Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 14, 2019 18:47:01 GMT 12
OK he was serving with the Australians but he was a Kiwi. I wonder if this was the first kiwi to be involved in combat in the Solomon Islands?
TARGET FOR BOMBER
AIRMAN IN A DINGHY
AUCKLANDER'S EXPERIENCE
Alone in a dinghy at Tulagi, in the Solomons, Leading-Aircraftman J. E. Painton, of Auckland, was the target for the machine-guns of a Japanese bomber during the first enemy raid on that place. Leading-Aircraftman Painton had left the beach to bring several motor launches to a place of greater safety.
"I kept the nose of the dinghy pointed at the nose of the bomber so that a smaller target would be presented," he said when interviewed in Australia. "As it swooped I could see a be-goggled Japanese manning two guns in a bulge. He peppered the water about me. I do not think I was frightened, it was just a feeling of awful helplessness."
Soon a British flying-boat was up and roaring in pursuit of the Japanese machine, which "scuttled for home," although Leading-Aircraftman Painton believes it fell in the sea. After that the enemy bombed the islands from high altitudes.
The New Zealander, who was serving with the Australians, spent seven months at Tulagi. On one raid, he said, the Japanese wasted £5000 in bombs to provide the air station with fish. All the bombs fell in the sea and an unlimited supply of fish was gathered.
The Japanese were good pilots and game fighters, but they did not waste their lives wantonly, he said. One Japanese prisoner at Port Moresby asked for steak and eggs for every meal. This so irritated the troops who were on limited rations that steps had to be taken to protect him.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 18 JULY 1942
TARGET FOR BOMBER
AIRMAN IN A DINGHY
AUCKLANDER'S EXPERIENCE
Alone in a dinghy at Tulagi, in the Solomons, Leading-Aircraftman J. E. Painton, of Auckland, was the target for the machine-guns of a Japanese bomber during the first enemy raid on that place. Leading-Aircraftman Painton had left the beach to bring several motor launches to a place of greater safety.
"I kept the nose of the dinghy pointed at the nose of the bomber so that a smaller target would be presented," he said when interviewed in Australia. "As it swooped I could see a be-goggled Japanese manning two guns in a bulge. He peppered the water about me. I do not think I was frightened, it was just a feeling of awful helplessness."
Soon a British flying-boat was up and roaring in pursuit of the Japanese machine, which "scuttled for home," although Leading-Aircraftman Painton believes it fell in the sea. After that the enemy bombed the islands from high altitudes.
The New Zealander, who was serving with the Australians, spent seven months at Tulagi. On one raid, he said, the Japanese wasted £5000 in bombs to provide the air station with fish. All the bombs fell in the sea and an unlimited supply of fish was gathered.
The Japanese were good pilots and game fighters, but they did not waste their lives wantonly, he said. One Japanese prisoner at Port Moresby asked for steak and eggs for every meal. This so irritated the troops who were on limited rations that steps had to be taken to protect him.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 18 JULY 1942
