VALIANT AIRMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1942, Page 4

VALIANT AIRMEN

DAMAGED & BURNING BOMBER TAKEN ON TO ATTACK DUISBURG. WITH MEMBERS OF CREW WOUNDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, December 22. The New Zealand High Commissioner (Mr W. J. Jordan), upon visiting New Zealand members of the Stirling squadron which participated m the Duisburg raid on December 20, heard a dramatic story of the adventures of a Stirling captained by Squadron Leader G. M. Allcock, of Auckland. A Junkers 88 attacked the Stirling when it was almost over the target The bomber was silhouetted against flares and searchlights, but the rear-gunner got in the first burst. Bits fell from the Junkers, but the enemy raked the Stirling with cannon and machine-gun fire, holed the starboard tail-plane elevator and fin, set fire to the dinghy storage and holed the starboard tank, from which petrol flooded into the fuslage. A shell burst against the window of the rear turret, temporarily blinding the gunner. The second pilot was wounded in the knee. A shell-burst scorchdd the face of the flight engineer. A bullet struck the radio operator on the left hand, but he continued to repair the damaged radio. Eventually the mid-upper gunner got in a burst and the Junkers went down in a vertical dive. The Stirling located and bombed its target. The fire burned on in the dinghy storage and everyone got ready to bale out. The fire did not appear to spread, although it remained alight until the plane was near the English coast. When the base was reached the undercarriage was found to be jammed, whereupon Squadron Leader Allcock safely belly-landed, clear of the runway, so that he would not endanger the following aircraft.