Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 11, 2021 21:20:59 GMT 12
FORCED DOWN AT SEA
CHRISTCHURCH PILOT’S MISFORTUNE
RESCUE BY UNITED STATES FLYING-BOAT
(Official R.N.Z A F News Service) SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC, January 12.
Struck by enemy fire while patrolling over Kawieng, a New Zealand Corsair fighter, flown by Squadron Leader J. R. C. Kilian, of Christchurch, went out of control and the pilot bailed out 40 miles from his base. He was rescued 30 minutes later by a United States flying-boat.
This was the second rescue of a New Zealand pilot in two days. A member of the same squadron, Pilot Officer K. W. Wright, of Auckland, was rescued by a United States patrol boat on the previous day after spending four hours in the cold, choppy sea. His aircraft was hit by enemy fire during a raid on Japanese targets in New Ireland and he was forced to land on the sea 25 miles from his base.
Anti-aircraft fire shot away a big section of the elevators of Squadron Leader Kilian’s aeroplane and he advised his base that he was unable to get back. He parachuted from 1500 feet and after landing on the sea inflated his rubber dinghy and climbed in. Another New Zealand Corsair, piloted by Flight Sergeant G. J. Ronayne, Tauranga, remained in the area, and a flying-boat was advised while returning from a strike on Vunakanau, in New Britain, changed course and landed on the sea beside Squadron Leader Kilian. Although Squadron Leader Kilian has been flying for 14 years and has served in the European theatre, where he was awarded the Croix de Guerre, this was the first time he had had to bail out of an aircraft.
Pilot Officer Wright was returning to his base when one of his fellow pilots, Flying Officer E. T. Aickin, North Auckland, noticed that Pilot Officer Wright had disappeared while the aeroplanes were in a cloud bank. Flying Officer Aickin turned back and after searching a large area found oil and dye patches on the water. Pilot Officer Wright was drifting in his dinghy, which he had been able to inflate before his aircraft sank. Flying Officer Aickin called the base, and both a flying-boat and a patrol boat were dispatched. A Catalina was quickly on the scene, but heavy rain squalls and a high sea made a landing impossible.
Visibility became so bad that the dinghy was lost from view, but the weather cleared later, and when an aircraft had relocated him smoke flares were dropped to guide the patrol boat to the spot.
PRESS, 16 JANUARY 1945
CHRISTCHURCH PILOT’S MISFORTUNE
RESCUE BY UNITED STATES FLYING-BOAT
(Official R.N.Z A F News Service) SOUTH-WEST PACIFIC, January 12.
Struck by enemy fire while patrolling over Kawieng, a New Zealand Corsair fighter, flown by Squadron Leader J. R. C. Kilian, of Christchurch, went out of control and the pilot bailed out 40 miles from his base. He was rescued 30 minutes later by a United States flying-boat.
This was the second rescue of a New Zealand pilot in two days. A member of the same squadron, Pilot Officer K. W. Wright, of Auckland, was rescued by a United States patrol boat on the previous day after spending four hours in the cold, choppy sea. His aircraft was hit by enemy fire during a raid on Japanese targets in New Ireland and he was forced to land on the sea 25 miles from his base.
Anti-aircraft fire shot away a big section of the elevators of Squadron Leader Kilian’s aeroplane and he advised his base that he was unable to get back. He parachuted from 1500 feet and after landing on the sea inflated his rubber dinghy and climbed in. Another New Zealand Corsair, piloted by Flight Sergeant G. J. Ronayne, Tauranga, remained in the area, and a flying-boat was advised while returning from a strike on Vunakanau, in New Britain, changed course and landed on the sea beside Squadron Leader Kilian. Although Squadron Leader Kilian has been flying for 14 years and has served in the European theatre, where he was awarded the Croix de Guerre, this was the first time he had had to bail out of an aircraft.
Pilot Officer Wright was returning to his base when one of his fellow pilots, Flying Officer E. T. Aickin, North Auckland, noticed that Pilot Officer Wright had disappeared while the aeroplanes were in a cloud bank. Flying Officer Aickin turned back and after searching a large area found oil and dye patches on the water. Pilot Officer Wright was drifting in his dinghy, which he had been able to inflate before his aircraft sank. Flying Officer Aickin called the base, and both a flying-boat and a patrol boat were dispatched. A Catalina was quickly on the scene, but heavy rain squalls and a high sea made a landing impossible.
Visibility became so bad that the dinghy was lost from view, but the weather cleared later, and when an aircraft had relocated him smoke flares were dropped to guide the patrol boat to the spot.
PRESS, 16 JANUARY 1945