FATE FORETOLD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23791, 19 October 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

FATE FORETOLD

Young Airman Wrote a Story And Died Like Hetq "riARKNESS filled his eyes, but in his mind he could Lf still see the face of the enemy gunner, red and foolishly grim, as he fired from the rear cockpit of the fighter. The wheel went limp in his hands, the strain of months of war, the nag of responsibility, lifted from his consciousness

IN those words John Llewelyn Rhys, R.A.F. pilot, described the death of an airman in the last short story he wrote —published in the Sunday Chronicle, London. A few weeks ago John Rhys crashed to his death on active service: He went out ... in the same spirit as he had lived. In the same spirit in which he had written inspiring stories of Britain's air heroes. Worthy of Own Pen In John Llewelyn Rhys—his real name was Bees, but lie adopted a different spelling as a pen-name— Britain has lost one of her most brilliant young writers ... and a hero worthy of his own pen. . "England is My Village," his last storv, which appeared in the Sunday Chronicle on July 14, created widespread interest throughout Britain. People recognised it as a true picture of 11. A.F. heroism . . . without false sentiment or "heroics." Dramatic Ending Llewelyn Rhys foretold his own death in this dramatic ending to the short story . . . His vision cleared, and he pulled the aircraft level. To his surprise the fighters had vanished, and at his side was the Squadron Leader's machine which he thought he had seen go down. They flew at a few hundred feet over the sleepy countryside. . .

How familiar, lie thought. How woll I know it all. Truly, England is my village. When he brought his plane in, the airfield seemed strangely quiet. He went into the mess. When .Robert saw the other players he stopped in his stride. There was Nails, who got his' on the, first show, and Dick, who went down in flames, and Thistle, liis Second Pilot,* and Badger, who was lost in the Xorth Sea in December. "Come oh!" Badger saich "We're waiting for you." "But 1 thought . . Robert said. "I thought ..." One of Bee's most intimate friends told the Sunday Chronicle: "Bees was "a typical pilot of the R.A.F. Charming, retiring, roundfaced. boyish, fresh-complexioned. He was -'JO years old. He lived lor flying—and writing. Novel to be Filmed "Son of a clergyman at Arthog, in Merioneth, lie joined the 11. A.F. seven years ago, and rose to the rank of flight-lieutenant. "About four years ago he tried his hand at writing, writing about the things he knew best —the thrill and adventure of the air. "Apart from many short stories, he wrote two novels with an air theme. The first was 'Flying Shadow.' The" second. 'The World Owes Me a Living/ is likely to be filmed shortly. "Just over a year ago he married Miss Jane Oliver, the novelist and short story writer."