MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 121, 20 April 1940, Page 8

MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY.

LEAP WITH PARACHUTE. LONDON, March 17. A passenger in an aeroplane out of control who risked his own life to assist a fellow-passenger to jump to safety has been awarded the British Empire Medal for Gallantry. He is Mr Harold Francis Charrington, aged 29, civil engineer in the Air Ministry Works Department, Mediterranean Command, and details of his unusual act of gallantry appeared in last 1 night’s London Gazette. Mr Charrington and a colleague, Mr B. M. Timbers, were travelling on duty as passengers in an aircraft which was flying in bad weather in Palestine. The pilot was in the front cockpit and Timbers and Charrington in the rear cockpit. At a height of about 7500 ft the machine went into an uncontrollable spin, whereupon the pilot gave the order to jump. Timbers attempted to climb over the side of the cockpit, but the pre'sure held him down.. He was still unable to get away, and Charrington stayed and helped him to get clear, instead of going over the side himself. After Timbers had jumped Charrington, with great difficulty, left the machine, When lie made his escape he was so close to the ground that a few seconds further delay would have been fatal. Ho reached the ground almost immediately after his parachute opened. The pilot was killed.