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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0484.PDF
MAY 2, 1918, a frc to th t THERE appears to be some chance, in spite of the officialannouncement, that Commander Brock may still survive as a prisoner of war. It is to be hoped therefore that hemay some day be able to receive the greeting in this country which should await his safe return. Fromsurvivors it has transpired that Commander Brock led the storming party on to the Mole, dropping a dozen or more feetto come to close grips with the foe, who were protected in an enclosure guarded liberally by barbed wire. This wasstormed, and Commander Brock, using his fists, made his way to a gun, and almost single-handed, accounted for thecrew. The gun was captured, and put out of action, and then Commander Brock attacked another gun's crew, cheeringhis men all the while. Just before the "Vindictive's " syren sounded the signal of recall Commander Brock was seenremoving one of the locks of the gun, but a moment or two later he was wounded by a shot from a German destroyer.When last seen he was being watched over by two marines, who insisted on remaining to support the wounded officer.A truly British Story. ... ............ .ia,,. . .• So our faithful dog friends are to be annihilated by officialstarvation on the allegation that dogs are unnecessary war luxuries. It hardly seems possible that things will go so faras that. If an object lesson were needed to condemn such a proceeding it is to be found in the following " battle picture "by an eyewitness from the recent Soinme fighting:— " Although wounded in the head—•shells bursting every-where—and starting to make his way towards the dressing station (his N.C.O. after him for orders), he turned andcame back. It was to find the little dog he had rescued five days before nearly dead with fright, and which hadstuck to him all through the ' warmest ' places ever since. The next I saw of him was with a blood-stained rag round hishead and the blessed pup tucked under his arm going off rather uncertainly to have his wound dressed, and after that,I hear, he walked five miles to headquarters to report before being conveyed down to the base hospital, where he now lies." LET this action carry its own warning and moral. Picturethe return presently of fighting men of this stamp—and there are thousands of them—when they arrive home to find their...dearly loved old pals officially starved out during their absence fighting the nation's battles ! We fancy official stay-at-homesresponsible for the dastardly and unnecessary deed would find their position anything but an envious one. Why not getrid of a few thousand of the undesirable Huns, still resident amongst us, and turn over their portions to the " friend ofman." Nobody can credit the Hun with such a title. VERY nearly 15 to 1 is no bad record in bomb-dropping.The figures published by the Air Ministry for March in this connection carry even more comforting reflections than themere enormous percentage in favour of British aircraft as it is noted that no less than 23,099 of the total 36,179 bombsdropped by us during the month were let go against the enemy by daylight, compared with the 517 dropped during the dayby the enemy. The Huns have little stomach for facing the music by the light of day, except in massed form. THERE is a paper down at Sedalia, Mo., U.S.A., which enjoysthe services of a resourceful reporter. This thoughtful American has reckoned out that enough hardware goes intothe average aeroplane to :— Nail 2,163 shingles on a roof ; screw down the coffin lidon one thousand Germans (The provident mind, you see !) ; hang the kitchen with 65 lbs. of "aluminium"; wire a thirdof a mile of three-strand fence ; put down 24 square feet of spruce flooring on the porch, and five feet of pine on thechicken coop, three feet of ash on the dog house, and still have a few things over, such as 798 forgings and 921 steel stampings-and turnbuckles for the " junk man." CONSISTENCY is about the last thing in the world that theaverage Irishmen bothers his head about, without perhaps it bs to quarrel with everything and everybody. A goodinstance of the sort is the case of the 600 men odd who have bsen employed on the building of an aerodrome in Irelandand took part in the labour strike against conscription of Tuesday last week, and remained idle for the day. Five orsix men from the North of Ireland refused to join in the strike, and continued at work. When the others returned on British Official.THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE ON THE WESTERN FRONT IN FRANCE.—R.A.F. scouts ready to start away on a "stunt." , . ,.-., . ._ ; ,>:~. 482
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