Evening star., 1942-01-08
British Seap|ane Crew
Cast on Libyan Coast
Capture ESQ Italians
Win Through Territory
Held by Enemy; Reach
Own Lines in Triumph

A bet between an r. A. F. pilot
and an Italian major as to whether
the British had or had not captured
Bengasi was one of the episodes in
a bizarre and humorous series re-
ported from the war in Libya, says
the British Press Service.
The pilot was in charge of fly
ing boat which, while on trip over
the sea from Egypt, was attacked
by two German fighters. The heav-
lily armed machine easily disposed
OF the first of the attackers, which
fell in flames, but the second Ger
man plane first disabled the flying
boats power-operated turrets and
then compelled it to come down on
the sea before itself flying off with
serious engine trouble.
TIE passengers and crew climbed
out on one wing of the flying boat
to balance 1t. carrying with them
one of their number who had been
badly injured. They lay there for
four or five hours. until the plane
was washed close to the coast near
Derna, and they were able to swim
ashore, taking the wounded man
with them.
Found by Italians.
As they lay exhausted on the
beach they were found by party
of 20 Italians under the command
of a major. who had been deprived
of his transport during the Axis
retreat and had been ordered to
lead his men afoot to BARGE.
The Italians attended to the
wounded man, but when they had
finished the captain OF the R. A.
F. boat noticed that they had stolen
their patients boots. He pointed
this out to the major, who lined
his men up, discovered the boots and
f7ogged the thief with a cat-o'-nine
tails he was carrying in his belt, to
the amazement of the British party.
The delicate question now arose:
Who were the prisoners of whom?
The Italian major insisted that the
British were his captiveS, and Or
dered them to move off with him in
the general direction of BARGE. The
leader of the British, on the other
hand, maintained that it was OBJ
viously the Italians that we're the
prisoners, since they were all on ter
ritory that had already been oc-
cupied by the British though he
knew, in fact, that he was we'll
within the Axis lines.
Weapons Decide Issue.
But the Italians had the only
weapons in the party, and the major
refused to be convinced and ac-
cepted 200-hre bet on the ques-
ton of the capture of Bengasi.
Italians and British moved off In
the direction of BARGE. They
camped that night in the desert,
and Libyan Arabs brought food ~
the British, ignoring the Italians.
Next morning, the r. A. F. leader
resumed his argument with the Ital-
ian major, insisting that it was alb
surd that his party should be kept
wandering about as prisoners in
British-occupied territory. The Ital-
ian major by this time was fast los
Ing interest in the affair. He ad-
mitted the remote possibility that
he might be in the wrong, and final
" disappeared with his men in the
direction of BARGE.
More Enemies Encountered.
The 20 men from the flying boat
promptly set off eastward. hoping to
reach the British lines. Before long,
they came face to face with another
party Of so italians, who were also
afoot after losing their transport.
Without stopping long enough to
notice the plight Of the British
group, the Italians Immediately sur
rendered en- masse. and were at once
deprived Of their arms.
Cheered by their good luck. the
men from the flying boat went on
their way and before long encoun-
tered third batch of so Italians,
who made not the slightest objection
to being captured.
When at last they made a tri-
umphant entry into the British lines,
these men who had been shot down
and washed up on the enemy coast
were not only laden with arms of all
kinds, but were shepherding before
them $50 italian prisoners.