Post by Dave Homewood on May 10, 2021 19:09:34 GMT 12
Here's an article that appeared in the Waikato Times dated 11th of April 1942.
NARROW ESCAPE
ALMOST ELECTROCUTED
NEW ZEALAND AIRMAN
SAVED BY PILOT
(United Press Assn. —Elec. Tei. copyright) (Special Correspondent.) (Received April 11, 11.10 a.m.)
LONDON, April 10
An English sergeant-pilot’s quick thinking saved the life of Flight-Sergeant Observer Dudley Attwood, formerly of Ashburton, when an American Boston bomber in which they were flying crashed into a live line on an electric railway. Flight-Sergeant Attwood said: “If it had not been for the skipper’s action I would have been a ‘gone goose.’ We all escaped by a miracle. My only hurt was to my dignity when I sat down very hard. We had been carrying out a daylight raid on docks and shipping at Le Havre. A cannon shell hit the starboard engine, cutting the main fuel lines and stopping the engine, but we managed to reach and bomb the target, and then got auxiliary petrol supplies working.
“We had trouble with the damaged engine while we were returning. It was packing up and then restarting. When we arrived at the aerodrome we fired red Verey lights to show that we were distressed and also told other landing aircraft over the radiophone to keep up and let us land. All did except one, who began to land in front of us. For that reason we had to circle the field again.
“Meanwhile both motors cut out. The skipper sighted a small field and prepared to crash-land. We were nearly down when the field ran out, after which we cut down a telegraph post beside an electric railway.
Blinding Blue Flash
“The skipper could see that we were going to hit the line and knew that I was in the Boston’s transparent nose, so slewed sideways. As a result we landed on the railway like a crab. I would have been a ‘goner’ if we had hit head-on. A blinding blue flash followed the impact and there were showers of sparks. We all thought we would be electrocuted and I am still not certain how I escaped.”
A tribute to the toughness of the Bostons is the fact that this aircraft, although badly damaged, has been repaired and is again flying. Bostons are in the regular Royal Air Force service. They are swift and powerful aircraft, faster than Blenheims, with twice the bomb load.
NARROW ESCAPE
ALMOST ELECTROCUTED
NEW ZEALAND AIRMAN
SAVED BY PILOT
(United Press Assn. —Elec. Tei. copyright) (Special Correspondent.) (Received April 11, 11.10 a.m.)
LONDON, April 10
An English sergeant-pilot’s quick thinking saved the life of Flight-Sergeant Observer Dudley Attwood, formerly of Ashburton, when an American Boston bomber in which they were flying crashed into a live line on an electric railway. Flight-Sergeant Attwood said: “If it had not been for the skipper’s action I would have been a ‘gone goose.’ We all escaped by a miracle. My only hurt was to my dignity when I sat down very hard. We had been carrying out a daylight raid on docks and shipping at Le Havre. A cannon shell hit the starboard engine, cutting the main fuel lines and stopping the engine, but we managed to reach and bomb the target, and then got auxiliary petrol supplies working.
“We had trouble with the damaged engine while we were returning. It was packing up and then restarting. When we arrived at the aerodrome we fired red Verey lights to show that we were distressed and also told other landing aircraft over the radiophone to keep up and let us land. All did except one, who began to land in front of us. For that reason we had to circle the field again.
“Meanwhile both motors cut out. The skipper sighted a small field and prepared to crash-land. We were nearly down when the field ran out, after which we cut down a telegraph post beside an electric railway.
Blinding Blue Flash
“The skipper could see that we were going to hit the line and knew that I was in the Boston’s transparent nose, so slewed sideways. As a result we landed on the railway like a crab. I would have been a ‘goner’ if we had hit head-on. A blinding blue flash followed the impact and there were showers of sparks. We all thought we would be electrocuted and I am still not certain how I escaped.”
A tribute to the toughness of the Bostons is the fact that this aircraft, although badly damaged, has been repaired and is again flying. Bostons are in the regular Royal Air Force service. They are swift and powerful aircraft, faster than Blenheims, with twice the bomb load.
