AN AIR FIGHT - Lance Corporal William Ellis, Mossend, writing home this week gives an interesting description of an air fight he witnessed in France. He was on the march when the noise of machine gun firing attracted his attention, and it was evident that it was coming from above.

After watching carefully he was able to make out five German aeroplanes and a similar number of British aeroplanes engaged in a great fight just below the clouds. The machines rose and fell, darted one way, then another. At last a German machine got damaged and drew out of the fight.

Somewhat later a British machine showed signs of being in difficulties and came down quite close to the troops. Just as it was landing the telephone wires caught it and turned it turtle. The troops rushed to the rescue, and as they did so the pilot and the observer crawled out from under their machine. The machine was little damaged and , and would be easily repaired. The pilot had got of comparatively easy with a bullet in his left foot. After asking a cigarette he said he was quite happy, as he had been responsible for bringing down a Fritz machine.

The observer was not so lucky, as he had a bullet in his thigh and one in his right side, and seemed rather badly shaken.

Midlothian Advertiser, 30th March, 1917