OVER COLOGNE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 65, 16 April 1943, Page 5

OVER COLOGNE

LOCAL PILOT'S ADVENTURE

SGT. PILOT MICK SULLIVAN'S CLOSE SHAVE Readers of a recent issue of 'Truth' will have been thrilled) to see mention of Sgt-Pilot Mick Sullivan, son of Mr and Mrs W. Sullivan of Whakatane, who figures in a breezy write up by Henry Bateson 'Truth's* London correspondent, who recently interviewed many of the N.Z. flying men stationed in Britain. The paragraph dealing with Mick reads: The heavy concentration of llak under the nose of his Lancas-> tcr, as it was going to bomb Coign x. gne recently made the machine loop the loop, losing 7000 feet. It was piloted by Sgt-Pilot Mick Sullivan of Whakatane, who ilies with an Aussie crew. One motor packed up, and when an enemy aircraft later came In from astern to attack Mick's kite, it was /lying on three engines. The Jerry night lighter opened fire, send-, ing cannon shells into the Lances;ter's bomb-doors and tail wheel. Mick's rear gunner replied and both he and the midupper gunner saw tracer bullets going into the Hun's aircraft. After this Jerry driven off it was a quiet trip until the 1 Lancaster got over the. Channel, where it was found that one bomb had; not left the machine owing to a mechanical fault. Mick therefore stooged around until the bomb was eventu-. ally dropped, after which lie. took his kite safc'.y to base.