STRANGE EXPERIENCE AFTER COMBAT

Southland Times, Issue 24163, 27 June 1940, Page 9

STRANGE EXPERIENCE AFTER COMBAT

BRITISH AIRMAN’S STORY

LONDON, May 28.

In 2000 words of bald factual statement, a Fleet Air Arm officer told the thrilling story of an air battle and escape in the Norwegian mountains A Heinkel was preparing to bomb H.M.S. Flamingo, lying off Andalsnes. Three British aircraft attacked and drove off the machine, which was last seen losing height, with smoke coming from one engine. But the officer who told the story himself had to make a forced landing on a frozen lake. It took him and his observer —“whom I will call Smith — two hours and 20 minutes to struggle through the snow to some empty shacks two miles away. The officer went on: “About 6.15 p.m. we heard a whistle and thought a Norwegian ski patrol had found us, but outside we saw a figure in grey uniform. , “It'was a German airman armed with a revolver. He could speak no English and I could speak no German, but I managed to understand that he had two friends coming along. As neither Smith nor I was armed the situation was becoming rather tricky. “His two friends arrived, both armed, and all insisted on shaking hands. All three were very friendly. They had been shot down by three British fighters soon after 2 p.m. Then it began to dawn on Smith and myself that they must be the crew of the Heinkel we had been attacking.” These strange companions made their way to a deserted hotel. “We decided that one of us must ‘ski’ to a new collection of buildings we had spotted, and as I could boast of one trip to Switzerland 10 years ago it was arranged that I should go,” said the officer. “Unfortunately the German pilot insisted that one of his crew should accompany me, but, in spite of tumbles, I outpaced him by 200 yards. “At this point a. Norwegian ski patrol appeared. I stood there proclaiming loudly I was English. “Unfortunately the German also decided to say he was English. Two shots rang out and he dropped dead. (The Norwegians afterward stated that he had tried to draw his pistol.) “The other-shot just missed me.” At last the two Britons convinced the Norwegians they were not German, and got the two Germans at the hotel captured. =