Six Planes in a Day

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 June 1918, Page 4

Six Planes in a Day

BOY AIRMAN'S FEAT. Captain John I. Trollope, 8.F.C., who is reported missing,' holds the record for the number of Hun airmen brought down.in one day. The late Captain Ball, V.C., once'accounted for live, but Captain Trollope, who is only 20, on the third day of the great battle, shot down six. ' . This is his own account in a letter to his mother:— . _ \ To-day has been the most wonderful day of my life. I myself have destroyed six Hun machines. Three this morning and three this afternoon. The J :irst this morning' I -shot to picces and . broke up in mid-air. The second -yvent .io.-.n in ilam'cy (both of these were :.\vo seaters)^ "The third v.as a single-seater, which ent down in a spin and was seen to :rash. Then this'afternoon I attacked t.vo-scator, which exploded in mid-ai;-.:ii fell to. pieces. Then I sav. T two twe | •v.t-TS doing contact patrol.> They -:io about 50ft'up, and I crashed bot' he.se-. , Then I saw a brother officei «• my flig'it being attacked bv 11' i'lins. I tvent up to him and lei him •;et away. I ran out of ammunition • •>< hnd 1 returr >' Ta..-- uteautz- io :» .son of the late \ \V: "''voilopa, of Banstead, Sui . ivy. He v. as educated at Banstead Hal! and Malvern College. When war broke out ho joined up as a despatch-rider. He was invalided home, and in June, 1916 joined the B.F.C. So rapid was his pre gross that lie was flying in France i" September. In !JTare>i 1917, hp war ;iga:n invalid.?:!, but returned to th» rwut in January fast. Between then i:d March 2S, when he failed to return ~.'.e destroyed IS enemy machines. . The day before he "bagged" six he attacked an enemy tw6-scate'r over the British lines, anc! drove it down practically intact. Captain Trollope was last seen fighting hard with enemy machines. .A strong westerly wind was blowing, and it is hoped he made a safe landing and is now a prisoner.