This is the Statement Made by Repatriated Prisoner of War. Statement was taken at Ripon, Yorkshire. Original manuscript Filed with Records. (14-Dec-1918). The Administrative Headquarters of the AIF dates this report as 27th-Dec-1918. (1).

Rank : Lieutenant
Name : FLIGHT, O.
Squadron : 2nd Squadron
Unit : Australian Flying Corps

Circumstance of Capture :
a ) Date : 28th March 1918
b ) Place : ETAING (near ARRAS)

Four of us left the Aerodrome to escort No.4 Australian Squadron and also for trench strafing. Just after getting over the enemy's lines we were split up on diving through clouds. After this I sighted one of No.4's machines and followed him for about half an hour. At the end of the this time the machine I had been following went home. This was about 12.45 pm. Then I went to Arras and strafed along Arras-Cambrai Road. I was there about 15 minutes under a good deal of A.A. and machine gun fire when all of a sudden the A.A. fire stopped. Very soon after this shots came at me from the rear. On looking around I saw 3 enemy Albatross machines. I pulled around in a climbing turn, but two of the machines had too much height on me. The fire was more or less incessant for a minute or so. Up to that time my machine had not been hit. About this time four enemy triplanes joined in the fight and gradually forced me down to within 150 feet of the ground. Bullets were coming from all directions. All at once one got a big burst into my right plane and rear strut also severing a flying wire. A few seconds later a rear strut flew out; the bottom socket had been blown out. The machine immediately heeled over and all attempts to right it failed. I switched off and held on to the front of the cockpit. The machine then dived into the ground tearing down a number of enemy telephone wires. I was rendered unconscious. This was about 1.15. pm.

When I regained consciousness I found German medical orderlies had been bathing my head. They lifted me on to my feet and allowed me to go to the machine to get the watch. While there I fired my Verey pistol into the machine setting it on fire, the petrol tanks having burst in the crash. Immediately some enemy soldiers fired on me and it was only through a German officer, who came up, that I was saved from being shot. I was taken to an Infantry Brigade Headquarters and questioned, but I gave them no information whatever. I was then taken to Daoui and next day to Lille there I was again questioned, but I gave no information. I was at Lille for three days and then went to Karlsruhe. I stayed there for about 4 days where I was again searched and questioned. From here I went to Landshut where I remained until after the signing of the Armistice. On 21.11.1918 I left Landshut for Kamstigall where I remained until 8.12.18 when I went to Danzig. I embarked on the "Russ" on 9.12.18 and reached Leith 13.12.18.

At Lille after capture, I was starvedand became so weak that I could not walk 200 yards. From there I was taken in a 3rd calss carriage to Karlsruhe, with one loaf of bread among 3 of us for the 3 days journey. It was not untilwe got to Strasbourg that we were given anything else to eat. At Landshut the camp was too crowded. Each night our boots and table knives were collected so that nobody could make an attempt to escape. When two RFC Officers escaped the Commandant of the camp paid a visit the next morning. As a result we were locked up for 3 days, not allowed to smoke and rations were much reduced for this period. On 8.9.18 there was a suposed general inspection of the camp. The whole camp was taken out and put into a nother barrack and my room only was searched. They found the hole we had dug for the projected escape also most of our maps and compass. I with Major Carter RFC, Lieutenant Newberry RFC and Feez AFC participated in the making of the hole.

All of us except Major Carter, were taken to Curl Prison. For 6 days we had nothing to smoke and very little to eat. They refused to give us our private parcels although up to this time we had not been sentenced. The Danish Vice-Consul, Dr W, Djarne paid us a visit and the Commandant promised him we could have our parcels that day, but nothing came until three days later. At 6 am each day our beds were folded up against the wall until 7 pm. We werent allowed out of the room fro exercise until we were released which was 11 days after we were put in prison. The three of usprevious to this imprisonment were on the Red Cross Committee and while in prison the German Intelligence Officer, Herr Pastor, came to tell us that if we did not return to Landshut Camp no other Help Committee would be allowed there. Knowing that this camp was difficult to escape from, being between a junction of two rivers we think that this was the reason we were made to return.

On returning to the camp I learnt from an Italian Orderly, D'Andrea Arturo, 221st Infantry Regiment, Prov Bari Teilizzi, was the man who had informed the Germans of our intended escape. This evidence was afterwards verified by Feldwebel Aichun on the railway station before leaving Landshut.

1. Prisoner of War Statement courtesy of Gordon Branch.