A WAR INCIDENT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1929, Page 2

A WAR INCIDENT

WARNEFORD’S ZBPP.KLTN. When. Flight Sub-Lieutentant R. A. J. Warneford, of the Royal Naval Air Service, sent a Zeppelin flaming to tbe ground near Gliente, in Belgium, on June 7, 1915, Britain was thrilled as it was scarcely any other individual feat of the war. Young Warneford—lie was only 24 —was attached to No. 1 Naval Aeroplane Squadron. He started at 1 a.m. from the aeroplane at Fumes, not far from the Belgian coast, in a Moran monoplane, armed with six 2011■bombs. He bad orders to look for Zeppelins and to attack an airship shod near Brussels. Olny five minutes later, while he was passing over Dixmude, lie observed a Zeppelin, apparently above Osfend. an at once proceeded to give chase. After a pursuit of three quarters of an hour lie drew close to it. near Bruges, at 1.50., a.in. The air ship opened heavy machine-gun fire and be retreated to gain height—the 'Zeppelin following. At 2.15., a.in. the airship apparently stopped firing, and 10 minutes later Warneford, sticking to bis prey flew up a height of 11,000 ft. He then switched off his engine, and swooped down tc the 600 ft. long craft, moving through the gloom beneath. The next few moments cannot be described better than by the simple words of his own report. He stated: When close above him at 7,0(X1ft., .1 dropped my bombs, and while releasing the last, there was an explosion which lifted my machine and turned it over. The aeroplane was out of control for a short period, but went into a nose dive and the control was regained. I then saw that tbe Zeppelin was on tbe ground in liames, and also that there were pieces of something burning all the way down. A damaged petrol pipe forced him to come down almost at once in enemy territory. Tie landed behind tbe finest, repaired the trouble, and apparently unobserved started off and crossed the lines successfully. On the next day the King awarded him the Victorian Cross by telegram. Not long afterwards lie was killed in a flying accident near Paris.