EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF AN AVIATOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13701, 3 June 1915, Page 3

EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF AN AVIATOR.

THE. RAID ON HOBOKEN*

1 The Rev. H. G. Rpsher, of Palmerston North, has just received a letter written by hia nephew, Plight-Lieutenant H. Rosher, _ who has proved himself an intrepid aviator, -ue letter contains a thrilling story of the air> the narrative being connected with the British airmen's raid on Hoboken, a riverside suburb of Antwerp. .His account is dated March.- 24th. Five aviators were chosen: to go, but only two reached the objective, the other three having to come back owin» to engine troubles and to their losing their way m the clouds. The narrative is a very modest one considering that several German submarines were destroyed and' much damage done to the enemy's stores and works. Lieutenant Rosher says:— OVER THE OLO'UDS.

"This morning we got up at about 2.30, thank goodness the weather was warm. 'Breakfiast followed,, and it's mighty hard to get down to eggs and bread and butter at that hour. We cut for the order of starting, but decided to keep as near one, another as possible. I went off last bat one at 5.30 a.m., and streaked off straight across the sea, We were prety heavily loaded, but my 'bus' would not climb much. I saw one machine go ahead of me but lost it almost immediately m the clouds, which were 'very low (2500 ft), and it was also 'very misty. Our course was right up the coast past Zeehrugge, and then m across the land at the mouth of the Scheldt. I got clear of some of the clouds and saw — — : behind and 200 ft above me, my machine then being about 5000 ft .'only. He rapidly overtook me (we were all on Avras, but his was taster), and from then on I followed him over the clouds. - — was about & or 6 minutes m front of me and I saw him, volplane out of sight. I had to go on some little way before 1 .spotted the yards myself. HOT WITH SHRAPNEL.

"I next saw very low down, flying away to ,the coast with shrapnel bursting around him. He came down to under 500 ft and dropped hiq tyombs before he was fired on, being there first. Ak the wind was dead against me I decided to come round m a semicircle to cross the yards with the wind so as to attain a greater speed, I wag only 6500 ft up, and they opened fire on me with shrapnel. As soon as I got within range it began to get a bit hot, so before I got quite round I shut off my petrol, and came down with a steep volplane until I was 2500 ft, when I turned on my petrol again and 'continued my descent at a rate well over a. hundred /miles an hour. I passed, over the yards at about 1000 ft only, and loosed all my * bombs over the place. The whole way down I was under fire from two air-craft guns m the yard, guns from the forts on either side, rifle fire and mitrailleuses or machine guns, and, most weird of all, great bunches (15 to 20) of what looked Mko green nockete, but I think they were flaming bullets. ■ The excitement of the moment was terrific. I have never travelled so fast , before m my life.- "■ ■ ••■■ :( ;.."•.. ■ ■'■■ ■ .

AMID FLAMING BULLETS. "My ' chief;; impressions were— the great speed, the flaming bullets streaklng by, the incessant rattle of the machine guns and rifle fire, and .one or two shells bursting close by, knocking my machine all sideways and pretty near deafening me. On my return I found my machine was only hit twice — rather wonderful— one bullet hole through the tail, and . a piece of shr3f-' nel buried m the main spar of one wing (I have not got* it out). I found myself across the yards and felt a mild sort of surprise. EYES STICKING OUT LIKE SHRIMPS.

"My eyes must have been sticking out of my head tike a shrimp's— l know I was gasping for breach, and crouching down m the fusillade. I was, however, by no means clear— shrapnel was bursting around me. I jammed the rudder first one way and then the other; , I banked, first on to one wing tip and then on the other, now clipping outwards, and now up . and then down. I was literally hedged m by forts (and only 1000 ft up), and had to run the gauntlet before getting away. I was under rifle fire right up to the frontier and even then the Dutch potted at me. A SURPRISE FOR THE GERMANS. ;. "My return journey was trying, as most of the time I had to fly at under 500 ft, as I ran into thick clouds and mist. I pottered gaily right over Flushing and within a few hundred yards of a Dutch cruiser and two torpedo boats. I got back home m about a quarter of an hour, after having been very nearly four hours m the air, and having covered, I suppose, getting on for 250 miles. I have not heard what damage was done. The CO. wag awfully 'braced.' My engine gave me, several anxious momenta; for leome reason it was 'right out' over the Soheldt, but it picked up again.* It was pretty risky work flying several mileg out to sea, only just m sight of land too, but our surprise of the Ger. mans, or I should say. ■ ■. -'s. was certainly owaplet©."