GALLANT HYING MEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16658, 1 October 1917, Page 6

GALLANT HYING MEN.

LIFE AT THE AERODROMES.

DEATH OF A BOY PILOT.

Our young flying men have been fighting .great* battles in the air during the past weeks, when there' has been perfect flying weather, so that the enemy snuadrons have made a tremendous effort to challenge our command of the air over our own lines, mites Mr. Philip Oibhs. From the ground one only . gets a glimpse now and then of this aerial conflict, and hears the distant rattle of machine-gun fire tap there, though always one sees the anti-aircraft guns at work, and shrapnel. bursts following the wings of our men when they fly over the enemy's • territory. It is in. our aerodromes that one gets real insight into the drama of these adventures in the air, and, that f one's heart goes out to the flying men, .who are so impersonal and so merged in their machines when they become mere specks in" the sky. In the tents and hangars one sees the human qualities of ''these pilots and observers, and hears in a few casual words tales more wonderful than'anything -'in this war, told, without any consciousness of their marvels, as ?: though belonging; to the., daily drudgery ~'or normal; life. -'■•!'- . •'•:• : .'-x So it was the other day, when I went to see"some"naval' airmen. There was a violent thunderstorm, bo. that the flying men gathered in .mess.• ■ • They were > all ; very f young. % vI ; suppose; even . their %uadron commander, who has killed 22 i una, as he '" calls ! them, and I never says a word' about it, is well under 30. Most of ■'■■ hia pilots' and! observers' ,i- are k- round •-about■ the twenty and rather , less, than more. The youngest of them .was pleased with : himself, ; and. rather-excited. He had just brought down his first German/after ,". a long chase ; and ' a. quick fight. .'. .He , showed the Iron r Cross on his enemy's wings. He was going to'send it home.to put with. 6 pair of oars and his college trophies. .He bad ; other relics from- the smashed machine, and played about with them as though they/; Were toys. The squadron commander smiled< at me. as much as to say:: ''He is very young," arid another man winked across the table.. The telephone bell rang, and a boy looked up from his :V novel ; i and said "Hello! j That means a bombing raid to-night." Yesterday I went to the same aerodrome and'looked round v for the boy with-the Iron" 1 Cross from' a'" German wing. "He. has- gone west), poor, kid,*' said the boy .who had winked at me. He went west, ] ns they say, -for the last long journey's, few'daysago. He was one of sis fighfting scouts ■; acting as escort .to two,- machines out for photographic . records, , and slaw- ■ going. They were 'suddenly attacked by . '■' 30 ' German; fighters, and ,: the odds were too hear/. One of our men drew off one of the - enemy ftnd brought; him' down. Two others; flew back to protect the ".slow-going ', photographers, and the other , three—the youngster , among ' them— to keep the twimty-nine at bay. They gained .time for the "others to escape, but /'two: of them . fell fighting, and the' third had a? German bullet through his bras.; ; Somewhere in '.England an,,lroa Cress . ;■; hangß % with', some , - college f trophies in memory of a '\ gallant; boy. ■■:/■'