GERMAN 'PLANE WRECKED.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1918, Page 2

GERMAN 'PLANE WRECKED.

XEW ZEALANDER'S experience. Signaller Evcrard AVriglit, of the Brii turps, writes to his parents who reside in Walters Head, Kingsland, a very interesting account of the destruction of a giant German aeroplane. He says: " A few days ago another fellow and myself hud a most exciting hour or so. We were on duty on a signalling station about 3 a.m. The only sound to bo heard was the rolling of the big guns during the big push down south, till we detected a Hun plane in the neighbourhood by the sound of its engine. Of course we blew out the candles and waited for him to pass overhead, but he slopped his engine, and everything became a dead silence. We guessed that something was amiss, but it was a pitch; black night, and wo could see nothing, ! (Before I sav any more 1 will mention that lie was brought down by our aircraft guns.) Wo kept a good look out outside the bivvy, and, although he was forced to laud only 50 yards from us we could not sec a sign of the plane until wc heard them shoutiiig in German. At the same time they jumped out and started firing flares into the body of the machine to sot it on fire, and this t'liev succeeded in doing. At first thoughts on hearing the German talk was our rifles, which were, worse lurk, in a deep dugout olie hutidred yards away, and the plane between us. We quickly made up our minds to go over to the Tommies' dug-out, borrowed some rifles' and ammunition. By the time we got the rifles loaded tiie Huns had fired the plane, and the petrol igniting the plane was lit up like day. Their last duty to Germany done, two of the Huns laid down and awaited their capture, hut the third man made out of it pretty /ast. We had to act verv quickly, so m'v mate crept) out to the Tommies' bivvy a few yards and waited for Fritz to come. I retrained just behind him, and we both had hint covered with our rifles, so he would never have got more than one; shot in with the revolver. What his indentions were in running away I don't know; perhaps ha saw us and was coming oyer to give himself up. When lie got about six yards oil' my mate halted him and i told him to put his hands up. but whether lie understood or not 1 don't know. Anyhow, he still advanced, and we brought him to a standstill by tiring a couple of shots over his head. I think Ihe poor devil very nearly died with fright; he up with his hands and yelled •Kamarad.' As soon as I saw his hands up, while my male covered him with a rifle I felt his pockets for firearms. Wo took him down to his two mates, who had been captured by a couple of artillerymen. The fellow we caught was ail officer and the. other two were privates. We took them down to headquarters and handed them over. The plane did not burn very much after all.. The canvas wings were not all burnt, and. you .could distinguish the cross oil tUouL easily, I never knew there was iuise plftne in existence. I have often huge 'Gothas' which bomb kuW Uy auii I never expected to see oo'i-/ <M-? 'gjjch. exciting circumstances. It {line-.. • engine, five-seated, and - gi—oi the wings was exactly giugflf *4 if course the body of the.jjaiy out, and we did not of the clocks, speedOffimj| j.. d( Mft"' passes, and such —-m,. , ,•* /Jte those. Each clock is vaiirgp-' u-. S. Nevertheless we managed to >• ' .Some souvenirs. The day before thi- (e-ppen--1 wo captured sortie prisoners.''