Beschreibung:

'The main object of bombing Kabul was to alarm King Amanullah, a result so successfully attained that a message came to the Viceroy immediately afterwards to the effect that the Afghans wanted peace. This was the end of the Old Carthusian's career, which had been bedevilled by misfortune from first to last. Nevertheless, the old V/1500 had accomplished something unique in history - it had ended a war on its own! So finished the Third Afghan War, terminated by a strategic bombing raid at a negligible cost which must have saved hundreds of lives and the cost of an extensive land campaign. It also restored peace to a large slice of India. The raid had one or two amusing angles to it. For example, when Amanullah's uncle, a keen golfer, died suddenly under rather questionable circumstances, Amanullah had him buried under the first tee. As one of our twenty-pounders, carelessly thrown out by the crew, had landed near the grave, Amanullah complained to the Viceroy that we had bombed the tomb of his ancestor! Another comic episode appeared in The Aeroplane of 22 April 1942. The editor, C. G. Grey wrote, 'The raid on Kabul was made with decisive effect - that was when Jock Halley blew out the walls of the King's Harem and started the fashion of female emancipation in Afghanistan!' Flight Lieutenant R. 'Jock' Halley recalls his epic raid on Kabul in May 1919, a trail-blazing bombing strike made possible by the steady hands of Sergeant A. E. Smith A.F.M. An extremely rare inter-war A.F.M. group of six awarded to Warrant Officer 1st Class A. E. Smith Royal Air Force Decorated for his part in the epic flight of Super Handley V/1500 The Old Carthusian to India in early 1919, he subsequently took part in a remarkable raid on Kabul Air Force Medal, G.V.R. (634 Flight Sergt. Smith, A.E., R.A.F.); 1914 Star, with clasp (634 1/A.M. A. E. Smith R.F.C.); British War and Victory Medals (634 Sgt. A. E. Smith R.F.C.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (Ft. Sgt. A. E. Smith R.A.F.); Jubilee 1935, suspension a little loose on the first, otherwise generally very fine (6) A.F.M. London Gazette 22 December 1919. Arthur Edward Smith joined the Royal Flying Corps in March 1913 and went to France as an Air Mechanic 1st Class in No. 5 Squadron in mid-August 1914. Reverting to Sergeant Fitter in December 1917, he retained the same rank on the formation of the Royal Air Force in April 1918. Towards the end of the latter year - and having gained experience in heavy bombers - Smith was among a hand-picked crew ordered to Martlesham Heath. Under the command of Major A.C.S. MacLaren and Flight Lieutenant R. 'Jock' Halley, D.F.C., he was about to embark on an epic through flight to India. A.F.M. - Pioneering Through Flight to India Halley later published a lively account of the flight for Aeroplane Monthly (December, 1978): 'It was indeed a great moment. MacLaren and I had a lot in common, except that he was 6ft. 2in. and I 5ft. 3in wearing my thick socks! He was also a Scot and had already flown to Egypt in an 0/400 with General "Biffy" Borton. Our considerable experience on heavy aircraft had brought us together ... A day or two later we were at Martlesham Heath, as it was from there that we were going to start, and Rolls-Royce mechanics were working on the aircraft. All the crew were now assembled there. Flight Sergeant Smith and Sergeant Crockett, fitters, and Sergeant Brown, rigger, had been selected as maintenance crew. Going with us as a passenger was General Norman McEwan, who was to take over as A.O.C. in India on arrival. As General MacEwen and MacLaren were both at school at Charterhouse, the aircraft was named H.M.A. Old Carthusian. We also had another passenger, "Tiny", a little Maltese Terrier belonging to MacLaren that had already flown to Egypt earlier in the year. He was mad keen on flying and whenever the engines started he ran to the bottom of the ladder to be taken up into the cockpit!' Thus ensued an extraordin