"Lieut. Arthur Eowe Spurling1.
On his return from a recent bombing raid, this officer was separated from his formation owing to clouds. After flying for some twenty minutes, and thinking that he was over our lines, he came down to find his position; seeing an aerodrome, he was preparing to land when, at 2,000 feet, a Fokker biplane attacked his machine; Lieut. Spurling then observed some thirty machines of the same type heavily camouflaged; with great gallantry he dived through the centre of the formation, shooting down one machine in flames; two others were seen to be in a spin, one of which crashed. Five of them then closed on his machine, but by skilful manoeuvring Lieut. Spurling enabled his observer to shoot down two of these in flames. The three remaining aircraft broke off the combat and disappeared in the mist. A fine performance, reflecting the greatest credit on this officer and his observer." Supplement to the London Gazette, 2 November 1918 (30989/12973) |
