RICKENBACKER

Grey River Argus, 24 November 1942, Page 1

RICKENBACKER

NEW YORK. Nov. 22. Rickenbacker and the crew of nis aircraft are now making satisfactory recoveries at a South Pacific base Stretching his bandaged hands to rub his badly swollen eyes, Rickenbaker told his first interviewer: “This is the fourth time I have been very close to death.’’ A member of the Medical Corps who nursed Rickenbacker and the other survivors, told reporters ne heard that on one day on the raft a seagull alighted on Rickeno'acker’s head. All the survivors agreed that the raw seagull was very tastv indeed. Rickenbacker corroborated the store adding: “I did not eat much of the raw bird nor the raw fish we caught, but all the others ate them and were sick. However, there were no disturbed stomachs after the first two or three days, because no one had anything in his stomach.”

Rickenbacker said he never doubled that he and his companions would be rescued. Lieutenant Whitaker, world war veteran, who was on ahother rail with Lieutenant Dengilis and Sergeant Revnolds revealed that they had only one orange apie.ee during 21 days.’