Air Stories, April 1936 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AIR STORIES I was forced to make a similar admis- sion. ‘‘ But I am morally certain, sir,’’ I added earnestly, ‘‘ that it was Moldred who fired the first burst.’’ The C.O.’s frown deepened. ‘‘ To be ‘morally certain,’ Trevelyan, is not enough. Either you saw who fired the first shot or you did not. Well?’ ‘*T did not, sir.’ — The C.O. glanced round. ‘‘ Can any- one else give any information? ’’ No one could. The Major turned his eyes gravely on the Hon. Charles Edward. ‘‘Now, Sergeant Westringham, you have heard this charge of attempted murder that Lieutenant Moldred brings against you. What have you to say? Did you, or did you not, launch this dastardly attack on him ? ”’ All eyes turned to the calm face of the Hon. Charles Edward, who had stepped forward and was now stand- ing at attention before the desk. ‘¢Emphatically I did not, sir,’’ he answered in a clear voice. ‘‘ When I opened fire on Lieutenant Moldred, it was solely in self-preservation. Had I not replied to his burst and joined combat with him, I should not be standing here now. I am aware that I cannot prove that he was the first to attack, and I am aware that I am equally unable to prove the further accusations that I am now going to make. None the less, I intend to make them.”’ HE ‘audience strained forward : ‘* further accusations !|’’ What was this? They were agog to know what was coming. But the C.O.’s pencil tapped impatiently on the desk. ‘‘It will do you no good, Sergeant Westringham, to bring forward irrelevant complaints at a time like this.”’ _ fT think you will find, sir, that everything I am going to say is relevant to the charge against me.’’ ‘* Carry on, then.’’ ‘*Some days ago,’’ began the Hon. Charles Edward in a low but clear voice, ‘‘ the enemy in some mysterious manner became informed of the locations of our first set of wire-traps. It seemed clear to me that someone from this squadron had imparted to them that information. I suspected Lieutenant Moldred and i ‘* You suspected !’? The gasp of astonishment that went up _ almost drowned the C.O.’s exclamation. All eyes swivelled to Moldred, but, apart from a snort of amused contempt, the latter made no protest. The accusation was not worth. refuting, his bearing seemed to imply. ‘*T suspected Lieutenant Moldred,’’ Charles Edward repeated firmly. ‘‘ When the locations of the traps were changed, I decided to keep a sharp look-out in case he should repeat his treachery. This afternoon he did so. Flying rear machine in our formation, he threw out of his cockpit a parachute bearing, I have no doubt, a message giving away the locations of our second series of traps. ‘* Seeing that parachute floating down towards the German aerodrome at Valmy- le-Bois,’’ the Hon. Charles went’on in a silence in which you could have heard a pin drop ‘‘I left the formation and spiralled down after it. I succeeded in hooking it on my pitot tube = At this there came a loud laugh from Moldred. ‘‘ This is really too ridiculous, sir,’ he protested to the C.O. ‘‘I certainly did loose a parachute over the German aerodrome, but its message contained nothing more treacherous than a request for information about poor Raynes, who was taken prisoner eight days ago. The sergeant’s imagina- tion as ‘* Knowing that I now had conclusive evidence against him,’’ went on the relentless voice of Charles Edward, ‘* Lieutenant Moldred, who was flying rear machine, waited till I had regained my position in the formation, and then fired a burst at me, with intent to kill. A fight then took place between us, and the only regret I have in this connection is that, during that fight, the parachute became detached from my pitot tube and was lost—which means that the only evidence I have to prove my words is no longer available.’’ 306 LA@OO SJ (CC)