Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-21
ADJUTANT MADON,
HERO OF THE AIR
How a French Youth Brought
Down a Boche Airship and
Escaped With His Life
BY HENRI BAZIN
Recipient Of tho Croix de Guorre. member Of the
Societe do Gems des Lettres and etan
correspondent OF the EvENiNo
LEDGEB In France.

LEDoEn in France
PARIS. April %.
THIS story Is written around a button
l. circular brass button with the two
wings Of the French aviation corps In
low relief It was performing It's duty
upon the horizon blue Jacket Of Adjutant
Madon when that twenty-three- -year-old son
Of France recently brought down his eighth
Boche plane not far from rebombarded
Rheims. had the pleasure Of meeting the
young aviator, he being en- permission, and
hearing from his father this story, while
tho son blushed with embarrassment And
receiving an affirmative to my question II
tho Jacket he wore was the same he had
on during the fight, asked II he would let
mo cut a button from it, to which he
obligingly agreed
Here is the tale It will always tell me-
Adjutant AIadon drives a fighting aero
plane. lie is an "ace" which title avlators
receive after downing their fifth enemy
plane. lie wears the Crolx de Guerre, the
Legion Of Honor and the Medaille Militaire,
and also tho fun flush Of rosy-cheeked
youth. France gave him the first three and
our Father In Heaven tho last.
Madon was flying at 1000 meters eleva.
ton in the late afternoon, looking for game
lie was over the German lines upon the
~ ,g.1.
lombard Rheims. but well above harm from
enemy aeroplane guns. Suddenly he saw,
a full 500 meters over his head, n Boche
game hunter There was not another thing
in sight save the sinking sun and the
clouds without seconds hesitation he
turned in swift spiral upward toward the
German. with the fourth turn he was just
a ninety.second volley from the mitrail.
leusc Before he had ceased turning the
crank he saw he had struck the enemy pilot,
whose uncontrolled machine hung for an
instant like n bird with a broken wing and
then crashed through the clouds to the
earth below.
Madon was then at nearly 1000 meters
elevation. and although the unexpectedly
short fight had carried him toward his own
lines, he could not tell if he had reached
space over them or not. As he was descend
ing to pick up the tortured towers Of Rheims
as a lighthouse. his motor suddenly stopped
and he realized that he must land at once in
a series Of gides or crash to earth like ms
downfallen enemy, So down he came, not
knowing If he were behind French or Ger
t{,,a "A
tween AZ he approached he made out
clump Of bruised trees and. steering toward
them landed quietly in their shelter with
out a sound.
In jlny he was out Of his seat. saw that
n spark plug had become detached and was
inserting another when he saw human sill
houette helmeted. standing twenty Feet
away, its identity hidden In the late twi'
light.
was II a Boche or poilu Of France? he
asked himself as he gave the motor Twill
to which It responded with roar In
twinkling he was in his seat and at the
steering gear. If he was within his own
lines il would be easy TO come down again.
II he was not he had urgent business Of
liberty in the air. Within two minutes from
the time Of his descent his wheels were
leaving the earth.
At that second he heard a cry in Boche
and saw the instant appearance Of seven
men armed with rifles He had dropped
almost full on German outpost. Shots
rang about his ears and some went through
his plane. But as he rose he angled his
mitrailleuse toward them and poured out
a volley. As the Germans grew to pigmies
in his eyes he saw they had thrown them
selves fiat upon the earth In less time
than il takes to tell he was high and safe.
Rising to 700 meters he was able to de-
tect the towers of Rheims and thus despite
the fast-approaching night, regain his own
lines. In an hour he was at dinner in the
aviation camp at -.
And the communique of the day following
tersey told that Adjutant Madon, Of the
-. had brought down his eighth Ger
man Reroplane in the vicinity of --