LOYALIST AVIATOR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 155, 2 June 1937, Page 9

LOYALIST AVIATOR.

NEW ZEALANDER’S STORY. LIFE ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

Received June 2, 10.55 a.m. FREMANTLE, June 2. Captain E. iN. Griffiths, a New Zealand aviator who arrived here to-day. said that he had been on active service with the Spanish Government forces. The non-intervention agreement was a farce, he considered. The rebel aircraft were all either German or Italian and they were mostly imported through Portugal. The Government ’planes, totalling about 300, were mostly of Russian origin and were outnumbered by at least two to one by the rebel air force. Captain Griffiths, who was wounded while fighting enemy ’planes at Toledo last September, hopes to return to Spain after a three-months’ holiday in New Zealand. Captain Griffiths said he was a member or the last Byrd Antarctic expedition and since had been flying commercial machines in China. Considerable help tor the Loyalists with men, munitions and ’planes had come from Russia, while with the rebel forces were about 120,000 Italians and between 40,000 and 50,000 Germans. “It seems to be a fight until one or the other side is exterminated,” said Captain Griffiths. The Russian machines were first brought in in sections but now factories had been equipped in Spain and they were turping out complete ’planes at tlie rate of two a day. Explaining his participation m the hostilities, Captain Griffiths said that in August he was engaged to fly ’planes purchased by the Spanish Government from England. These activities were subsequently stopped by the British Government and he then received an offer to fight as a pilot for the Government forces. At aMdrid he joined a squadron of 20 members, 16 of v r hom were killed and three wounded, udiile the other wms still fighting. Five were British and only one other and himself had escaped.