DOWN IN NORTH SEA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19423, 7 September 1937, Page 6

DOWN IN NORTH SEA

BRITISH FLYING BOAT RESCUE OP THE CREW DUTCH FISHING VESSEL (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 1.30 p.m. RUGBY, Sept. 6. The crew of the Royal Air Force flying boat, which made a forced landing in the North Sea yesterday and was drifting helplessly for some hours, landed safely at Scarborough to-day. They had been rescued by a Dutch fishing boat and came ashore wearing clothes and wooden clogs borrowed from the Dutchmen. While they were taking part in exercises in the North Sea one of the two engines of the flying boat failed and after the machine had limped along for some miles on the remaining engine a petrol pipe broke. Drifting on the edge of the Dogger Bank with a gale wind and very heavy seas threatening to swamp the boat, the crew had to wait for one and a-half hours before the Dutch fishing boat came to their rescue, and it was then nearly two hours before a rope could be got to them. The first tow rope broke, but eventually the flying boat got in tow and the fishing boat headed for Scarborough. It was getting dark and sea water entered the flying boat and put the wireless out of action, so the officer in command decided to get his men to safety in the fishing boat. They roped themselves together and jumped into the sea to be hauled 30 yards through the waves to the rescue ship.