Page 17 - James Edward Raw Rees

Taking off one day with a student pilot at the controls (take-off speed was 95 mph) Ernie told him it
was time to lift off and at the same instant the port undercarriage collapsed, and then the
starboard side, ripping both wings and engines clean off and the crew went skidding down the
runway in the fuselage when it came to a stop. The fire engine was right beside them. The fuel
tanks were way behind them in the wings, but the young crew was falling over each other to get
out while Ernie just sat there having a quiet chuckle.

Another day an American B25 twin engine bomber landed at Ernie’s training base short of fuel. On
this day Ernie was duty officer for raising the fire truck alarm in case of any take-off or landing
accidents. Fuel available for the B25 was too low an octane rating and the crew were advised.
She’ll be right guys we’ll take it and go. They duly started there take off run when one engine cut
out and the B25 roared off the runway and hit a tree. The fuselage broke in half and the crew

walked out unharmed as it burst into flames. Ernie could see what was going to happen and the
fire crew were there in time to dowse the flames.
When the war finally ended Ernie had to live at the base waiting for a ship to take him home to NZ.

They had next to nothing to do, so they (all six of them left at the base) decided to give the air
controller in the tower a test of endurance. They told him they would fly six Wellingtons in line
astern, do a fly wing-over the control tower and scare him out before the last plane went past. No
way he said………..all bets were laid and in line astern the first two wings came straight for the
control tower and lifted over at the last minute. The controller was gone.

The next bet was the six Wellingtons to climb to 10,000 feet and see who could be the first on the
deck. “Who won?” I wasn’t told, but when Ernie went to land he had to come in faster than normal
as a large piece of fabric had torn off the top of the wing reducing lift.

The last escapade was firing signal rockets at each other in their barracks. One went through the
CO’s office window and they no doubt got a rocket back from him.

That was the end of Ernie’s war.

Just a note... The Army Boys called the Airforce Boys “Blue Orchids” as they were in their minds
molly coddled and spoilt with better uniforms.