Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East

Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East Please use this forum to discuss the Air War in the Far East.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 30th August 2008, 00:42
kaki3152 kaki3152 is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,941
kaki3152 is an unknown quantity at this point
Parachuted Flyers hanging on trees

The possible finding of a parachuted flyer in New Guinea lead me to ponder on how many airmen lost their lives in a similar matter.

In the latest book by Max Hastings(Overlord, The German experience,etc.),Retribution, he mentions the fate of one Beaufighter crew in Burma.
"A Beaufighter crew of 211 Sq once jumped from a damaged aircraft over their base in the Arakan,rather than risk a landing. Their parachutes drifted into a rain forest of 150 ft trees. Though within a mile of their airfield, the airmen were never seen again." If the bodies remained intact, they're probably still there.

In a novel I read once about an OSS operation in Burma, an operative described seeing such a sight, the fully clother skeleton of a US airmen hanging from a tall tree.

Ghostly, reminds me of the episode in the old Sci-fi cartoon Heavy Metal.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 30th August 2008, 12:43
PeterVerney PeterVerney is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Posts: 84
PeterVerney
Re: Parachuted Flyers hanging on trees

There is the case of a Javelin being ferried to the Far East. The crew were forced to bail out for a reason I don't remember somewhere over a jungle. The recommendation if this happened was to stay on top of the canopy of the trees and spread out the parachute canopy so it could be seen bt an air search.
The navigator did this and was rescued but AFAIK the pilot was never found. I knew this nav and he told me the story.
__________________
Peter Verney ex nav/rad
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 20:10.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net