“THE PICTURES.”

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1917, Page 4

“THE PICTURES.”

Photography By Plana. (By “ Wings, R.F.C.” “ Hi! Jimmy. Go and get your flying kit sharp ; we’re off to the war again as sooil as possible.” The tall observer, strolling up the path to the mess, turns as he the shout aud inquires amiably, “ What’s ihe racket down, old thing ? Another shoot ? ” “No;’ photography ibis time. Rieliards went up to take our"area yes erday ; the camera jammed when he had oolyidona half, and J’ve got to finish the job. S > hustle up, the machine is all ready, and the C.O panting for us to atari.” Jimmy turns away, with a regretful glance tovyards the mess, murmuring, “ Funny how impatient majors usually are 1 No- time for a drink, I suppose ? ” “ No, not a second,” “ Oh, all right \ What a horrible war it iso ” And he disappears into his hut in search of leather coat, helmet, and goggles. Five miautes later, when they are both seated in the machine and waitingl to start, his rqiod seerna still to be occupied with thought* of nouriabm°ob jo soire form aa he' turns and inquires, “G t any can ha>e some of mine if you havf.nV.” “ Thanks muchly. 1 will! But don’t throw a'l the silver paper in my face as you usually d\ Yesterdiy so much * rubbish came flying past my head i*t oue time that I thought there must be a Hun somewhere shooting chunks off the old machine. ” “You must Larn to put up with these little worries,” replies Jimmy airly. “However, if yon fly nioely I’ll think about it.” The roar of the engine puts a stop to apy further conversation, and soon they skim off the gionnd and start on their job. *** * . * For about half an hour they fail up and down behind on: linesj climbing steadily, both taking a keen ipterest in any movement on the ground bolow. Presently a German machine crosses over to our side at a great height and is at ones surrounded by clouds of smoke from our bursting “Arohies. ’ They look up and watch him, but he finds it too hot for comfort, and, swerving round, gqsß back again, soon fading away in the dim distance. After a wh-l9 Jimmy passes over a note: * Wbat height are we? And the pilot, after scribbling an answer on the back and adding “ Wbat about that chocolate ? ” hands it back. A moment later another scrap of paper changes bands on which v is written,-"Have eaten it all.” The pilot scowls and then smiles sardonically. The machine suddenly begins to roll and wallow in a most disconcerting manner. Jimmy, never a good sailor, stands -it for a few moments, and then thinking it time this sort of thing stopped, put» up his hands, one of them holding a large bar of nut chocolate, while his lips form a soundless cry of ‘ Karoerad.” The pilot receives the peace- fferiug with a grin of satisfaction and the machine proceeds on an even keel. Up to now the flight has been more or less of a joy-ride, but, the machine having reached the necessary height for taking the photograph; l , the begins in earnest. The pilot bauds over a brief note, “Am going over; keep your eyes opeD,” heads the machine towards the lines, and then concentrates his attention on his map and the ground below him. The observer gets np and looks over his machine gun and its mounting to see that all is working smoothly, oed then keeps a sharp watch on the sky all ronnd for hostile aircraft The aeroplane is travelling but slowly, against a strong head wind, so that attacking Huns wi<l have the advantage of swooping on our friends down wind, and how great that advantage is the man an the ground can hardly realise.

The pilot scans the country beneath him carefully,' and, when directly over some landmark that he has chosen from his map as roughly in the centre of the area he wants to take, he releases the shutter. A few swift movements and the exposed plate is changed for a fresh one, which is similarly exposed over the next point. So they gradually work farthor over the lines until nearly all the plates are used. The last two have to be taken over a difficult bit of ground which appears to be nothing more than a few shell marked fields, and the pilot finds it hard to get nay central poiut to fly over. He finally decides on a point where two tracks meet by a hedge, and is manoeuvring, to get cier it, when the German *• Archie’.’.gunners, thinking it tuna '.bey had something to say on the subject, burst four highexplosive shells one after another all round tLe machine. He starts, looks swiftly round, and then banks the machine over, swerving away none too soon from the curlmg balls of smoke. Again he works up towards the chosen spot, twisting aud turning among the bursting “ Archies,” and this time manages to take the photograph successfully. Only oae mors is left, but before there is tim9 to take it Jimmy suddenly jam s on hii seat aud g abs his gun, pointing to a machine tout his appeared, apparently from uowficra, and is diving down on them from the side. There is'a brief stutiering of a machine gun, and the attacker has gone again as suddenly as he appeared, baying no desire t) carry on a prolonged fight since he has failed ip Jha first attempt. \ Jimmy sits down again, and the pilot begins once mcrS to make for his final objective, which is reached without any further edventure except an occasional “ Arohie.” * * * * * At last the job is finished, aud, swinging round, they make for oar lines again. Just as they cross them a shell bursts quite dose, and a seoond later the pilot feels something small and hard graze past his ear. Instinctively his hand goes up, but almost at the same time he sees the grinning face of his observer watching him, aud realises that what he thought was a steel splinter was merely a well-aimed pieoe of silver paper that once covered some of the indispensable chocolate. Ten minutes later thev land again in their aerodro sev and the camera and box of p!a : es are borne away by a waiting mechauio for the latter to be developed ancl printed. “Qiitea nice trip, eh?” rays Jimmy, clambering out of his seat. «I spotted that ‘ Archie ’ battery' firing, and weM get some of their own back for this sometime,” examining a broken strut and torn fabric of one plane. “ Did you really ? Good work. He shall get it hot soma day. Now coma and have some lunoli,” and they stroll off the mess again. # -# * * * Three-quaiters of an hoar later an exultant Jimmy rashes into the anteroom where his pilot is reading ths two days-old paper. “ The C.Oi is horribly backed with your efforos, old maa. Jolly good set of pictures.”