EPIC OF DARING DEEDS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2960, 26 December 1916, Page 6

EPIC OF DARING DEEDS

WEST AUSTRALIAN SKY HERO

Fremantle (W.A.). Norman Brearly, who was recently awarded iho Military Cross in France, is a son of a well-lmown Perth commercial man. Early jn the year he worked his way home in the engineroom of tho Western' Australia State motor ship, eventually joining the Royal Elying Corps. His first experience m the air was as bomb-dropper in a two-seater aeroplanej but ho was not content until lie was given charge of tho Bristol Soout, the fastest air machine in the service. With this he made an ascent in company with a number of_ others engaged on a bombing excursion over tho German lines. In this engagement ho succeeded in bringing down a Fokker and killing the pilot. His next oxploit was the one which earned for him the Military Cross. In connection with this he has remained almost silent, and even his parents only learnt of his success from an indirect source. On this occasion he brought down a GermanUb'servation balloon.

. Downing a C'asbag. • Writing to a friend he thus describes 1 his exploit"These balloons, which are used by both sides, do a lot of valuable work. After an unsuccessful attempt to destroy one on Saturday afternoon I was badly strafed by' a Hun and came home like smoke, lnen on Sunday morning it was a lovely clear sunny day, and two of us set out on patrol' at 9.15. A Hun aeroplane appeared some distance off, and we gave chase, but one cylinder m one engine was not firing at all, and I was badly left.. The Hun cleared for his life, and when the other scout came back I turned for home ana landed. Our mechanics soon had our machine fixed up. I never unstrapped myself, but set off again a few mintues later. I climbed to 11,500 feet, and crossed over to the Huns' side, with plenty of anti-aircraft shells bursting round, until I was directly oiln balloon, which was still about 3000. feet up. Shutting off iftv engine, I turned the machine over and fell a few hundred feet. I then pulled-her out, and rolled over and over, first one way then tho other, making them believe their 'Archies'' had got me, and that my 'bus was falling out of control, but the wily Hun hauled ' his balloon do™ to ...tho ground, when my aneroid, showed three thousand feet. There was a ioud crackle of machine-guns underneath me, and' I decided then to ran the gauntlet and go right down after the balloon. At 1500 feet I turned the bus into a dive, and, sighting a maon the bag, opened iire with special ammunition, and continued firing untol. I almost collided with the balloon, being then within a hundred feet of the ground. Opening up the ; | engine again I shot up '2000 ft. The en- : gme never'faltered. Looking back I saw the bfg balloon in flames, and in a few seconds, it was totally destroyed. < .1 1 zigzagged for home, and, lean- ' mg over the side, waved to the poor ' tl,lr i J' 8 ' f were trying everything > they knew to persuade me to stop with

At This They Smile. A Jwt help smiling as I .watched the fabric on the wings torn by bullets and saw the oil from my perforated tank go streaming away on the breeze. At 2000 ft. I crossed . the I trenches again, and not many minutes later had perched,safely at the aerodrome.- A crowd of mechanics set to work, and that evening ' my machine niu fi, a ® st ' iiavm 2 been rebuilt, with new. wings, etc., and also ft flew gme ' to ° k ik " P t0 See how

Anyway, that is a story that the papers but everyone seemed to bo so excited about it that I felt in- +£ 6 m - yßel£ for a iow days until things quietened down. That however, was impossible, as a fat old general decorated me on the field with the M.C. riband. For this a huge with in? 5 * 80 tllat 1 ™ i n' f or v Mext performance will be Buckingham Palace/ where the Jung presents the Cross to me for mv ■work done on September 3. But on October 6 the 'Daily Mail' • .was still" alkmg about it, having our ancient name m its leading article." The latest news of this daring young f'™ a p '5 he is at present lying in a Red Cross hospital recovering irom a serious wound in the chest