LEAPING FROM A BALLOON

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 10, 7 October 1918, Page 5

LEAPING FROM A BALLOON

In a littlo estaminet some way from the front several officers had finished dinner, and were dawdling over their liqueurs. Tho conversation had turn-' od upon what it folt liko to go over the top. Smithson had just been holding forth, andj ho turned chaffiiigly to Clarke, a balloon officer invited in to make up a four, and romarked, "Anvhow, you air merchants cscapo that I" • .' "Do we?" answered tlio balloon officer, removing his pipe, "I'll just tell you what it feels liko for us to make a forced paraclluto descent. I was iip ono day, vory low visibility, squatting just undo)' tho clouds, when without i warning thrcq Bocho_ 'planes swooped down. Every _ machine-gun, and 'Archio' in tho neighbourhood started off for miles around! I felt a bit dazod, but realising what was up yelled to tho other fellow with me to get ovor, took off my telephono mouthpiece, and scrambled to tho edgo of the baskot. Instinctively I saw tho panorama around, tho white zig-zag of trenches in front and bohind the dull grey sea with hero and thcro a ship. ' I remember thinking impersonally what a long way to the ground 3000 feet was I Hut, drawing a breath, over I went, and dropped 200 feet, when tho ropos bogan to tighten round mo, and I realised in a flash tho parachute had'opened. I saw 1(ho other chap floating away beneath me, and I couldn'i help thinking wo must look liko a couplo of huge mushrooms chasing each other. Suddenly tho earth rushed up to moot mo with an awful bang, and I found myself mixed up wi v u some- sheds.