ORDEAL AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 290, 5 September 1942, Page 8

ORDEAL AT SEA

Flying-Boat Crew Off West Africa

WELLINGTON MEMBER (By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copy right.) (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, September 2.

• Hanging on to a dinghy’s ropes or tied to the dinghy and floating with the aid of lifejackets, nine members of the crew of a Sunderland flying-boat which had crashed were cheered up by a Canadian flight-lieutenant. He w<is lying in the dinghy with a fractured spine while they spent three days in the sea 200 miles from West Africa. One of the men was Warrant Officer Observer D. T. Shakes, Wellington, who ds. now on leave in England none the worse for his ordeal. He said: "We were returning after patrolling over a convoy when all four engines cut out. The Sunderland immediately went straight down.' Our Canadian skipper, Flight Lieutenant E. J. Ennis, did a marvellous crash-landing in spite of a heavy swell. “He had no option but to land in the trough .of the waves. The 30-ton Sunderland bounced 150 ft. into the air, then broke into three. The skipper fractured his spine in that crash, but in an amazing fashion he climbed out of the cockpit on to the wing. “I was at the navigator’s table,” said Warrant Officer Shakes, “and I made immediately to the main-plane and then aft to get the dinghy. Afraid the explosives might go off, we only had time to get out one three-man dinghy and paddle off quickly with 10 out 'of 11 of the crew. The other man had been killed. We were a few hundred yards from the flying-boat when the explosives went up. The Sunderland disappeared in a lace of foam. Tied To Dinghy. “Our dinghy,”' be continued, “was unable to bear the strain of a treble load and one of the compartments burst, so the remaining nine of us got out and left the skipper lying inside it. It was most fortunate that the second compartment held, otherwise we should have been goners. However, the sea was warm and those who had Mae Wests tied themselves up to the dinghy, and the others, of whom I was one, sat on the ropes hanging around the dinghy. We had no food except three tins of tomato juice. “We knew the base would send out a search for us when we did not arrive on scheduled time, yet we were worried whether they would be able to work out our position, as we had not been able to send out a wireless message because of our rapid' crash-landing. Sure enough we saw the Sunderland patrolling above us after nightfall . with lights blazing, but we had nothing to answer with. Then followed a long, lonely night. The skipper, in spite of his pam, cheered us up. “Next morning we watched many aircraft searching, then late in the afternoon we saw . a Hudson flying straight to us. We splashed and did everything we could to attract its attention. The skipper tried to Hash his cigarette case. Wo even stood up to wave a paddle. Suddenly we saw the Hudson’s wing tilt and we knew we had been seen. ■ “It dropped food and four one-man dinghies-and a note saying: ‘Cheer, up, lads, a Sunderland is on the way. It also dropped distress signals and fresh water, but these sank. We did not know it then, but the Sunderland had been following the Hudson till a storm sprang up between the two aircraft, ana it never arrived. “The Hudson then had' to sheer off because of lack of petrol. Then the storm struck us. It poured and the sea rose in a heavy swell, but it was not dangerous for us. When the storm slackened the Sunderland arrived, during the night, with lights blazing, but as we had no signals we were still unable to reply. That night one of the boys died of exposure.' Rescue by Destroyers. «

“Next morning the visibility was poor. We saw three ‘aircraft searching, but they could not see us. However, the same Hudson which had found us previously again sighted us and signalled Destroyer on the way.’ A few hours later two destroyers loomed up on the honzou and we were soon aboard. “I shall never forget,” said WarrantOfficer Shakes, “the tremendous spirit of our Canadian skipper. He was terrific, in spite of his great paiu. Toward the end lie was not able to move. He is now in a plaster jacket recovering. We others did not feel much after-effects. I was up in two days. The chief thing I wanted when I got aboard the destroyer was a good drink of tea. I drank six cups and never have I tasted better tea in all my life.”