Gunner’s Story of Attack

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 209, 3 September 1941, Page 3

Gunner’s Story of Attack

(0.C.) LONDON, Aug. 33. Only IP years old, Sergeant A. R. J. Box, D.F.M. (Auckland), the reargunner who shot down Uie Me. 110 which attacked and set tire to the Wellington when Sergeant J. A. Ward (Wanganui) won his V.C., has completed 32 raids over Germany and Germanoccupied territory. He will shortly he transferred to an operational training unit. j “I didn't know what was going :>n ' \yhcn Ward was, out on the wing,” he | said. "In fact. 1 didn't hear about it ■ until we. got back to base. We were ; attacked on our wav back to Engjat'd ; while we were stooging along nice and 1 quietly. I first knew we were being | attacked when I saw a stream of tracer bullets,' just like sparks blowing out from a fire. “The next thing I saw was a Me. 110 | appearing right in front of me. It was ) extremely close, ai;d I'just pressed the i button. I could see the bullets going j into the Jerry; then he -turned over on his back and went spiralling down with j smoke pouring out. j “I looked back into the aircraft and i saw a cloud of smoke and the red i smudge of reflected fire. I happened j to see some of the crew putting on their | parachutes and gathered that we were j about to bale out. I put on my-para-j chute, but for some reason, I don’t j know why, I decided not to jump but j to hang oh for a time. Some time later ' came along and told me everything was O.K. Our Canadian captain 1 made a wizard landing with the kite j in its battered condition.” j Sergeant Box has taken part in raids ooKiel, Brest, Lorient, Duisberg, Hanj Hamburg and Bremen.