THE HERO OF CUXHAVEN

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 26, 1 April 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HERO OF CUXHAVEN

WHAT COMMANDER HEWLETT OWES TO HIS MOTHER. " I am delighted and greatly relieved to hear that you are safe," said King George, in his recent telegram to Flight-Commander Hewlett, the hero of the Cuxhaven air raid, and these words expressed the sentiments of the whole country. Everyone was pleased to hear that the young aviator had been rescued from a watery grave by a trawler, especially for the sake of his mother, the plucky lady aviator who taught her son to fly after mastering the difficult art of aviation herself. Commander Hewlett owe" much of his skill as an aviator to to his mother. In the early days of flying, when machines were roughly an d insecurely constructed, and little was known of the dangers of aircurrents and wind-eddies which lurked in the upper atmosphere, she took her nineteen-year-old son aloft and taught him to handle an unwieldy French biplane which resembled a monstrous boxkite Mother and son had several narrow ceapes from disaster when air-ciir-rents tossed their frail mount to and fro like a shuttlecock, but young Hewlett proved a plucky pupil and speedily learut to fly as cleverly as his mother. MRS. HEWLETT'S PROPHECY. It must have required great courage on tha part of Mrs. Hewlett to train her onlv son in the dangerous art of aviation, but she has' firm beliefs in the future of the science. Immediately flying spring into being she determined to devote her life to aviation. She was the first lady to take a flying certificate in England, and some time ago, in partaershlp with Mr. Gustav Blondeau, a distinguished French engineer, she founded an aeroplane factory. Mrs. Hewlett lias the greatest confidence in the aeroplane as a military machine. During an interesting interview with the writer recently she said: i prophesied five years ago that aviation would revolutionise warfare, and no one believed me at the time and laughed at me for exaggerating; but now I think my wordt have proved true, tor *ar is a far more complicated thing now that it is waged in the air as well as on land and sea " The latter assertion was ce«tainly pioved correct by the Cuxhaven raid. in which Commander Hewlett played so heroic a part. The affair was a complicated piece of strategy m which submarines, Zeppelins, warships and seapknes were pitted against one another in a unique struggle unparralleledMnrshHoewlett also told the writer that '• airships would do little in the war compared with aeroplanes which are far cheaper, more manageable, and more easily hidden." Here again, a Sent experience of Commander Hewlett proved this claim to be correct When flving out from Cuxhaven after dropping" his bombs the young aviator was icllowed by a Zeppelin He showed h contempt for the Kaisers airship bv flying alongs de it, and the occupants of the machine were unable w harm him. Had he been accompanied byTpassenger operating a machine-gun the Zeppelin would have been a simple mark, and could ha-e been destroyed with ease.