HEROISM IN AIR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21504, 17 November 1939, Page 7

HEROISM IN AIR

New Zealander’s Courage Recalled “Just A Bit Of Luck” United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph —Copyright (Received November 16, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 15. An account was given to-day by an eye-witness of the recent air battle in France in which a young New Zealand pilot brought down a German ’plane after d* single-handed encounter. “During my visit to the front,” he said, “I met, among other Empire airmen, a 21-year-old Wellington pilot who took part in the highest air battle that has ever been fought. It took place at the incredible height of between four and five miles above the earth. The German machine, a big Dornier 17, looked about as big as a swallow in the early morning light. “Suddenly a British fighter appeared and dived down toward the German like a silver bullet. In spite*of the' great height of the machines the spatter of machine-guns could be j heard. Apparently the German pilot was hit. for the Dornier went into a spiral dive and came down at terrific speed, probably about 600 miles an hour and dug a deep trench in a village street. “The pilot told me afterwards that he spotted the German purely by chance and followed him in a dive during which his machine reached a speed of 400 miles an hour. So great was the speed that it actually tore tiny strips of fabric from the wing-tip. The New Zealander said he saw the German at 27.000 feet and finished him off at 23.000 feet. ‘lt was just a bit of luck,’ was the way he put it to me.’’ Observer’s Action In the course of a reconnaissance raid into Germany, carried out for the greater part of the distance at an altitude where the temperature was twenty degrees below zero, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire while returning from its objective and the air gunner was wounded. To reach him the observer, an n.c.0., found it necessary to discard his parachute harness, life-saving jacket and warm outer clothing to squeeze through the narrow opening inside the fuselage. Finding his companion badly wounded in the hand and thigh, he dressed his hand wound, but decided to leave the more serious thigh wound untouched, realising that loosening the clothing would probably result in dangerous loss of blood. Warming him with his body and encouraging him with reports of their progress, the observer remained with the wounded man till they were clear of Germany He then returned to the front cockpit and attended to his navigation duties till his base was in sight, when he again made his way back to the wounded air gunner and stayed with him until they landed. Throughout the whole return flight from Germany the observer was without his flying clothes in a temperature never above freezing point. Bomber Pilot’s Skill The skill of our bomber pilots was shown on one occasion when a British aircraft was attacked at 24,C90ft by a Messerschmidt fighter. Using evasive action, the pilot eluded his opponent, but he lost height so quickly I in the process that he was soon down to a level where he was immediately 1 engaged by intensive enemy antiaircraft fire. While the anti-aircraft guns werp firing, the German fighter held off till he was out of range. He then renewed the attack, but without success.

Tire pilot of the British aircraft engaged on this occasion has since been decorated for this and an earlier and still more daring reconnaissance flight from which he and his crew brought back information and photographs of outstanding importance.