GUYN EMER AVENGED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 19, 17 October 1917, Page 5

GUYN EMER AVENGED

ASSAILANT SHOT DOWN. London, October 15. Lieutenant Fonck, a comrade of Captain Guynemer, the famous airman, avengou Guynemcr's death on September ;)0, when he shot down Wissman, the German who drowned Guynemer. Lieutenant Fonck escaped the Gorman's first rush bv clever manoeuvring, and behind the Germans, and snot Wissman in the head. The German machine fell, and Wissman's observer was also killed. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

"THE ACE OF FRANCE." Georges Guynemer, the young French pilot who brought down over 50 of the enemy's aeroplanes before meeting hi» death off Dunkirk, was a delicate lad of nineteen, whose education had been interrupted more than, once by ill-health. Ho was eager to volunteer at the outbreak of war, and was five limes rejected before he contrived to enter a training school for engineers. A few months later, "by a miracle," lie wis permitted to transfer to the aviation branch of the service. Since that time he lias accounted for some seventy enemies and destroyed at least a million francs' worth of «,nemy machines. Ho qualified ;:s a pilot in March, 1915. au<! in the following June joined the famous "Stork Squadron," which was already a squadron of specialists. A characteristic little story is "told of one of his enrly flights. A photographic reconnaissance had. Ken successfully completed, and his machine was the object of special attention from enemy anti-aircraft batteries. His observer 6igned to him that they might now go home. The pilot's reply was to .hand over his own private camera fnd request his companion to secure a few records of the bursting shells! It was in July, 1915, that he brought down liis first enemy, after his observer had been twice wounded and his machine-gnn damaged in a. thrilling ten-minute action, during which the rival planes vers only fifteen yards apart. This feat gained him his first decoration, tho I Modaille Hilitaire. From that day on- | wards his victims have averaged nearly | one a fortnight. He has several times brought down two, and on at least one occasion three, in a single day. There is space for only a single example. On September 23, 1916, pcrceiving a. comrade engaged with no fewer than five Germans, he went to tho rescue. Two enemies did not nwait hiin; two were brought down in flames by his machinegun within thirty seconds. The remaining machine fled, but was pursued, and two minutes later was blown to pieoes m mid-air. Guynemer received his captaincy in. February. 1917, and on May 1, 1917. was decorated with the Croix tie Guerre with twenty-two palms. He is known to his countrymen is "l as des as"—the almost untranslatable title lo which "Punch" lately introduced us. BADGES FOR WAR SERVICE CHEVRONS TO BE ISSUED BY THE WAR OFFICE. (Ree. October 16, 8 p.m.) London, October 15. Tho Press Bureau states': "The War OlEce is arranging for the issue of a red chevron for officers and soldiers who entered the theatre of war in 1914, and a blue chevron i'or those who entered subsequently, with an blue chevron for each year of service. This will ensure a special distinctive inaik foi those who served in the overseas' war theatres."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.