Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Flying Officer

Unit:

No. 6 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

February 12th, 1943

"For courage, enterprise & meritorious service."
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"On the 31st March, 1942, in fog conditions, an Airacobra aircraft struck the top of a tree in a dispersal area, burst into flames and continued for approximately 150 yards before hitting the ground, rolling down a slope for a further hundred yards as a complete wreck. Flying Officer Mason followed the direction of the aircraft after it had collided with the tree and instructed an airman to telephone immediately for the ambulance and fire tender and to despatch the dispersal point fire extinguishers to the scene of the accident. Private Summers joined Flying Officer Mason at the scene of the crash. On first viewing the wreckage Flying Officer Mason thought that the pilot had been killed outright but quickly detected movements in the cockpit and, despite the fact that portions of the wreckage were burning fiercely, and ammunition was discharging from six magazines, he and his companion dashed in to rescue the pilot who was unconscious and jammed in the compartment by bent sections of the cockpit. Cannon shell was also in the magazines and the possibility of its discharging as the flames and heat increased was ever present. Assisted by Private Summers, Flying Officer Mason unfastened the safety belt. The locking device for the belt was a type which neither had seen before. Wreckage had to be pulled away from the pilot's left leg and right arm before he could be extricated. Difficulty was experienced owing to the absence of any device with which to prise apart the obstructions holding the pilot in the cockpit. Flying Officer Mason worked with speed and precision and was successful in releasing both limbs. Nevertheless, during the process, it was necessary in the course of removing the crumpled rudder bar from the pilot's left foot, to move still closer to the flames and in doing so Flying Officer Mason was burnt on the left arm. Finally, before the pilot could be dragged clear, it was necessary to untangle or unlock the parachute harness. The latter process proved difficult and as the flames continued to spread, it was clear that speed was now essential if the pilot's life was to be saved. Flying Officer Mason therefore dragged the tangled harness clear of the burning aircraft while Private Summers held the pilot who was then carried clear and conveyed to the station hospital by ambulance."