AIRMAN ON WIRELESS MAST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 132, 21 February 1918, Page 7

AIRMAN ON WIRELESS MAST

, $ SEAMEN'S 300 FOOT CLIMB TO RESCUE. The Kiug has awarded the Albert Modal iu $;old to Nicholas Eath, ueaman, 8.N.H., and the Albert Medal to Richard ICnoulton, ordinary seaman, R.N., and George Faucett Pitts Abbott, deckhand, R.N.K., for the gallant rescue of an airman iif the following remarkahlo circumstances:— On September 14 a seaplane collided with a mast of a shore wireless station and remained wedged in it, the pilot (Acting -Flight, Commander E. A, de Villc) being rendered unconscious and thrown out of his seat on to one of the wings. ' The three seamen at once- climbed up the mast for 100 foot, when Rath, making use of the boatswain's chair, which moves oh the inside of tho mast, was hoisted up by men at the foot, to the place where the seaplane was fixed over 300 feet from tho ground. Ho then climbed out on the plane and held the pilot until the arrival of Knoultonand Abbott, who passed the masthead gantline out to him. Haying secured the pilot with the gantline, Rath, with the assistance of Knoulton and 'Abbott, lifted him from tho plane to tho inside of the mast and lowered him to tho'ground.

The throe men wero very well aware of the' damaged and insecure condition of the mast, which was bent to an angle whero tho seaplane had become wedged.' One- of tho three supports of the mast was fractured, and so far as the men knew, the mast or seaplane might afc any time havo collapsed. Knoulton describes tho rescuo as follows: "Wβ had to ascend about 300 feet, hauling ourselves from one stretch, of lattice work.to another, and ,as the lattices were about 6 feet'apart the going proved difficult. Besides, the mast had beon broken by tho collision. In order to steady ourselves so that we could reach the pilot we took a turn round tho mast with, a rope and joined hands to "support each other. Rath walked out on to the piano and I followed him, while Abbott at the end of the chain,' huiig ! on to the mast so as to secure us in , case we lost foothold or the machine moved and shot us off.

"\Ve succeeded in passing the nooso of a rope—a bowline, as wo call it — round tho pilot, and in this and a painter's cradle he was lowered to the ground. Tho pilot was insensible and qnite incapable of helping himself, and when ho reached the earth was lifted out of the bowline, placed on a stretcher, and sent to hospital. _ Next dny we ascended the mast again and gob tho seaplane down." Tho epectacle of tho seaplane stuck against the top 'of tho towering wireless niast attracted thousands of spectators.