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After the war finished I stayed with the RAF. First we were posted to Athens in case communist elements there caused any trouble during the Greek elections. I was later posted to Germany to the Island of Silt on the 10th of March 1953, running target towing missions for other fighter aircraft. We were flying Mosquitoes at the time. One day I took one on an air test and had to feather the propellers. I checked the starboard engine and it wouldn’t unfeather, so I was left with just one engine. I made it back and landed, and took the same aircraft out the next day. The same thing happened again, but this time as I was coming in to land there were workman working on the end of the runway. I had to overshoot the runway, but the aircraft wouldn’t climb on one engine so I was stuck at low level. I did a circuit of the airfield over another island, Amrum. This island had sand dunes with power cables running over the top, and I was flying too low and unable to climb. With no other choice I had to ditch the aircraft into the water just short of the beach, hoping that we’d make it to dry land. We’d been told when ditching the Mosquito to tuck your feet under the seat, because the control column had a nasty habit of cutting your legs off if you didn’t! That was on my mind as I ditched the aircraft, and luckily so, because sure enough the control column disappeared through the bottom of the plane, almost taking my legs with it! There was no time to be scared, you just had to use your skill and hope for the best. I had a corporal with me at the time, and when the water cleared from the windscreen we saw the front of the aircraft was on the beach and the rear was in the water, so we didn’t even have to swim! A rescue helicopter came and picked us up but the plane was a complete write off.

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by James Barton from Westree Learning Centre and has been added to the website on behalf of Captain Ron Healey with his/her permission and they fully understand the site’s terms and conditions.

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