The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1919-02-15
British Altman Has One of Most
Remarkable Experiences
of World War.
WAS 0yT ON A LONE HUNT
Destroys Four Hun Machines, Disables
Six, Suffers Three Gripping
Wounds and Brings Back
Machine in Repairable
Condition.

American Press Headquarters, Brit
ish Front.-The war over, a great
many accounts of individual bravery
will be heard for the first time, but
none will excel this extraordinary tale
of a British flying major, now recover
ing in a hospital.
The major, in a fast, single-seater
scout, was out over the lines on a lone
hunt. Discovering an enemy two-seat-
er machine at 21,000 feet oven the for
est of Normal, the major began climb
ing sharply to overtake him, got under
his tail, fired at point-blank range and
saw Inc two-seater break in pieces and
fall, one occupant diving out in a para
chute.
While watching the two-seater crash,
the major suddenly heard bullets snap
ping and kissing about him. Under
him was a Fokker biplane. Before he
could make a turn he was wounded in
the thigh, the shock stunning him for
a moment so that his machine fell in
an aimless spin.
Surrounded by Foes.
When he had recovered control he
found himself surrounded by Is Fox
kers in attack formation. He drove at
the nearest and the two were at once
jockeying for favorable positions in
terrific manuevers that carried" them
through the other IA. Chance shots
during these evolutions sent down two
of the majors adversaries, and then
at ten yards he "got on the tail" of the
first Fokker, probably the squadron
leader, and shot him down in flames.
Then the major was wounded a Sec
ond time, this bullet SCATTERING the
bone of his left thigh. In a dead faint,
with his engine running at top speed,
the Britisher fell in wild sweeping
circles, until he once again regained
his senses and was able to pilot his
scout.
But the major was again set upon
by another squadron of Is Fokkers.
He charged straight at the machine
ahead of him, firing at the same time.
The Fokker burst into smoke and fell.
Then the other Germans now conferred
fire on him, Kidding his machine and
SCATTERING his left elbow so that the
arm hung useless. Unconscious again,
wnen he came to be believed his left
arm to have been shot away, as it was
tapping behind him.
Again he was attacked by another
squadron. Smoke came from his ma
chine and he believed himself on fire.
He used all his strength to try for a
collision once more, and was still able
to fire feebly. His success was repeat
ed. A FOkker went down in flames at
three yards range.
Makes Dive for Safety.
As he was now too dizzy to see, he
Owed to within a few thousand feet of
the ground, just over the lines, his en-
CINE going full out" so that it is a
miracle his machine stood the strain,
and again he was attacked, this time
by eight enemy scouts.
The terrible descent seemed to brace
him. British observers saw him go
through the most amazing spins, spir-
ais, ICONS and all the tricks of the
British scout fighter. In a 12-minute
engagement he drove down two Ger
a out of control, broke free of the
Others and came home skimming trees
and trenches. He probably will pull
through.
In less than an hour the major had
engaged fifty to sixty enemies, destroy
ing four, disabling four to six, suffered
three crippling wounds and brought
back his machine in repairable condi-
ton.