Parachuted into More Danger

Parachuted into More Danger

A newspaper cutting referring to two New Zealand airmen who had to parachute over France.

This item was sent to the IBCC Digital Archive already in digital form. No better quality copies are available.

1945-02-07

One newspaper cutting

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NChristisonA210110-02

"N.Z. Truth," Wednesday, February 7, 1945 - Page 13

PARACHUTED INTO MORE DANGER
AN EXCITING GETAWAY FROM NO-MAN'S LAND

LONDON (By Beam Radio and Cable From Keith Hooper – FORCED to bale out of their Halifax bomber over no-man's-land in Northern France, in full view of the enemy, two New Zealanders and five other R.A.F. members of the crew parachuted to earth and reached the British lines, after being shelled and sniped.

WARRANT-Officer-Wireless.Airgunner Steven Scanlan, of Gisbor[missing letters], and his navigator, Flight-Sergeant Les Keen, of Hokitika, were reported missing and after two weeks their next-of-kin were notified. Eventually, however, they succeeded in reaching England, returned to their squadron, and the whole crew is now back on operations with Bomber Command.

DROPPED INTO NIGHT

[italics] “To cut out a lot of details which no one is interested in – the usual target-bashing and all that," said Scanlan, "we were stooging along nicely over Northern France when the pilot called over the intercomm, 'We are in a bit of a jam fellers, I don't think we have enough juice left to make base.' [/italics]

APPARENTLY a couple of our tanks had been pretty badly holed by a [indecipherable word] burst over the target. Things looked pretty grim as we were [indecipherable word] over Hunland.

"I was thinking it was just my lousy luck to get taken prisoner, after having got so far, when back came the pilot's voice 'ten minutes' petrol left, fellers. Prepare to abandon aircraft.' We clipped on our parachutes and made our way to our respective escape stations. To the pilot's 'o.k. blokes get going – and good luck.' we left the Halley.”

Explaining how they dropped off into the darkness, Scanlan continued:

"The bombaimer went first, followed by Les. Keen and the nav., then the midupper-gunner, then the tail-gunner, flight-engineer, myself and lastly, the pilot.

"On the way down I saw gun flashes, but hadn't a clue where we were going to alight. I crossed my legs so as to avoid injury in case I fell in a tree or other obstruction, relaxed and waited for the ground to come up and hit me.

"With a jolt which knocked me breathless I lit on the earth, rolled over and lay quiet as a mouse and listened for sounds of Jerry.

"After a few minutes I got out of my parachute harness, rolled up the 'chute and buried it in case it gave the Jerries an indication where I had landed.

"At that moment several nearby explosions made me jump about six feet in the air. I figured from the flashes around the horizon that I was somewhere in no-man's-land, but which way to walk was the problem.

"Presently I heard the sound of movement and lay doggo until a voice whispered, "Who's that?" I recognised Les. Keen's accent and replied, 'It's me – Steve.'

"Where in hell are we?' asked Les. 'Damned if I know, but get cracking. The Jerries saw our kite [indecipherable word] down and will be looking for us.'

"We started [missing word] slowly, bent almost double, so as to offer as little silhouette as possible.

"Some minutes later we sank to the ground as a line of vague figures went by 50 feet in front.

"Jerries' whispered Keen. The patrol passed by. That gave us an idea so, taking a star as our guide, we crept in the reverse direction until about two hours later we spotted another line of figures. Of course at that precise moment I had to sneeze!

"There was a startled, 'Wer da?' (Who's there?’) So Les. and I ran like hell in the opposite direction with the hiss and snap of bullets following us.

"Gosh! But I was scared! Can you picture it?" inquired Scanlan. "Lost in no-man's-land, wet, tired and frightened to death, not knowing which way to run.

"Suddenly Les. grabbed my arm and said, 'say those Jerries haven't followed us. If they had they would know we were heading for their own outposts. Don't you see, Steve, all we've gotta [sic] do is to keep this way and we're home and hosed.'

"So we walked and about two hours later heard English voices. We got into a bombcrater and I called softly "Don't shoot, we are New Zealand airmen. Don't shoot for heaven's sake. We'll come out with our hands up'

"Back came the firm command” said Scanlan, 'Okay, come on out and no tricks or you've had it!'

'We walked to the sound of the voices and were immediately surrounded by British soldiers. We proved our identity and they took us to their company headquarters. We told our story and were taken to a rear area, [indecipherable word] under escort until our story could be proved. Anyway a couple of days later we were flown back to England.

"We [indecipherable word] quite a sensation when we turned up at our squadron. So now we are back on the old job again – this time with better luck I hope." continued Scanlan.

Among other Newzies in this Halifax squadron are Flight-Sergeants Arthur Wesley (bombaimer,) of Opunake, Ron Brizzell (wireless-operator), of Sandringham, Auckland, and Ian Oldham (navigator), of Christchurch; Flying-Officers H. Tomlinson (wireless-airgunner), of Point Chevalier, Auckland, and Bill Steele (pilot), of Otago.

[boxed] The Story Goes
[italics] LONDON (from F. E. Baume): There is still big news in Field Marshal von Rundstedt, German Commander-in-Chief on the western front. [/italics]

[photograph]
von Rundstedt

[italics] He was the defeatist general who almost threw in his hand after the "D Day" invasion and for 12 months, through Lisbon and Madrid, has been talking things very near peace. Now the story goes that he wanted a major victory in the west for one purpose. He wanted to make peace.

