The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-07-07
CHAPTER XIX

WASH W OPCl1 ~ ulltA4 iiC 6Os 0ASAAt
or something like that. He'd meant
every word of it, and yet now it
seemed he didn't want me to see 1t.
couldn't understand. But 1t didn't
seem to matter. Because what did
any letter matter, now that we could
talk, all we wanted to, around the
world?"
1T was long after midnight when
we Finished" said Frank. "But it
was some satisfaction to know it
would cost the Japanese maybe five
hundred dollars, and I only hoped
I'd be out of Java so they couldn't
collect from me.
"Then / got back to work on the
Dutch military, who of course were
up all that night. They knew what
was coming tomorrow even if the
civilians were only beginning to sus-
pect. It was two o'clock in the
morning when I got Major Fisher
out of bed with the news that al
ready the landing barges Of one
flank of this invasion force had been
sighted right off the beach.
"After a final desperate call to
the Dutch General van Oeyen, he
agreed our boys might leave, turn
ing their P-40's over to the Dutch
fighter pilots, provided that before
they went they strafed the Jap land
ing barges. Without verbal orders
from the Dutch commander, they
would not have gone.
$50 rustled two cars and truck
to transport them, and by four
o'clock we were headed for Gnoro.
We got there a few minutes before
dawn, to find our boys were up and
out on that final mission, although
they did not know it was their last.
"Again we telephoned Van Oeyen
in Surabaya to tell him the orders
had been obeyed, and he told us re-
luctantly to bid them Godspeed and
good luck; they had fought the good
fight, and those who returned from
this mission were now free to 60 to
Australia. If there was way.
81 hoped there still would be. The
Colonel had told me the day before
that if could get them across Java
to Jockstrap-by noon, they would
find three Fortresses which he had
ordered back from Australia to pick
them up. However, he couldn't guar
antee that these Forts would dare
wait on that field beyond noon.
Gas we stood on the Gnoro Field
of course I got tense. Would those
kids come back alive and in time to
get across Java by noon? If we were
late, would the bomber pilots get
jittery and maybe pull out without
us? Not that I'd blame them, for
today no plane would be safe on any
field in Java.
"The Dutch pilots are grave, but
they make us welcome.
"Then comes the roar Of P-40' s
and here is the first flight-in out of
the Rising Sun as though fleeing
from it. Jack Dale is it's leader.
We grab them. What happened?
''It looks bad, they tell us. There
were so many barges. And when
they started spraying them, the
barges threw up horrible cones of
fire, in great masses. There was a
cross fire, too-from Jap shore bat
teries, already landed. At last they
had set their ugly, crooked teeth
into the fair white coastline Of Java.
"Then Jack said, in a low voice,
when in hell will we get out of
here, Frank?'
81 said 1 had news for him, but
just then the next fight comes roar
ing in-it's three Hurricanes flown
by Dutch pilots, all that is left of
the Dutch Air Force this final day,
except of course they had plane
less pilots who were to take up our
abandoned P-40's.
"Now here's the third flight, buzz
ing in low-P-40's this time, and the
American boys still have their old
spirit left because they buzz up the
drome, come roaring in right over
the roof of the operations office-for
a fighter pilot it's like knocking at
the door. They're still the old 18th
Pursuit Group-or what's left of
them.
81 looked at the P-40's. They are
so full of holes they should be con-
demned-there is hardly one the
Dutch would dare take up again. We
were leaving them little enough.
'Now my boys are gulping coffee.
They grab an apple each and sand
witches to take along, and cram
things in their bags, and I suppose
it's time for goodbys. Captain Ana
maet, leader of the Dutch fighters,
tall, thin, dark-haired, with a finely
chiseled face, nervous like many
fighters, is standing silent at one
side. His Dutch boys are with him.
sWhat can we say? Our American
boys have fought with them like
brothers for weeks. We're now maxi
ing dash for safety.