DEEDS IN THE AIR
HEROIC WIRELESS OPERATOR & GUNNER carries on when maimed BY FROSTBITE. NORTH SEA ENGAGEMENT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 3. Details have now been disclosed of the gallant action of the wireless operator and air-gunner of a Royal Air Force bomber engaged on a reconnaissance flight over Germany who carried out his duties though suffering from frostbite. He is now in hospital. Weather conditions had forced the aircraft to fly over three miles high. The temperature was so low that the mercury in the thermometer dropped below the minimum reading of 30 degrees below zero. The hands and feet of the wireless operator became severely frostbitten, but in spite of the acute pain he continued to man his gun and transmit the reconnaissance reports by wireless. The aircraft remained above the reconnaissance area for nearly half an hour, and for fully 10 minutes it was suojected to intense anti-aircraft, fire. ' Paralysis of his frostbitten hands made . transmission of signals impossible, but after several attempts he obtained a series of wireless bearings, which brought the aircraft safely back to its base after a flight of five hours duration. On landing the airman reported the position of two warships, one submaiine and one destroyer which he had sighted. He was then rushed to hospital where, it is feared, he will lose the terminal finger-joints of his right hand and possibly one finger of his left hand. A more detailed account of the North Sea battle between three R.A.F. bombers and 12 Messerschmitt 110 longrange fighters is now available. Three R.A.F. aircraft, left their base on patrol, searching for enemy warships. When flying at about 10.000 feet and some 80 miles to the north-west of Heligoland and the same distance to the north of Borkum, the formation was suddenly attacked. Though outnumbered by four to one, the R.A.F. machines gave a good account ol themselves. As already stated, one R.A.F. aircraft was seen to be shot down and one is still missing. (In the engagement, the returned R.A.F. pilot reported, one Messerschmitt crashed in flames, another was seen to dive toward the sea out of control and a third fell out of the combat.) Two of the occupants of a Royal Air Force plane which was driven over the Belgian frontier and forced down in an engagement with several German fighters, were rescued from the wreckage suffering from superficial burns, and a third was found killed.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1940, Page 5
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406DEEDS IN THE AIR Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 January 1940, Page 5
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