LUCKY ESCAPE
PALMERSTON NORTH PILOT. (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, Aug. 11. Flight-Sergeant F. A. Schaw, of Palmerston North, was the pilot of a Halifax which reached England after a raid against the Ruhr despite a hit from anti-aircraft fire and Junkers 88 cannon-shells. Fabric and stays were ripped away and the starboard rudder and elevator put out of action. Shells burst across the wings, striking the port outer engine. The petrol tanks were damaged and the Halifax dropped from 11,000 ft to 5000 ft. Schaw said: "The starboard outer engine started to stutter and when all the three remaining engines packed up I gave the order to abandon tho aircraft, and the navigator, radio engineer, and flight engineer jumped. Then at 800 ft v/e were too low for anyone else to jump, but suddenly the port inner engine picked up and I was able to guide the aircraft between two trees, the wings hitting tho branches. I landed in a turnip field." . Schaw saw the port wing-tip was on fire and he put out the flames by smothering them with a parachute and then stamping on thorn.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MS19420813.2.52
Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 217, 13 August 1942, Page 5
Word Count
186LUCKY ESCAPE Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 217, 13 August 1942, Page 5
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