1955-05-14 — Page 6

Pare

"B

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1955,

ADRIFT... ALONE.

in a sinking plane

OMB doors open!" The air speed of the Mosquito shot above 300 as they screamed. down over the sidings of Apalon railway station in Jap-held lower Burma..

Two hundred feet, one hundred and fifty feet, a hundred feet......

For a split second Charies Locke, the pilot, could make out every detail of the station-the camouflage paint on the sides of the trucks, a Jap soldier diving for cover.

Then he pressed the bomb-release button on the control column. In the same instant there was a terrific

crack and a roar as the whole aircraft kicked like a viciously spurred horse. The cockpit was full of smoke and dust, and below the rudder pedals appeared a gaping -hole in the floor. His feet were almost scraping the tree-

tops.

....

Both engines were going broom-bang, broom-bang, broom-bang, rhythmically, like a mad orchestra. He

HE FOUGHT FOR LIFE

141520-LÆKNIRYUJIIRENDERULONIESIETTA FASTENLIGSTER SUDA

FOR FIVE HOURS AS

THE WATER ROSE AND ROSE

AND

THEN WITH A MINUTE

AMÝTEMBIKAILINGINGIZIT|ÒLISSOETETTA |||02|8|21|10814)DESENE 1925 | EULA BIOTAL(12 ||||||$||

TO SPARE-CAME HOPE.

71131JAN2 TENTERADO DIAMANTLERITEZESUMEN (SAINTTEJA EI TARJONTTILAJZI SE NAPIERDER EN TSAUC

by RALPH BARKER

pulled back the stick and hydraulics system-under-carri- held his breath until the age, flaps, everything, aircraft answered, stag- There gering up over the trees like A pheasant into wind.

Three other Mosquitos had taken off with Locke's from an airdeld

Dear Mandalay that morning. Now a battle of voices from the other planes seemed to burst like shrapnel in his ears over the R/T.

+

Glowing red

"HAS, you've been hit! Chas,

you've been hit!" There were a dozen things to do, but first he reached down to his left and switched on his R/T, Just to show them" that he was still the same old Chas. "You're bloody telling me," he said.

The

was only one chance.

the Strike 3 Cross

Gulf of Martabon for the coast of Fan- koon. It couldn't be more than 15 or 20 minutes flying. They might just make it...

One thing he knew for certain he wasn't coming down behind the Jap lines while the aircraft still few. But there was. Nicky to think of. He must give Nicky the chance to bale out. There wasn't much hope them if they failed to reach the Rangoon coast.

for.

"We've got about 1,000 feet. Nicky," he said. "That'll be enough height. You'd better bale cut, old son."...

"What makes you think you

"

"Hello, Chas. I'm going

to

Locke oslled the formation.

"That's the lot," he

Baid, "The tanks are " bone dry. I'm ditch-

gain height "so that I can got good luck, Chas."

in radio touch with base. give them your Course and position and so on. I'll climb to about 6,000 and keep a watch on you from there."

"Good show, sir."

Even if they came down in the sea there would still be chance.

+

*

The sea was calma and they rushed down towards it at a hundred and eighty miles an hour.

The tail streaked prettily along the surface of the 51, breaking the aircraft

"Half-way across," said gently. It was the perfect

tail-down ditching. Nicolson presently.

Showed empty

only the old tub would keep going for ten more minutes. He looked again at the needles on the petrol gauges, They still showed empty. They must be running on air.

the

make

can get across the gulf withouty second now the engines a navigator" sald Nicky, "Let's go."

the cut. "Look!" shouted Nicolson

晶

Men in the three aircraft circling

overhead saw the water pluming out behind ›

ditching aircraft like the wake of a yacht. But when the bose dipped to

with Impact

the water,

bomb- the open doors churned into the sea and a wall of water struck rear bulkhead and snapped and splintered the fael-pressure warning

wooden fuse: suddenly. "Land dead ahead?” lights were glowing red. He

Locke could already make out

lago like J shouted at Nicolson, his naviga-

Nicolson gave Locke a course" tor: "Change

It was almost exactly the details of the coastire some rotten to outer wing to steer. tanks!**

Hetually liked 100 miles across the gulf at this ten miles distant. In the same chest.

