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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 1042PHONE 195 WHEMAJOR WILKINSON■ hits ilt; Continued from page one) Shortland Harbor. Bum Harbor. Tonolei Harbor. Kahili Ait Drome, Bougainville Island, Ba’ula Air Field. Kabau! llarbur. m Ne» Britain 1'land.ItBalala Air Field that Cpataiu \iel from the Jap anti aircraft cries tore his mask from his uni he was also wounded in shoulder.This Lincoln county man ha ■reJil for 80 combat missions so far n the South Pacific area of are. In addition to the decoration of the Purple Heart, at Pearl Harbor.the Distinguished Flying Cross at Wake, he has received the Oak Leaf Cluster, which is equivalent U another D.F.C., and also a Cluster valent to another Purple Heart He also has received recommendation for the Silver Star and Air Med 1 awarded for exceptional and* cun-.-picuous gallantry in action on com bat mission service.Sinks Jap Tanker On 25th BirthdayWilkinson lias the enviable record of having sunk a big Jap Tank which was lying in Buin llarbu his 25th birthday. A memorable birthday for him.Last Christmas Eve he was bombing Kabau!. Christmas night he i bombing mission over Buka. On New Y*-ar« Eve, and Day. lie was on Hither bombing mission. He was in the first bombing raid on MuriJa Air Field, on New tieorgia Island.Praises the I’. S. Marines Major \\ ilkinson speaks in the highest praise of the United States Marines, who fought so gallantly to . the Japs from Guadalcanal. The job they had to do was one of the toughest ever mortal man had to ill to his lot. Hard work, hard fight-g. living in fox-holes, under fire instantly, day an I night; short of .lions, short of ammunition, short of everything, yet these brave and intrepid men held grimly un, in the face of overwhelming odds, until their task was well and completelyeffect yo ground. Much of th me in brilliant moc Such is a brief lt;Army career of a He is not the immediate family, hi done remarkably we Wilkinson boys: He North Africa, in th«Field Artillery; Dav pleted his course ii Seminary at Decat i been commissioned i U. S. Navy; Fred partment of JuslireMTruly, a remarkat Lincoln county faiuiDr. AIn LincolntLincolnton Charlotte CEYES EX,First Month in Sooth Pacific The HardestThe first month spent in the Southturns for our flyers. They spent many nights sleeping under the wings ofrains. The combat crews had to do all of thur own repair work on their j planes at night, and fly on combat missions in the daytime. They spent I many nights in fox-holes, under en- jOne little stieak of luck when they' were able to borrow a couple of Southern negro soldiers from a ground outfit, to help in the cooking. This group of flyers reeeiv-at ed a citation from the War Department for its activities during the Solomons campaign.Found General Twining OnOne of Major Wilkinson's interesting experiences was when he spotted a rubber life raft adrift about three hundred miles from shore. Those on the raft sent up a flare which attracted the flyer’s attention. General Twining’s plane had been forced down on account of running liei t»ut of gas; the plane sank, and leftadrift. Wilkinson radioed for a Navy flying-boat, which came and rescued the General and his party.Scrapes Wings With Jap Plane in StormOn one occasion Wilkinson was flying in the midst of a storm atfjjapSuddenly, through the dense clouds a big Jap Flying-boat emerged and the two planes almost scrap ed their wings together, so close were they. They were going in opposite directions, and both pilots i surprised to shoot at each other. They diJ not see each otherA Dog Fight in the ( loudsAnother close call was when Major j Wilkinson met a big four-engined Flying boat almost head on in ■ thick clouds. For twenty min-I utes they had a dog-fight, dodging in and out of tiie clouds, shooting at j each other. Wilkinson’s plane was I not hit, but he got several hits on the Jap, and when the enemy finally disappeared in a bank of clouds it vas smoking.How it Feels to Meet Enemy in Air Asked just how he felt when he met the enemy in the an Wilkin on replied “Well, you do most of worrying while you are .. i your way; after you reach the target areaunder anti aircraft fire, and the fighter planes, you are too busy j worry or think about anything but the immediate business in hand. I gives you a funny feeling while fly bomber, because you can’ maneuver around to avoid enemy planes; you have to fly a more less straight line to reach your t get. With anti aircraft fire coming up it is a bit uncomfortable;look down and see the flash of the guns, and then you have time o wonder if that is the one which • going to get you! But you sure do feel good when the bombardier culls t, “Bombs away!” For then you i free to maneuver your plane and make a get-away. After getting away from the Fighter planes, Oh Boy! A grand arid glorious feeling! You have done a good job and on the way home.”Major Wilkinson says you can feel the effect of your bomb hits when 4 000 feet up; the concussion ends up a wave of air which rocks • plane. When the bombs are released the plane gives a jump, be-3 of the reduced weight. At that altitude you can see pretty well whatTwtheTHREECLWe are £ mendous our custoEaglJus L EElecfIf you ar better acGoodLinc(DAVE 1Lincolnt Agents for ( WOLVERIETCHIStCARTELocated in NewPHor ALL FOINSUFPersonal Act By DayDR. I. I DR. I. R.DEN'Offlcca: Over La DrugOffiee Phone 85,
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Lincoln Times
Lincolnton, North Carolina, US
Mon, Apr 12, 1943
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USA 21 Sep 2023
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