The Wilmington morning star., 1944-08-24

ON THE WESTERN FRONT
(by wirelsee-I would like to tell
you in detail the remarkable story
of the wounded Raj pilot whom
we released after he had lain I'm
noticed in the wreckage of his plane
for eight days on battlefield.
Several American soldiers sprung
out of somewhere a few moments
after we arrived. They grapsed the
situation instantly, and began tear
ing at the sides of the plane with
pliers and wire clippers. They
worked as though seconds had sud-
denly become jewels.
The tough metal came off in
strips no bigger than your fingers,
and only after terrific pulling and
yanking. 1t seemed as if it would
take hours to make hole big
enough to get the pilot out.
The ripping and pounding against
the metal sides of the hollow plane
made thunderous noise. I peered
inside and asked the pilot:
docs the noise bother your"
He said, mo, l can stand it. But
tell them to be careful when they
break through on the other side
my leg is broken. you know"
But the American boys worked
faster than we believed possible.
They tore their fingers on the jagg-
ed edges of the metal; they broke
strong aluminium ribs with one
small crowbar and a lot of human
strength. Soon they had a~hole big
enough so that I could get my head
and shoulders inside the cockpit.
Somebody handed me a canteen
of water and I showed it through
the hole to the pilot. He drank
avidly. When he put the canteen
down he set it on his bare chest
and held it with both hands.
by God, I could drink river
dry he said.
Somebody outside said not to let
him drink any more right now The
pilot said, would you pour some
on my head?"
l soaked my dirty handkerchief,
and rubbed his forehead with it.
His hair was nut brown in color
and very long. His whiskers were
reddish and scraggly and he had
little mustache. His face seemed
long and thin, and yet you could
tell by his tremendous chest that
he was big man and powerful.
His eyes were not CLASSY, but I
was fascinated by his eyeballs.
They didn't protrude; it was just
that they were so big. When he
turned them toward you, it was as
though he was slowly turning two
big brown tennis balls.
He had complete command of
his thoughts. The half-delirium you
would expect of a man trapped for
eight days without food or water,
just did not exist in him. He was
just being himself.
His face was dirty from much
sweating, but the skin of his body
was white and clean. There was a
small scab on his forehead and
there were some light bruises on
his arms.
Inside the plane, the stencil was
shocking. My first thought was that
there must be another man in the
plane who had been dead for DAVIS
said to the pilot:
us there someone else in the
plane?"
And he answered, mo this is =
single scatter, old boy
What I had smelled was the pilot
himself. We couldn't see the lower
part of his left leg, but we Judged
it must be gangrenous and in a
horrible shape.
I can move my right leg" he
said, cts all right. In fact 1,ve
had it out from here several times
and moved it around for exercise
But the left one I can't move ;,
! l asked, 'Where did you get the
clgaret you were smoking when we
got here?'
He said, your chap gave it n
me. me one who came first. He
lighted it for me and stuck if in
through the hole, and went search.
ing for the rest of you.''
was wondering if it wasn't dan
gerous for him to be smoking inside
1.-THE wrecked plane. mentioned