Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 22, 2020 20:10:38 GMT 12
KEPT HIS HEAD
PILOT'S ESCAPE
EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS
(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service.) BOUGAINVILLE, August 2.
Landing by parachute when his aircraft was shot down in the Rabaul area, Flight Sergeant M. S. Aitchison, of Woodside, East Taieri, pilot of an RNZ.AF. torpedo bomber, spent two days and a night in enemy country and three nights and two days at sea in a rubber dinghy. He was picked up north of Gazelle Peninsula by a United States gunboat, not seriously the worse. The two other members of his crew are posted as missing.
Flight Sergeant Aitchison and his crew were engaged in an attack on Japanese anti-aircraft positions protecting an airfield near Rabaul. With the last of the bombs away, the aircraft, at 7000 feet, was twice hit, and the starboard wing was shot off. Flight Sergeant Aitchison gave the order to bail out. and undid his safety belt. The Japs were shooting well, and the aircraft, spinning wildly, was struck by a third burst, which dazed the pilot and threw him out of the cockpit. He landed among trees, his parachute catching in branches and leaving him dangling two feet from the ground.
Obeying first instincts, he immediately set out for cover, but returned to get his dinghy from his parachute. This action was his salvation. He had lost the greater part of his survival equipment, but still had his knife and revolver. Taking a rough bearing from the sun, he set out southward to reach the sea.
Setting himself a programme of roughly ten minutes' rest for every half-hour of walking, he soon found himself traversing steep hills and gullies, and often vines and low, dense jungle growth impeded his progress. Once during the first day he heard voices, and gave the area a wide berth. He spent the night in a coconut plantation on high ground. Here he drank coconut milk and slept on the ground.
Next morning he kept on southward, hoping to strike a sizeable river. Coming to a creek of clear water, he remembered a hint from Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's book, "'Seven Came Through." and forced mouthful after mouthful of water into his rubber Mac West until he estimated that he had about three-quarters of a gallon. Two or three times he found edible fruit.
Ultimately he found the river he was looking for. It took him through enemy country. He saw a number of them, but was not observed himself. On reaching the coast he tied his dinghy to him with the lanyard of his revolver. Then began, a long and hard struggle through the surf, and eventually he found himself beyond the breakers. Climbing aboard the dinghy he hoisted sail and set out to sea.
By daylight he was between five and seven miles from the shore. With the coming of light he took in the sail to avoid being observed by the enemy from the shore. He paddled at intervals but made little headway. For food he had a tin of "X" rations. He found this unpalatable and could not eat much of it; but it must have been nourishing, for he did not feel weak.
That day he saw a formation of fighter-bombers going over to New Britain. He fired a two-star cartridge to attract their attention, but was unsuccessful, and he was chary of using more cartridges for fear the wrong people saw them. The second night at sea was fairly rough. He hoisted sail and put out a sea anchor. On the third night he had drifted round to the north of Gazelle Peninsula. About 10 o'clock next morning two United States gunboats hove in sight. They spotted his sail, and soon he was in good hands.
He came through his ordeal feeling fairly strong but suffering from immersion sores and chafing of his skin against the side of the dinghy. When rescued he still had half a tin of rations and plenty of water, having used both sparingly. The story of his escape is the story of a man who kept his head in a dangerous situation, and by the use of common sense came through to safety. He met every situation coolly, and did not allow anything to keep him from his first plan of action. That is why he got home. His conduct is being quoted as an example for others to follow should they find themselves-in a like predicament.
EVENING POST, 12 AUGUST 1944
PILOT'S ESCAPE
EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS
(R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service.) BOUGAINVILLE, August 2.
Landing by parachute when his aircraft was shot down in the Rabaul area, Flight Sergeant M. S. Aitchison, of Woodside, East Taieri, pilot of an RNZ.AF. torpedo bomber, spent two days and a night in enemy country and three nights and two days at sea in a rubber dinghy. He was picked up north of Gazelle Peninsula by a United States gunboat, not seriously the worse. The two other members of his crew are posted as missing.
Flight Sergeant Aitchison and his crew were engaged in an attack on Japanese anti-aircraft positions protecting an airfield near Rabaul. With the last of the bombs away, the aircraft, at 7000 feet, was twice hit, and the starboard wing was shot off. Flight Sergeant Aitchison gave the order to bail out. and undid his safety belt. The Japs were shooting well, and the aircraft, spinning wildly, was struck by a third burst, which dazed the pilot and threw him out of the cockpit. He landed among trees, his parachute catching in branches and leaving him dangling two feet from the ground.
Obeying first instincts, he immediately set out for cover, but returned to get his dinghy from his parachute. This action was his salvation. He had lost the greater part of his survival equipment, but still had his knife and revolver. Taking a rough bearing from the sun, he set out southward to reach the sea.
Setting himself a programme of roughly ten minutes' rest for every half-hour of walking, he soon found himself traversing steep hills and gullies, and often vines and low, dense jungle growth impeded his progress. Once during the first day he heard voices, and gave the area a wide berth. He spent the night in a coconut plantation on high ground. Here he drank coconut milk and slept on the ground.
Next morning he kept on southward, hoping to strike a sizeable river. Coming to a creek of clear water, he remembered a hint from Captain Eddie Rickenbacker's book, "'Seven Came Through." and forced mouthful after mouthful of water into his rubber Mac West until he estimated that he had about three-quarters of a gallon. Two or three times he found edible fruit.
Ultimately he found the river he was looking for. It took him through enemy country. He saw a number of them, but was not observed himself. On reaching the coast he tied his dinghy to him with the lanyard of his revolver. Then began, a long and hard struggle through the surf, and eventually he found himself beyond the breakers. Climbing aboard the dinghy he hoisted sail and set out to sea.
By daylight he was between five and seven miles from the shore. With the coming of light he took in the sail to avoid being observed by the enemy from the shore. He paddled at intervals but made little headway. For food he had a tin of "X" rations. He found this unpalatable and could not eat much of it; but it must have been nourishing, for he did not feel weak.
That day he saw a formation of fighter-bombers going over to New Britain. He fired a two-star cartridge to attract their attention, but was unsuccessful, and he was chary of using more cartridges for fear the wrong people saw them. The second night at sea was fairly rough. He hoisted sail and put out a sea anchor. On the third night he had drifted round to the north of Gazelle Peninsula. About 10 o'clock next morning two United States gunboats hove in sight. They spotted his sail, and soon he was in good hands.
He came through his ordeal feeling fairly strong but suffering from immersion sores and chafing of his skin against the side of the dinghy. When rescued he still had half a tin of rations and plenty of water, having used both sparingly. The story of his escape is the story of a man who kept his head in a dangerous situation, and by the use of common sense came through to safety. He met every situation coolly, and did not allow anything to keep him from his first plan of action. That is why he got home. His conduct is being quoted as an example for others to follow should they find themselves-in a like predicament.
EVENING POST, 12 AUGUST 1944
