[paulmcmillan]

Sgt Leslie B Webber

Eye Witness Account

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LX, Issue 96, 5 December 1939, Page 2


PLANE ABLAZE
OBSERVER'S THRILLING ESCAPE FIGHT WITH GERMAN MACHINES (From The Guardian's London Correspondent) LONDON, November 11. A thrilling story of an escape from a blazing aeroplane flying five miles up was told this week by Sergeant-Observer Leslie Webber, who came home on leave to marry Miss Phyllis Popperwell, of Devonport. We were on a reconnaissance flight over an important point in the German lines," he said. Our plane, in which there was a pilot, gunner and myiself, was flying at 28 000 ft when we encountered Messerchmitt fighters. There was intense firing, but although outnumbered we managed to shoot down several of their machines. "My job was to take photographs and, acting to orders I continued my work as the fight went on. Then, to my horror, I felt the plane lurch as though out of control. I leaned out and realised that the worst had happened. Both the pilot and the gunner had been shot, and the machine was on fire. I tried to get to the pilot, it was impossible. Suddenly the machine fell into a dive. "There was only one thing I could do—to risk disconnecting my oxygen apparatus and jump for it. I worked my way to the rear and disconnecting my oxygen mask, jumped out. It was my first jump. "As I fell a German fighter dived towards me. I knew I was supposed to pull the rip cord at 7,000 ft. but with the plane still circling round me I was afraid that I might be shot down. By my reckoning I had dropped about 5,000 ft when I eventually pulled the ring. Fortunately there was a good wind and it carried me over the French lines. After drifting for about seven miles I landed in a field. As I did so, my parachute began to spill wind. I hit the ground hard, was knocked unconscious. When I came round, a group of French Army officers surrounded me. They thought I was a German airman, and each had his revolver drawn. Although dazed I managed to shout 'Anglais.' They examined my uniform under my flying kit and satisfied that I was not an enemy, began to shower congratulations on me,"