BRITISH PLUCK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11512, 7 October 1915, Page 7

BRITISH PLUCK.

AN AIRMAN'S jGREAT FEAT. An incident. which has happened recently deserves to ho added io the long record oh" fine tilings which our airmen have done, of which so few have, alas! boon told (says a writer in Die " Morning Post''.). The ainn ati was engaged in ono of thoso reconnaissances over the enemy's country which have become a. more commonplace routine of duty and was ;i. / long way withiu the enemy's lines when a a unlucky hurst, of shrapnel, smashed his rijjht leg to pieces. '.l'bo shock ot the injury j which was very severe. caused him to faint, and themachine. getting out of control. nose-dived towards the earth. So steep was the descent, that, the machiue-gun discs toppled out. ot the aeroplane, and the observer would have followed them had nob he clung 1o the stays, in that position not boon able, ot course, to render the slightest assistance to his unfortunate companion or to get control of the machine, ft looked as like certain death lor both oi' them as such things can look in the air. when the rapid passage through it revived the :oilot. .Mad he not returned in an instant to the coolest possession of his senses he would almost, certainly have wrecked the machine, for at. the fearful pact) at which it was falling any but the gentlest pressure on the elevator would have been fatal. So exactly, however, did the pilot reailse his perilous position in that instant- of returning consciousness that he succeeded in cheeking gradually the headlong fall of the machine till he had regained complete, control of it. Hp was ihen still in the enemy's country, and suffering agonies from his shattered leg, the bone of which was splintered; avid, with tho very likely prospect of losing consciousness again, the might have been forgiven had he sought"a, landing. But such a. surrender of the spirit, never occurred to hint. Ho shouted an inquiry as to the nearI est. landing place within our lines, and the observer pointed it out on tho map ;to him. It, was thirty-live miles away, 'more than half an hour's travel in the i face of the sou'-welter, and he was I losing blood fast. Yet never for an instant, did I'lV reI solution talter. lie would take no I risks either, and though, of course, it. ' considerably prolonged the journey, ho rose to a safe, height, to cross the (Jer- [ man lines, and made a perfect landing lin spite of his damaged chassis, and i waited to faint again till ibey lifted ; him out of hi.-- seat. I ***** i