17 January 1916, Page 6

THRILLING AIR FIGHT

ACTOR'S MILITARY CROSS,

Many fine examples of gallantry in the held are to be found in the official record, published on November 19, of deeds which have won honours for 48 officers and men of the Expeditionary I 1 orce. .Eighteen Victoria Crosses were awarded, 10 of them going to non-com-liussioned officers and men: one D.S.O. • and 29 Military Crosses. Six of those to whom the V.O. lias been given (ineluding four officers) lost their lives as the result of their self-sacrifice. Among those who receive tlio Military Gross were two airmen—Captain 'ivobert Loraine, the actor, and Temporary Lieutenant the Hon. Eric Lubbock, halt-brother of Lord Avebury, \rho aie rewarded for. their gallantry and skill in a successful fight with a German biplane. Ilie Times" quotes extracts from a letter from the lion. Eric Lubbock in the "Eton College Chronicle," describing the fight.in the air in which he and Captain Loraine won the Military Cross:— .."We sighted a German about four miles off, and attacked. We both opened fire at about 50 yards. I fired again at about. 20, firing 26 rounds, and then my gun jammed. From that moment I jenew nothing, except that I was working desperately at my gun. I heard Loraine give a great shout, but felt neither fear nor triumph. Then our machine turned downwards. As I fired my last shot I had' seen the German turn down. I knew that if he got below ns my machine-gun was the only one that could fire at him. We were diving, I standing almost on the front of the body. Then we tnrned level. I finished my gun, hilt there was no German! . . . Well, the luckless Boche fell 20 yards behind our front-line trench. The pilot was shot through tlio stomach l —the observer, a boy of 17, just grazed in the head. On the machine was found an old machine-gun. It had been taken from the Canadians months ago, andl now lias come back to them. It is absolutely nnfit for airplane work, being three times as heavy as the one we nse, and having lots of other technical drawbacks."