WITH THE FOREIGN LEGION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 7

WITH THE FOREIGN LEGION

SYDNEY MAN'S AMAZING ADVENTURES

STORY OF FRANCIS LUKS

I Man of adventure, traveller, aviation j pilot, member of the Foreign. Legion, \\ Francis Luk's, .a one-tinie Richmond [boy, has just.returned to Australia. In [ an interesting chat he spoke freely of [ his .adventures. . He was still clad in the blue French uniform in which ho i had seen service, and it strikingly set [off his trim figure. His name was or- ; iginally Lukschewitz, his father having been a 'Finn, who at one timo was well known on the Australian coast as thecommander of a ship, the California, which traded between Australian ports and San Francisco. The commander of the California was killed in the San Francisco earthquake. Luks's mother, a woman of Scottish birth, still lives in Eichmond..

Francis ! Luks was born in Bunvood, a suburb of Sydney, but spent his boyhood in Richmond. Like Mr. Frank Tudor, M.H.E., lie is an "old Duy" of the Central State School of that suburb. He returns to Australia much disappointed, because,. after acquiring the distinction of a brevet in theßleriot monoplane chasse school at the Aeroplane'Carap d'Avord in France, he met with an accident, and was compelled to accept his discharge and return to Australia. However, he is rapidly recovering his health, and will go back to France as soon.as he is able. Ho was refused admission to the'-British Forces, "and made his way to Russia, but the' similarity of the names Austria and Australia caused him to be arrested as a spy, and Sir George Buchanan, British Ambassador at Petrograd, befriended him. In the Foreign Legion. His efforts to take part in the war were variously thwarted till he gained admission to trie famous Foreign Eegion, "the best fighting force," as he says, "of tho French Army." "Th« Legion," he added, "was 43,000 strong at the beginning of the war. It is now only 3000. While I was a member, it was decorated with the Croix de Guerro and tho Medaillo Militaire. Each soldier of the Legion is entitled to wear the midgot decoration. Here is mina. "I was the only Australian in the Legion. My greatest friend in it was a grandson of General Grant. He was formerly. Charge d'Affaires for Guatemala. Though he was much older than I, we were like brothers. Tho Legion saw service on Gallipoli, at Verdun, Arras, on tho Somme, and in the Champagne- wherever the fighting was thickest. At one time, we were sent to tlie Swiss'border because it was believed the Germans were going to break through Switzerland. "In the Legion/wero , many wellknown Americans. Hall and Rockwell I knew, and many more. Moss aredead. But a few,' like me, left the Legion, and went into the flying service. Before I went to Russia I was an aviator mechanic in, France, and had a good'testimonial from the Daricq-Vick-ers, Aviation Company. So when I left the Foreign Legion I was accepted as a flying mechanic at Bron, where we had heavy work with the 'planes that were defending France from raids.

-. Monopole Chasse Pilot. "I had another try, and was made a pilot of one of the slow bombardment machines. This was at the Camp d'Avord. That is where the Wrights made their first flight in Europe. The authorities called for volunteers for piloting tho Bleriot chasse monoplanes, and I was accepted. It is tho only flying service for which they a sic for volunteers. "The average life of a Chaese pilot is about six weeks. There were three killed every week at. the Camp d'Avord. Most men, if they are not killed, lose their nerve after a time, and aro sent hack to the trenches. Also, if you destroy three machines you are sent to the trenches. Machines are costly. About £2000 k the cost of training each Bleriot pilot. » "One of my friends in tho Lnfavctte, or Franco-American, Flying Corps, with which I was dtntione'd, was Horace Sever, engihoer, formerly of the Canadian NorHi-West"'Mounted Police. He went to Mexico, and was captured hv Villa. TJo. tnld mo many tales of thn cruelties of Villa, whose chief hnstilitv was towards the Church. Villa would kill the priests wherever he went and blow up the churches. Sever escaped from Villa, came to Franco, and joined the flying corps. He was in linspitnl. recovering from an accident, when I left. "Some ■'of the experiences of tho pilots were marvellous. One of them struck a high-pitehml tiled roof, which he went clean through. Tlion hn full a great depth to a pile of flour bags, untl'wns found unhurt, with his machine in pieces all round him. "Another man, when tho wing of his machine, built without stays, snapped off, fell from a grout height. Knowing that nothing could bo done, ho shut his eyes, being determined to die with them shut, and wen not so much as scratched, though he-was shaken for a time. It was wonderful that the denlhs worn not more freoucnt. "Fof» my part, I w»s firing a very fast machine when I fell. Tim seal was not rightly nlnced. and when .1 strap gave way J involuntarily nulled the iov dick, The machine dived down.

and_ I could not quito save it from hitting the ground with.its nose. If 1 had been 50ft. higher I should have righted it in time. Twenty feet lower, I should probably have been killed. However, my right leg was very badly hurt—l am lame still—and I euffored from internal bleeding. The Comte do Chavanno Dalmassv, who was in charge of the camp, gave me my discharge, as ho said, with regret, 1 should not have been discharged, but that I am an Australian, and was wishing to return to' Australia. Speaking of the Comte, it is astonishing how many of tho French nobility havo distingushed themselves in the air.

Not Downhearted. "After my accident I was in hospital at Lyons whon the first lot of English soldiers who were prisoners of war wore exchanged. There were a few Australians with them. The others were men from tho first battle of Ypres. They wero in a sad state, but not downhearted—not a bit. It was not till I got to Singapore that I had my first meal of white bread. It was better than cake. Even at the Fotel Ritz, in Paris, white bread is not to he had, and overyoneY millionaire or not, has to eat tho coarse, dark bread. I wonder if you have heard of 'A Corner of Blighty.' It is in the Place Vendome. Miss. Butler, who is called the Mother of tho Australians, runs it. She was a good mother to me. All Australians are welcomed. Rank is dropped once you enter. The officer bits beside tho aviator or the private, as an equal. Miss Butler takes the men all- over the historical sceues of Paris in chars-a-banc, and- sees that thoir _ ten days' leave is happily spent. She is all right. "By the way, you may have heard stories about Maurice Gailkax, the aviator who was in Australia some years ago. They are wicked slanders. Gaillaux, one of the most brilliant aviators who ever flew, spent _ three years in the most perilous service of all, that of testing flying machines. As a , flier, he was a wonder, and "it was extraordinary that he lived- fo long. But at last he was killed at his work.

■ "When I was at Port Said I met crowds of soldiers who were then /waiting the second battle of Gaza, There wore Australians of the Fourth light Horse. I saw .'many other Australians, veterans of the first Australian drafts, all. keen on seeing the war through, but all clear that they were entitled to a spell, and to a run home. I met some of the unpaid men of liie Honourable Artillery, a splendid foico, but if I told you everything I saw I should never finish. ' "When I landed-, my only hrother. who was woundeil on Gallipoli and again in France, and was tl'?n discharged, met me. I was Jelight°d to meet him, though I saw at o;ce that his soldiering days, were done.