1961-06-10 — Page 19

Despite the bullets their fuel tanks held as they limped along

CRASH! BUT THEY LIVED

TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY

THE crippled heavy bomber dropped lower towards the North Sea. Jagged holes in her sides, wings and tail told their own story of the battle she had fought to deliver her bomb load on the target.

Now, the crew were nursing her home. But she was rapidly losing height-and the friendly coast of England was far away. The engineer carried out his check. Petrol O.K.

settling in the sea, inflated by a gas-filled bottle.

One by one the crew pulled themselves into the life-saving dinghy. The skipper checked; the all aboard.

picked them up. crew had returned

self-sealing tanks had knitted Some hours later 2 rescue together again after the launch JU88 night fighter's bullets Another had gone through. But the home. engines were badly damaged. There was reaching the English coast.

The skipper, battling to keep the heavy plane from losing height, made the final decision:

hope по

Another стого owed their of lives to the Dunlop workers

who had made the self- sealing tanks and the rubber dinghy.

Ιπ many ways Dunlop workers are behind the man in the air.

The fighter pilots who (sea). Stand by for streaked across the Kent skies ditching (landing in sea).'

to throw back the German bom- The wireless operator took bers during the Battle of Britain

navi- thumbed the position from

Dunlop firing gator and started to send his mechanism

as their guns stut- lives of

the tered at the invaders in their air- it. craft. on

"This is it, boys. We'll have to put her down in the drink

The

message. степ would depend

the

Other crew members took

the

up the wireless operator clamped down his morse key so that it send out a signal that would could be checked from England for position, and took his "ditching" place.

"ditching" positions Only the best

All was set. The skipper fought to keep control as the North Sea waves rushed up

And when the speed of planes went so high in dives and turns that pilots blacked out, Dunlop developed a special flying suit. This enabled the pilots to keep complete control.

-

Then there were tyres.. tyres ranging from the giants to meet the bomber. He that shod the four engined shouted a last warning: "Brace Stirling as she roared her yourselves....here it comes." way down the runway with The dying bomber sank a 10,00015 load of bombs, to down on to the sea. The the tiny Spitfire tail wheel. jolted crew went into action, These are only a few of each man to his

job. the products OWN

that have earned Escape hatches were flung Dunlop a name in the air. open and the

tumbled men

Britain has a

tradition out on top of the plane.

and demands nothing but A large dinghy had been the best of its ships and the thrown out of the top of one men who sail them. Britain of the wings. Now it was has never been let down.

sea

Many sailors have thanked the non-slip deck.

Strong men? No, a rubber tank being lifted into position.

The company that went to war-with guns made of rubber