Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-21
LIEUT.. CRAWFORD,
WITHOUT AID, SINKS
BOLSHEV|ST SHIP
Remarkable Feat OF wilmington
Aviator, Fighting With
Polish Army.
DROWNED A BOATLOAD
OF FIGHTING REDS

With the Polish Army at the front
Nav is (delayed) ).-ConfrmatIon OF the
destruction of Bolshevist troop ship In
the Dneper river by an American aviator
of the kosciusko squadron during the
Polish drive in the Ukraine which resulted
in the capture of kiev, was received re-
Gently by the Polish military authorities
The American credited with this military
feat. accomplished single handed, IS
Lieutenant George NJ Crawford, of VIII
mington, Del, member.of the koScnsko
squadron of American avIators Tor nearly
q year.
In the retreat across the Dnlcper, the
lBolshevists resorted to the use OF rlVcr
steamboats, ut various places where
bridges were not available When the
Polish chief of staff heard OF this word was
sent to Major Cedric r., Fauntleroy, OF
Chicago, squadron commander To ph'
stop to the troop movement by boats as
quickly as possible. Most of the other
American aviators being out on flights at
the time, Lieutenant Crawford was assign
ed 10 the task alone.
Lieutenant Crawford loaded both ms
machine guns with ammunition OF slow
burning phosphorus. designed to set ablaze
whatever it touches. After flight OF
nearly sixty miles, he located one. OF the
troop ships and at once attacked 1t, IN
the face Of rifle fire from the soldiers crowd
cd upon all decks.
The American, IN the first attack, swept
the ships decks with his machne-gun
fire. many of the BOlshevIsts jumping
overheard 70 escape the effects OF the IN
ccndiarv bullets. hut the ship did not
take fire rs the aviator had planned.
Again Lieutenant Crawford attacked
the vessel, the wings Of his alrpane helng
pierced by bullets as he dived and poured
his ammunition onto the decks lie saw .
ire break out Then circling for altitude
10 return to camp, the American watched
the ship, enveloped IN rnass o' famos,
settle down into the water, while hundreds
of soldiers fought for their lives Tho ship
disappeared soon afterward, according -
later reports hy members of the Poilsh
army
NARROWLY FRCAPFD CAPTURE.
Under date Of June IA, two avators,
one Of whom was Lieutenant Crawford,
were reported as having narrowly escaped
CAPTURE at the hands Of the soviet cavalry.
They had made an emergency landing N a
field when they were discovered by raid
ing squadron
The airmen were reported as having
used their machine guns on the approach
ing Cossacks, set fire TO their airblancs,
ran for the woods, and escaped
CRAWFORD HAS FINE RECORD.
Lieutenant Crawford is a son of Mr..
and Mrs Harry Crawford Of l12
Washington street He enlisted for the Air
Service in Nav. 1917. and was sent 70 the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
for his preliminary ground training lie
gained flight experience at Mlneola, u. !
He went 10 France in September 1al 4.
with the first detachment Of American
aviators. and after duty with the French
army was assigned to lssoudun.
Upon being attached to a combat squad
ron. Lieut. Crawford saw service over
various sectors, until September IL, 1918
the opening day Of the st. Mlhlel drive
when be was forced to land behind tnC
German lines and wss taken prisoner
He was released after the armlstIce and
again assigned to duty with an American
SQUADRON. He secured his discharge last
August and joined the kosciuszko squad
ron. then being formed in Paris.
During the last nine months Lieut.
Crawford has taken an active part in the
Polish -BolshevIst and TkraInIanBo!she-
vist campaigns. News from that region
comes slowly. and it is now some time
since his family heard from him directly
His father, Harry Crawford, has beer
for MANY wears connected with the Wilson
Line. His brother. Harry T. Crawford
was a first lieutenant in the SIxtv-flrSt
Infantry, with twenty months service.