Warringah
Radio Control
Society Incorporated (Incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act 1984) FLYING P.O.W. CLASS
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| Warringah
Radio Control
Society Incorporated (Incorporated under the Association Incorporation Act 1984) FLYING P.O.W. CLASS
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When World War II ended in August 1945, I became an unemployed Vengeance target-towing pilot at the Liberator bomber training unit, R.A.A.F. Tocumwal, however, because of an urgent need to repatriate Aussie prisoners-of-war, a Liberator Special Transport Flight was formed to pick up those POW's fit enough to fly home. Although all my flying experience had been in single-engine aeroplanes, one of the Lib instructors invited me to be his co-pilot. He was a very experienced captain (Wellington night torpedo bombers in the Mediterranean) and I jumped at the offer. So, one freezing, dark night in early September we set out for Manila, Philippines on our first trip. The crew comprised two pilots, a navigator, a wireless operator, and a flight engineer, with a cargo of Red Cross supplies. Because our passengers would be accommodated in the bomb bay and on the floor at the waist gunners' station, the usual oxygen equipment was omitted, obliging us to limit altitude to 10,000 feet. We chose to fly overnight on the first leg to Darwin, so as to avoid daytime turbulence over northern Australia. With the Lib cruising at 165 mph (265 kph), it took almost 12 hours to Darwin. After catching up with some sleep, we took off next morning at 2.50am for Manila, another 12 hour leg. The early start was essential so as to reach Manila before the regular afternoon thunderstorms arrived about 4pm, when aviation became a no-no. Near Zamboanga (southern Mindanao) four P-38's made passes at us, but probably only to relieve their boredom. At Manila we had two days rest and some good food at the camp where our POW's could access tucker 24 hours a day to build them up from their emaciated condition. Then it was time to embark 20 of them, each supplied with a mattess and a blanket for the journey home. These wouldn't be much protection against sub-zero temperatures in their draughty "cabin", but having endured up to three years of mistreatment by the Japanese; they made no complaints. Dressed in our summer gear, we were much better off in our heated cockpit, and invited them, a couple at a time, to share our comfort for a spell. It was heart-warming to see the emotion displayed by some POW's on alighting at Darwin, when they realised that they were actually back in Oz. So next time you fly international and feel a teeny bit critical of the leg room, the meals, the movies, or the cabin temperature, just think of those Diggers flying POW Class without complaint for 24 hours. Alan Place
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