BRAVE AIRMAN

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 86, 5 January 1940, Page 9

BRAVE AIRMAN

Maimed By Frostbite But Carried On FLIGHT INTO GERMANY (British Official Wireless.) (Received January 4, 7.5 p.m.) RUGBY, January 3. Details have now been disclosed of the gallant action of the wireless operator and air-gunner of a Royal Air Force bomber engaged on a reconnaissance flight over Germany who carried out his duties though suffering from frostbite. He is now in hospital. Weather conditions had forced the aircraft to fly over tjiree miles high. The temperature was so low that the mercury in the thermometer dropped below the minimum reading of 30 degrees below zero.

The hands and feet of the wireless operator became severely frostbitten, but in spite of the acute pain he continued to man his gun and transmit the reconnaissance reports by wireless. The aircraft remained above the reconnaissance area for nearly half an hour, and for fully 10 minutes it was subjected to intense anti-aircraft lire. Paralysis of his frostbitten hands made transmission of signals impossible, but after several attempts he obtained a series of wirelss bearings, which brought the aircraft safely back to its base after a flight of live hours’ duration.

On landing the airman reported the position of two warships, one submarine and one destroyer which he had sighted. He was then rushed to hospital, where, it is feared, he will lose the terminal finger-joints of his right hand and possibly one finger of his left hand. North Sea Fight. A more detailed account of the North Sea battle between three R.A.F. bombers and 12 Messerschmitt 110 longrange fighters is now available. Three R.A.F. aircraft left their base ou patrol, searching for enemy warships. When fiying at about 10,000 feet and some 80 miles to the north-west of Heligoland and the same distance to the north of Borkum, the formation was suddenly attacked. Though outnumbered by four to one, the R.A.F. machines gave a good account of themselves. As already stated, one R.A.F. aircraft was seen to be shot down and one is still missing. [ln the engagement, the returned R.A.F. pilot reported, one Messerschmitt crashed in flames, another was seen to dive toward the sea out of control and a third fell out of the combat.] R.A.F. Plane Forced Down. The Air Ministry announced that an aircraft of the Royal Air Force, on reconnaissance over enemy territory today was engaged by a number of enemy fighters in the neighbourhood of the frontier between Belgium and Germany. In the course of the engagement the aircraft was driven over the Belgian frontier and forced down. Two of the occupants were rescued from the wreckage suffering from superficial burns, and a third was found killed.