A NEW ZEALAND "ACE"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 36, 6 November 1918, Page 4

A NEW ZEALAND "ACE"

FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT CLARENCE ■UMBERS. , i Mention was made in these columns a few days ago of tlio return to New Zenland on furlough of Might-Lieutenant Clarence Umbers, of Dunedin. The airman was modest as to hie achievements in the Salonika theatre of war, but a friend, also, from the front,- states that Lieutenant Umbel's is a noted performer even auionk the airmon of the Mediterranean. To begin with he is an "ace, J, which is to say that ho has shot to earth five onomy machines. He is a singlehanded machine-gun fighter, and as such took part in tho attack on tho German warships Gooben and another in the Bospliorus, when ouo of the two was sunk as tho result of the bombing given her. But perhaps the most daring feat that lies to his credit and shows the grit and initiative .of the man occurred when ono day ho was flying over the enemy tines, and espied a military railway train pounding along near a, likely landing ground. In a flash he made up his mind to attack the train single-handed. He. swooped to earth, and as tho runners skimmed the ground he opened fire with hie machine-gun. Those in charge of the engino .became panic-stricken and jumped from the cab, leaving tho train to jja on its own. which it did untn it came to a corner wJion it leapt the rails and piled up, by which time Lieutenant Umbers was "aspiring tho clouds," sunitooning the bombing machines to the feast. For this feat Lioutenunt Umbers was given the Meritorious Conduct Medal. 1 Lieutenant Umbers is a member of a well-known family in Dunedin. His father was a fine tenor vocalist and very popular in music circles. When . tho amateurs last played "The Gondoliers" in Dunedin Mr", limbers, 60n.," wns the Marco of fhe cast. A brother of the airman resides in Oriental Bay, and his ejstor-in-luw is Miss Bathie Howio-Stuart, who is playing' the part of Tessa in the current production of "The Gondoliers.' Plight-Lieutenant Umbers will return to Wollinpion before- leaving again for the front,