HERO OF MANY FIGHTS.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 October 1917, Page 2

HERO OF MANY FIGHTS.

A RECORD 'AND ITS RECOGNITION LONDON, October 24. Captain A. Coningham, E.F.C., (Wellington)., is now the dual holder of the D.S.O, and the M.C., and is to be invested with both- at Buckingham Palace next week. He has seen nine months service in France, he has recent official record of 10 enemy machines in 14 days; he has been lately mentioned in French Army Orders four times in the space of a fortnight, and between July 12-30 he was in GO air combats, and on five of the days the weather was bad. The intimation of the bestowal of the D. 5.0., and the M.C., reached Captain Coningham whiie he was in the New Zealand Hospital at Hazebruek, recovering from wounds received in a thrilling air fight on the evening of July 30. On July 31 Captain Coningham was due to have his leave, but on the previous evening he started off on a "joy ride" as a preliminary to his furlough He was in a single-seater, scouting machine, aad was accompanied by two other airmen in similar machines, one being 2nd-Licutenant A. W. Gordon, R.F.C., (Auckland), who arrived Home in March, and Lieutenant Wells, an Australian.

There-were no Huns about and nothing had been doing during the day, which had been very cloudy. The Mens went out shortly before 7 p.m., and at 6000 ft. up Captain Coningham recognised, coming through a cloud bank 1000 ft. below, five German aeroplanes, commanded by Wolf, one of the "crack" enemy airmen—our men have means of knowing the circus leader of the enemy, but the means of recognition is not for the enlightenment of the uninitiated, though one may say a "circus" consists of 30 machines, and its leader is a man who has thoroughly earned its command. jSufhee it to say that Wolf was the leader of this little squadron. YOUNG GORDON'S LOSS. Diving down on the enemy Captain Ccningham quickly accounted, for one of the five, and he fell out of action. As luck would have it, Wells could do nothing because his gun jambed at 6000 ft. so he was completely out of the fight. While Coningham took on one of the enemy, the other four machines, began to mount and get above him, and very soon, Gordon was hit, He was at a disadvantage, inasmuch as hp'Miad not previously met a Hun in the air and did not realise that it was a case then of two against five. There was no means of Eis receiving the information as one cannot communicate with another. Instead at th? outset, of tackling an enemy machine he followed Coningham, to join what lie took for friends, and the consequence was he was surrounded, while enemy missiles were aimed at him. The sequel for him was two legs broken. Ho remains in hospital in France, full of spirit and very happy. No enemy machines had been seen during the day and the newcomer was, therefore, very unsuspecting.

FOUR TO ONE. To return to Captain Coningham. Loft with four enemy machines mounting higher than himself, he set about to tackle them, and at the same time to help his friend, Gordon. At 5000 ft, he was twice hit at the back of the head but was saved serious injury by bending forward, and other shot's, passed over him. The hits were sufficient, however, to cause temporary unconsciousness, and his machine fell from 5000 ft. to 2500 ft. At this height he recovered command, and set about "going for" the enemy aeroplanes, In a short space he accounted for one of the four, and he succeeded in driving off the remaining three. By now hits he received were rather troublesome, and he then thought about landing which he did safely with his friend. It was a thrilling little fight and quite unlooked for and ilt upshot was the* dismissal of 'two enemy machines. "Nerves," "said Captain Coningham "there wouldn't be any if the flying men would only try to sec the funny side. For even the most exciting fight possesses amusing' incidents. I was laughing nearly all the time I had the four Germans tackling me, and poping at me from all directions."

Certainly now he seems in very good form, though the wounds at the back of his head are still pronounced. Anyhow, Captain Coningham has a month's respite new from the scene of activity after nine months' duty in France, in/ stead of the accustomed six. The incident, even shorn of sundry little details that one is debarred from mentioning, takes some time to tell. But it was all over in the space of minutes, less than half an hour having elapsed from the ascent of the three friends till the time of their return. To date we have not been taken into the confidence of the authorities who bestow awards, and Captain Coningham does not know of any specific deed which the D. 5.0.. is the outcome. Himagines the 3M;C. to be the recognition

of patrol work on July 22, when he knocked out three hostile planes within an hour General Longcroft, has recommended his promotion, to squadron. commmander, who distinguished mark is the crown. It was July 1916, that Captain Coningham began training for the R.F.C. at Beading. Fomerly of the X.Z.E.F, he was discharged in New Zealand after Gallipoli and came to London for further service