Evening star., 1942-07-05
Three Raj Officers
Give Happy Account
Of 4-Day Odyssey
30 Dozen Cons Of Beer
Helped Tighten Burden
Of 1,000-MiIe Voyage

HetPeo Ll9hten purden
Of 1,000-MiIe Voyage
Three officers of the Royal Air
Force who have worn out three
Blenheim bombers dishing out
death to the Axis told yesterday of
a 44-day, 1,000-mile journey in an
open boat escaping from Java to
Australia-and they made it sound
like no more than an adventure
cruise.
They were three good looking
fellows who lined up before bat
terry of reporters in the Office of the
British Information Service, peeled
off heavy coats to endure Washing
ton heat. and laughed as they re-
lated experiences with a japanese
submarine, friendly" whale, some
not-so-f friendly sharks and a couple
Of midocean storms.
Squadron Leader A. K. Passmore,
Flying Officer c. P. L. Streatfeild,
and Pilot Officer Sidney G. Turner
have been together storming over
enemy objectives with bomb loads
since April, 1910. They helped push
the Italians out of Libya. They took
part in the battle of Greece and the
British campaigns in Iraq, Syria and
Iran. They helped Gen. Wavell push
back the German Marshal Rommel
after he had recovered part of North
Africa and then they went to help
out against the japanese in the
Netherlands Indies.
That is where their odyssey began.
Beer Is Slowed Away.
The trio had Just finished a trick
bombing the japanese fleet which
was advancing on Java when they
were sent inland for a short rest
During the night the enemy landing
was effected and they had to get
away Immediately, leaving their
plane in the hands of others.
So, with another Raj companion
and eight men of the Royal Aus
tralisn Air Force, they took a 28-
foot lifeboat from sunken liner on
the south coast of Java, loaded all
the provisions they could lay their
hands on-including 80 dozen cans
of beer-and set sail under cover of
darkness.
Now, this isn't the ordinary story
of the famished crew gasping for
want of water and chewing shoes for
lack of food. They had enough to
eat-bue not "plenty"-and the beer
r,oc %hora ~ foJl Io oi> ~, &o ,,,otc{o,,
the lips. They had time for some
and fun in those AZ days,
but they had some tough times, too.
Ignored by Jap Sub.
The first day out, for instance, |
they we,e sailing along on a placid |
ocean minoing their own business
when they spotted a Jap submarine. |
1--WE thought it was foregone |
conclusion that we would be taken
prisoners so we had an extra ration |
Of beer" Officer Turner related.
But the Japs evidently thought
they were just plain ordinary sail
ors, for the sub circled the boat
men manning a machine gun and a
formidable looking 6-pounder-and
then quietly made away across the
horizon.
That vas just a starter. The next
day the flyers ran into a healthy
rainstorn which was rather uncom-
Portable, they said, but permitted
them to collect some rainwater.
It was week later that they
caught the fringe of a South Pacific
twister that churned 40-foot waves
and nearly swamped the boat. 1t
lasted for two and q half days
days Of almost complete sleepless-
ness. Sores broke out on their bodies
when they tried to lie down in the
salt water to rest. They lost much
Of the water they had collected
during The earlier rain.
There was no sunshine and the
sea was pretty cold" put in Officer
Passmore. "At least it seemed cold
10 U.s."
After the storm came a complete
calm. The sail was useless and
they hated to use precious energy
rowing. To make matters worse,
they were becalmed in a northerly
They agreed, however, that
+ the calm lasted seven days they
would set to rowing anyway. On
he sixth day it broke, but the cur
,ent had taken them 78 miles away
rom their objective.
Whale Is Friendly"
The whale incident came after
4 month ON the water. Officer
told about it:
I'VE sighted a school of whales
about 200 yards to the stern. One
If then-a 40-footer-closed up on
is and came to within three feet
If the boat.
1--WE never been so petrified in
ny life. But he just looked at us
md then went off. He was friend
y whale but we didn't know it."
(Which do you prefer, whale or
/ Jap fighter?" he was asked.
"A Jap any time" was the en-
,hatic answer.
For fun and to keep fit the boys
would go for swim every day
Except on the days they saw sharks.
They would divide the crew up into
wo watches, one swimming the
'ther keeping sharp lookout for
hose hungry killers of the sea.
Another diversion was a system of
uiz games Ohey had pencils and
,aper). and this may have saved
ONE lives. Here's how:
The quiz program usually began
n midafternoon, lasting until the
formal swim period beginning at
our. After the swim would come
'eer and then dinner. But this
,articular day the quiz went beyond
o'clock, and at the hour when
ordinarily they would be going over
oard. a shark was sighted nearby.
here was no swimming that day.
Streatfeild was the first one to
light land and won can of beer
or it.
Then we decided everybody
hould have ration of beer" he
aid II drank mine and got a
iolent stomach ache and they had
0 give me brandy"
:, 80 {