groundfloor
10th Feb 2009, 20:43
Maj Gen Jannie Blaauw SAAF. Service to honour the life and times was held on 9th Feb - Here is a gem:
Fields made another noteworthy rescue very soon after, on 11 May 1951, when he received word by radio from Major Jan Blaauw, flying as wingman for a downed SAAF Mustang flown by Lt. Vernon Kruger. Blaauw advised that he was so short of fuel that he would have to crash land near Kruger, and that there would be two pilots to be picked up. Field told the him that the Chopper’s center of gravity would be too far off ... and asked Blaauw to collect about 40 pounds of rocks when he got down, which they could then use for ballast on take off.
After his intentional belly-landing, he raced over and applied first-aid to Kruger’s burned hands and a shoulder broken during bail-out, then, while sporadic sniper fire hit the area –Kruger was amazed to see Blaauw dashing from one place to another picking up a collection of rocks. Kruger had been shocked to see Blaauw’s crash-landing, but thought the man had then completely ‘flipped’ and was planning to defend themselves by throwing rocks at the approaching enemy soldiers!
For twenty minutes or so, U.S. fighters had continued to patrol and strafe the surrounding enemy troops, and finally, after what seemed an eternity, Field’s H-5 helicopter came ‘beating’ into sight and made a quick vertical ‘auto-rotation’ style landing close by.
Blaauw helped Kruger toward the chopper, where Field and his medical assistant, Corporal Spellman Patterson, of Olympia, WA, lifted them in, then as the Major started to toss rocks into the baggage area, Field said “Get aboard – they’re shooting at us.” He added full power for a maximum, vertical take-off as several bullets hit the fuselage, and they quickly left the area. Field landed at a US medical facility behind friendly lines, where Kruger was given further medical treatment, then flown to Chinhae the following day, and on to an Australian hospital in Hiroshima, Japan ... where he was to share a room with his friend, Piet Celliers, another of Chuck Field’s ‘saves’.
http://www.18thfwa.org/whosWho/CharlesHField/charlesHField_files/image009.gifMajor Blaauw mused for a long while about what the Chinese Communists must have thought the SAAF pilots intended to do with their pile of rocks.
Jannie also flew Hurricane 11D`s in North Africa, Dakota`s during the Berlin Airlift, was OC of 2 Sqn in Korea and took part in the SAAF`s first Alouette 111 ops.
http://www.saafmuseum.co.za/Saafdakgermanys.jpg
Major Jan Blaauw in the doorway who commanded the second group serving in the Airlift next to Flying Officer Jenkins of the Royal Air Force. Joe Joubert is standing on the steps and in front from left to right is Duncan Ralston. Mickey Delport, Mike Pretorius and Dormie Barlow.
Fields made another noteworthy rescue very soon after, on 11 May 1951, when he received word by radio from Major Jan Blaauw, flying as wingman for a downed SAAF Mustang flown by Lt. Vernon Kruger. Blaauw advised that he was so short of fuel that he would have to crash land near Kruger, and that there would be two pilots to be picked up. Field told the him that the Chopper’s center of gravity would be too far off ... and asked Blaauw to collect about 40 pounds of rocks when he got down, which they could then use for ballast on take off.
After his intentional belly-landing, he raced over and applied first-aid to Kruger’s burned hands and a shoulder broken during bail-out, then, while sporadic sniper fire hit the area –Kruger was amazed to see Blaauw dashing from one place to another picking up a collection of rocks. Kruger had been shocked to see Blaauw’s crash-landing, but thought the man had then completely ‘flipped’ and was planning to defend themselves by throwing rocks at the approaching enemy soldiers!
For twenty minutes or so, U.S. fighters had continued to patrol and strafe the surrounding enemy troops, and finally, after what seemed an eternity, Field’s H-5 helicopter came ‘beating’ into sight and made a quick vertical ‘auto-rotation’ style landing close by.
Blaauw helped Kruger toward the chopper, where Field and his medical assistant, Corporal Spellman Patterson, of Olympia, WA, lifted them in, then as the Major started to toss rocks into the baggage area, Field said “Get aboard – they’re shooting at us.” He added full power for a maximum, vertical take-off as several bullets hit the fuselage, and they quickly left the area. Field landed at a US medical facility behind friendly lines, where Kruger was given further medical treatment, then flown to Chinhae the following day, and on to an Australian hospital in Hiroshima, Japan ... where he was to share a room with his friend, Piet Celliers, another of Chuck Field’s ‘saves’.
http://www.18thfwa.org/whosWho/CharlesHField/charlesHField_files/image009.gifMajor Blaauw mused for a long while about what the Chinese Communists must have thought the SAAF pilots intended to do with their pile of rocks.
Jannie also flew Hurricane 11D`s in North Africa, Dakota`s during the Berlin Airlift, was OC of 2 Sqn in Korea and took part in the SAAF`s first Alouette 111 ops.
http://www.saafmuseum.co.za/Saafdakgermanys.jpg
Major Jan Blaauw in the doorway who commanded the second group serving in the Airlift next to Flying Officer Jenkins of the Royal Air Force. Joe Joubert is standing on the steps and in front from left to right is Duncan Ralston. Mickey Delport, Mike Pretorius and Dormie Barlow.