Amazing Parachute Survival Falls of WWII In World War II there were several reports of military aircrew surviving long falls: Nick Alkemade (UK), Alan Magee (USA), and Ivan Chisov (USSR) all fell at least 18,000 feet (5,500 metres) and survived. STEPHEN ALKEMADE Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (1923 – 1987) was a tail gunner for a Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster bomber during World War II who survived a fall of 18,000 feet (5500 m) without a parachute after his plane was shot down over Germany. On 24 March 1944, 21 year old Alkemade was a member of No. 115 Squadron RAF and his Lancaster II S for Sugar was flying to the east of Schmallenberg, Germany on its return from a 300 bomber raid on Berlin, when it was attacked by a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-88 night-fighter, caught fire and began to spiral out of control. Because his parachute was destroyed by the fire, Alkemade opted to jump from the aircraft without one, preferring his death to be quick, rather than being burnt to death. He fell 18,000 ft (5500 m) to the ground below. His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. He was able to move his arms and legs and suffered only a sprained leg. The Lancaster crashed in flames and the pilot Jack Newman and three other members of the seven man crew did not survive and are buried in Hanover War Cemetery. He was subsequently captured and interviewed by the Gestapo who were initially suspicious of his claim to have fallen without a parachute until the wreckage of the aircraft was examined. He was then a celebrated POW before being repatriated in May 1945. (Reportedly the orderly Germans were so impressed that Alkemade had bailed out without a parachute and lived that they gave him a certificate testifying to the fact.) ALAN MAGEE Alan Eugene Magee (1919 – 2003) was an American airman during World War II who survived a 22,000 ft (6700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 Flying Fortress. He was featured in Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 10 most amazing survival stories of World War II. On 3 January 1943, Magees B-17 was on a daylight bombing run over Saint-Nazaire, France when German fighters shot off a section of the right wing causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. This was Magees seventh mission. Magee was wounded in the attack but managed to escape from the ball turret. Unfortunately, his parachute had been damaged and rendered useless by the attack, so having no choice, he leapt from the plane without a parachute, rapidly losing consciousness due to the altitude. Magee fell over four miles before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. Somehow the glass roof mitigated Magees impact and rescuers found him still alive on the floor of the station. Magee was taken as a prisoner of war and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 shrapnel wounds in addition to the damage from the fall. He had several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, and lung and kidney damage, and his right arm was nearly severed. Magee was liberated in May 1945 and received the Air Medal for meritorious conduct and the Purple Heart. After the war Magee earned his pilots license and enjoyed flying. He worked in the airline industry in a variety of roles. He retired in 1979 and moved to northern New Mexico. On 3 January 1993 the people of St. Nazaire honored Magee and the crew of his bomber by erecting a 6-foot (1.8 m) tall memorial to them. IVAN CHISOV Ivan Mikhailovich Chisov was a Soviet Airforce Lieutenant who is notable for surviving a fall of nearly 22,000 ft (6700 m). Lieutenant Chisov was a Soviet Airforce Lieutenant on an Ilyushin Il-4 bomber. In January 1942, German fighters attacked his bomber, forcing him to bail out at an altitude of approximately 22,000 feet (6700 meters). With the battle still raging around him, Lt. Chisov intentionally did not open his parachute, since he feared that he would just be an easy target for an angry German while he was dangling from his parachute harness. He planned on dropping below the level of the battle, and then, once he was out of sight of the German fighters, he would open his chute and land safely. However, he lost consciousness on the way down, and was unable to pull the rip cord. Miraculously, he was not killed. He hit the edge of a snowy ravine at an estimated speed of somewhere between 120 miles per hour (193 kilometers) and 150 mph (241 km), then slid, rolled, and plowed his way down to the bottom. He suffered spinal injuries and a broken pelvis, but was able to fly again three months later.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 14:31:23 +0000
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