Show v. v to Army Aircraft Rescues Wrecked Wrecked- Arctic Fliers Plane Risks Landing On Frigid Waste NEW YORK Feb 24 UP UP Eleven Eleven Uni United cd States airmen were snatched from irom the icy wastes of Greenland Monday by a aI I daring year old air transport command pilot who dropped his big transport plane down beside their wrecked B 29 Super loaded them aboard and took off with the aid aid of rockets All 11 men were uninjured They were flown first to Thule Greenland about miles mile south of oC the scene of their crash and were were to be brought on to Westover cr field Massachusetts later Mon Mon- day First Lt Bobbie Bobble Joe Soc Cavnar of ot Okmulgee Okla an trained arctic-trained A T C transport flier filer w was 3 the pilot pi pI- lot Jot of the rescue plane a a giant C 54 and he made a perfect landIng landing land land- ing lug on the ice beside the wrecked B 29 according to A ATe T C headquarters at Fort Totten here Cavnar's plane was vas vas not equipped with skis o or other special undercarriage undercarriage under under- undercarriage carriage attachments and he made madea a normal wheel landing In the icy wastes only miles mUes from th th north pole Rocket Takeoff Cavnar took off from Thule at 9 30 am a.m. EST Monday landed at the crash scene at 1103 am a.m. EST after circling several times to observe the condition of ot the landing area loaded the men aboard his plane and took off oft from the crash scene again at 1130 am a.m. EST Rockets affixed to the wings of the giant motored four-motored Douglas plane assisted in the takeoff which A ATe ATC T C said was made without undue trouble At pm p.m. EST the rescued mc men were s safely Cely down n at Thule All were said to have suffered to some degree from the cold but none was in bad condition and none needed medical attention Another rescue plane was flown to Goose Bay Labrador but did not take part in the operation The B 29 had made a crash landing land ing lug Friday while on a photographic graphia mission in th carea The Super Super- fortress nicknamed the Kee Bird had contacted the Point Barrow Alaska radio station Friday say say- ing big that it was short of fuel and that a forced landing would be necessary I Late Friday evening another feeble radio message from the crash plane gave the vs nc news that the tho men were uninjured and supplied sup sup- plied their approximate location Drop Supplies Emergency food warm clothing blankets and special arctic survival gear were dropped to the men later but they found it dl difficult to keep warm wann on tho the bleak wind swept plateau MaJ Gen William Willlam C. C Tunner commanding general of ot Air Transport Trans port Commands Command's Atlantic headquarters headquarters head head- quarters at Fort Totten directed all rescue oper operations He announced announced announced an an- success of ot Cavnar's dangerous dangerous dan dan- operation Tunner said aId it had not been decided decided de de- de Just when the 11 rescued men would be flown to Westover field but it W was believed they would leave Thule later Monday The general said that Cavnar has been en arctic operations operations operations opera opera- for tor the tho Atlantic division of ot ofA otATe A ATe ATC T C since 1915 19 He added that Cavnar had been recommended for or forthe orthe the distinguished flying fling cross with one oak leaf for Mondays Monday's daring rescue and for other extremely hazardous arctic flying fling |