FIGHTING THRILLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23542, 30 December 1939, Page 7

FIGHTING THRILLS

FLEET AIR ARM MIDSHIPMAN'S STORY A GRIM ENCOUNTER By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright British Wireless LONDON, Dec. 28 In a broadcast dealing with "The Navy That Flies," a "naval eyewitness," recalled that the Fleet Air Arm was once a branch of the Royal Air Force, to which the Royal Navy contributed three-quarters of the pilots and all the observers. He said that, although administered when ashore by the Royal Air torce and when/ afloat by the Navy, the arrangement worked well because it was founded on unbounded goodwill. In spite of this, the scheme had inherent disadvantages which no amount of goodwill could overcome. In consequence the Fleet Air Ann became part of the Royal Navy, the personnel living for the most part in aircraft-car-riers and in large warships. Olcse 00-operatlon As the speaker said, there is a deal j of close co-operation in certain parts ot the coast between the Royal Air Foice and the Navy, as witness the defence of a convoy some weeks ago, when the Navy, which was in charge, called on the Royal Air Force, who came out to shoot down seven of 12 attacking Germans and to drive off the remainder. Not always does the Fleet Air Arm work from the sea, lor a continuous patrol which crosses the North Sea from dawn to dusk is based on shore and operates in conjunction with the Royal Air Force. Ambush in the Clouds In the course of the broadcast the speaker told of a conversation he had had with a midshipman, aged 20, who is one of the pilots working on this patrol. This young man told him, he said, "the hunt is grand, it is the kill that is not so funny." He himself had intercepted a German bombing machine one afternoon and a grim game of "touch-last" began in a series of gigantic cloud valleys. The enemy dived, banked and dodged from one cloud cover to another, and the relentless pursuit went on, said the midshipman. "I ripped ahead to a cloud I thought he would make for, and I waited for him on the other side. Gosh, that was fun. I got him as he came through at yards' range. But then, when you saw the poor devils spinning down, nose first, through the clouds, with smoke pouring from the engine, it was not so good. I hated that part of the business." That is how they feel about it. MILITARY TRAINING 'AUSTRALIAN SCHEME AGE GROUPS EXTENDED NEW SOUTH WALES QUOTA (Received December 29, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. SX) The universal military training scheme which is to begin in January has been extended so that two additional age groups can be called upon to register. The new groups will be called up for training after next June. These groups will consist of men who will reach the age of 21 years between July 1 and December 31, 1940, and men who will reach the age of 20 between January 1 and December 31, 1940. It is expected that about 20,000 men in New South Wales will be affected by the new call-up. "AEROPLANE BENDS" AFFLICTION OF PILOTS PREVENTIVE DISCOVERED (Receivod December 129, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 28 The Mayo Clinic at Columbus, Ohio, announces the discovery of a complete preventive for "aeroplane bends," a disease which is attacking interceptor pilots. It is due to the speedier drop in outside air pressure than in internal pressure, during the rapid rise to altitudes of 30,000 ft. It is believed that the discovery will have an important value on the Western Front and in North Soa air operations. The treatment consists of continuous breathing of pure oxygen for 120 minutes, or walking a treadmill at a rate of two to four miles an hour for .">0 minutes, thus freeing the body of nitrogen before altitude flights. NOT ON PAROLE BRITISH OFFICER'S ESCAPE GERMAN LIE REFUTED British Wireless LONDON, Dec. 28 A statement issued by the Air Ministry says: "It Ay as announced by a German broadcasting station to-day that an officer of the Royal Air Force who was interned in Luxembourg and had- given his word of honour not to try to escape, eluded his guards and got away. "The statement that this officer escaped is correct, but the statement that he was on parole at the time of his escape is entirely untrue." JEWS FIGHT WITH BRITISH LONDON. Dec. I>B A census taken at the headquarters of the British Expeditionary Force in France reveals that 243 Jews are among 200,000 British troops on the Western Front. A rabbi may be appointed.