Locke reckoned the moment the engines coughed nose of the keep a few gallons in the outer point.

their derision aircraft tanks for emergency, but today, had petrol for perhaps 60 or 10 and spluttered Anally cut. of all days, he had run the outer miles. Perhaps 80, Perhaps 90. and

T on to main tanks, tanks nearly dry.

Perhaps even 100. But if they could only sight of land Nicky: Jettison escape hatch!"

get Nicolson tried to close the that might be enough.

Nicolson already had his hand bomb doors, but nothing hap- He watched the other aircraft on the petrol cocks, and pened They were jammed.. formating on him. It was turned them over instantly. The Jammed bomb doors for good to have company at a time engines cut dead. crash-landing. That was it like this Joel, the leader, called tanks were bone dry. He letti lovely.

the whole him on the R/T.

soned the hutch.

It meant

10

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tea-

The

was

guillotined, its tail severed, Its back broken

02

he. Volumes

The main

•You`ll know the Omija Constellation by the, obire, tory agend on the back of the care your guaranits, of an "experially good stranamatir, **

water cascad- ed skywards.

of

'Lacke felt himself going

down to unknown depths

and of a huge wall of drew his hand it was covered in

sati-

the

like waves beating on a mole twisted and tortured du

As the

Hir aircraft broke up bammered.

was "head Locke was conscions of the numb and he put his hand up scream of rending metal and to his forehead. When he with- wood, water smashing over the front blood.

the

He was vaguely onscious too

of Nicky being simultaneously he was flung out Into

a strange darkness. Locke felt himself going down, down to unknown depths, consciousness

until evaporating pinpoint of light between

Drawn

by

ROBB

He tried again to pull himself. up and this time he succeeded, He sat in the end of the wreck age, like a chicken hatching from its shell

Concluding THE EXPLOITS OF THE GOLDFISH CLUB

·He looked back towards the

the sen "unt, a litle rigue „coastline, “% but the land was Ythe wreckenge each? time..

gone. He must have drifted à.

now.

long way south, far out toleta. Gamping and surgling, buffeted Even if anyone was looking for-ada akung Leste nevermekosa him they would never and him. nosmosed::to grab the rope the eighth time, the eased the loop over his aboukiers, and under tals areopita, and felt himsel yagdeed from the wreckage, and dragged across the surface, of the swell faj tha

The water was up to his arm- pits now. The sea was rougher and sometimes water splashed into his face...

Then suddenly he had a queer vibratory sensation in his earn,

wankt-tip of the plane,

15

He lay in the fuselage, utteri And be saw two aircraft fy, exmansed, half-orowood, EXRE- directly overhead. The Spitāres, veuini” at the pala were back.

· man could endure fa

This time they came right He watched the ⠀ "pŕderly. down low and dived straight at moving about with blankets, him waggling their wings. They

must have seen him this time,

His ears detected i

પન

engine acuse and looking up ne

saw a

Lysander struggling

a cigarette, old song" No smoking

across the sky- He saw the PURSING his lips, the orderly

rearsumber hing something over

Jooted uncertainly ....doeland,

the side of his cockpit and de shook his head, "Sorry ab seconds later there was great on smaking -- in, the ... airerart.” 30 ze clos, "Don't be -bloody splaaning cascace of water

yellow

to 40 yards away. When the tiresome," zaidi "Locka," "Glys -water nga lang

DA STW large' me a cigarette." It was an order away from an officer and the arcy downwind on the troubled" stu. Tumbled 10% cigarettes. And Dian't they Know that

ne marches, suffered the most appaling pain' even woon be tried to late 2013- self higner in the wreck?

Faralyseu

WATER was nearly up to his Wreck on how

able pain paralysed his every movement, but somehow he raised himself a few inches.

