PILOT AND OBSERVER

Hokitika Guardian, 18 December 1930, Page 7

PILOT AND OBSERVER

An interesting reunion of a wartime .pilot and his observer who, alter a thrilling campaign in Palestine, had not met since they were released I'iom 'a Turkish prison camp in 1918, took place in Auckland. The pilot is Captain F. W. Haig, the Australian airman who is accompanying Mr Oscar Garden through New Zealand, and the observer is Mr V. Parkinson, of Auckland. On learning that Captain Haig, of whom he had heard nothing during the past 12 years, was coming to New Zealand with Mr Garden, Mr Parkinson sent a wireless message to him on board the IJlimoroa and the meeting was arranged. Mr Parkinson was the first person to greet Captain Haig as he stepped from his Moth at Mangere. It was quite a commonplace greeting and there was nothing in the hearty handshake and mutual remark, “It’s-good to see you again, old man,” to indicate that noth, those men had shared stirring incidents of the war. Both were members of the Australian Air Force, Mr Parkinson, although an Aucklander by birth, having enlisted-n 1 the Commonwealth. After having served in Palestine for some time. as Captain Haig’s observer, lie was transferred early in 1918 to another unit. Not long afterwards during a bombing raid the bombing planes were attacked by enemy scouts, and in the combat Mr Parkinson’s pilot was shot dead. Th e plane .crashed behind the enemy lines and Mr Parkinson was badly injured and taken prisoner. A few months later while on dawn patrol between Aman and the Jordan Valley Captain Haig was captured under exciting circumstances and ultimately taken to the same prison camp near Constantinople to which Mr Parkinson had been sent fiom hospital. During His last patrol Captain Haig encountered three German scours and in the ensuing combat bis observer, Clinllener, forced one down. In the meantime an escort machine piloted bv Captain Rutherford received a bullet through its petrol tanks and was forced to land in enemy territory. The other two German machines having withdrawn, Captain TT aig landed his Bristol fighter in an j attempt to rescue his companions who clambered on to the plane, one on each wing, but a. wheel which had nrohalvlv Keen struck bv an enemy bullet collapsed and the plane was wrecked. After an exciting time eluding seine Circassian soldiem they were captured by Turks and eventually imprisoned at Constantinople, where Captain Haig found Mr Parkinson. They re mained there for about- sis months.