"We put the aircraft down safely, although the wheels would not come down, and we made a belly landing. The observer went forward to some peasants, who immediately rushed away screaming. We put our hands up and yelled Inglese, Inglese," A lock of wonderment spread over one man's face and he replied, with a definite American accent, Are youse guys English "Locals came io the number of about a thousand, and looked extremely dangerous, only being kept back by our Americanised friend. I had to make a speech, but as it was in English I do not imagine much of it got over. The most popular part was when I said 'Mussolini' in grim tones and made a sign. That fairly brought the house down, "At last we persuaded the villagers this tiny island that we were friendly, and they found us their only car. It didn't last long. It was destroyed soon after by a bomb, one of many that fell that day on this entirely defenceless island. We were bombed' eight times in a single day, the only casualties being civilians.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.