“Locke'a, cyo kept roving to tha. first-aid bag. When was the clot going to open up and give hin the treatment? The Sea Otter was pouzung glaully over pe swell, trying to take off. Every bump was sheer purjakry. Why

The scapiane made six ruze before it eventually climbed

sanway, shattering the last ot

Thachung-chug note of an Locke's résistance and reducing undansiline engine" suddenty, re- nim Do the berinde of

verberated in his ears. The sexousness.

nque cùme closer, and his beart ·

gave a wild reap as he recognis-

the po

air/sea reSCIA aircrstt

almost hovering beside fem. A

Drugs short,

Sen Otter! A plane that could orderly too had his eye on

land on the scal

THE

the first-aid book. It

has Arst rescue. He knew if he Locke watched the amphibian opened up the box it meant By of purposefully downwand breaking the seal, accounting and then tisa up into wood for verwards for anything be used, an approace. ine paine souen. Paiting in demand notes for ed down about a hundred yards replacements. Perhaps even car away. That began to a court of inquiry. Drags were short in Balmon. They would Locke looked up

bosvanda the wreckage. The sta. and saw was still rough and the Sea soon be back at base and the a solitary Mosquita about

Otter stopped some 3 yards doctors could take over. Yet he 2000ft. above him, still circling.sant, evidently.... afraid

feit war he must pfter to do

He waved without hope of

of

of the

seen.

The other chape must ning the wreck. A Agure something,

the nose Short of appeared in have pushed off.

Soon the last Mosquito la standing up in the open petrol. surped and few of to their rares in a Mac West, north, Bacio to blain, Cupolding a pope,

Flung rope

A

He bent over Locice, fucked. the blankets sound him took a deep

breath

“Would you like a aupleins?” he said.

POSTSCRIPT

Locke had spent, Shra, 40mins.

thrown forward beside him, and three Mosquitos wheeling round was sheathed in a rubberised of about 20 yards aquaid she doubtedly within à minute F

his

and He looked up overhead, like ang birds. He saw land in the distance, attainable yet unbearably near. When be looked back at the

Lin-

Somers

Locke vas still suffering agonies from his injuries. He pulled out the first-aid kit and noticed that it was stamped. Now the amphibian began to "Air Ministry." The package describe a clede of a radia in the water and was un=

wreckage.

The figure in the two of arouming when he was it fell yards short, Bound came fractured spine, a broken right frout cockpit fing the rope and seed. His injuries included a

cari-mg downwind, and a second

cussion, cuts the rope fell short, The third exposure. He is now a Helen bruises, shock, and time the rope struck the weed executive in fuselage somewhere behind him corporation. He is also the # paper making end be clawed at it effectual Honorary secretary of the Gold- ly. Then it was thrown too late, fish Club of today. and then too soon,

fabric and his numbed felt for the joint. you were supposed to tear across the dotted line. He couldn't Everything's so waterproof that I can't get at it

dwindling and wreckage he saw the tail unis And it, Waterproof; he thought, be Sea Otter the ankle, a smashed left knee, con

whole founder and sink. his

being was concentrated in а He had no hope of reach-

bits

his

eyest As he went he felt his ing the dinghy. He tried to body being struck all over by strike out towards the remains of the wreck and presently he of wreckage.

and looked straight up into the jaws Everything was eerie, silent, like a dream. It was not of the smashed fuselage. until he began to feel the need for als that he realised he was

still alive...

Hopeless

H

Looked tidier

E found the tin. Doc Harbin

son had given him back at He foundered and flopped his the base and poured the tablets way to the rear of the broken he wanted into the pain of his centre strip, his clothes like lead, hand. Sulphonamide. That was weights and his head nearly the stuff. Six tablets. He had awash. Then he grabbed hold no idea what to do with them. of the wreckage and supported There was a hole, in his bimiself thankfully, all but leg about the size of a Borin

He rammed tablets in the hole

HE: felt his movements strange exhausted.

constricted; and

he realised that his parachute.

into

Ho looked desperately around until he had filled it and levelled it off. That looked tidier. Then and harness were hampering for Nicky, but knew as he did blood began to

to trickle down Mim. He stapped the quick so that it was hopeless, release box and struggled free. Nickey must have died when he broke He had no idea what depth he

had reached but it seemed to they ditched

his eyes again from his head and

the list tablets

and rubbed the powder into his forehead: The bleeding seemed

him that he was at the bottom. He began to pull himself up to stop. of the sea.

into the shelter of the broken.

