IN DINGHY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 165, 15 July 1941, Page 5

IN DINGHY

i NEARLY NINE DAYS ■FLYERS' ORDEAL IN CHANNEL Kriti-li "ffi.i.il \Vin-l'-->. I' niGHV. July l i. <-' An eight and ;>. half days' ordeal 1 .which was undr-rgone hy a bomber. ecrew uf four drift me in the Knglish Channel has provided a typical exII ample of British eii'lurance. The I b-.mber had set out fur a raid on Dusseldorf. Inn soon after crossing the enemy eoa.-t the port encine '"began to give trouble and the pilot turned back over the con.-t. ! This engine failed nnd l<) minute? iat.-r the starboard engine began to |u-e puwer. resulting in a forced' iar.riing in the ("bannel. I'liawanthat, they ucie ::: il;e middle of a mim-iM-ii'l the . :. .■. i ;i:r.bc<l into th< dinchv. laur. "that w■• v. >: <■ •:■■.>, n n\ The 'drink' and no <•:-,,■ knew anvihiii" about i-. The v. ::•!■•. - or.r -~:.'..■ h;,d sent an S.< >.S !■•• ■ !■ ■■ •■■■ ■• re ceived lii-cau-.' ■'.:■■ l'< : .•:.■■.'•■■ v.'aThen fo'.i.iv.e.l .-, ~,..; ; •;..-.. ~-,;,.;,; a;n iaM pa--<-d ,: .< : , ;, ;! . ~.,| \. .V;-,! |wu- >« einjr ;he <:.:._;•■. . ,:: -;, u ..; •;.,. crew v,,ivi:.l' aid Tho ra'ii.n.- were j t. :\ i .. led -v,..--a tin of foorl -al.!,:■•-. a f.-.v o;::-.c< - o: conccntia'ed i ;v. ( • ,'.:i-.-. .. p;r. - o; water ar.d a s:v..V.; )■••; ..: '.'..-. . "The sweets and ia , :• ■ - !.i '• ! .<^- :• • •.- days. "Afu-r the -<•. ~:-.d ci;,y v. ..■ did no: feel hungry." the pilot .-aid "Wiia: we want»*fj \> ;•.> x ■"•? I'.-u.: - .'. b>" alliiwmc i'-;r-r-;vf- a iai ■;..•-: ■■ • •:.:•: : oitch W'.av a iiav iiiiil :r.«-a.--.;:-*--d ■' out in the :.•:- .•: t-r,- 1 \< a- .-.;!,{;,-,: ■ measurer. After thr** , drr. - \> r- , ■;> Thf water dtjwn io a tahle.-por.'-ful a dav ar.d n;i ?;-.<-. cr-rr-r:' , . Vj-,' ■.-;•■; *tho' iid. Wo '.•.<■■■ '■•( .•;: ...'.\- •■"'. :"/■ Ivcry lh : r. '. I■■ '.■•.■ :i.

I Plenty of Fish—None Would Bite "We made a fishing lino by unravelling a pk-cc of cord from the dinchy and tyinp pieces together. and al.-o made a .-pinner from a pk-ce ;of tin. We could .•-ee plenty of fis-h hut none would bite. ' "One riny, when w< , were trying •■> .-ee who «<»nl«i hold hi> head under Ihe \v;iier tlie lonpes-i. the navigator lifted hi> head out of the water ami announced: "There;; a damn great mine down here." We began lo realise then why we had iml seen any .-hips, j : "We made up our minds to try ! to paddle toward where we thought • the coast wxs We- Marled at 11' oVlock one morning and kept u up until eight that night, working iw<. : ,Hi a time in hall-hour .-lufir-. Next day we had a po at it from eight in . the morning until eipht in the e\ ening. We tried lo keep it up thrcniph the nichv well but our strength was going. 1 found 1 could not even >tund up in the dinghy. We ha<i ; •o keep pumping up the dinghy with' a hand pump and "<■ w«-rt- .-o weak we could not d'l more than a duzen >trokcs at a tiir.e. Drinking Water c;iv«» <)nt '"On the eiehih e\ennit: a H::mji(i<n. e.-(oite<i by tw.i } iv.-: :■ an--. appeareri from ihe \\>--\ .■■ -i,..,., fe.-t ;:• 1 ■;-!-.-1 l o;rh .;:■,..-: :,:,-.v< ;;.-■. We all v.nved ! lit ;:.. ; i::d n>.; M'f U«". i!v now v..- w< :.-,,:• . ' <}• ■ k-c v.a;< r and our t<.ni;i;<- v.« ■. ■>. .::: . :.:',lt "■! -vi : and >: ir ■. \\'•■ .:.-<■■; '■ <■,;■ "■,'.■ ijv ■u'li- ">■ .;!. - ■ i ...;■•■ : :" li.'l ).■ ■' ii!;r.V; a: ■'. ■ At fvU" .: •).. ■ ■ "'• : ::.-:: d:iv . Hair.ivion - ..)!,«• <, ;i •■: •':.■■ :~\ ~- " ;,l.i,;;: Joon l< ■•■• ; :vi ]i..--'ii - ; (;'.;;. ;-fr r r f a V.V.W l:\- r\ W< \" ... ■ ■'. ' <'.■:. •'..■'. a :.a".: '.uir.. har>.f-<i ..■:■': :■■.• i'-- no.-e cii'V.n. The;: .'."<• r< :i'..~t-i'. ,-,... ~.f . ),.- f ; foV-en ..-,,.- \\",. -~ ■-(~• ha:vj-i'ar.d .-ar.c -'.vV. : "{.:.::- '<■ ::■■'' "The Ha!r.pd< :i ~.-':-...; , ..-i i ■ a:larr.p. "help aiming. The: , ! .' ur'.-p pe<l :*s riinjjhy i>n '.':~. c - v.iv-v. V. rpaddlod over to :'. po: 'ho water: !-"-.••;.-. a r-_ c ] pharf-'i out '.'-.•- wav: i Tiif-n wo l.'.tche'i the dir.cr.ie? ■ •rcvther h:.<] w«t wa!tinc A: :>-• ■ -. r- -,v.v a .<pv.rt r.i foan. v. i :--h 'juitklv cot nearer ann r.oa:"<■•!•. T .".<-r. ■ we stiw a launch. When we got c>: ■ hoard wo could r.r walk without.l ;". r -'r :