A MORNING "STUNT" IN FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 29, 29 October 1918, Page 4

A MORNING "STUNT" IN FRANCE

LOOKING. FOB, TROUBLE IN THE AIR. (This ie not fiction. ''It is the literally true story of an incident with the fighting scouts of the E.A.F. in France. Lieutenant "Stowell" was recently decorated.) "Five thirty, sir," bawled the orderly in loud endeavour to ronse Lieutenant Stowell from his slumbers, "Five thirty ?"— drowsily, incredulously; then as full consciousness returned: "U'lwl's the weather like?"

"Cleaving, sir. Captain Hilton is getting up-nnd expects you on the 'drome in ten minutes, sir." , "War's hell," opened Lieutenant Stowell, as he rolled out of bed to hot teaand an odd assortment of warm clothes.

It was a frosty morning witli n clear sky—a sky that to the airman meant a long clny's Work. The machines, six in all, awaited the pilots in a row in front of the hangars. Lieutenant Stowell walked to hie, climbed up, and dropped into hie seat. When all the, engines were running, Captain Hilton took off. and was followed by the rest of his flight, Lieutenant Stowell himself at the rear of tlio formation as second-in-command. They flew east to the Sonime, which showed up plainly in the- morning sun, and crossed the lines at 15,000 feet, looking for Huns and trouble. ' , Directly on their left were several bursts or Archies, and presently ft German air squadron appeared, looking like a swarm of flies. Each machine of the British formation followed the leader, 'who dived suddenly on two or three Iluns. Lieutenant Stowell. mindful of his duty as rearguard, looked round. "More of them!" ne muttered The British leader, intent upon attacking, had not seen the second German formation, and Lieutenant Stowell did the only thing he could; lie fired a burst from his gun over his' leader to attract his attention, then turned qnickly to avoid the Hun who was diving for his tail. Hβ faced the first oncomer nose to nose, not more than 100 yards away. They were hurtling at each other at 120 miles an hour, and in that flashing second he saw tho German pilot looking out hesitating whether to turn right or left. ■ ' , Stowell was nearly upon him and "zoomed" upwards just in time to miss his upper wing by inches. He turned, to find the German had also turned, and they flew round in circles seeking position. Presently Lieutenant Stowell got his chance.' He poured in a burst of effective fire, and tho German dived vertically to ait out of the fight. "Shirked!" cried Stowell, and dived after him. Twice he fired, a buret, and the- second time, flame belched out from tho German machine. Lieutenant 'Stowell flattened out from his dive. There was not another machine to be seen, eivo the ball of flame falling earthwards below. .. / Hie flight commander awaited him with a grin at the aerodrome. 'Two to tho formation, and one down out of control," ho said. "Aud you?" _ "Make it three to the formation, said Lieutenant Stowell; "and give me a cigarette."