A Drop in the Ocean: Dramatic Accounts of Aircrew Saved from the Sea

by Burtt-Smith, Jim

• ISBN13: 9780850525076
• ISBN10: 0850525071
• eBook ISBN(s): 9781473813809
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1996-08-01
• Publisher: Casemate Pub & Book Dist Llc

Summary

As the air force of an island nation, the RAF has always been prepared for airplanes and crews crash-landing at sea, and never more so than during the maximum effort of World War II. Using obsolete American light bombers to drop life rafts and small craft and archaic Supermarine amphibious biplanes to perform the actual rescues, the RAF's Air Sea Rescue (ASR) services had picked up 5700 Allied airmen by August 1945.

Table of Contents

1. The Charles Harrison Story: A Wet Whitley	13	(4)
2. The Charles Harrison Story: First Dip for a Halifax	17	(3)
3. Paddling in the Channel: `Tiffies' to the Rescue	20	(4)
4. Paddling in the Channel: Bert Fitchett's Version	24	(4)
5. A Yank Meets his Saviours	28	(9)
6. ...And the Engines Fell Out	37	(3)
7. All in Vain	40	(4)
8. Such Language!	44	(2)
9. Sink that Lancaster	46	(3)
10. In a Rubber Ring	49	(1)
11. Flight Engineer/Organist	50	(2)
12. From Montreal into the Med.	52	(3)
13. Where Shall We Go Next?	55	(4)
14. Don't Go Out That Way	59	(3)
15. Jobs for the Grimsby Boys	62	(4)
16. The Lease-Lend Launch	66	(3)
17. What Gremlin?	69	(2)
18. Home is a High-Speed Launch	71	(5)
19. Gardening was no Picnic	76	(3)
20. Here's your Trousers, George	79	(5)
21. Can't Drown, Can't Burn	84	(6)
22. When the Bladder was Useful	90	(4)
23. Two Lancs. too Close	94	(5)
24. Lucky Old Stan	99	(2)
25. The Girl who did a Bleriot	101	(2)
26. `Sheilas!' - And Then There Were None	103	(11)
27. Getting aboard the MTB was the Worst	114	(6)
28. Another Rescue by Fritz	120	(3)
29. A Kiwi Robinson Crusoe	123	(4)
30. Back Wet from Nurnberg	127	(2)
31. Even a Walrus can't Swim	129	(3)
32. It was Nice Floating Down	132	(2)
33. Pass the Port	134	(2)
34. Chit-Chat in the Caribbean	136	(3)
35. Floating Kiwis	139	(4)
36. A Nasty Little Buoy	143	(3)
37. Birth of the Rescue Craft	146	(3)
38. Mind those Mines	149	(2)
39. Compassion	151	(3)
40. Here Comes the Navy!	154	(4)
41. No Substitute for a Honeymoon	158	(5)
42. What Else Can Happen?	163	(3)
Appendix 1: Reunion of Rescued and Rescuers	166	(2)
Appendix 2: The Goldfish Club	168	(3)
Index	171