ORDEAL AT SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25030, 21 October 1944, Page 8

ORDEAL AT SEA

EIGHT DAYS IN DINGHY

RESCUE OF AIRMEN PLANE HITS SHIP'S MAST COLLISION IN DARKNESS By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Special Correspondent) l(Recd. 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 20 It was a pitch black night and, as Warrant-Officer Donald 11. Mann, Christchurch, of the New Zealand Beaufighter Torpedo Bomber Squadron, flew his aircraft at a low level over the North Sea, he could not see anything. He checked and rechecked the luminous dials of his instruments, ■which shone like bright sparks in the cockpit. With Flight-Sergeant D. M. Kennedy, a Lancashire lad, as his navigator, lie had been sent to attack a convoy which was trying to escape from Terschelling Island, Holland, under cover of night. They were flying low so enemy radio location should not pick up their position. They had been in the air nearly two hours, when suddenly "Warrant-Officer Mann distinguished the dark shape of a ship ahead and with its superstructure above him. Unable to Gain Height He tugged urgently at the control stick in an attempt to fly clear of her, but in the split second in which he had to act he could not gain sufficient height. The next moment the aircraft seemed to be hit with a terrific force on the port wing, and as the Beaufighter slewed round violently the pilot saw that half the wing had been ripped away. It had struck the ship s mast and the Beaufighter could not now be controlled. With cool, quick thinking, WarrantOfficer Mann realised he would have to make the best landing he could on the Bea, no easy feat in that pitch darkness, with the water like black marble and with the controls awry. However, lie managed it, and while the Beaufighter began to settle in the water he and Kennedy struggled into the dinghy.

Damage to Dinghy The dinghy had been damaged in the release, and even by the time they had clawed their way into it leaks were making it water-logged. Then began four long days and nights, when the New Zealander and the Lancashire boy lay uncomfortably in the dinghy, baling from time to time and hoping almost against hope that they would be sighted by the l?oyal Air Force Air Sea Bescue. Four days passed, and on the firth a Warwick aircraft sighted them and dropped a lifeboat. In vain thev tried through the rough seas to reach it, but jt was too far away and they had not sufficient strength. Soon another Warwick appeared and dropped a dinghy bigger tnan their own. It fell only a few yards away, and they managed to reach it, struggle in and tow their own dinghy. Another Dinghy Dropped Later in the evening a third Warwick dropped another lifeboat. It fell close by, but again they were too weak to paddle toward it. Three more days passed Their small store of water had almost gone, and it was a gloomy moment when they had used all but half a tin. For hours they lay listlessly in the dinghy, and then suddenly they heard the noise of a motor. Twenty-five yards away was a rescue launch. In a moment or two it was alongside, "but neither Mann nor Kennedy could climb into it, and they had to be hauled aboard by ropes. From that spot, 80 miles off the English coast, they were eoon taken to England. They are now in hospital making a good recovery. Jhey had been nearly eight days in the dinghy, but had never entirely given up hope of being rescued.

TRADES UNION AIMS THE 40-HOTJR WEEK ANNUAL HOLIDAY WITH PAY LONDON, Oct. 19 The Trades Union Congress at Blackpool carried a resolution stating that it is the policy of the congress to secure a 40-hour week throughout industry at the earliest practical date, and that a holiday of two weeks with pay should he provided by legislation. The resolution added that both of these reforms should be brought into operation as soon as possible after the ■war, and the Government should urge the implication of these principles throughout the world by the inclusion of them in the peace settlement. Another resolution urged the immediate transfer to public ownership and control of industries vitally important to the life and well-being of the community, nottibly the transport, fuel and power, and iron and steel industries. The congress, giving attention to the danger of cartels, asked the Government to appoint a commission to inquire into their activities. The congress also advocated release of all Indian political prisoners, and instructed the general council to send a delegation to India to study labour problem*, and establish a firm relationship with the organised labour movement in India. A resolution asking the general council to launch a weekly Trades Union Congress journal, designed to command popular support, was withdrawn. The general secretary, Sir Walter Citrine, opposing the resolution, said that some time ago they had long experience of trying to run a daily newspaper, and the circulation never reached more than 250,000. They had also tried to run a weekly called the New Clarion. "We very soon found out the inevitable, where an official journal was concerned," Sir Walter proceeded. "No official journal is free to comment, and it cannot be, because the moment it singles out something—however goodnatured the criticism —then at once we have protests." Sir Walter added that the Daily Herald had cost them £500,000 and the New Clarion a large sum. He did not. think the congress would be wise to commit itself to publish the suggested journal until it had had an adequate opportunity to examine how it was to he done. , _ . Mr B. Roberts, of the National Union of Public Employees, the mover of the resolution, said Sir Walter's speech was most depressing. "This weekly journal will he an effective antidote to_ any attempt of the press, lords to mislead the public about congress proceedings." he added. "It will he an effective instrument to break any boycott and will give an excellent opportunity to those members of the general council who are silent in the public press to spread themselves over the pages of the journal, which I hope the congress will ■ultimately publish." PALESTINE TERRORISTS TRANSFER OF 251 PEOPLE LONDON, Oct. 19 The Palestine Government, in a London communique issued by the Colonial Office, says: "In the interests of public security and safety of life and property in Palestine. 251 persons who were detained under emergency regulations as terrorists or for complicity in terrorist activity have been transferred to military custody and removed to a place of detention outside Palestine." _ Hie communique added: "The Palestine Government has decided to use sirens, which formerly sounded an air -raid warning to warn the public of the occurrence of terrorist outrages."