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Whoops, sorry

Posted by Chris Hinch on Mon Mar 17, 2003 06:58:41 AM

In reply top Re: Tunsinia P-38 posted by Chris Hinch on Mon Mar 17, 2003 06:56:14 AM

Here is my original post

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/vafrefugees/wix1msgboard.mv?parm_func=showmsg+parm_msgnum=1003600

"Quote from Bryan Young's excellent book "Beckoning Skies" recounting his experiences as an RNZAF pilot from 1936-1960 - the quote is from his time in North Africa:

"The airfield at Youks Le Bain, a small farming village near Tebessa, just west of the Cassarene Pass, was often a refuelling stop while en route to Thelepte, a forward American field lying over the mountains to the east.

Directly on our course to Thelepte there was one particular mountain that had a flattened rock-strewn summit of perhaps an acre in extent. At one edge of this little plateau lay the sad remains of a twin engined Lightning fighter, it's pilot['s body] slumped in the cockpit...

...it must have been there for weeks before I spotted it....

...each time we passed it we came in low over the wreck in tribute to the folourn figure seated in it...

...the pilot had been shot down and had put his aircraft onto the only level stretch of ground within miles. He had made a successful wheels up landing that finally came to rest on the lip of the sheer mountain wall. He must have been wounded because he didn't get out of the cockpit...

...The terrain was impossible so they could not get near to effect a rescue...

...for all I know, the pilot still remains surrounded by peaks and chasms, alone in solemn splendour on top of a mountain in North Africa."

Any one know anything further about this aircraft and it's pilot? "

and here is Tony's reply after hitting the satellites

http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/vafrefugees/wix1msgboard.mv?parm_func=showmsg+parm_msgnum=1003666

"As the Carpet flies, the distance is under 30 K

Bad news..... It's all vertical, and Youks-les-Bains is in Algeria, and Tebessa is right on the border. Quite apart from it being open season in Algeria for Christians, the Tunisians are VERY anal about their borders. Oh, I did pull some imagery, to describe the terrain as "depressing" would be an understatement, QED u need to find out what the heaviest lift helos either the Algerians or Tunisians have got, because sure as sh*t, you won't be doing this recovery by road :0)

Apart from that, it's probably still there"

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