EXCITING DUEL IN THE AIR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14052, 24 July 1916, Page 4

EXCITING DUEL IN THE AIR.

AUSTRALIAN'S ADVENTURE. CAPTURED BY GERMANS. An Australian, . Lieutenant F. FGrimwade, who early m the war enlisted, m the Royal Flying- Corps, was saptured by the Germans m April. Writing from the "Municipal Hospital at Courtrai, Belgium. , on April 10, to his parents, he stated : "My observer and 1 were moved into this placo about five days ago. On Saturday, April 1, m the a-lternoon, 1 w.ls r on patrol duty near Ypres. We sighted a German machine', which we engaged 1 at 30001't. I found him faster ahd much more mobile than my oh] 8.E., but honors were easy until ho got his machine gun on to my leg, just below the thigh. 'Ibis settled 'things for us. Then my observer got. hit. My thigh bono Avas Smashed/ by several bullets, ;and was pretty 'painful, and I felt I was . going to faint. However, 1 struggled against this, and managed to land somehow, behind the enemy's lines. The machine Was a. total- Avreck, but my observer was nob killed iv landing, so 1 felt rather pleased at, this, an they almost invariably get finished olfwn an accident of thi.s kind. ' • • "immediately after we crashed In earth I -fainted.- They took us on to a field dressing-station, and then on. to a ■flirt of clearing hospital, then another place, and, finally, here, where w : e arc \ei-v well cared for. Tlkv German Flying Corps . officers were very good io lis both: They paid us several visits, anil asked if there war, anything wo wished for, and gave us books and cigarettes, etc. The Germans presented us each with a picture of tha remains of our 8.E., Avhich- Avill be. most interesting after the war." ■ !■— ■— mmim^ »— M— «