AIRMEN’S ADVENTURE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1940, Page 5

AIRMEN’S ADVENTURE

BRITISH BOMBER LANDS IN GERMANY

DEPARTURE ON DISCOVERY

OF ERROR. FRANCE REACHED SAFELY. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 17. How the crew of a British bomber made an escape after landing by mislake in Germany, near the French frontier, is told by the chief pilot, a 25-year-old London flightlieutenant.

The bomber, meeting with strong head winds and rain clouds on night reconnaissance over enemy territory, was in danger of having to make a forced landing because of petrol, shortage when the pilot, believing he would be near home, decided to seek a rest-ing-place to get a bearing. "I came down to about 500 feet,” he said, “and an anti-aircraft shell burst near. I switched on my navigation lights, gave the recognition signal and put down my wheels, whereupon all was quiet again.” The aircraft landed, the guns were unloaded in accordance with service custom, and the crew climbed out to meet a little group of peasants running towards them. “One of us,” continued the pilot, “said in French, ‘lt’s France, isn’t it?' but go no answer. ‘Luxemburg, then?’ our spokesman, continued. Still no answer. One peasant pointed to a companion with the word ‘Franzosoich,’ indicating that he could speak French. He replied to our query, ‘No, sir, this is Germany. The frontier is 25 kilometres away.’ He spoke in French with a strong German accent, We turned and bolted back to the aircraft.”

Inside the bomber again, the pilot started up the engine in a flash and shot off. As the aircraft took off shots were fired by figures racing across the field from the far side. The bomber was on German soil for 15 minutes and the pilot did not land again till he was quite sure he was over France.

It is believed the Germans mistook the British bomber for a French plane, which accounts for a German official news agency announcement on Saturday night.