Had he succeeded in reaching any vital city he would have been prepared to say that the officer corps could have no further objection to an honor[missing letters and words] [/italics] [/boxed]

[photograph]
TAKES TO WATER [indecipherable words] tank, specially constructed for use in swampy country, is propelled through the water by means of its tracks. It has already proved its worth in battle operations.

THESE WOMEN SHOULD BE RELEASED

UNDER the man-power regulations thousands of women have been directed into essential industries. Among the women are the wives of soldiers serving overseas; also women who are waiting for men they are engaged to to return to the Dominion in order to be married and set up a home.

EXCEPT in special cases these women will have to keep working when their husbands return, or after they have married.

IN "Truth's" opinion this is most unfair. These women, whether or not the man is Grade I or below, should become exempted from further manpower direction and be allowed to remain with their husbands and so help to [indecipherable word] in rooms.

After a man has served his country in its hour of danger and risked life, limb, health and happiness, and for several years lacked all domestic life, it is surely not too much to ask that he be allowed uninterrupted association with his wife.

This newspaper was told that it was the policy of the National Service Department, which operated the manpower regulations, to act in the closest association with the Rehabilitation Department; and where it was clear that the husband required his wife to be in attendance, or where it would be advantageous to his well-being that she should [missing word] available to attend to his requirements, exemption from manpower [missing letters]action was readily given.

This is all to the good but it does not go nearly far enough.

It should be the automatic right of every wife [indecipherable word] an ex-serviceman to remain in her home if she and her husband should want that [indecipherable word].

The manpower [indecipherable word] say in defence of keeping these wives at work that they have practically reached the depths of womenpower resources unless they go further into the homes, offices and borderline industries; further, that such inroads might even cause some of the smaller businesses to close down and would disorganise some of the departments of larger businesses.

In "Truth's" view what is wanted in the [indecipherable words] is a complete reorganisation of the present resources, particularly and especially a re-organisation of the women's work in the military services.

It is time that some system of rationalisation was introduced, particularly among the services and government departments. Were that done there would be no lack of workers to take the place of these wives of returned servicemen.

The number of such wives would make scarcely any difference to industry in any particular locality. Intelligent reorganisation among the present available womenpower in industry, Government Departments, and the services should make it comparatively easy to fill the few vacancies that would be created by allowing the wives of returned servicemen who wish to, to stay at home.

[boxed] SEND a copy of "Truth" to a New Zealand soldier overseas. [/boxed]

PROBLEM

[italics] THE apprenticeship problem in New Zealand is essentially a practical one, and the solution must itself be practical. Are the 35 recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Apprenticeship and Related Matters capable of practical application? That is the crux of the whole matter. [/italics]

FUTURE CRAFTSMEN

The need for apprentices is urgent. It is imperative also that there be a continual stream of apprentices to important secondary industries and trades if such industries and trades are to survive.

Even now some are in danger of being extinguished because the stream of skilled journeymen is rapidly drying up.

While the commission is concerned that too few youths are apprenticed to trades, there is growing alarm among thinking people at the great drift from the country to the towns to swell the ranks of government servants and unskilled workers.

The lure of high wages for unskilled work, on the one hand, and the glamour of "white collar" occupations on the other, are obstacles to the requisite flow of apprentices.

For a remedy the commission appears to place too much emphasis on the efficacy of education, which so many regard as the panacea of all evils.

The school-leaving age has been increased by a year and coupled with the remarkable strides made in the quick teaching of trades to meet the war's requirements, there is no reason why apprenticeship periods should not be considerably shortened.

Moreover if the embryonic journeyman were assured of continued employment on passing out of his time, it, it would mean that in addition to receiving a man's wage on reaching man’s estate, he would have an assurance about the future should he contemplate marriage.

Too low wages, bad or indifferent conditions of work, inefficient or casual training, are among the reasons also advanced for lack of apprentices.

By its advocacy of a commissioner of apprenticeship attached to the Department of Labor, [sic] and fulltime deputy commissioners in at least the [indecipherable words] the hands of the bureaucrats, a fact which is likely to commend itself to a Government that has shown itself such an ardent supporter of bureaucracy.

In "Truth's" view all that is necessary, in the interests of simplicity and practicality is that each trade be encouraged to form committees consisting of about three members who have a firsthand knowledge of the trade and its conditions, and who are vitally interested in the progress of such trade.

After wages have been made as attractive as possible, among improved conditions should be the provision of facilities in workshops and factories for the worker to emerge after his day's work clean and decently clothed.

There should be showers and dressing rooms. The factory and workshop apprentice and journeyman has as much right to a pride in his appearance as the person who works in an office.

Real improvement can only come from within the industry or trade itself; a full realisation by those in [two indecipherable words] unless they get the apprentices there will soon be no trade or industry at all. The recognition of this fact must be practical.

It would have been of some advantage had the commission made some practical suggestions on this vital point.

If New Zealand is to progress as an industrial nation within the limits enforced upon it by Government policy, there must be a great advance in the system of skilled craftmanship in the various trades and industries so that the people may be supplied with their requirements at reasonable prices. There is no possibility, except in one or two manufactures, which are based on the primary industries, for any markets overseas.

Lack of population rules out mass production. Thus a high degree of skill is required in the individual workman, and New Zealanders have shown that, given the opportunity, they are the equal of craftsmen in any part of the world.