ALMOST DOWN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 17, 31 October 1940, Page 5

ALMOST DOWN.

A PLANE OVER GERMANY.

.CREW ALMOST BALE OUT.

(Received This Day, 11.50 aim.) LONDON, October 30.

An exciting adventure befell one British aircraft in last night’s attack on Berlin when it became Iced up as it approached the German capital. Flying at a great height the aircraft developed a flat spin and in order to lighten it the pilot let go his bombs. The spin persisted and the crew were warned to get ready to abandon the aircraft. It was not till the bomber’s trailing aerial had been -wrenched off by contact with the ground that the pilot succeeded in getting the plane under control.

Describing the experience on his return to England, the pilot said the crew were not at all keen on the idea of descending over Germany. “My navigator, who is an Australian, told me he didn’t Want to have to eat ersatz sausage for breakfast for the rest of the war. He seemed quite confident that we should pull out before we hit. He pointed out afterwards how sick we should have been if we had jumped and then seen the aircraft recover and fly off without us.”