Evening star., 1944-07-02

eefk'' NICE. craft shell which
exploded in the pilot compartment
Ensign McNatt, a former ply
pilot who until today as co-pilot
had never landed Ventura,
brought the ship down successfully
with the aid of the equally mex
perienced Reed, who operated the
brakes on the pilots side while En-
sign McNatt handled the stick from
his seat. Ensign McNatt joined his
present unit only recently.
Over Jap-Held Area.
In recounting his experience over
the Jap-held Marshalls, where the
plane was hit while on a combina-
ton strafing, bombing and photo
graphic run, he paid high tribute
to members of the crew and to 1t
Samuel c. Peterson of Kelso, Wash,
who was killed.
I'VE started our rum" he began
"and came in over the island at
about so feet, our guns spraying the
Jap positions below us. Suddenly
just like the sound of a window
breaking, this shell came tearing
through the instrument panel and
exploded right in the front of Pete
The ship lurched as he fell forward.
but I grabbed the controls and
pulled up to couple of hundred
feet as the bombs let go. I knew
some other members of the crew
had been hit, but I was so busy
righting the ship that hardly knew
what was going on aft"
When the shell exploded" said
C. c. Colgrove, radioman, second
class, of Odell, Nebr., Il suddenly
felt a sharp pain in my shoulder.
Blood started pouring from the
wound just as I saw the plane cap
tain. John H. Anderson, aviation
machinist mate, second class, of Los
Angeles, Calf, come staggering
through the door from the cockpit.
! saw right away that he'd been hit
by a piece of fax which went
through his right side.
Photographer Gives First Aid.
"Corpl Arthur w. Brandt, Ma
rine photographer from Meridian,
Conn. who was so busy in the rear
swapping pictures that he was una
ware of what had happened until
called him to come bandage my arm
and shoulder. He made an i'm
provised tourniquet and applied
pressure, while 'Fitz' Lawrence Fitz-
gerald, aviation machinst mate
(second class San Bernardino,
Calf, the turret gunner, and Reed
got 1t. Peterson out of the cockpit.
He died few minutes after we made
him as comfortable as possible on
the floor"
Anderson was having trouble
breathing" Fitzgerald said. so I ad-
ministered what little first aid I
knew and told Brandt to continue
with the pressure on Colgrove's
shoulder. FLAX also had hit the
radio apparatus, but using his left
hand Colgrove got it working and
made contact with our base"
1T wasn't until I moved over into
the pilots seat, only to find the con-
trols no good, that I found out I,
too. had been hit" said Ensign Nc
Matt Il felt slow trickle Of blood
across my face as got up, but it
was only a scratch"
In regard to the landing, Ensign
McNatt had only this to say: The
fellows were excited enough, so I
didn't dare tell 'em I'd never landed
one of the things. They all did a
wonderful job, though, and I'm
mighty proud Of them. The doc
says Brandt kept Colgrove from
bleeding to death"
1t. Peterson, who was squadron
Photographic officer was on his
third tour of duty in the combat
zone, having been to the Aleutians
and back to the States twice before
being sent into the Central Pacific.
Ensign McNatt was participating in
his 10th mission over enemy terri
tory.