Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A brave man, with an angel on his shoulder
The UK Telegraph has an obituary for Wing Commander Jack Rose who died October 10 at the age of 92. Among his wartime achievements, which include service in Europe and Burma, surviving a ditching in the channel because he took the time to sew a dye pack on his life jacket and being one of the few pilots to survive active duty from the beginning of the war to the end, is this truly British accomplishment:
The following day Rose attacked a Heinkel 111 and closed to within a few yards to shoot the bomber's port engine. Oil from the engine covered the windscreen of his Hurricane so he climbed away, slowed the aircraft down to almost stalling speed, loosened his harness, stood on his seat and leant out of the cockpit in an attempt to clean the windscreen. As he did, tracer from an enemy fighter hit his aircraft.Bless 'em all, including Wing Commander Jack Rose.
Seeing Rose standing in the cockpit, the German pilot claimed he had shot down the Hurricane, but Rose managed to break away. His aircraft was badly damaged but he managed a forced landing at a forward airfield where the aircraft was destroyed.
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