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FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE DAILY NEWS RELEASE
F/O Richard T. Andrews, 20, of 916 So. E. 35th Street, Portland, Oregon, Sunday received a spot award of the Silver Star for gallantry in action from Major General Nathan F. Twining as the young P-38 Lightning pilot stepped out of his plane upon his return from his shuttle-mission to Russia and back.
Andrews, a sandy-haired Oregonian, with only ten combat missions to his credit, was cited for heroic deeds on August 4 enroute to Russia when he landed his Lightning in enemy territory 30 miles northeast of Foscani in Roumania, and rescued a fellow Lightning pilot, 1st. Lt. Richard E. Willsie, 23, of 840 Junipero, Long Beach, California, after he had been forced to crash land.
Willsie had his left engine shot out by ground fire and his right engine was streaming collant fluid. Andrews detailed the rescue, “I called him on the radio and told him to pick out a good field and I would come down after him. Willsie didn’t answer but he landed on a grassy, thoroughly furrowed pasture.
I made a couple of passes and set down. I threw out my parachute and helped Willsie into the cock-pit. He set down in my lap, wiped blood from his scratch on his forehead, which he had received in his landing, and we took off.
Willsie is an expert pilot with 60 combat missions behind him and he displayed coolness in pulling the Lightning off the soggy ground after a short run. I don’t think I was on the ground two minutes, all told.
Meanwhile, P-38’s in the formation were circling above to slash away enemy planes – we saw about nine ME 109’s just before I landed. Another Lightning circled low, just above the ground, to keep away any curious bystanders. He scared away three truckloads of people started toward us. 1st Lt. Nathanel A. Pape, Austin, Texas, shot down one of the ME’s.
It took us two and a half hours to reach the American base in Russia, and for an hour of the time, Willsie was flying on instrument in a terrific rain storm, but he hit the airdrome right on the nose and we came in for a safe landing.
It was raining when we landed and we remained in the cockpit for about 15 minutes before the ground crews came out to pick us up. They were certainly surprised to see two of us climb out of the single-seater Lightning.
Willsie is a big fellow – he must weigh about 190 pounds. Of course, I only weigh 160 pounds but nevertheless the cockpit was pretty crowded. Later in the day we tried to squeeze into the cockpit and couldn’t do it, but we didn’t have any trouble over there behind the enemy lines!
“I almost forget to mention, Andrews recalled, “all we left the Germans was my parachute which I had to throw away so we could have enough room in the cockpit. We set fire to Willsie’s plane and then other P-38’s dropped down to strafe it to be sure it was completely destroyed.”
Andrews, who had never flown a combat ship in the United States, learned to pilot his two-engine Lightning in Italy. His instructors were veteran combat flyers who had often talked about and wondered if such a rescue could be made.
“I got the idea from them”, the slender Flight Officer remarked.
Willsie, the rescued pilot, is a Squadron Operations Officer in the top scoring Lightning Group in the Mediterranean. He has personally scored two of these victorries.
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE RELEASE
Hall from Herrick censored White
Special handout for release with air communique August 7
Lightnings and Mustangs of the 15th AAF Sunday returned from the second all-fighter shuttle mission to Russian bases, after strafing rolling stock, railway stations, oil tanks and airdromes in Rumania on both legs of the operation.
On their return from the two-day trip, the fighter pilots were welcomed by Maj. Gen. Nathan F. Twining, 15th AAF commander, who presented a Silver Star to the hero of an extraordinary rescue deep in enemy territory. Flight Officer Richard T. Andrews, 20, 916 south East 35th St., Portland, Ore., the Lightning flier landed Saturday in a Rumanian pasture, picked up a fellow Lightning pilot, and continued to the Soviet bases.
During the flight out, three victories were scored, two by Mustangs and one by a Lightning covering Andrews. One of the Mustang victories was over a Ju 52 transport credited to Capt. James S. Varnell, Jr., 22, Charleston, Tenn., for his 17th win, putting him in a tie with Maj. Herschel H. Green, Mayfield, Ky., Mustang pilot, for top-scoring honors among American pilots in the Mediterranean.
Capt. Varnell observed Andrews rescue of his element leader, 1st Lt. Richad E. Willsie, 23, 840 Junipero St., Long Beach, Calif., after Willsie crashlanded. “It was one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen, “ said Varnell. “He landed in a field near enemy positions through a lot of flak and threw out his parachute to make room before taking off through the flak again.”
Andrews was decorated as he stepped from his plane on his return to his home base. General Twining had been informed of the incident in a radio report from Russia.
Willsie’s Lightning had its left engine shot out by ground fire while strafing. When the right engine began streaming coolant, Andrews told him to pick out a good field. Following him down, the flight officer discarded his parachute, and took the more experienced pilot on his lap. Willsie actually flew the plane out of the ty pasture in spite of the badly crowded cockpit.
Willsie weighs 190 pounds; Andrews 160. After a safe landing in Russia, they were unable to duplicate the feat. Ground crewmwn gasped when they saw two men emerge from the Lightning.
1st Lt. Nathaniel A. Pape, Lightning pilot, 1009 Baylor St., Austin, Tex., scored his first victory, over an ME 109, while flying cover for Andrews and Willsie.
The third victory, also scored on the way out, was credited to 1st Lt. Robert H. McCampbell, 1754 Prospect Ave., Santa Barbara, Calif., a Mustabg pilot. He shot down an ME 109 for his third win.
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