UNDER FIRE IN THE AIR.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13771, 7 May 1915, Page 3

UNDER FIRE IN THE AIR.

Writing to a friend at Bristol, Mr. B. C. Hucks, the well-known aviator, and now a lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps, relates what it feels like to be under fire in the air. He says: — "We were heading into a strong wind, blowing, I should think, between 50 and 60 miles per hour, at a height of 6,000 ft above the .German lines. Consequently we remained almost stationary. This suited our purpose admirably, as it made our operation of watching our gunfire easier. But it also suited the gunners of the German anti-aircraft guns (we call these guns 'Archibalds'). I saw and heard the shells bursting around vis, and. we had just finished observing the last gun fired when —crash, and the left plane opened up, and I realised we had been hit. A hole big enough to get through with the torn fabric flapping away in the wind, was altogether too good a reminder of the situation. One's feelings under those conditions can better bo imagined than described, as the Horrid' uncertainty of the real extent of the- damage, and the consequent expectancy of the whole machine crumpling up and crashing to eath, gave me a somewhat anxious time in getting to earth. However, I managed to get back, and found that the machine was so badly damaged that it had to be sent to ■ the base to be rebuilt.- The piece of shell had passed through the plane, carrying away two ribs', a main strut, petrol pipes, and passed just between my passengei* and myself. Taking all this into consideration, one may call it a miraculous escape. I had another bullet in tny main spar the other day, which split it badly. .However, these little things are sent to try its."