Lieutenant Edward T. STREVER, South African Air Force, from Klerksdorp, South Africa. On 28th July 1942, a Beaufort of 217 Squadron captained by Lieutenant Strever was engaged on attacking Italian Merchant shipping off Southern Greece, when the aircraft was hit by fire from a British destroyer. The pilot ditched the aircraft and the crew took to the dinghy from where they were picked up by an Italian floatplane and taken to Greece as prisoners. Next morning they were taken on board an Italian floatplane which was to fly them to Italy for interrogation and imprisonment. During the flight they managed to overpower the Italian crew and when the island of Sicily was sighted they forced the Italian pilot to change course towards Malta. Spitfires attacked the plane, and Lieutenant Strever ordered the pilot to touch down on the sea, which they did about two miles off shore. An Air Sea Rescue Launch HSL 107 from Kalafrana came out to them and towed the plane. An old Brooke motorboat took over from HSL107 and took the plane to St.Paul’s Island, where the five Italian crew members and the four airmen were taken ashore. The other three airmen were Pilot Officer W.M. DUNSMORE, Royal Air Force, from Maghull, near Liverpool, Sergeant J.A. WILKINSON, Royal New Zealand Air Force from Auckland, and Sergeant A.R. BROWN Royal New Zealand Air Force of Timaru Captivity, flight, and survival in ... - Google Books And again but a little different !! :clapping: On 28th July a Beaufort of No. 217 Squadron, piloted by a South African lieutenant and carrying as crew a British pilot officer and two New Zealand sergeants, was shot down off the west coast of Greece. As the stricken bomber plunged towards the sea the crew had the satisfaction of seeing their torpedo run true against its target, a 6,000 ton merchant vessel forming part of an enemy convoy. The task of escaping from the aircraft, which sank within ninety seconds, then claimed their full attention. Despite the fact that the pilot was in the submerged nose all four men managed to struggle into the dinghy. After a brief stocktaking they then paddled in the direction of the shore--towards which, when they had remembered to haul in the drogues, they made good progress They were still paddling when an Italian Cant float-plane appeared overhead, circled, and put down about a hundred yards away. The Beaufort pilot, Lieutenant E. T. Strever, promptly swam across and was hauled aboard, where he was given brandy and a cigarette. The rest of the crew were then picked up and treated likewise, after which the Cant taxied to a harbour in the island of Corfu. On landing the prisoners were taken to a camp, where the Italians again showed them every consideration. There followed a mid-afternoon meal built around steak, tomatoes and wine; an excellent supper, with more wine and cigarettes; comfortable beds in rooms vacated by the Italian officers; and eggs for breakfast in the morning. Their captors then informed them that they would be taken to a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy by aircraft. At this their hearts sank, for unlike a journey by train or car the mode of transport seemed to offer no chance of making an escape. The only possibility, they decided, was to capture the plane; but of how to do this they had no idea. A few hours later they were taken back to the harbour, where their aircraft turned out to be the Cant of the previous day. The Italian crew of four was also the same, with the addition of an armed corporal to stand guard over the prisoners. The seaplane took off and set course westwards, and for a while the flight proceeded uneventfully. Suddenly, one of the New Zealanders, Sergeant J. A. Wilkinson, who in the manner of New Zealanders had been quietly working things out, leant forward and smashed his fist into the face of the Italian wireless operator. Leaping over the latter's failing body he then flung himself on the corporal and wrenched away the revolver, which he at once passed to Lieutenant Strever. Not to be outdone the other two members of the Beaufort crew, Pilot Officer W. M. Dunsmore and Sergeant A. R. Brown, promptly tackled the engineer, while the Italian pilot tried to draw his revolver and the second pilot began fumbling with a tommy gun. This danger Wilkinson countered by advancing up the fuselage holding the corporal in front of him as a shield, while Strever followed brandishing the captured revolver. A few more swift moves and the Italians were disarmed and tied up with their own belts, and Strever had taken over