THREAT TO PILOT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19339, 1 June 1937, Page 13

THREAT TO PILOT

WOULD BE SHOT DOWN FRENCH SERVICE MACIIINE DEFER OF .GIDOO BRIBE (l)lec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. May 31. 7> p.m.) ‘BILBAO. May 30. M. Gi.lli, the pilot of tho Airspeed Envoy plane, which was shot down on Wednesday when on the Bayonne-Bilhao service and while carrying mails and five passengers, including a woman, slated to-day Hull before leaving France an airmail met him and said : "My bosses do not want this line to run. They offer you C3CCO to make a forced landing at Ban Sebastian. )on and the passengers will ho taken prisoners. but the authorities will treat you well and exchange you for prisoners ill the hands of the Spanish Government.” M. tfalli refused, whereupon lie was tol<l : “Well, you will be shot down as (he insurgents are determined to prevent the line running." M. Galli. who made a masterly landing which avoided complete disaster, Was sent to a hospital. The. aeroplane belonged to Airl’yrenees, a French line working tho Bayonne-Bilhao service. It came down at Sopelana. nine miles from Bilbao, and was partly destroyed.