Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 22, 2020 12:21:59 GMT 12
WELLINGTON AIRMAN
TWO IMMEDIATE AWARDS
(Special P.A. Correspondent.) Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, May 23.
The unusual distinction of winning two immediate awards, first the D.F.C. and then a bar to it, is held by Flight Lieutenant J. C. L. Fabian (Wellington). As a navigator he carried out his first tour of operations with No. 75 (New Zealand) Bomber Squadron. It was on a raid on Hamburg in March, 1943, that a Stirling in which Flight Lieutenant Fabian was navigator was badly hit by flak and went down out of control.
Only the combined efforts of its English captain, wireless operator, and Flight Lieutenant Fabian, all pulling together on the dual controls brought the Stirling out of the dive when only 1000 feet from the ground.
The navigational instruments had been flung all over the aircraft during the dive, but he guided the Stirling out over the North Sea, obtained an astro "fix," and set an accurate course for the base. For his part in this flight he won an immediate award.
Almost a year later, in April, 1944, on his second tour of operations, he was in a Lancaster which was bombing Dusseldorf. When the aircraft was on its bombing run and the bomb-aimer had released the bombs, the plane was attacked by a Messerschmitt 109 and directly hit simultaneously by flak. Before the bomb-aimer had time to report "Bombs gone" he was mortally wounded and died within three minutes, while the wireless operator was also mortally wounded and died some time later.
DAMAGE TO BOMBER.
The Lancaster had fallen 8000 feet before she could be brought under control again. One engine was on fire and useless, another was badly damaged.
As a result, the Lancaster gradually lost height. It is reckoned, that in the searchlights at 7000 feet the beams would show up the jagged holes in the fuselage, but for some reason the Germans did not fire.
The Lancaster crossed the enemy coast at 2000 feet, and could only fly just above stalling speed by losing height. She went down to 400 feet and the crew threw out all the loose equipment they could, realising that if they landed in the sea they, had no dinghy. This had been shot away when the aircraft was hit.
Eventually the English pilot gained another 200 feet, reached England, and crash-landed. Flight Lieutenant Fabian was immediately awarded a bar to the D.F.C. for "exemplary conduct and devotion to duty." The captain and navigator were also decorated.
EVENING POST, 24 MAY 1944
TWO IMMEDIATE AWARDS
(Special P.A. Correspondent.) Rec. 12.30 p.m. LONDON, May 23.
The unusual distinction of winning two immediate awards, first the D.F.C. and then a bar to it, is held by Flight Lieutenant J. C. L. Fabian (Wellington). As a navigator he carried out his first tour of operations with No. 75 (New Zealand) Bomber Squadron. It was on a raid on Hamburg in March, 1943, that a Stirling in which Flight Lieutenant Fabian was navigator was badly hit by flak and went down out of control.
Only the combined efforts of its English captain, wireless operator, and Flight Lieutenant Fabian, all pulling together on the dual controls brought the Stirling out of the dive when only 1000 feet from the ground.
The navigational instruments had been flung all over the aircraft during the dive, but he guided the Stirling out over the North Sea, obtained an astro "fix," and set an accurate course for the base. For his part in this flight he won an immediate award.
Almost a year later, in April, 1944, on his second tour of operations, he was in a Lancaster which was bombing Dusseldorf. When the aircraft was on its bombing run and the bomb-aimer had released the bombs, the plane was attacked by a Messerschmitt 109 and directly hit simultaneously by flak. Before the bomb-aimer had time to report "Bombs gone" he was mortally wounded and died within three minutes, while the wireless operator was also mortally wounded and died some time later.
DAMAGE TO BOMBER.
The Lancaster had fallen 8000 feet before she could be brought under control again. One engine was on fire and useless, another was badly damaged.
As a result, the Lancaster gradually lost height. It is reckoned, that in the searchlights at 7000 feet the beams would show up the jagged holes in the fuselage, but for some reason the Germans did not fire.
The Lancaster crossed the enemy coast at 2000 feet, and could only fly just above stalling speed by losing height. She went down to 400 feet and the crew threw out all the loose equipment they could, realising that if they landed in the sea they, had no dinghy. This had been shot away when the aircraft was hit.
Eventually the English pilot gained another 200 feet, reached England, and crash-landed. Flight Lieutenant Fabian was immediately awarded a bar to the D.F.C. for "exemplary conduct and devotion to duty." The captain and navigator were also decorated.
EVENING POST, 24 MAY 1944
