Evening star., 1943-08-28

he was able to hobble with me to
the wreckage of the plane where we
both collapsed, exhausted and
frightened.
Until the very last moment in
those sickening minutes before the
plane crashed Sergt. Oswald had
| stuck to his radio. While we were
bailing out he sat trantically send
ing out messages of our position and
calling for help
His appeals had been heard. for
within an hour after our crash a
plane appeared overhead. We knew
then that We could go through any
thing; we weren't completely lost.
Slowly the members of our party,
many of whom had landed far away
from the burning plane. collected on
trail near an aborigine village.
One group. including Mr.. Davies.
mountain.
Natives Bring Food.
Before we were assembled, I could
hear natives yelling in strange
jargon along the trail while I was
searching for my parachute bag in
the brush. l was unarmed-except
for the tiny penknife-so rushed to
the side of our pilot who had pistol
1t was wild savage country. We
didn't know what kind of a recep-
! ton we would get Some of the
worlds most primitive killers live in
these Assam Mountains, so far away
from civilization.
But the natives came bearing food
and drink. They helped us, and led
us through the maze of underground
to their village where they killed
coats and pigs for us. These aborig-
ines became our devoted friends.
Toward sundown of that first day
August 2-one of our Air Transport
Command planes came over and
spotted the wreckaee of our plane
end our signals asking for medical
aid.
1t was a cheering sight when a
parachute blossomed from the mercy
plane and three rescuers joined US,
sent from the nearest Allied base
which is an American outpost. This
outpost, we learned. was only about
100 miles away. But so difficult is
the country that it might take weeks
possibly months-for us to reach
1t afoot.
The three men who parachuted
down to us with medical and other
supplies were 1t. Col Don D. Flick
niger, 37year-old flight surgeon and
holder of the DISTINGUISHED Flying
Cross whose home Is in Long Beach.
Celif.; Serat. Richard S. Passey of
Provo, Utah, and Corpl William G.
Mckenzie of Detroit, Mich.
Grateful for Assistance.
Those men didn't have to Jump
into this wilderness and I confess
that I ran to them on the hillside
that evening, my eyes filled with
tears of gratitude. knew the others
felt the same way.
The fact that today-three weeks
after we were suddenly thrown into
the iungle-We are in good physical
condition and in good spirits is due
to IIlc IHeulCdl skill ana leaQefShlD
of Col. Flickineer and to the pains
taking preparations of Philip Adams,
young British political officer, who
MADE his Wav to us from the India
side of the frontier.
Mr.. Adams, with true British
knack in those matters, quickly won
the natives friendship and organ
lied them as pack bearers and camp
makers, He also provided us with
weapons.
Mr.. Adams hacked his way to us
through the mountain and Jungle
trails with two American soldiers.
After Col. Flickinger. Sergt. Pas
sey and Corpl. Mckenzie dropped to
our aid by parachute, planes of the
Air Transport Command came over
daily, dropping tents, food, clothing
even salt and trinkets for the ma
tives upon whom we had come to
rely so greatly.
These daily relief visits were or
ganized by Gen. Edward H. Alexan-
der, commanding the ATC (Air
Transport Command in India. He
seemed to think of everything for