SECOND WORLD WAR | WAR IN THE PACIFIC
BILL NEWTON WAS ALREADY AN INSPIRATION BEFORE HE CLIMAXED HIS WARTIME FLYING CAREER WITH TWO ASTOUNDING FEATS OF VALOUR. STEVE SNELLING CHARTS A SAGA OF DEATH-DEFYING COURAGE IN A LITTLE-KNOWN CAMPAIGN WHICH WAS SAVAGELY ENDED BY ONE OF THE MOST INFAMOUS WAR CRIMES OF THE PACIFIC WAR.
The sky over Salamaua was a blur of flak and flame as the six Bostons swept, one after another, across the Japanese-controlled base on the north-eastern coast of New Guinea. Flying fourth, below and to the right of Flight Lieutenant Bill Newton’s diving bomb run, Flying Officer Dick Fethers was momentarily distracted by the fire that seemed to erupt all around. In the jarring, smoke-shrouded confusion of explosions on the ground and ack-ack lacing the air and peppering his aircraft, he flew too low, decapitating a line of coconut palms with his starboard propeller. Breaking away from his strafing attack, he caught sight of Newton’s Boston emerging from the maelstrom of shot and shell, its fuselage “a ball of fire”. With the raid continuing behind him, Fethers watched his friend’s ghastly progress as the stricken bomber flew on across the Huon Gulf, trailing flames and smoke and losi…
