Product Info
Vickers Wellington Mk.IC L7818 AA-R, Sgt James Allen Ward, No.75 (New Zealand) Squadron, Feltwell, Norfolk, England, night of 7/8th July 1941 wing fire Victoria Cross winning actions. Having successfully released their bombs over the German city of Munster on the night of 7th/8th July 1941, the crew of Vickers Wellington L7818 set course for their home station at Feltwell and hoped for an uneventful return flight. Those hopes were dashed when co-pilot James Allen Ward noticed a sinister shape stalking their aircraft in the night sky, a Luftwaffe Bf 110 night fighter. Before he could warn his pilot, the enemy fighter positioned itself under the Wellington and unleashed a hail of bullets and cannon shells into its fuselage, leaving it severely damaged and on fire. On seeing the severity of the fire, the pilot instructed Ward to prepare the crew to abandon the aircraft and as a parting, ironic comment in this desperate situation, also said, ‘see what you can do about that damned fire!’ Ward took him at his word, cutting a hole in the fuselage of the bomber and attempting to extinguish the flames using fire extinguishers, however the savage slipstream made these efforts futile. What he did next was quite extraordinary - he crawled through the astrodome hatch on the spine of the bomber and onto the wing of the aircraft. Clinging to the exposed geodetic framework of the Wellington, Ward slowly made his way to the wing fire and stuffed a canvas sheet into the gaping hole, putting out the fire in the process. Completely exhausted due the slipstream, he was pulled back into the aircraft by his crewmates, who could hardly believe what they had just witnessed. Though still badly damaged, the bomber made it back to an RAF emergency landing ground and the crew all survived this incredible ordeal, thanks to the selfless act of bravery performed by Sgt James Allen Ward.
產品信息
Vickers Wellington Mk.IC L7818 AA-R，James Allen Ward 中士，第 75（新西蘭）中隊，Feltwell，英國諾福克，1941 年 7 月 8 日晚上，翼火 Victoria Cross 獲勝行動。 1941 年 7 月 7 日至 8 日晚上，維克斯惠靈頓 L7818 的機組人員在德國明斯特市上空成功投擲了炸彈後，他們為他們在費爾特韋爾的家鄉站設定了航線，並希望能順利返回航班。 當副駕駛詹姆斯·艾倫·沃德注意到夜空中有一個邪惡的身影在跟踪他們的飛機時，這些希望破滅了，那是一架德國空軍 Bf 110 夜間戰鬥機。 在他警告他的飛行員之前，敵方戰鬥機將自己定位在惠靈頓下方，向其機身發射了大量子彈和砲彈，使其嚴重受損並著火。 看到火勢嚴重時，飛行員指示沃德讓機組人員做好棄機準備，作為在這種絕望的情況下臨別時的諷刺評論，他還說：“看看你能對那該死的火做些什麼！”沃德接過他 按照他的話，在轟炸機的機身上開了一個洞，並試圖用滅火器撲滅火焰，但是野蠻的氣流使這些努力徒勞無功。 他接下來所做的非常不尋常——他爬過轟炸機脊柱上的天文艙艙口，爬上了飛機的機翼。 沃德緊緊抓住惠靈頓裸露的大地測量框架，慢慢走向機翼火源，將一塊帆布塞進裂開的洞裡，在這個過程中撲滅了火。 由於滑流，他完全筋疲力盡，他被機組人員拉回飛機，他們幾乎不敢相信他們剛剛目睹的一切。 儘管仍然嚴重受損，轟炸機還是回到了英國皇家空軍的緊急著陸場，機組人員都在這場難以置信的磨難中倖存下來，這要歸功於詹姆斯艾倫沃德中士的無私勇敢行為。
