DRAMATIC DESCRIPTION.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 March 1938, Page 8

DRAMATIC DESCRIPTION.

ONE-SIDED DOG- FIGHT. WELLINGTON MAN'S LETTER (By Telegraph—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Last Night, righting as a foreign volunteer in the Chinese Air Force, Mr. Bay Whitehead,

the well known trans-Tasman flier, m a letter to his wife in Wellington, tells how he was wounded and shot down in an air '' dog-fight'' with Japanese fighting planes shortly before Christmas. "Most of our foreign volunteers are flying bombers/' he writes, "but I and two other Frenchmen and a German managed to get hold of fighters. On December 14, a Frenchman and some Chinese and I were instructed to go out after some Japanese bombers reported to be en route to raid our 'drome. "After half an hour's patrol we found .them at 12,000 feet above Nanchang. There were six bombers and six fighters. We dived down on them and Were soon tangled up in a nasty dogfight—six guns against 48. The Chinese were shot down immediately, which left us with three scouts each. J had my three all in sight when I suddenly received a terrific thump in the right shoulder. One of the Frenchman's three, opponents sneaked round on top of me out of sight in the front and behind my top wing, Whence he potted me. "My right arm being out of action, I grabbed the control with my left and dived to get clear. When 350 showed on the speedometer, I glanced back to see if I was being followed. I was but it was too fast for any shooting. I did some quick thinking and saw they would get me easily if I tried to land. If I stayed up with only one good hand, they could out-manoeuvre me. If I went down and jumped they would shoot me on the ground, so I shoved the machine straight downwards at 400 miles an hour. '' The Japanese —or Italians —dropped behind, and I went over the side with my parachute. It opened with a terrific bang at-that speed. Everything was very quiet with the parachute until I heard the rattle of a machine-gun and saw one of the Japs firing. I climbed the shrouds with my good arm and side-slipped the parachute to make it fall faster and sideways. Every time the Japanese would have another shot at me. In the end at about 600 feet 1 grew tired of holding the shrouds and let myself drop and hang limp. To my great relief the Jap went away. I was surprised that he was fooled so easily until I looked up at my 'chute. It was cut to shreds. However, it landed beautifully. '' I felt quite all right,'' added Mr. Whitehead, "but could not get to my feet. The only thing worrying me was whether I was bleeding to death underneath all my fur clothing. Some Chinese farmers came over and, having assured themselves I was not a Jap, they made a litter and carried me about a quarter of a mile to the village. "I was lucky enough to find the local schoolmaster, who spoke English and had a medical kit. He cut the clothing away from my shoulder, and I was greatly relieved to see no blood gushing forth, though I knew, the collarbone was broken. I got a better litter, and they carried me in relays to the nearby aerodrome, an eight-hour journey. "While I was in hospital there was an air-raid at Hankow and a German

was killed fighting five Japanese scout?;, so I am the only foreign pursuit pilot left. A Frenchman died in Nnnchang ! Hospital the night they brought me in. His plane was riddled, but he had just one bullet through his head. Our machines do only 240 miles an hour against the Japanese 280 miles an hour, but ours dive better. Our new plane" which are arriving will make them sit up though," he concluded.