NAZIS’ POOR DISPLAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 7 October 1940, Page 8

NAZIS’ POOR DISPLAY

WILD DUCK KILLED

OWN PLANE BROUGHT DOWN

(United Press Association—Copyright.) -(British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Oct. 4. It is reported that one raider which flew over the Thames Estuary went duck-shooting with little success. It dropped ten bombs, all on marsh land, and the only casualty was one wild duck.

A German bomber has been brought down by its own rear-gunner. This unusual victory over self was told by a squadron-leader who was flying a Hurricane over East London at t'he time. He had just destroyed a Junkers 88, states an Air Ministry bulletin, and was looking round for another German to attack when he saw a Dornier 17 detach from its formation. The squadron-leader weht in to the attack.

“The result was startling. I, got no return fire, but the rear-gunrfeUimme-diately baled but. In so doing, he wrapped his parachute round - the tail plane and this started the Dornier into doing steep dives, followed by zooms on. to its back. After a couple of these, two members of the crew baled out from in front and left the Dornier doing its acrobatics along,with *t'he rear-gunner. When last seen it was making a vertical dive into a cloud at about 4000 ft and probably crashed m or just south of the Thames Estu--51 rr n '

The King to-day made a tour of the shelters in the East End of London whilst an air raid was.in progress. In addition, the King visited a communal feeding centre where men. women, and children who have been bombed ,out of their homes are now living. Four children left by their mother in the basement of a house which was demolished in a daylight raid on London are believed to have been buried. The mother escaped. She had been forced to run out for shopping because of the length of the warning. A 12-year-old boy has been released from wreckage in East London after being entombed for several hours. His mother was -killed. SOLDIERS’ BRAVERY.

The bravery of soldiers who swam to the' rescue —in one instance unsuccessiully—of airmen down in t'he sea, and were recommended to the notice of the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Forces as worthy of mention for gallant and distinguished service, is described in a War Office announcement. LanceiSergeant W. Johnson and Corporal G. Goodwin, of the Kings Regiment (Liverpool), swam out to attempt the rescue of survivors of an aeroplane upside down on the water surrounded _by blazing petrol. They reached the fliers before any boats arrived and made every effort in the oily water to rescue the occupants. In this duty they were unsuccessful. Four privates of the .Border Regiment—lt. M. Collins, J. T. Hodgson, J. Mitchell, and H. W. Eldren—swam out in t'he darkness and found and rescued an R.A.F. sergeant who had come down by parachute and was m difficulties.