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After crash landing in the waterlogged jungles of Bengal, the crew of a Wellington bomber braved the dangerous currents of rivers and struggled through dense undergrowth, home to the Bengal tiger, for several days before they were rescued by their squadron which had gone searching for them. The aircraft’s Captain came from Auckland, New Zealand, the Second Pilot was a Scot and the remaining crew were English from Stroud, Manchester and Nuneaton. The 20-year old rear-gunner was from Cheltenham and my father - Ernest Wright. This is his story.

As they returned from a night raid over Burma they flew into such bad weather that their wireless failed and they completely lost their bearings as a result. The Captain tried flying in circles for a while but without success and was faced with the choice of either ordering them to bail out which meant they would be scattered all over the jungle or trying a crash-landing. He decided to crash-land. From his rear cockpit my father could see the Sunderbans below him as the pilot tried to follow the river course at about 20 feet above the water. As the pilot tried to put the aircraft down onto the river bed a sharp bend appeared. and despite trying to turn sharply they hit a high bank and the plane somersaulted into the trees. It broke into two and my father’s rear turret was torn off, landing about 20 yards behind the rest of the wreckage. When he finally managed to get out of his cockpit he saw that the navigator, front gunner and the second pilot had managed to get out too, but the main aircraft was now on fire and was well alight. Hearing shouts from the flames they soon located the wireless operator and were able to drag him out through the astro-hatch. The pilot then seemed to appear from nowhere, looking dazed and muttering about being trapped under the wreckage. The planes ammunition then began to explode and despite their injuries and burns they had to move away quickly, carrying the wireless operator because he had damaged his ankle and was unable to walk.

They slept in the jungle the best way they could and early the next day started to salvage for things not destroyed in the fire. The only thing they found however but luckily needed was a first aid kit. In order to attract the attention of any aircraft that might come in search of them, three crew members swam across the river to drape a parachute cover over some trees. Needing clean water to drink they tried unsuccessfully to boil and condense the river water and their efforts at trying to build a raft also failed.

They decided that their only chance to survive and get out of the jungle was to walk. So they put a Mae West on their crippled wireless operator, floated him in the river and then took turns to drag him along. They walked for nearly eight hours that day until they came across a pile of logs which was their first sign of civilisation. Later they heard planes flying overhead and quickly waded out into the river so they could be seen. Fortunately one of the planes spotted them and was able to drop three sacks of provisions. Despite searching for a long time they could only find two of them which contained much needed water, emergency rations and first aid kits.

They slept again that night in the jungle and heard a lot of animals moving about.- knowing they were in an area that contained Bengal tigers. Early the next day they spotted a group of nine Indians in a sampan, and although they did not understand English they took them all on board. They travelled for quite a distance before they realised they were going in the wrong direction but managed to make the Indians understand that they wanted to go towards Calcutta. At about midday another aircraft dropped them some more sacks and in the ones they able to retrieve they found biscuits, bully beef, tinned fruit and cigarettes. Just as it was getting dark another plane dropped a cushion with a message attached that read ‘Row the other way - launch coming’. They were eventually picked up by an RAF launch sent out to find them and were taken to Calcutta for medical attention and recuperation.

David Wright.

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