OSBORNE, D.S.O.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8186, 24 May 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

OSBORNE, D.S.O.

THE STORY OF AN EXCITING FLIGHT. The Flight Commander looked troubled, as he read l he last message that had come through from the Divisional Headquarters, about a quarter of an hour ago. Raising his head, he pondered and trazed up to the ceiling. "Let me'sue,” lie murmured thoughtfully, Pea kins ‘t rashed’ to-day ; Rogers is ill in lied vWi a touch of the ‘tin ; Feltcher is out on duty now; and there's none of the rest of tlie hunch that I tan safely rely upon —except——” anu into his head there came a vision of a fair-headed youngster of nineteen, who iiad just come out three weeks ago. So far his career had been uneventful, although he had earned the reputation ror U>ing a skilful pilot, and clear-headed in < o»es of emergency. “ Yes, 1 tliiuk Osliorne is about the pick of the bunch,’ he said to himself, as he reached over the table covered with correspondence, and rang the bell. " Tell Oslxrrne I should like to have a chat with him,” he said, as his orderly printed himself. The orderly saluted and withdrew, during winch time the Flight Commander hunted among some papers in the corner of-his office. "Come in!" lie ordered curtly, as he h< ard a qhiefc knock at the door. "Hallo! that you, Odborne? Oorne inside, and it’s lietter to close the door, although it’s not a council of wax.” Osborne smiled quietly as he closed she door and sat down in the chair -indicated by his senior officer. “Osborne,” lie 'began, “of course I don’t want you to make a song about what lam going to tell you. Our friend the enemy is suspected of having a nice large store of ammunition in a small station about three miles sou’west of Dix-n-onde, and 1 want someone to go over and spy out tho land. It’s a good distance away -93 miles exactly—and from the report 1 don't think it is heavily guarded, so L want you to go over, you haven’t had much luck lately, and try ond destroy it if possible. Of course there’s safety in numbers, hut if I sent a lot of you over the Huns might act accordingly. What do you think?” “Thank you, sir. What time shall I start'*'” The Flighn Commander thought for a moment, and then said, “About daybreak. Report ito me before you start.” “Thunk you, sir,” and Osborne withdrew. He walked along to his machine, and after seeing that all w as in older, went and turned in for the night, sleeping soundly until 4.30 tho following morning. When awakened by the sentry he rose and donned his flying kit, arriving at the Flight Commander’s office just as daw n was breaking. The latter met him

