GALLANT FEAT OF THE AIR

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23215, 31 May 1945, Page 5

GALLANT FEAT OF THE AIR

Raid On Amsterdam One R.N.Z.A.F. Plane Returned N.Z.P.A.—Special Correspondent. (7.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 29. On May 3, 1943, 11 Venturas of the 487 (R.N.Z.A.F.) Squadron took off in the sunshine of the late afternoon to bomb power stations in Amsterdam. Only one of those aircraft returned, and everyone of its crew was awarded an immediate decoration. Although the story of these men who returned was passed by the British censor the account was censored in New Zealand. Now that some of the New Zealanders who survived the raid are back in England, an eyewitness description can be given. , Those who have so far returned are Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, D.F.C., of Nelson, who led the New Zealand squadron that day, Flying Officer O. E. Foster (Canterbury), Flying Officer T. A. Penn (Christchurch) and Warrant Officer I. F. Urlich (Hawera).

This is the story of Urlich, who was an air gunner in one of the Venturas. He owed his life to Flying Officer S. McGowan (Hastings) and a Canadian <the navigator), who pulled him from his gun turret when he was wounded, and opened his parachute for him.' McGowan, who was the pilot, and the Canadian, also Sergeant C. R. Smith CRoxburgh), who was wireless operator, flew on and were killed. “We took off in two flights,” said Urlich. “Trent led one ‘box’ of five aircraft, while Flight Lieutenant A. V. Duffill (Yorkshire) led the other ‘box' of six. , We knew it might be a tricky flight as we had to fly so far inland. We flew a few feet above the sea across the Channel and the only sign of life I saw was a submarine. It was pleasant flying and visibility was good. We could see the fighter escort above us, but once we crossed the coast and started to climb we lost sight of them. Intermittent heavy flak began and burst as we rose to between 7000 and 10,000 feet, but it did not worry us. Fighters Coming “Suddenly through the intercom I heard ‘fighters coming in to meet us from below.’ In a moment or two I saw' about 50 German fighters all round our formation. Five singled us out and began to follow us. Three came behind in line astern, the first about 600 yards away. They did not attack immediately, but when McGowan began to take evasive action the first one came in. He got a burst on the port side between my turret and the pilot but did little damage. The second one was a better one. He broke a lot of the perspex and wounded me in the right leg. The third chap really fixed us. He came in very close, raked us from end to end and hit me in the left foot. I managed to get a burst into him and down he went with his engine on fire, but I do not know what became of him. “The intercom went dead and we had a few peaceful moments until we were attacked from the front. I did not see this one come in. He really smashed up the turret. I got nicked in the left side and one of the guns was hit by cannonshell and knocked out of its mounting. The nose of our aircraft was now on fire and McGowan and the Canadian came back and began to drag me from the turret. I remember noticing we were practically over Armsterdam and that only Trent’s aircraft was ■with us.

“As I was watching it a burst of flak blew its tail away and it went, down in a spin. Mac put on my chute and pushed me out of the door. That was the last I saw of him. Later a German intelligence officer told me our aircraft—S for Sugar—had crashed, and he showed me the shoulder flashes of the crew. Ido not remember much after leaving Elie door and I must have blacked out.

Parachute Landing “When I came to the parachute was open and I could see three more below me. I learned afterward that they were Trent, his English navigator and one of our own fighter pilots. I landed on my one foot just in case .the other was badly injured, but the ’chute opened again, dragging me along and across a couple of dykes. “Eventually I was stopped by Dutch civilians and they stayed with me until a German soldier appeared on a motorbike and chased them away. He stood over me with a revolver until an officer arrived. The officer asked me if I could walk. I said ‘No’ and he picked me up and put me in a car and took me to a Dutch hospital, where I was patched up. Then I was taken and put into a cell. There was someone next door to me so I called out and it was Trent. He said he was all right but had banged his head when he jumped from the aircraft and had to have a couple of stiches put in.

Questioned at Frankfurt "We were there for about a week, and then Trent and other officers, including Foster and Penn, were taken to Frankfurt, and I followed next day. There we were Interrogated. I told them I was only an air gunner and knew nothing. The amount of information they had received from their own Intelligence amazed me. They had all the names of everyone of our squadron, including mine, and they also showed me a flight magazine only two days old. It probably came from Ireland.”

Urlich spent a month in hospital at Barth under the care of a British doctor. Then he went to'camp at Ehydekrug, in East Prussia, until July, 1944, when he moved to Thorn, in Poland. When the Russians advanced the camp was moved to Fallingbqstel. Urlich was finally liberated by British troops across the Elbe. This operation against Amsterdam ranks among the gallant feats of the air war, for. although the New Zealand Squadron was outnumbered and its fighter escort apparently swamped, it carried on With its mission, led by the resolute courage of Trent.

The one aircraft that did return comprised an all English crew and Duffill, who was the pilot, would have crash-landed in Holland if he had not learned that two of his crew were seriously wounded. Later the squadron was equipped with Mosquitoes, and in them took part in the famous attack on Amiens prison. It is at present based near Brussels.