"ACE OF ACES"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 8

"ACE OF ACES"

LATE MAJOR MANNOCK TOLD BY THE K£W ZEALAND " ACE" Fwniantle, July 22. According to Major ii. L. Caldwell, M.C., D.F.C. act! bar,'erf the l*e>v Zea-land-Flying Corps, who i 6 roturning by the Bremen, ths iate Major Mannock, who was awarded tho Victoria Cross a couple of days age, brought down no feww than 73 Huns.

This number was confirmed by tho authorities, and was not 50, as stated in a cablegram.

Major Caldwell said he had flown with Captain Mannock, and regarded him as the vary "ace of aces."

"Yes, that is so," here remarked an. other New Zealand flying officer who was present.

" "On one occasion, while I wa» nut nn patrol with him, he shot a Hun observer in order that I might got uiy first machine.

"He was always doing such unselfish and .sportsmanlike actions, and lie could probably 'have accounted for considerably over 100 Huns had jhe thought more of himself. In all he brought down the amazing total of 73 enemy 'planes, but was reluctant to appear in tho limelight. "Ho never received any honour for his deeds until after hie death in action. It is understood that he was seen descending ill flames near St. Flories. He' was commanding No. 73 Squadron, comprising 19. 'planes, and his 6quadrou is said to have accounted for 223 German aeroplanes in nine months, with only fifteen casualties."

Major Caldwell, who is known as the New Zealand ace, gained his M.C. for bringing down the first five enemy machines, and altogether is officially credited with the destruction of 21 Boclie machines, while three others were seen descending out of control, but were not officially recognised as bagged. He had a rather oxcitmg experience a few before the signing of the armistice, and it was only by a narrow margin he escnped death. He was flying over No Man's Land when he met in collision Flight-Commander Carlin, whose machine's tail was torn off.

Carlin landed behind the lines 6afely, but Major Caldwell was not 60 fortunate, for tho wing of his machine was torn off, and it was only his quick resource which saved his life. He manned to get off ljis seat and balance himself on the remaining struts of the wing in an attempt to maintain tho aeroplane's equilibrium.

Ho was rushed earthwards at. tho rate of about 140 miles an hour, and he finally landed just behind the British lines, his machine being dashed to pieces, wliilo ha himself only avoided disaster by jumping tp earth at an opportune-moment. JDuring his service ho had been six times shot down by hostile machines, but on each occasion managed to land within the lines, and tseapo practically unhurt. On ono occasion his aggressor was a German named Voss, a crack Hun airman, who was born in Australia. On a later oocasion he had the satisfaction of seeing his victor brought down in flames. One of his most perilous stunts was when, with live comrades, he was engfltforl l>v 21 Germans ten miles behind the enomy lines. The fight 'began at a height of 17,000 feet, and concluded at 6000 feet.

On this occasion Carlin, after doing some particularly tina fighting, was sent crashing to earth, where he wna made a captive by the Huns. Several enemy machines were destroyed, and the four remaining intrepid Britishers, after a nerveracking fight against overwhf'.toiing odds, managed to reach the British lines with their machines practically in ribbons. Again lie was in a scrap in which fivo British machines tackled eight, enemy planes, of whicli they accounted for seven. Captain Mannock was with them on this occasion, and of tho seven he accounted for three.

"There ifi rf derannd among the workin/,' elnsscs just now for new minima—a minimum wage and a minimum standard of home," says Lord Haldauo. "But there is a third minimum which is quite as important, and that is tho minimum of knowledge; not merely abstract exact knowledge, such as is obtained in the sci'.ool. but tl/e knowledge of quality. As a rule the educated man does not drink, does not take bad wages, and docs not live in a slum. The exceptions are only those that prove the rule. So that the Question of education is at tho root of tho sooial trouble, and tho question of how to make education available to those who may have been deprived bv accident of its benefits will bo one of the principal objects of the Workers' Association for Adult Education." Two Dutch aviators who had been on a commission to England each mndo the return journey from Felisstowo to Texel in a flying boat piloted by a R.A.F. offiotr.