EXCITING ADVENTURES IN AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3032, 20 March 1917, Page 6

EXCITING ADVENTURES IN AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

A "RHINO "AND A MOTOR CYCLIST Sdnie of the exciting adventures and, incidentally, the. »rc» value of a squadron of the Haviu Flying Corps in the campaign in East Africa, are described in a long message by Reuter 8 Special Correspondent with the forces fighting there. "The corps has been of the greatest use from a military point of view," ho writes. "Indeed, without it the campaign must have been-very greatly'prolonged. From the occupation of Moschi to the. enomys final retreat from Kane, the airmen ■were busy bombing, observing, and reconnoitring. During June bombing operations were carried pn with'great activity. The Intelligence Department put on record the fact that the moral and actual effect of our bomb raids were invaluable in destroying the moral of'the enemy. During July the main bodv lay at Msiha, under the falling shell fire of the enemy, and it was with sheer delight that we witnessed the air raids upou his camn at R-uhungu. Men who had spent the day in their dug-outs swarmed on to the hill sides to watch the smashing blows of-the great 1001b. bombs, and hear the dull reverberation of tho explosions, while the enemy camp became enveloped slowly in great clouds of dust and ' smoke. The pic-, ture had its reverse side. The air raids inflicted heavy loss upon the enemy's infantry, but as soon as the planes had disappeared the enemy manned his guns and took it out of us.

It was in July that tho pilot T —- experienced a forced landing, the crash rendering him unconscious. When he came to he found in the neighbouring kraal anative who spoke English, and with this man's assistance was able to get to Handeni ( but the native: paid dearly for his simple act of kindness, for a German patrol visited his Kraal afterwords and hanged him, together with three of his companions. In •August one of the squadron motorcyclists; dashing along the road with a dispatch, became suddenly aware of a rhinoceros, who bore down upon him, passing close behind him. The cycliat made the best of. his time, up the road, hut his machine was not in good order. The sand w:jj) thick, # . and the rhino began to gain iipon him. An exciting chase ensued, which resulted, in the cyclist abandoning the cycle to its fate, and hiding "himself in the long grass. Tho cycle.was going on low gear, and in nil probability tho fumes ■from the petrol and its curious antics prevented the rhino scenting the cyclist and riveted his attention, for he spent some time in cautious examination of this new inhabitant of the jungle; then he trotted off, and our friend the cyclist attempted to regain possession of his machine. To his horror, he perceived the rhino returning, and again fled to coyer. However, the great beast, which showed signs of having'been wounded,- disappeared, and as his machino was broken tho cyclist had to make his way to camp on foot, passing another bicycle which had been trampled out of all semblance of ■ a machine by this enraged animal. Its owner was nowhero to ho seen.