Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-02-21


rub and rub and soon I get a
clear spot to see l am below the
clouds and above some little
farms with walls and hedges
everywhere. But l must come
down, because think ! am still
on fire, Ell? ('Voyez:') So I
circle around, pick the biggest
field and / do not lower my
landing wheels but pancake -.
plop. CONNIE ca! Then I jump
out, you may believe, In a great
hurry, In case the fire has de-
cided to combust."
DID NOT COMBUST
But it did not combust! Other
ships had; why not Jeans?
"Why? 1t was not my turn,
maybe! 1 was lucky" he said.
So Jean got a commentator for
spunk, having saved his $25, 900
Hurricane, his life and his govern
ment's investment in his training.
And later last evening. at the
Rockcliffe officers lounge the sta
station commandment. Wing Com
mander w. !. c"Bull') Riddell,
cited Jeans experience as a rea-
son why German pilots claim ex-
travagant Raj scores in life and
planes.
THE German who smoked
Jean down." said Riddell, sun
doubtediy claimed and got credit
for a crash. But he had no way
of knowing that Jean had saved
himself and his ship. On the
other hand, we require irrevoca-
BILE proof of any Raj claim"
GRUEsOME sCORE-sHEET
It's a gruesome score-sheet and
a macabre kind of cribbage. this
counting of rival scalps. Yet man
instinctively is a collector, whether
of mustache cups. heads or postage
stamps. And so Jean. too, COL
lected his bomber during this Sum-
mers fighting-a big Junkers that
took the full blast OF his guns IN
that vital area where the pilot sat
the sweet spot they call 1t!
He was on his fifth day OF patrol
when the squadron intercepted a
flock Of bombers. 10 the mutual
establishment OF both.
I'VE were surprised" said
Jean mildly. but 30 were they.
We came along one side of big
cloud and they came along the
other, so here we are. suddenly
together like big v. So we
climb quick and i. ZoOp. down
we come. see Gordon Nc
Gregor get some smoke out of
fellow, 80 ! close In and give
him big squeeze-brrupt. 1t
Is like magic. He rolls over.
goes down. his tail drops of.
then his left engine"
Patrol life in England was
like that" said Desloges.
WAIT CALL TO DUTY
Up today and down tomorrow,
ignoring the past. discounting the
future. and dwelling always in the
present. You sit IN your hut and
wait for the telephone to ring in
the skipper's office. And presently
his voice is saying "Yes Sir. {.
Northeast 40 5000 feet &.
fighter escort, yes, sir" and al
ready you are Harvesting. overalls,
boots and your Mae West-that
big-bosomed. inflated jacket. Min
utes are small hfetimes.
Motors are always kept warm.
Gear is ready-parachute straps.
safety belt-buckles. helmet. Cog
giles. earphones. oxygen mask.
"You clamp on your headset,"
said Jean. and you hear the area
commandant on your two-way
radio. Ready Anatole ?"-that's
the code name for the skipper
today. Ready Sir" and in turn
the chiefs voice asking each
pilot Ready Mildred one ." and
a dozen quiet responses, Ready,
Sir"
Lets go" Motors accelerate.
wheels spin. tails are up in A
boiling wake of dust. the plane
Shudders Up, up. up. like hiber-
mating geese, said Jean wistfully
he who now would fly no
more
INTERCEPT CONVOY
at was like that on the last
day OF August" said Desloges.
pressing his blind eye. I'VE are
intercepting a big convoy of
bombers. have never seen 80
many. They are like freckles-
100-I50 (shrug). We are only
IL today, because one of the
squadron had engine trouble
where we took off. But we pitch
In. because you don't think OF
odds.
IL am doing upper guard duty
watching for fighters hiding In
the clouds. So now I dive at
the leader OF the bombers. ] see
him in my sights and squeeze the
button. But ling. everything
goes blank for an instant like I
am hit with q Ratchet. ling
again. Fire is all around me. I