at the floor. " Had anything to eat?” he inquired. “Yes, just a snack, sir.” came the rep'y. "Right you are. Now then off you go, and good luck to you. Report to me when von get back.” Five minutes later Flight-Lieutenant Osborne was spetyding across the lines executing the orders of the Fowers-that-l>e. As lie sped along over No Man's Land, puffs of white smoke made him understand that his flight was not going unobserved. Once a shell <l>urst perilously nanr, throwing the machine f»n its side, giving its owner a sharp struggle for recovery before he sought refuge in the clouds. Occasionally he would dive clear of the clouds to find soino landmark he knew of, only to return again when the guns below began to ppv too much attention to him. Proceeding now was a> matter of difficulty, but Osborn*' kept a stiff upper Up and along through the opaqueness. Sometimes he thought he heard the engines of other machines, which he knew were probably .Germans seeking his destruction. Pulling off. his glove he glanced at his watch. A rapid calculation of distance and time Followed. “My speed’s 75, wind 15. I ought 'to be somewher near the beastly place. Anyhow, here goes-" He dived down clear of the clouds, and immediately the whole panorama of ground -became visible. By means of the map he located the place about six miles away. By this time the earth around seemed to vomit shells and explosives, and it looked to Osfoorne, as he sat in the nascelle, that every form fit projectile from a rifle Iwilfet to a 9inch shell was being hurled into the air for his benefit. Mounting into the clouds again, he was comparatively safe, and here he began to make a minuite inspection of his machine. Finding nothing seriously wrong, except for a feiw holes in the planes, he l>egan contemplating the day's work. He thought of his home, up in the north of England. He thought of his chums now fast asleep in tluCr comfortable cabins, miles away. He cursed his luck, cursed his machine, and his senior officer, occasionally everything aunder tlie sun, especially flying. Again he turned round, this time to his altimeter, and found that he was 4.000 fet up Diving for about 1,000 feet lie came into range of the enemy as soon as he was cleax of the clouds. One of tho first few shells that came too near to toe pleasant sent a lump of shrapnel into his leg, and threw the machine on its side again. Osborne, after a few minutes’ swearing,'began to feel sick and dizzy through tho loss of blood, so he gripped the “joy-stick" (between his knees, and improvised a tourniquet with his hands and iho aid of his handkerchief and his two pencils. Thus strengthened he looked around for Dixmonde. At last, after a few minutes’ searching, he discovered it about half a mile to the northward. Hither he directed hi.s course, unperturbed by shells that Were exploding near him while the air around became a very fair representation of a tropical thunderstorm. He continued his course for a white, -until tlie pressing attention of the guns below forced him into the clouds again, but his presence was greeted with redoubled energy, for the gunners below had'been Concentrating their attention on the clouds at the place where he was mosti likely to erter them, which so confused him that he determined to get into the open and run the risk. Once in plain view of the enemy thfir f.re became intensified' tln*n with a sudden fit of dizziness lie knew that he had l*?en hit. He cursed aloud. “Ho said it wasn’t heavily guarded," he muttered through his closed teeth. His first thought was that he was “done in,” then ns the pain became easier be turned hi.s machine down, muttering that lie would j ay some of the devils out for it. Round .and round in big spirals he went zigzagging and generally confusing’ the gunners below, and bringing him nearer tho station. Down and down went*the machine to 2,000, 1,000, 500, 300 fc e t. He was now practically over the station.

He felt for his bom-b releasing levers and after r. last look through his observation glasses he pulled the levers buck sharply. Turning the machine ouickly round, lie leaned over tlin side of the machine, regardless of the shells that were hurled a*fc him .to watch the result of the bombs. Down nnc] cVn tho bombs fell, and he saw three of them fall through the roof of the station, the others he lost sight of. Immediately the buildings began to collaps like a pane of cards, which was the forerunner of a large conflagration. His thoughts were abruptly brought buck to earth by tlie renewal of the bom-

bardment from below, so turning his machine round lie climbed into tlie clouds. Here a renewed attack of dizziness overtook him, so feeding in his inner pocket lie pulled out a flask and took a long drink. The strong spirit revived him, and he turned his machine for home. Alter flying for about an hour and a half in m (semi-conscious state, he switched off the engine and dived his machine through the clouds until the ground seemed to rush up to meet hin. Was that his aerodrome down there he wondered vaguely ? A terriiblo sickness overcame him, and his grip on the “joystick’’ relaxed, and he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Here it corned that Providence took a hand in the game, for the machine glided quietly to earth, then caught in a rut and overturned, so that when the ambulannc© mien rushed out it was small wonder that they took the pilot for dead and carried him into the bay. Ho was not dead, however, and in tDc* hands of a capable doctor, who stitched up his wounds for him. lie e/vinced a temporary interest in life—at tlie end of a week to find the Flight Commander standing beside him. “ Hc/.v do you feel. asked the Flight Commander. “I’ve heard all about everything. They seem to have ptpnpred you.” “Y':ys. sir. I thought you said it wasn’t heavily guarded,” came the faint reply.

“That’s just the point, my boy,” continued ihe Flight Commander. “You made a mi stag-9 and destroyed the most important place on the whole front. Tt only three miles from Dixmonde. so I have recommended you to the King for the D S.O. And, by gad! you deservo it.” Osborne smiled faintly, the. effort of srej'oh had been too much for him, and lie lap?ed again into unconsciousness.