A HERO OF THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 4

A HERO OF THE AIR

LIEUT. A. DE B. BRANDON'S EXPLOIT. Lieut. A. de Bathe Brandon, of Wellington, ivho achieved fame in England by pursuing and damaging a raiding Zeppelin on the night of March 31, hai been lionised in the London Press. Th< London "Daily Mirror" of April 3 de> votes its front page illustrations to thi Wellington airman, depicting young Brandon in his flying kit. Beneath the appears the following particulars:— "Lieut. Brandon (R.I'.C.) on rising to (MOOft., at p.m., saw a Zeppeliu about 30110 ft. abovo him. At' SOOOit. lie . got over it and attacked, dropping several bombs, three of which he believes took effect. At 10 p.m. lie got over the airship again, and let off two more bombs over her nose. His own machino was hit many times by machine-gun bullets. This may have bce:i the Zeppelin which dropped tho machine-gun, ammunition, petrol tank, and machinery, or possibly that which came down off the Thames estuary. Lieut. Brandon learnt to fly at tho Hall Aviation School at Hendon last year, ami has therefore'not had to wait long for an opportunity to put his skill to his country's service. It was well known among his associates that his one desire was to have, as he put it, ( a smack at the "Zepps"' before he went to the front. His opportunity came ou Vridaj night, and he seized it, going up and engaging the enemy single-handed. He returned safe and sound."

"ifambler," writing in the same paper, Biiiil: "Mr. .Laurence Hall told me soma interesting details yesterday about Lieut. Brandon. He wrote to Mr. Hall from New Zealand and said he was coming to England to learn to fly. Then he arrived, ami Mr. Hall found him a most taciturn person, ile'hnd nothing to soy for himself or about anybody else, and he learnt to fly—very, very slowly."