Pilot Rescued After German Plane Shot Down

Northern Advocate, 15 January 1940, Page 5

Pilot Rescued After German Plane Shot Down

LONDON, January 13. It is officially stated that fighter patrols shot down a German aeroplane oft the South Coast of Scotland. The engagement occurred over the sea near the firth of Forth, which has proved an uncomfortable area for the Germans, at least six having been shot down and: others badly hit there during air battles. The pilot of this machine, a Heinkel bomber, was later rescued by a launch, and reported that the other three members of the crew had been killed, says a British Official Wireless message. Search for Survivor. The bomber apparently was under control until a few feet above the sea. After the crash, one man was seen to climb out of the aeroplane into .a rubber boat, and a British fighter pilot wirelessed his position to the base. A Coastal Command launch went out, and for nearly two hours searched the area in 10-mile sweeps, following the direction of the tide. The captain of the launch explained the difficulty of spotting an object as small as ,a man in the broken water. Although a seaplane was also sent to search, visibility was too bad for it to keep in contact with the launch. Black Speck Seen. Suddenly a black speck was seen three-quarters of a mile away. ' This proved to be the German pilot, who. lying on his back, was endeavouring to make .a backstroke with his arms. He was in full flying kit, and the only way to get him into the launch was for one of the crew to get into the water and tie a rope around him, and to use the derrick to haul him in. A sergeant at once volunteered and quickly fastened the German, who was then hauled aboard, followed by the sergeant. Near Extreme Exhaustion. “The German officer was near extreme exhaustion.’’ said fhe launch captain. “We soon had him tucked in my bunk. “One of the crew gave him trousers, and we fitted him out with a sweater and thick, woollen socks. “He was most grateful for six cups of hot tea, which he swallowed one after another, and said he was trying to swim to England 20 miles away. “He told us his observer, who had been wounded in the fight, had also been in the water, so we went on searching for him for another' hour without success. “Then we started back home, with the prisoner fast asleep. “We wirelessed for an ambulance, which was waiting to take him to hospital.