REMARKABLE CAREER

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 196, 14 May 1919, Page 3

REMARKABLE CAREER

*- FLYING OFFICER'S ADVENTURES IN GERMANY "■ESCAPES.ON EIGHTH ATTEMPT To "make no fewer than seven unsuccessful attempts to esovpo from prison camps in Germany, and then to try and succeed was tho experience of Lieutenant Edgar Garland, Eoyal Air Force, eldest son of Mr. F. L. Garland, of Oriental Bay. At the present time', Lieutenant Garland is attached to the British Copiniisison in New York as Deputy-Assistant. Provost Marshal, and is also vice-president and manager of tho Aeronautical Instrument 'Company• of : New York.' .

Early in 1916 Lieutenant Garland joined tho Hying-School of Walsh Bros, in Auckland. andwas.ono of the first four to pass the. tests, and to sail for England undor orders of tho New Zealand military authorities. Ho,left this coun- , try in October, 191G, for England, where he attended a number of flying schools for further instruction,, and in 1917 ho was sent to France for duty with the Air Force. It was whilst he was flying at a height of 20,000 ft. above Ypres in August, 1917, that too 'Experienced engine trouble, which necessitated a forced land, ins in.enemy country. . ,' ' . His glide,to terra firma.brought him to Qstend beach, where he v was-quickly taken prisoner. Possibly for tlie reason, that Lieutenant Garland could speak the German tongue -he was treated ■ exceedingly well. ' "Even when 'ten miles "behind the German front line I was given yery good quarters, a,nd was. provided 1 with proper bedding, au'd the Hun alyr&je addressed mo as 'Sir,'" he writes.

From immediately behind the line Lieutenant Garland was drafted to different prison \camps' nt. various, times, and in all was a guest at no fewer than twelve of them. , Hβ never permitted an opportunity to pass whereby ho- could make-an attempt to escape.- Aided'by his knowledge of German, he was soon able to gather considerable information respecting the particular parts of the country he wa3 located in, and also the regulations respecting the guarding of the oamps. ■' ' , . '... .. ~...'■ In recent letters home •he gives brief accounts of his escapades, and in one'ire-. <!drd3 "one thing that I found out in Germany was that the only'true friend a colonial..has. is'ah.lrishman or. a Scotchman—they weTo great company." "Ever, since I was in. Germany I never, had a single article stolen from me by the Germans, although they 'were.star.v-, ing themselves and.had every.opportunity to steal. We were accommodated in splendid buildings, and were.ftike'ri to the public swimming baths daily. Of course there is the tragic, side in Germanyrr. ■ prisoners wort in the coal mines and! are similarly, employed in Belgium,- wheremany of them, died of'starvation before the .parcels, arrived." "' ' ■

With regard to his attempts to escape,; Lieutenant _Gariaml "I escaped; from Dulnien.with, an English Tommy's uniform underneath' my German disguise.'.'.J . impersonated an English Tommy, whoso name and particulars I had and who was. reported as missing arid unaccounted for. I'also impersonated a German officer, d 'Landstrpm solvdier, and a Dutchman,, from Maastricht,, in Holland, near the Belgian frontier. _ "I once walked through • the main streets of Cologne, "past the German officers and 6oldiers, and through a garrison town whera a German Headquarters Staff was quartered, and even passed their motor-cars on, the roadside with, their headlights shining on-me. Where I crossed the, German frontier into Holland ten Russian eoldiers were shot the night before. This was told to me by a kindhearted Dutch farmer who took me' into his house at four o'clock in the morning.

