From Fire to Faith and Freedom

"I was f1ying at about 200 feet when I came under a lot of enemy fire and was clobbered. There was a whisper of smoke coming out of the engine. I knew I had to act quickly. I opened the throttle to gain some height and speed:' The action Jimmy took was, in theory correct, but it was to have catastrophic consequences. "As I opened the throttle the plane was suddenly engulfed in f1ames from the damaged engine. I nursed the plane up a bit higher but to make matters worse the cockpit was filling with acrid smoke. I knew I had to act quickly. Very quicklV:' He closed off the power and as the plane slowed it was in danger of stalling and smashing into the earth in a fireball. He didn't want to be in it, obviously. He put out over his radio what had happened and knew only too well that he had to get out of his doomed fighter. And quickly. There was no time to waste. "I undid the oxygen supply tube and the RT leads and jettisoned the cockpit canopy. With that out of the way I reached up to grip the top of the cockpit to pull myself up and out but it was impossible. The f1ames blowing back from the burning engine had heated the metal to such a degree that I just couldn't

get a grip and hold on. I tried a couple of times but it was impossible:' Under more 'favourable' conditions there was the option of f1ipping the plane over on to its back and falling out but the speed and altitude made that impossible. Jimmy went on. "With your position in the cockpit it is very difficult to get downward pressure from your legs to help you get up. You have to remember that in the enclosed space you are also wearing a parachute and have a dinghy folded up and attached beneath you as well. "I tried again to get out but it seemed impossible. I distinctly recall thinking at the time 'This is it. The end. Amen'. But then I had a feeling, it wasn't a voice, urging me to try again to get out. I prayed 'Please God get me out of this' and then felt this force, like a powerful hand, under the parachute. Suddenly I was out. I remember just missing hitting the tailplane and being in total silence. My parachute opened and my plane hit the ground. I landed in a lush green field. I was alive but there was a problem. I was on the wrong side of the line. In enemy territory.

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