War Veteran in Sea Drama (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

War Veteran in Sea Drama

HE flew aircraft during the Second World War and had never been forced to bail out in more than 60 years.

Yet, despite evading bullets and bombs as a member of the Fleet Air Arm, an engine failure at the weekend forced Denis Stanley and his friends to ditch their aircraft in the sea.

And, had a passing trawler not rescued the trio from the chilly waters, he admits it could have been their last voyage.

Mr Stanley, who lives in Chedworth, was flying from Land's End to the Isles of Scilly as part of a reunion with colleagues on Saturday morning.

He and fellow World War Two veterans, Bernard Maslin and Arthur Record, are all members of the Fleet Air Arm Squadron (FAAS) and were making the trip in a Cessna 172.

But, disaster struck around five miles from their destination when the engine failed at 2,000 feet and, spotting the trawler, Mr Maslin, who was at the controls, made the decision to ditch nearby.

Mr Stanley, who served as a navigator during the war but went on to become a qualified pilot himself, said: "My friend made a superb job of putting it down into quite a choppy sea.

"The cockpit quickly filled up with water but we had our lifejackets on and got out through the doors.

"If the trawler hadn't been there we'd have been in the water a lot longer. If that had have happened, it could have been a lot worse."

The friends were among a group of FAAS members - former or current Naval aviators - who flew to the Scillies in several aircraft.

The Cessna involved in the incident was based at Kemble Airfield, near Cirencester, and was privately-owned.

Prior to ditching, Mr Maslin made a Mayday call to St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly.

The Semper Allegro fishing boat, which rescued the trio, also made a call to the coastguard.

After being picked up by the trawler, the men were given a change of clothes and hot drinks, before being transferred to hospital by helicopter.

Mr Stanley and York-based Mr Record, who are both aged 82, were released from hospital and attended an FAAS dinner at Land's End later the same evening.

But Mr Maslin, aged 79, who comes from Chippenham, was kept in for several days after inhaling water during the drama.

It was not the first aviation incident to test Mr Stanley, although he says it was the first time he has had to bail out.

He added: "I had to land in a field once when the aircraft I was flying got an engine failure.

"At the weekend, a sort of icy calm took over. It's not a stressful situation if you know what you're doing. We all did it to perfection."

He also paid tribute to the crew of the Newlyn-based Semper Allegro.

Mr Stanley added: "They were magnificent. If I could knight them and give them a fortune I would. I can't speak more highly of them."