N.Z. Catalinas Rescue Crashed Airman

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1944, Page 4

N.Z. Catalinas Rescue Crashed Airman

N.Z. PACIFIC H.Q., March 0. (Official R.N.Z.A.F. News Service)

Listed as missing for nine days, an American Corsair pilot has been returned to his unit by a New Zealand Catalina flying boat. He was saved from hostile seas and probable death. The flier was shot down over Gazelle Peninsula, New Britain, while covering a laid on Vunakanau airfield, near Rabaul, and carried his life-raft through the jungle, floated down a river, and finally emerged at night into S!. George’s Channel, where, injured and suffering from exposure, he was picked up by a R.N.Z.A.F. Catalina. This is one of a number of rescues carried out in a recent week by R.N.Z.A.F. flying-boats operating from the Solomons. Notable “Dumbo” Mission Notable in these “dumbo” missions lias been the fact that at times three types of New Zealand aircraft have co-operated in rescuing Allied airmen from the sea. Ventura bombers have sighted, reported and circled marooned aviators, Warhawks have given them fighter protection, and Catalinas have swept in to the final rescue. On the same day as the Corsair pilot was rescued, another New Zealand Catalina brought to safety two injured survivors of an American Mitchell bomber which was hit on a strafing mission and crashed in the sea northward of Buka. Marooned N.Z. Pilot Rescued

On another recent morning, with an escort of Corsairs and Airacobras, a Now Zealand Catalina received a message to proceed to a point off Cape Hen pan, Buka Island, to search for a marooned New Zealand lighter-pilot. At the cape the flying-boat was met by three R.N.Z.A F. Warhawks, who guided the searchers to a point where the New Zealander in Inc water was being circled by other Warhawks. Making an open-water landing, the Catalina picked up the survivor, who had been forced down an hour earlier when his Warhawk's petrol pump failed. “Dumbo” missions may take rescuers over hundreds of miles of ocean in one flight, as was Ih<' case on a recent afternoon when a Catalina picked up two Corsair pilots, one forced clown off Empress Augusta Bay by engine trouble, and '.he other eight miles off Capo St. George, New Ireland, where lh<* pilot was forced to “water land" earlier in the day.