PARACHUTE JUMPING SENSATIONS

Southland Times, Issue 24357, 11 February 1941, Page 5

PARACHUTE JUMPING SENSATIONS

(British Official Wireless) (Received February 10, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, February 9. Five fighter pilots, who had “baled out” by parachute, visited a factory in Britain during the week-end to thank the men and women who made their parachutes. One after another the pilots climbed on a table to tell their experiences when they jumped out, and each said, rather nervously, “Thank you for saving my life.” One pilot, describing his sensations during his first parachute jump said, “I began to float down and the sensation was absolutely wonderful. There was the North Sea below and a little ship. I saw my plane crash into the sea, and I was very sorry. I began to breathe very deeply as I watched the sea in case I went under. As I hit the water I pressed the button which threw off tire parachute harness, and in a couple of seconds I was swimming round enjoying myself. Then a little boat came out from a ship and picked me up. “The second time I had to jump was when I was over London. ‘Well, here we are again,’ I thought. ‘I have done it before. It will be easy this time.’ I duly landed, quite comfortably in a blackberry bush. I picked myself up and found a rifle muzzle levelled at my head, but I made myself known and was taken to hospital.”