ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 August 1941, Page 5

ESCAPE FROM DEATH

BRITISH PILOT’S SAFE CRASH LANDING. AFTER DESTROYING ENEMY PLANES. (British 0(110131 Wireless.) RUGBY, August 2. Side-slipping over the English countryside to keep fumes from his damaged aircraft away from the cockpit, a Fighter Command Spitfire pilot made a safe crash-landing in a field ten days ago. Only today in hospital was he able to tell the story of how he brought his machine safely back after an offensive sweep over Northern France in which he destroyed two Messerschmitts. “My leader and I were returning from the sweep when we sighted some Messerschmitts below us. I got on the tail of one of them and gave him a burst with cannon and machine-gun fire. His port wing fell off and down he went. “Just before reaching the clouds another Messerschmitt overshot me and I got in a lovely burst and sent him down.

“As I approached the sand dunes of the French coast lots of light Flak opened up and something went an awful crack against the armour plating and. caused my right shoulder to sting. I was just coming up toward Sheppey at 400 feet when my engine spluttered and clouds of smoke came out. I had to sideslip to keep the fumes out and travelling at about a hundred miles an hour I shoved the flaps down. Luckily they worked but as I had to straighten up just then the fumes began again and the last I can remember is seeing a hedge which was only a hundred yards away getting very dim and waving about in front of me.”