Tank Holed, Gunsights Gone, N.Z. Pilot Fights On

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1940, Page 6

Tank Holed, Gunsights Gone, N.Z. Pilot Fights On

(Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY, May 26. A young New Zealand fighter pilot has just brought his damaged Hurricane machine safely to England from France after an extraordinary series of experiences. His aircraft was severely damaged before he left on the journey home. The gunsighits were gone and the only instruments working were the compass, and the oil temperature and pressure gauges. He had his eight machine-guns loaded only with ordinary ammunition, and the starboard petrol tank was leaking when he decided to land at an aerodrome in northern France to refuel before continuing the flight to England. Dive-Bombing Dorniers. Approaching the aerodrome, he saw part of a town nearby in flames, and just as he was preparing to come down he observed two Dornier 215 - s begin a dive-bombing attack on the aerodrome. Immediately he got on the tail of one and gave it two short bursts. There was no doubt he hit the enemy aircraft, although he had no gunsight. The second German machine tried to escape in the clouds, but the Hurricane pilot followed it blazing away with his guns. Having got rid of the two Dorniers, the New Zealander was about to land when he w.as attacked by a number of Messerschmitt fighters. Tank Spurting Petrol. Unable to cope with all of them immediately, he circled the town for about 10 minutes, giving them occasional bursts. When he landed at the aerodrome he found his starboard petrol tank spurting petrol. He had his port tank fuelled, and with a bayonet widened the holes in the punctured tank to allow the fuel to escape. Then he took off again with only 50 rounds of .ammunition left in each of his eight guns. “With only that small amount of ammunition I was almost help- *> less,” he said later. “It was just my luck to run into another formation of six Messerschmitts, when I was practically out of petrol. “Skates on For Home.” “Anyway, I gave the leader a burst as he came head on for me. “I am sure I hit him, and I dived down past him towards the ground. “After that I just put my skates on for home.” The aircraft was decorated with a coat of arms which the pilot designed for himself. It incorpates most of the unlucky signs. In the centre is the figure 13. Round it a sketch of a man walking under a ladder and another showing three cigarettes being lighted from the same match. Under this challenge to bad luck the New Zealander printed this inscription: “What the Hell.”