ROYAL AIR FORCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 3074, 2 November 1929, Page 5

ROYAL AIR FORCE.

MANY PERILS ENCOUNTERED.

ON TURKISH-PERSIAN FRONTIER

(Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received 9.10 a.m.) Sydney, this day

Tho perils of aviators of the Royal Air Force doing duty at Iraq near the Turkish and Persian frontiers were told by Flying Officer L. B. McGovern, who has arrived in Sydney on his way to New Zealand with his wife. Ho says thati most of his service at Iraq consisted of watching savage bands of marauders who left the rugged hiUs to raid British subjects in the villages and on the plains. British aerodromes were scattered round the key positions, and aeroplanes were ablo to pick out the Arab raiders and their caravans or discover tttieir hidden camps and scatter them with bombs or machine-gun fire from great heights. Many flying men had paid the price for their daring with shattered bodies, together with the wreckage of their machines, which were often never discovered.

Forced landings usually meant that these daring fellows would be ruthlessly murdered by their avengers, who were adepts with German and Turkish rifles. When firing they would ailways allow lor the speed of the aeroplanes. Flying Officer McGovern paid a tribute to the men who administered British rule in the lonely parts of Iraq. They were completely isolated and had always to act on their own initiative.