"I walked over 100 miles by night and always' slopt during 'the day.. My feet were absolutely done for could hardly Btand when.l reached Holland. To get to Rotterdam, where I could walk around free and without the feeling of being a fugitive, was a sensation I will, never 'forget, and' then two days later to be back again in London." : ; ,;. Commenting on the German, officers generally Lieutenant Garland states that "tho only:'mari.l.really'wantjtojsee dead J6 tHe'rav'irig.lunatio'Hefr Hifpmann Nie- ■ meyor, who, will probably..bo'.murdered by the German lie also refers..to General von 'Hauich.'in-tones of.contempt; . : ... '• "When I escaped from Hosepe to Holland I had terrible hard luck to.be'recaptureil. I was overjoyed as I was stepping into Hollnad tinning I was a ' . free man. .My liberty, however, v/as '.*li6rt-livcd'. -As I was' making in the direction of Eustedo I walked right into ; a German sentry, and I am. lucky, to be : . alive to-day. I had crawled across coun- ; try for a distance' of three miles, taking : About four hours. On' this particular i journey I walked for eight nights, and Bwam the big jiver Ems;.at.three o'clock in the morning." ,"' ' ■. .After swimming this , river: Lien tenant Garland'lost his direction, and while he thought he waa making in the direction ' 'of Holland he "was in Teality veering in the direction of Germany and his prison canip. Ho walked out of-three prison 1 camps disguised, as a German soldier.The sentries never recognised his accent when he spoke. He mentions his most wonder- : ful eScapo' as being from the centre of - : Cologne, near the Cathedral, and as far ' as he was aware he'was tlie only one to • • get clear away. He also on another occasion escaped from the famousHolzminden ' tunnel, through"which twetity'-nine other ' officers made their escape." ' '• Lieutenant Garland's eighth attempt, to escape brought him into Holland just prior to the signing of the armistice. He ; was soon repatriated to England, where i he reported his experiences to the-War • 'Office,:.and. wis '.subsequently "given six. mouths' loavo of absence. He sailed for New Zealand via America early this year, ; and whilst passing through New York .'■ he met Mr. Henry Woodhonse, president : of-the Aero Club, who immediately bc- '. camo interested in his experiences. Following this he was offered several' posi- ,' tions, and eventually accepted -that-, ot ; vice-president and manager of the Aeronautical Instrunient Company '.ot America, which is establishing a large flying school for commercial flying. Hie; appointment to this position was-recently confirmed by cable. ' ■■■■ ; ••' Lieutenant' Garland also writes' of having; taken part in the Liberty Loan flight recently, distributing pamphlets all. over : the principal cities of the States. In • e, 'very recent letter he refers to an .in-' : ventionof liis, to lie attached to the engino of ~an aeroplane_ for -the ; production of music. It is claimed thit , the music can bo heard from a height of 10,000 ft. In this connection it is proposed to engage aeroplanes k> ily over the cities ■:■ playing the latest music nnd dropping pamphlets containing a couple of bare .of ; the selection. It is talked of as a music- ■: advertising scheme. > ■ ■ . = • '■':.; STRENGTH .. ,: AND HOW TO GAIN IT. - INSTBiU) OF EXERCISES, PATENT ; FOODS, AND MEDICINES, TAKE PHOSPHATE WITH 10011 MEALS. The demand to-day is for men and ■. women who aro strong in every senso of the woid—possessing tlie physical strougtli : neccssaiy to enduro hardships and fatigue; the mental to grapple '._ with difficult problems; the nervous iorce • : which endows the body with vigour and .;' vitality; tho will poiVLT to'triumph, over ; adversity and turn defeat into victory. But such glorious strength is impossible ho long as your nerves are weak and exhausted, and, therefore if you would bo ■ really strong you must first care for your nerves. Weak, exhausted nerves need food, and it has been proved in numberless eases that tho only food element they can or will absorb readily and naturally is phosphiito in the well-known form of bitro-phosphato, which most chemists stock in 5-gr. compressed tablets, so that if you feel your strength is failing from any cause, you shoiiltl get a supply of • these bitro-phosphnto tablets uiid take one with every mcul. Practically all Df tho minor ailments iifflicting mankind, , ns well as many of tho moro serious maladies, can bo traced to nervous ex's hanstion'and lowered vitality, and prob- ; ably this explains why sucli a remark- % 'able improvement in tho general health is invariably nol.ice;iblo when bitrophosphnto is taken a§ directed, and tlie , nerves are thereby revitalised and n. ade Btrong.—Advt. .