The pinpoint, of light seemed fuselage. to be receding into the distance,

he was becoming a whole per son again.

He was suddenly aware of a noise in his ears, and looking At once the pain was so up he saw two Spitfires over.

about to faint, If he fell back stayed at 1,000. They weren'

-The Sea Otter went on circl ing,

five or six times, seven times, the plunging rope lash

[These extracta” aze from "Down in the Drink," published by Chalto and Windus.]

It puffs and it puffs and

IT EASES THE JET DOWN

REATER loads

W. A. WATERTON

smaller eliminated, slower speeds are

and yet he had a sensation that cruciating that he felt himself head at about 1,000ft. But the sirdelda. That is the object possible, and a ton more load oka water around him was changing would drown. He remembered

into the sea unconscious he even waggling their wings At

that the

to a paler green. The pressure the whisky flask

on his lungs seemed lighter, and yet he could hold

his breath suit.

rio, longer. Almost at the same

and so let water into his lungs

moment as he

began to gasp

he broke the surface.

In his flying

Still circling

of techniques now being studied be carried.

for futul versions of the Bristol Britannia, turbo-prop air-liner.

This plan may now be applied to the Britanuli. Engineers say When" Britain's newest com mercial plane is given lower the new BE. 25 "supercharged" take off and landing speeds both

turbo-prop engine is ideal the these are possible. They would produce such a arplus of -air purpose." Its", compressors give the Britannia, an immense that some, of It would be blown -plane in the air today, sales Britannia's wings to give tho sub-of air over an aircraft's wing Experts says the landing speed

Experiments concern the flow smoothing effect.

of a Britannia could be reduced

Somehow he was alive. Dazed He had sayed some of his spint now. It misst be seeping into advantage over any transport over the trailing edge of the

ration month by month, to

Oh, it stood out a mile. No one had seen him. They were just, carrying out routine check for floating survivors,

The water was above his waist He wouldn't with concussion and shock, he All that flask, Many a night in the petrol, tanks, felt no elation, only surprise, the mess tent when the party have much longer. Perhaps

half an hour.

our. Perhaps an hour, He looked quickly round and spirit was at his height and the

wreckage saw in the same moment the whisky was running low he had. Then the

take him wreck of the Mosquito, the fuse been tempted to have & swig or

or merge and take lage and the tail unit some two from his flask. But he had. He broke off a small piece of "f

For two years American Navy by a fifth. The plane would be distance apart, and, drifting never done so. Now he found jagged wood from the splintered

Warmth fuselage with the vague idea of fighters have been using a ble totise Amalt speedily away to the south, the. the flask and drank. dinghy. He was suddenly aware and strength coursed through having something to help him simple system of keeping air fields barred on present routi that every bone in his body him and he.. felt ridiculously float, when the late eventually flowing smoothly when landing Operating

flaps are lowered," Eddies are reduced. ached as though it had been elated.

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN

HELLO, NARDA,OH~} YOU'RE LOOKING AT MY OLD COLLEGE-OF- MAGIC ALBUM.

WELL-WHY SUCH AN ICY "HELLO"

HELLO--

IN YOUR STORIES

ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF MAGIC YOU NEVER- TOLD ME THERE WAS

·A GIRL THERE.

sank.

1 it. This is what gives a plano its

By Les Falk and Phil Davis.

I WAS JUSTA BOY THEN-YEARS BEFORE ( ́EVEN MET YOU

TELL

HEA?

TALK

ABOUT

CHALEENA SO YOU FOUND THAT SBY GOLLY, 10 HAVEN'T TRÕUGHT GABOUT HER FOR

YEARS, REALLY

*** DARLING ***

Costa

MAGIC!

OMEGA Constellation

ustrie. Horlogère

OMEGA *</TI

Switzerland.

Admiral