1940-11-25 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 25, 1940.

PILOT JUMPS, SWIMS SEVEN MILES

HERE IS ONE of the most amazing R.A.F. stories of the war, It was told by a young pilot offi- cer, sole survivor of the crew of a heavy bomber that crashed into the Channel when returning from a raid in Germany.

The machine was struck by lightning, one en- gine caught fire and the other failed. The pilot offi cer saved himself by swimming seven miles in dark- ness, in his "Mae West" flying jacket, to the English coast. This is his story in his own words:

"We were flying when we ran into Q

at 6,000ft,

storm-

thunder and lightning. We went up 9,000ft, and turned on the de- icers.

"Suddenly there was a terrific clap of thunder right over us, and for a few seconds we were completely out of control.

The aircraft was badly iced up. and we began losing height at the rate of 2,000 feet a minute, though the ship's nose was up.

"Because of the thickness of the ice on the windscreen · we were flying blind, and just

TOP HATS

ON WIGS

A Correspondent in the Bahamas writes that the Duke of Windsor, ince his arrival in Nassau, capital of the colony of which the Duke is now Gov- ernor. has already made many departures from precedent.

One day the Duke walked as barcheaded through Bay Street, we turned course to head for the long waterfront thorough- home, the port engine packed up. fare which is Nassau's Piccadilly, We tried the de-icers, but with-stopping at several shops to buy out effect.

white linen suits and other

"The rear gunner then report. tropical equipment.

יו

ed that one of the engines" was The first establishment to on fire, but this didn't worry serve him was a well-known us much, and, we went on outfitter's already known as the until we saw searchlights, which Windsor Shop. meant the coast of England. Some of the Americans ar- "At this moment the other en-jriving at Nassau have odd ideas gine coaked out. We were flying' about the probable effects of then at 7,000-feet. The captain the Duke's stay on local life and decided we'd get over the coast, customs. and then jump.

The correspondent says that "Soon, he asked the rear gun-one American woman asked him. ner if he thought we were over in all seriousness, "Will the local land and both the rear. gunner barristers ποιν wear top-hats and the navigator agreed we over their wigs?" were, though we were still flying

blind.

"The captain then ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft.

SENTENCE FOR

CHEERS FOR

MR. CHURCHILL

The March of Time film "Ramparts We Watch" was shown in Baltimore recently. The cheers for a por-. trait of Mr. Churchill were second only to those for President Roosevelt... Other cheers were for the United States flag and, last for Mr. Wendell Willkie, the Republican candidate for the Presidency. In. New York a few days previously two cheap cinemas were show- ing "Atlantic Patrol.” The British flag was well cheered, and this considered. very unusual there. ...

is

100000000

0000000

SHOT SELF AT

POLICE STATION

Harry Kitchener Lobb. 25, des scribed as a fitter, of Netherwood Road, Shepherd's Bush, who was sent to prison for 12 months at the West London. Police Court was stated by a detective to have shot himself with a revolver at a police station after his arrest Lobb, who had been four months in-hospital, admitted 22 offences, including the theft of motor-cars, Sentence of 90 days detention garage breaking, and attempted has been promulgated in Cha suicide. Detective-inspector Sands We were now down to 4,000 feet. tham Garrison Orders on Sapper said that Lobb was an Army

A. Cater, of the Royal Engineers, deserter. The ice, had gone...and I saw searchlights; about five to ten who was charged with. descrtion

Water-Planed

"The captain and I went

on.

DESERTION

+

miles away on the starboard and losing clothing by neglect. better employed in civilian war beam. The compass was quite Cater, who was formerly a col- work.

hopeless and no earthly use,

thought we were flying south -along the coast.

I

to

othér

"The Captain ordered me "jump. We wished each

“Good luck and just belore jumped I yelled to him, right.'

'Turn

all

"The parachute opened right and going down I could see the searchlights about seven miles away.

{

Then I realised I was over the sea and that the sergeants had probably jumped to their doom..

I must have gone down મ

The court also sentenced lier at Bradford, said he deserted him to stoppages of pay amount- because, he thought he would beling to £5.

SKIMMED MILK ONLY

FOR PARISIANS

ONLY SKIMMED MILK is being available for

"When I landed in the sea adults in France. For children milk coupons are pretty good depth, and I came being distributed entitling the younger ones to 1%% up with a terrific cush, In

fact, practically took off as pints a day and the older ones to a little under half my parachute dragged mea pint. This allowance will remain in force until along at a terrific speed.

I lay flat on my tummy and. 'planed across the rough water.

the end of the year.

Travellers go from“. occupied being given a week's Paris leave * I thought I was being blow France are almost as rare In in turn. The flame in the Arc. back across the Channel, so I non-occupied territory as they de Triomphe is renewed each jettisoned the 'chute and my fly are in any other part of the afternoon by a group of French ing, boots and began to swim.world.

་་

The searchlights had gone One who received permission" out, so I tried to guide myself to cross the frontier has report- by the north star. I kept it oned to the Journal des Debats my right and swam towards the (Clermont-Ferrand) what life in coast. My Mae West was very Paris looked lice at the middle

of last month.

About All-In

Silent Streets:

veterans.

of

New Air Links,

The opening of - a “seri new airlines is announce consists of a daily circuit to link up Vichy, Lyons, Marseilles and Toulouse. A second links up; Toulouse, Pau, Perpignan, “Mont- and

“After” about san, hour, the Most of the shops and offices peller, Nice" and Marsellies scarchlights, camé on-again, and close an hour earlier than former- a third connects. Vichy with I swam towards them, I swam ly, and everyone returns home Limoges, Clermont-Ferrand and for a long time. Twice I almost as quickly as possible. By Grenoble. These are already in gave up. But something kept seven p.m. there are few people operation. me-going.

in the streets, and at 10. p.m. the. A number of lines to Africa The searchlights... didn't- stem | curfew sounds

were also to have been opened, to get any nearer. I had very There is little traffic and the Three times a week it is possible bad cramp. and was ill a few streets are extremely silent. Prac- to fly between Marseilles and times,

tically no 'buses run. Almost Algiers with, a connection twice bed when down came at last, the only vehicles are German a week to Dakar. This trip takes

Fasawwas about three military cars and lorries which two and a half days.~~ ¿quartera of a mile from the at the beginning of the occupa-

shore. I took off my trousers tion frequently met with ac- An extension from Algiers to and made laat affort, as cidents arising from ignorance of French Equatorial Africa was was about all-in. I reached the the Paris lay-out and traffic ar- also planned to link up with shore opposito, aplilbox,rangements.

Brazzaville, Libreville andTM other.

self out: of the water and was `rolling about half in and half

out of the gen.

1.

“I - was too weak to pull my- German soldiers still-flock to points which have now thrown vielt and photograph places of in their lot with Gen. de Gaulle. Interest, Their daily pay be. As a link with the Marseilles- ing the equivalent of over 4a Dakar service an extension, has they spend fairly freely, but now been opened to Conakry, by now most of the commothe port in French Guinen, dities chiefly sought after In Saint Louis and Kayes, Germany have been bought up. Sahara desert is also crossed be- It is believed that the various tween Casablanca 'and » Tunis units of the German army are twice a week,

""I- shouted- several times, and ht last somo soldiers, rushed out of the pillbox and pleked me up. "The soldiers, were very. 'good to me. I am sorry to say, my five colleagues were lost."

Make: Buick Sedan

Morris 10 Saloon

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-1935 31864

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1940

2392

309

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1940

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