PRIZE MONEY FOR AIRMEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3182, 5 September 1917, Page 6

PRIZE MONEY FOR AIRMEN

THE NAVY THAT FLIES. Sir Samuel Evans in the Naval Prize Court recently decided that It.N.A.S. airmen who helped in the destruction of the German cruiser Konigsberg in tho Rufigi River, East Africa, were entitled to share with the officers and crew of the monitors -Mersey and Sovern the prize bounty of £1920 for the destruction of the cruiser. ;"' . The airmen, Flight-Commander Harold E. M. Watkins and Flig'ht-Commaiider J. T. Call (the pilots) and Flight Sub-Licu-tenant H. J. Arnold (observer on Commander machine) wore lent to the Navy for these operations. They were on the-books of the monitors as part of the ship's company, but instead of being engaged in'tho vessels they' flew. r Both aeroplanes dropped .bombs on the Konigsberg, but they brpke down. They resumed the attack a few days § later and set the cruiser oh fire. •■ > Sir Samuel said this was the first case he had encountered -where prise bounty was asked on behalf of aeroplanes. Piim bounty was specifically and exclusively for the officers and ship's companies, of His Majesty's ships. How could flying men be included in this description? It was urged that, being on the shin s roll, ■their flights wei'e analogous to the put-ting-off ofithe ship's boats. He would therefore include them ill the prize bouiify. award.