BOMBER RAMMED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 February 1941, Page 3

BOMBER RAMMED

DY DYING HURRICANE PILOT. SOUTH AFRICAN’S HEROISM Flying OfTicer Percy Burton, youngest sou of Mrs Henry Burton, of Vorspoed. Retreat. Capo, and the late Right Hon Henry Burton. P C., a former Minister erf Railways and Minister of Finance in the Union of South Africa Government, was the unnamed pilot who. as described in a message from London some weeks ago. dclibi rately rammed an enemy bomber that would otherwise have escaped, to end an air battle over the Sou th-East- < rn Counties.

The official reports of the action disclose a dying man’s heroic singleness of purpose. Flying OfTicer Burton took off in a Hurricane with his squadron tn engage a large formation of German bombers Hying up the Thames Eslu-

pry. lie selected a bomber for attack, and it at once broke formation and lied, with Burton after it. The squadi con commander states that he lost sight of the bomber immediately, but knew that it could be put down as a casualty if Burton had engaged it. The official account of the Observer Corps, which takes up the story states that a Dornier bomber was chased light across the South-Eastern Counties. plagued by a Hurricane lighter which never ceased to attack it. The fight was a solo combat far removed from the main action, and it ended over Hailsham, with hundreds of townspeople watching in awed silence There is no doubt that the Hurr • cane pilot was mortally wounded on the way down from the ThameEstutiry to Hailsham " says th? Ob- ! server Corps' report. 'The pilot, however. continued to engage until, over: Hailsham, realising that he could not ! Inst much longer, he drew himself to- ■ gether for one more effort. He was* seen to dive below the Dornier room l up a '.‘•rrifyifig speed above i’, and : then turn and plunge straight into the bumbe: both mnehme-’ crushim' to ' ■ rth V. hen the wri'ci - were examined '-lie lllllTlt'.'lllc : Hs.'H'li Ole-;'iltl ammii- ' nit'or w.i-: found t>i be exhausted | .'md Flying Officer Bit Hon's bodv wtitl liddlid with German bullets The report :.dd- that the pc.,;.1,- of 1 H.iilsham -eeir.od ■ breathe the' •afety of the pd... Wi en -he piL t v bui :ed ;il J :' iixlriiinr '.ornc mdes fr- ia 1 i.elsham, i great s.urnber; of wre.-iths were re.; reived front i<fwnsfo|i: and municipal] ‘!lie i;i |- who had been deeply moved] *’'■ ■ !! I'xamplc ef devotion tii duty : that seorned death