CRUEL JAP. PILOTS

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1942, Page 5

CRUEL JAP. PILOTS

Attack Wrecked Plane

ON AUSTRALIAN BEACH

FOUR PASSENGERS DIE.

945 ) PERTH, March 16. F A ’story of an inhuman, ruthless SSI! n o e „ SX E Sat town Smirnoff, who is at present in the Perth Hospital with four bullet wounds. He said the ’plane was attacked sixty, miles north of Broome. It. crashed in flames on the beach Four of the passengers died, eithe. fiom wounds or privation. Three Japanese fighters attacked his cL fenceless ’plane. Pilot Smirnoff was shot through both arms, but he managed to land the 'plane on the bea<,n. where it burst into flames. “Despite our terrible plight, he said, “those Japanese fiends went on machine-gunning us and finally they left us to die. A woman was twice badly wounded. Our mechanic had a shocking wound in the knee. I hail four bullets through my left arm, and one through my right leg. Bom the woman and a flying officer oi die Dutch Air Force, the latter being also severely wounded, died. I sent three men to look for water. They were away for eight hours. They returned without any. “Next day a Japanese flying-boat passed over. It dropped five bombs on us. Another party was sent ior water. They searched for twentyfour hours, and came bacx without any. x, ~ • , “The mechanic died on the third day, by which time we were nearly all finished. However, we managed to distil some water from seawater. I then sent a party of four to try and find help. They were away ior 72 hours, when, to our great joy, a R.A.A.F. ’plane flew over. It dropped food, medicine, water and cigarettes. It also left a message saying that a rescue party was on the way. “We were taken to the Beagle Bay Mission, and were made very comfortable. My view of the Japanese airmen is that they are not human — they are beasts!’’