The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-05-01
CONDEMNED TO
DEATH AS SPY
AJRNAN'S ADVENTURES WITH
THE BULGARS.
Lost in Arabian Desert
Lieut.. Fred Buchanan, British Avia-
tor, Gets Home Safely After
Thrilling Experiences.

Condemned to death as a spy, and
then saved by the signing of an arml'
stice, that is the strange and startling
experience of Lieut.. Fred Buchanan
an intrepid young aviator, who is
Just back from Bulgaria and captiv-
ity.
The young officer was attached to
the allied air forces operating from
Saloniki. Rumors had reached
headquarters that the Bulgarians
were very much dissatisfied with the
war, and that they were considering
whether they could not find some
way to end hostilities. Everything,
however, was indefinite, and the ar
my command at Saloniki were anx-
ious to get some reliable informa-
ton. Lieutenant Buchanan was or
dered to get his machine ready, and
to take a passenger within the Bull
garian lines, where he would leave
him, and pick him up later.
cit was just after the Dorian bat
tie" he said. 81 had a machine
known as a B. E. plane, and the dis
tance to my objective would be about
12O miles. AS the machine under
normal conditions flew at the rate OF
80 miles an hour, I expected to
reach the place aimed at in less than
two hours. Across my track lay a
range of mountains some 5000 feet
high, and to clear them and escape
observation as much as possible |
few at an altitude of $4,000 feet.
It was pretty cold at that height,
even in the neighborhood of Saloni-
Hi.
t'When I got to the other side Of
the mountains 1 began spiraling
down, and, keeping a lookout for a
bit of level ground to land on, dis
covered a suitable place, and came
to earth all right. My passenger
got out, and went on his way to get
the required information.
"My instructions were to clear off
as quickly as could, but I had
some difficulty in starting the en-
CINE, and this delay led to the crop
OF troubles l afterward met with.
seSome German troops, who had
been marching along road, saw me,
and took cover, and just as l got
the machine started again they
dashed out, firing and shouting, and
telling me plainly that if I didn't
surrender they would do me in. But
I had no intention of obliging them.
Fortunately, they didn't hit me, but
they made mess of the machine,
breaking one of the cylinders and
knocking few holes in the body OF
the plane.
'I think I worked harder than
ever in my life before, but got the
engine started and took off. I had
only got up a couple of thousand
feet, however, when the engine gave
further trouble, and I had to come
down again. They hadn't ceased fir
ing at me with rifles and anti-aircraft
guns, and altogether I wasn't fancy
ing my position at ALL
By luck, as we'll as feverish hard
work, Lieutenant Buchanan persuad-
ed his engine to resume operations,
and again scared in the air. AL
though his machine was being con-
tinually hit, he himself seemed to
bear charmed life.
81 tried to make a dash for home"
he continued, through what is
known as Rupel's Pass, but while
halfway through this the engine
stopped altogether, and I came right
down, and landed in the River Stru-
ma. Fortunately, this river is shall
low, and there are lot of sandbanks
about, so I was saved the fate of
after escaping that of be-
ing shot. The machine tilted up in
the river and was now useless. I
jumped out, and made for the bank,
only to run up against lot of Bull
gars, who asked me whether I was
British or Bulgarian. I told them I
was British, and then they opened
fire on me-"
1t was now getting pretty dark,
and that was the reason the young
pilot wasn't killed there and then.
He continued running, with the Bull
gars crashing at his heels and tell
ing him in blood-curdling tones
what they would do if he didn't
stop.
well, the end of that part of the
business" continued the young off,
Ger, was that was captured. They
were evidently very much afraid /