In the Air

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 18, 8 September 1914, Page 6

In the Air

WEIRD AEROPLANE STORY.

DEAD PILOT VOLPLANES TO

EARTH.

[By Electric Telegraph—Copyright]

[United Press Association.] London, September 5

A wounded soldier related to Queen Alexandra that a German aeroplane hovering over the British troops signalled their position to the Germans, and a minute later a French aeroplane and an English aeroplane rapidly ascended but failed to cut off its retreat. Then the Englishman and the German hew upwards and each attempted to gain a position to shoot down from above. They were almost out of sight when the Englishman soared above the German, but immediately gracefully volplaned with his machine apparently under perfect control- and landed safely. The Tommies were amazed to find the pilot dead, shot through the head. In his dying moments he was starting to dacend, and when he reached the earth his hands still firmly gripped' the controls.

As a Taube aeroplane was approaching Vincennes to-day, Frenchmen advanced, circled above and discharged grapeshot, which hit the wing of the aeroplane and it fell and was smashed.