The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-08-17
BY HARRY GRAYSON NEA Staff Correspondent


 Chabua, Upper Assam Province, India, Aug. 17.-Intrepid pilots who battle the treacherous Hump of the Himalayas to keep China in the war tell stories packed witt. emotional power. Fresh from the lips of Q young flyer who had to bail out of a heavily.loaded four-engine trans port plane, heard this tale of dramatic jungle rescue.
 It. Albert A. Airline obviously was under terrific emotional stress when I visited him at the 234th Hospital, six or seven miles out of Chabua. He is sandy haired, round-faced man of 26 with Q tall forehead and light blue eyes. He weighed 220 pounds the night he jumped feet first into the unknown, but is now down to 185. He 1imps on his left leg, and his right arm is in Q sling.
 "It was just about dark when was called" said Airline. who served in the Royal Air Force prior to Pearl Harbor. "As I took over the controls, Montgomery, the pilot, remarked that the ship flew awkwardly. It widowed around like a sick alliga. tor. It must have been the load. The plane had ID lateral stability.
 GET INTO YOUR CHUTES!'
 'The soup was pretty thick at the first ridge of the Hump. We took on little light ice, but noth- ing not expected. There was not the slightest turbulence.
 "Yet 20 minutes from check point two we began to lose speed and al- titCde. We were picking up clear ice rapidly.
 Number four engine spit and quit. Over we went on one wing. Montgomery had the controls. We lost altitude fast, shuddered in stall, and then we went into spin.
 "The pilot shouted Get into your chutes!' tried to get into my parachute, but was all thumbs in my panic. The thought passed through my mind that was about to die. I thought of my family"
 Awaiting Airline in Shreveport, La, are his wife, Jane, two young daughters, and 20-months old son. Airline attended Louisiana State and took 6 pre-med course at Arkansas.
 Sgt. Jasper Bailey, Jr., of Cook vile, Tenn, was with us as we talked-seemingly unhurt and un- disturbed by his greatest adventtfe. Bailey is 22, slightly built. and his fresh. open face, pert little nose. and boyish mannerisn1s would make you guess his age as no more than IS.
 T saw Sergeant Bailey and the crew chief still fumbling with their chutes," said Airline. T remember the crew chief staring straight ahead, frozen in his position. put my hand on the rip cord and gave myself mighty boost with my feet.
 My right shoulder grazed the tail boom, and the world whirled before me. I remember nothing else until I came to - hanging upside down with my left lek wrapped the harness. It was exhil- arating. to put 1t mildly. to see that | beautiful mushroom above me. It seemed suspended in the air.
 T was below some of the 1 mountain tops. and as I struck tree | tops, I saw . great flash of fire. which was the ship exploding as 1t | landed. Then I hit the ground with | 3 jolt that left me senni-Gonscious. struggled to my knees and gave | thanks. l thought of my family and the sorrow, misery and worry they | would be subjected to when they | got the message that was missing. | Then I thought of the' happiness . iollow.up message would bring.
 Next ! thought of the other crew | members. I was positive l was the | only one who got out. The thought | nearly drove me crazy. I stood up | and felt myself all over. My left hip | hurt some. There werG scratches | Dn my face and right shoulder I smoked a cigarette. attempted to | quiet my nerves, rolled up in the Shute assd fell Into . fitfnl sleep.
 "At daylight ! could not use iny | 0ft ieg. The pain was oKcguelP ting | fainted with the slightest move, l pigsing inte ny first alF pack. I lFied t0 llss morphine, but the tube wee broken, Looking Afonna soy the nlFst lime. [ found [ had landed and |lept on e ledge, He more than feiiI V five feet from q shear drop of |eyegal hundred feel,
 nAe ! seiisd haek ln eeepelE |aW the siFaH reef ~ | hut through | Ihe trees In ihe valley.
 @0eillna io ihat valley Waa the naal he1ft tshl6akInk fninH [ eFeF 'la. Ash'4a ihs shal @ @ana