the controls. All this proved too much for the corporal, who was on his first flight, and who now added to the confusion by being violently sick. The next problem was how to fly a strange aircraft with no maps, no charts and no knowledge of the petrol consumption. Strever soon found it easier to free the Italian second pilot, to place him at the controls, and to give him rough and ready directions which he hoped might bring them to Malta. At length the toe of Italy hove in sight. Taking a chance in the matter of petrol, Strever at once ordered the pilot to turn south. At this the Italians, who were fully aware how Malta's fighters would greet a Cant, registered great alarm. Their fears were soon justified. As the float plane came in low, three Spitfires swept down upon it. All efforts to explain the position-including those of Pilot Officer Dunsmore, who took off his vest (the only white object handy) and trailed it behind the aircraft as a sign of surrender--proved unavailing: the Spitfires continued to attack. When a stream of bullets poured through the wing Strever decided the time had come for a more decisive gesture, and he ordered the Italian pilot to put down on the water. The floats met the surface safely; then the propellers spun idly in the air as the last drop of petrol spluttered in the jets. It remained only for the four airmen to climb out and signal frantically to the Spitfires; for a launch to appear from Malta and tow in the captured machine; and for the Beaufort crew, who were feeling a little conscience-stricken at the way they had repaid the Italians' hospitality, to offer their apologies and do all they could for the comfort of their captives. The latter, cheerfully recognizing that war is war, took everything in good part; and the episode closed with one of them producing from his suitcase a bottle of wine which he insisted on sharing with Lieutenant Strever. Strever then looked in on the Spitfire squadron, where he had the doubtful pleasure of hearing the pilots slated by their commanding officer for bad shooting. HyperWar: Royal Air Force 1939-1945: Volume II: The Fight Avails [Chapter ]
I thought this stuff only happened in Biggles-type books! Is the reference in the first article to them being shot down by a British destroyer a mistake? If true, I would have thought this fact would be enlarged upon in the second article.
A very famous episode/escapade by the Malta-based Beaufort crews. Couldn't stop those boys! The Cant was pressed into service as an ASR aircraft to supplement the excellent work of the rescue launches. I've been scratching my head trying to remember in which book I read this recently but can't find it in any of the ones I thought it was. However, James Douglas-Hamilton's The Air Battle For Malta has photos of the aircraft and crews as well as a good two-page description (pp 89-90) that aligns with the longer description above. EDIT: the incident is also mentioned in considerable detail on pp 440-442 of the Shores/Cull/Malizia Malta: The Spitfire Year 1942. A great line from this: According to this book as well, the Cant was brand new and the 'armed corporal' mentioned above was a police sergeant with the magnificent title of Vice-Brigadiere Carabiniere (Giulio Scarciella). Interestingly, the 'hijacking' is recorded as having started with Wilkinson yelling "Spitfire!", punching the copper, throwing his gun to Strever who was seated near the second pilot who was dragged from his seat after putting the aircraft into a dive. The pilot , Ten. Mastrodicasa, pulled a Berretta but dropped it when faced with Strever and his acquired .45.
Sorry I got the first part from here ... airman1915702 I was looking for the Liverpool lad .... and found this !! and then the rest - so theres 3 sides to the story by the looks of it !!
London Gazette Hi Annie, A fantastic story, smacks as has been said of a Biggles adventure. I am sure in continued delving more tales of this type of courage would emerge. The war, desire to win, loyalty, all contribute to this form of bravery. Just as a little aside did you continue to the next mentioned award, this was to Sgt Beurling, a Canadian pilot, who has long been a hero of mine, well worth delving into his record. Sadly he met with an undeserving end after the war, from which he could never let go of thrill of combat. I am sure you have already studied his record but well worth another look. lane: Cheers Keith
Here he is Keith ! ..... George Frederick "Screwball" Beurling !! Buzz Beurling Now this man has quite a story too !!
