BLAZING MASS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23774, 30 September 1940, Page 8

BLAZING MASS

j IFIRE IN MID-AIR > GUNNER'S OWN STORY LETTER TO HIS MOTHER LONDON, Sept. OS Propped up in his bed in a London hospital, Sergeant John Hannah, 18-year-old air gunner, who has been awarded the 11th V.C. of the war, wrote to his mother as .follows: — "Dear Minn, —I would have written sooner, but to-day is the first occasion on which I have been able to open my eyes. "No doubt you are all worried. But I am still O.K. At last I have managed to got some rest, as you can see by the address-. I suppose you have had sorao oificial news by now. "Lucky to be A'iive" "I am lucky to bo alive. We were caught in a terrific barrage over Antwerp, and our aeroplane caught lire. I realised that wo were likely to blow up at any moment, so I made for my parachute only to discover that it was already on lire. "You can guess there was some panic. By this time the navigator and gunner had baled out. The machine was a blazing mass, and a terrific-target for antiaircraft gunfire. "I did some quick thinking, and started throwing overboard everything that was burning. Finally I got the fire out and tho pilot and I limped home. They rushed mo to hospital. Experts Bewi'idered "I have since hoard that the whole business has caused a great sensation. Tlioy tell mo. that tho chief of tho Bomber Command and all the other big noises are having tho 'kite' photographed because they cannot realise how we could ever have got back. "I have had so many big shots around my bed to-day that I feel a big shot, too. "I have had a telegram from tho officer commanding, congratulating me on my conduct. Apparently it is the first time a fire has been put out in the air. "My pilot got the D.F.C., so I expect I will be getting something, too. "But if you feel the way I do, you will be quite thankful that I am alive, without worrying what I am getting or what I am going to look like. There is hardly a hair on my head at tho moment. My face is covered with plastic stuff, and what skin I can see is as black as a nigger's."

Sergeant Hannah's father is a dockside foreman.

AID FOR BRITAIN LARGE MONEY GIFTS INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICA LONDON. Sept. 27 Further gifts by Indian rulers t-o the Allied cause were referred to by the Secretary of State for India, Mr. L. S. Amery, in a speech. The Maharajah Diraja of Darbhanga, who has already offered an ambulance' unit, now offers six ambulance cars. Tho Maharajah of Shavnagor has contributed £33,750 to the Viceroy's war purposes fund. The Maharajah of Bikaner, who has already offered all the resources of his State, has donated £26,250 to the same fund, while the Maharajah of Gondnl has contributed £7500 for evacuated children who are temporarily homeless. .The Lord Mayor of London stated that £16,000 contributed to the air raid fund had already been distributed. The fund was now in the neighbourhood of £750,000.

The city of Durban, South Africa, has sent another £14,851, bringing its total contribution to over £34,000. A sum of £20.000 has also been received from the .Mayor of Johannesburg.

SIGNAL FOR HELP BOY IN LIFEBOAT DRAMA OF OCEAN RESCUE British Wireless LONDON, Sept. 27 How an exhausted child who had spent days in an open boat in rough weather in the Atlantic signalled the name of the torpedoed liner. City of Benares, to the Sunderland flying-boat which came down to 1000 feet and circled over the drifting boat was told by the captain of the aircraft. "I could see the pco.ple on her quite clearly," he said. "They were prostrate and pretty well exhausted, yet as I watched, a little chap in what looked like a Boy Scout's uniform, sitting down amidships, suddenly spotted us. He stood up at once and began waving. Then he picked up something white, probably n handkerchief, and began waving. I didn't get the meaning for a second. Then it dawned on me what lie was up to——'City of Benares.' "Weak as he "'as, that kid signalled the ship's name, which told us the whole story. That was enough. AVe were off right away to get help."