THRILLING FIGHT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 October 1940, Page 6

THRILLING FIGHT

SHOOTING DOWN OF TWO NAZI RAIDERS ENCOUNTER WITH BRITISH SHIP AT SEA. GREAT COURAGE SHOWN BY GUNNERS. A thrilling encounter with two Nazi planes, in which "both were shot down by gunners on the steamer Highlander, reported briefly in. cable messages at the time, is described at greater length in "The Shetland Times.” This feat was accomplished in a running fight with the planes and the cool courage of the gunners and that of the officers of the Highlander won the high commendation of the First Lord of the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord. The master of the ship, Captain William Gifford, is an uncle of Mrs J. H. Blackwood, of 10 Keaton Street. Masterton Awards were made to three of .the Highlander's complement, two of whom are Shetlanders. Captain William Gifford. master, a native of Bressay, is made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire; Seaman George Anderson, a young man belonging to Ler» wick, who shot down the first ’plane, and Fireman Bert Whyman are awarded the Medal of the British Empire: and commended are Seaman William Birnie, Bressay: Laurence Smith Halcrow, steward, Lerwick; and Miss Cockburn, stewardess. HIGHLANDER ATTACKED. The raid in which the Highlander was attacked took place about midnight on Thursday, August 1 while the vessel was off the Aberdeenshire coast on her way to a south-east of Scotland port. There were no passengers on board, all passengers having been landed at a north-eastern, port previously, as is normally the case. Information of the attack on the steamer first became known when it was broadcast on Friday night, and the fact that a Shetland captain and Shetland gunners had taken so successful a part in bringing down the raiders was learned with pride locally. About midnight on Thursday—the night being clear and starry, but with no moon —the sound of aircraft engines was heard by the crew of the Highlander, but at first they thought these were British planes until one of the raiders', which were Heinkel seaplanes, swooped down, spraying the steamer s decks with machine-gun bullets. Captain Gifford instantly called all hands on deck, and the vessel’s anti-aircraft armament was manned by Seaman George Anderson and Steward Laurence S. Halcrow. The gunners, determined to make as sure of the enemy as possible, held their fire until the raiders were close to the masts. GUNNER ANDERSON’S CALM COURAGE. The first ’plane to be brought down went to the credit of George Anderson. As the ’plane flew down the port side from ahead, Anderson fined and caused the ’plane’s wing to hit a lifeboat. The ’plane crashed on the poop deck, and the fuselage fell into the sea, the Highlander proceeding on her way. “I thought we were finished.” said Gunner Anderson, in an interview when he reached port, "but I waited until Jerry was just above, then let him have it. I’m sure my first burst got the rear gunner, but, swooping round, the Jerry came at us It was flying very low, and with the superstructure in the way I could not see exactly where it was. 1 aimed- at where I thought he might appear, and b'y good luck 1 got the right spot. The wing of lhe ’plane struck the rigging and mast and broke on deck. The cockpit with the crew struck just about the after crane and catapulted over the heads of the crew, crashing m flames astern. The z Germans inside could be heard screaming, but nothing was seen of them Lifeboats on the aft deck were smashed, and the iron wheel of a winch was cut in half. A machine-gun bullet grazed Anderson’s upper lip, and another struck his steel helmet. A RUNNING FIGHT. Captain Gifford, as soon as the attack began, had rung for full speed, and proceeded to zigzag, while the HighIrnaedegnaged the vbgkqjvbgkqjvbgk lander engaged the remaining Heinkel in a running fight lasting for something like half Bullets irom machine guns and small shells from a cannon hit the steamer's plates, and an aerial torpedo narrowly missed her stern. But the vessel was game, and her crew were game. SECOND 'PLANE SHOT DOWN. After the successful shooting down of the first Heinkel, Laurence Halcrow, fore-cabin steward, brought down the second 'plane. This was at ten minutes to one. after the 'plane had repeatedly attacked. The 'plane crashed down, striking the lifeboat and davits on the port side of the poop deck, swinging round violently, the Heinkel broke up. a large part of her remaining, wreck-, cd, on the steamer’s poop. With this wreckage as ,a trophy of her gallant fight, the Highlander arrived later m the day in harbour. The crew of the second Heinkel were presumed to have fallen in the sea sea when she broke, and they were never seen. Describing lhe shooting down of me second 'plane, Halcrow said that they could only see her lights in the daikness, and could not make out if it was a British machine or not. This one circled twice round the steamer before opening fire, and then they knew what to expect. Halcrow took the gun. and the 'plane came at the ship, firing two streams of bullets, which went flying round their heads. He sighted his gun right between those two streams of bullets, and waited until the 'plane was about 200 or 300 yards away, then let her have it. He thought he musl, have killed the pilot immediately, as the 'plane went into a steep dive. ONLY SLIGHT DAMAGE. During the fight the ship received some slight damage, and she made good time to harbour when it was all over. The only really noticeable sign of damage. apart from small dents in her plating and a hole caused by a small shell, was on the poop deck. Here there was a great deal of superficial damage the crashing of the German 'plane on the deck. Rails wcie twisted, wooden seats for passengers were wrecked, and a lifeboat was badly knocked about, partly by the firing and partly by the crashing of the 1 Several members of the Highlander's crew had narrow escapes, particularly the gunners, and one of the seamen. William Birnie, of Bressay, was slightly injured. Another member of the crew showed holes in the lapels of

liis coat where a bullet had passed through. So ended a very gallant fight, in which particular pride has been felt locally in the part played in the destruction of the raiders by Shetlanders, and the later announcement of awards to those who took part in this action has given great satisfaction.