“THE GREY GHOST”

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXV, Issue 5609, 27 February 1918, Page 1

“THE GREY GHOST”

STRANCE STORY FROM THE FRONT A strange story comes frem America relative to the well-known German racing cyclist, Walter Rutt, who some 12 years back rated with c nsiderablo success iu Australia, and more recently has carried off some of the biggest events in America—including three New Y"ork “ six Mays ’* races. It appears that for many mouths last year, the French lines were frequently visited by an cm my aviator, known as the “ Grey Ghos\”. whose daring raids on the Western Front caused much comment iu the military camps. At last the identity of the “ Grey Ghosr,” has be en unmasked and found to be none other than Walter Rutt Tae news of Kutt's death was cabled to America in November last. A Better from a member of the American Ambulance Unit iu Frauce, written before Rutt was brought to earth, gives the following interesting details of the German tactics :

“ We have a peculiar—not to say weird—thing on this front. There is a German aviator here who calls himself ‘ Fantemas ’ or the Ghost. His name is Walter Rutt, and he used to be a bicycle rider in the six-days races in New York. Well it appears from the notes that he has dropped, that he has had three brothers killed iu the war, and to aveDge them he has adopted the plan of strafing the French from f,n aeroplane. He never fights other planes or makes observations, but just tlies over the Fronclt lines at a height varying from 30 to to 400 feet, aud everything he sees, even one poilu or waggon or auto he dives at it, banging away with his machine-gun. He attacks sentinel posts and supply trains, aud once or twice he has shot iufo aviation camps, winning unique place as a dangerous pilot. You have no idea of the amount of damage he does. Ho certainly has the respect of the Frenchmen hero iu this sector, where lie fiies-almost exclusively. He hovers arouud all day long, aud although he has been shot at with machine-guns, rifles, aud anti-craft guus, he never seems to be touched. It certainly is mysterious, for he often comes close enough for us to hit him with a stone. It was he who dropped the warning about the hospital being bombed, about which I told you iu my last letter. ”