ESCAPE FROM NAZIS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 44, 2 December 1941, Page 8

ESCAPE FROM NAZIS.

-AIR FORCE MEN IN LIBYA. - • LONDON, November 30. - A Royal Air Force corporal from Yorkshire shot a German officer with a • revolver and escaped from eight Germans who were within 15 yards. He has just returned to his squadron, bringing back a. bullet-riddled lorry, an injured driver, and 200 gallons of precious water. The corporal, with the driver, had been sent to a source 20 miles away to fetch water. He left- the advance landing ground from which his squadron was operating at 11 a.m. He returned with his load nearly five hours later,. hilt during his absence a quickly-moving tank battle approncned the area, and the squadron changed ■its quarters. In one of four njars on a- high ridge someone was standing up and beckoning. WiUj'jnO; thought of danger the corporal turned the truck in that direction and had approached to within 15 yards before be realised! that the cars belonged to the enemy. They weVe small armoured trucks with two men in each. A German officer stood in the nearest vehicle and .the corporal could see details of his ■uniform—black leather revolver hol.ster.. and ca-p with the prominent but.tons and badge of the African Corps. An order was shouted in German and the. officer turned to a soldier by his side and reached for a “Tommy” gun.

' The corporal saw the move and drew his revolver and fired twice in the officer’s face. Before the startled Germans realised what had happened the Royal Air Force lorry had swung round and rattled away in a cloud .of : dust. Fire from “Tommy” guns cracked into the side of the vehicle during a three-mile pursuit.—British Official Wireless.