Man Survived 22,000-Foot Fall Out of Bomber

Albuquerque Journal | 2/3/04 | Paul Logan

[woofie]

Alan Magee of Angel Fire ranked among the luckiest of those who served in the Army-Air Force during World War II.

A B-17 ball turret gunner, Magee had no choice but to jump out of a disabled, spinning-out-of-control bomber from about 22,000 feet.

A drop of more than four miles. Without a parachute. And Magee miraculously lived.

His incredible story was featured in a 1981 Smithsonian Magazine on the 10 most amazing survivals during World War II.

Magee seldom spoke of that death-defying drop. He died nearly 61 years later on Dec. 20 of complications from a stroke and kidney failure in San Angelo, Texas, said a niece, Jill Greene of Albuquerque. Magee was 84.

"He didn't like to talk about it, and he wouldn't dwell on it," Greene said. "One of the guys who saw him come through the roof of the railroad station tracked Alan down (in 1978).

Before that, Alan wasn't interested in discussing this."

However, Greene recalled him saying, "God was certainly looking out (for me.)"

Alan E. Magee, who retired to northern New Mexico in 1979, was born in Plainfield, N.J. The youngest of six children, he enlisted after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Greene described her uncle as "just a regular guy."

He was 5-foot-7, barely small enough to fit in the B-17's ball turret— a cramped, donut-shaped plastic glass and metal turret on the bomber's underside. It was such a tight fit— a gunner's knees were practically against his chest— that Magee had to leave his chute on the deck of the four-engine Flying Fortress.

The ball turret offered a panoramic view and also a precarious target for German fighter planes. B-17 gunners had a high casualty rate, said Don Jenkins of Albuquerque, Magee's friend of 38 years and a World War II Navy veteran.

"He was very easy to get along with— very cheerful, very talkative and a very, very sweet guy," Jenkins said. But, he said, Magee only spoke to him three times about the events on Jan. 3, 1943.

Sgt. Magee, 24, was one of the oldest of the 10-man crew who flew out of Molesworth, England, on a bomber nicknamed "Snap! Crackle! Pop!" The pilot was only 19.

His seventh mission was a daylight bombing run on St. Nazaire, France, called "Flack City" because of the anti-aircraft guns defending the German submarine port. The 360th Bomb Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group sent 85 B-17s with a fighter escort.

Over the target area, flack damaged Magee's plane, and then German fighters shot off a section of the right wing.

Magee, who was wounded, scrambled back into the cabin, but his parachute was ruined.

"He saw a gap in the spinning plane and jumped out," said Jenkins, who explained that in the confusion Magee forgot he wasn't wearing a chute.

"He remembered tumbling," Jenkins said. But at that altitude, Magee quickly lost consciousness.

Eyewitnesses saw Magee crash through the Nazaire train station's glass skylight, breaking his fall. When he regained consciousness, Magee said to his captors: "Thank God I'm alive."

Magee's injuries included 28 shrapnel wounds. A lung and kidney were hit. His nose and an eye were ripped open. His broken bones included his right leg and ankle. A right arm was nearly severed.

Jenkins said the Germans decided that anyone who could miraculously survive deserved "real special attention."

With the German doctors' help, Magee fully recovered. Jenkins said Magee later hiked and backpacked and "led a pretty good life."

Two of his crewmen also survived. In all, 75 airmen died, seven U.S. planes were destroyed and 47 were damaged that day, he said.

Magee was a prisoner of war until May 1945. He received the Air Medal for meritorious conduct and the Purple Heart.

"Alan was never the type to look in the past," Greene said. "He always was looking forward, living for the moment."

Despite the harrowing experience, Magee loved to fly. He qualified for a private pilot's license. His career included the air freight business and airline reservations.

On Jan. 3, 1993, Magee and the other two crewmen were guests of the St. Nazaire townspeople. They hosted a banquet and erected a six-foot-tall memorial to salute the Snap! Crackle! Pop! crew.

"He was very excited and honored," Jenkins said.

Magee is survived by his wife, Helen; a sister, Adele; six nieces and three nephews. A celebration of his life will be held this spring.

[DoctorMichael]

Bump.

[Freedom4US]

Incredible story!

A somewhat similar deal (well, not really) I'll have to dig it up - a photographer had been making several jumps with buddies but totally forgot his parachute on his last jump. He did remember his helmet video camera though. The footage supposedly showed a typical jump, then frantic motions as he reached for what wasn't there. He died.

[Axenolith]

There was a guy in the 70's or 80's skydiving who survived a fall of around 9000 feet onto a muddy slope and walked. One of my classmates in geology who base jumped (yea, could you find much more psycho things to do?). He watched a guy ahead of him jump off the New River Gorge bridge in West VA, suffer a complete canopy failure and then saw him gather up the chute and crawl out of a pool he landed in. It's not inconcievable and I'll buy it, particularly with witnesses.

[CedarDave]

Paul Logan does a pretty good job writing obits for the Journal. Wonder if he does any articles on living people and events.

[Mo1]

Does anyone want to estimate his air speed?

Really fast?

[Hemingway's Ghost]

HOLY SH*T what a story!

[BluH2o]

... he fell through pine trees and landed in deep snow on a steep slope and slid to a stop. His only injuries were burned feet.

This is a true story ... the airman, in addition to burned feet, had a number of pine needles extracted from him. The pine needle injuries and the fact no parachute was found convinced the German captors the airman was telling the truth about his fall.

[Paulus Invictus]

It's hard not to compare the heros of the past with the America-trashing, president hating RATs like Kerry who are the real traitors. Ann Coulter was right, RATS are traitors!

[SamAdams76]

All the responses here about other examples of people surviving falls from incredible heights has caused me to rethink my position on the subject. I now concede that this story is probably true. But I don't plan to do any independent testing on my own - I'll just take your word on it!

[Johnny Gage]

Holy cow ping!

[Valin]

However, Greene recalled him saying, "God was certainly looking out (for me.)"

World-class understatement!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Valin]

Go to your room! :-)

[Darksheare]

22,000 foot fall is a LONG time to think about it.
He did mercifully pass out.
Probably one reason why he lived, he was completely limp on impact.
Second reason: Providence.

Still, OUCH.

[Soaring Feather]

What a story! Thanks.

[krb]

[stand watie]

during WW2, a fellow from AZ fell out of the bomb bay doors on a B17 TWICE. once into a lake & once into a snowdrift!

he's still alive today!<P.free dixie,sw

[gridlock]

I recall a similar story I read in elementary school in the sixties...

SRA's, huh? I liked the story of the guy who fought with a tiger and killed him by shoving his arm down the tiger's throat. Now that's gutsy!

[vlad335]

I remember this from Elementry School as well. It was called "They Laughed at his story"

[U S Army EOD]

The man who you are talking about was a tail gunner on a British Lancaster bomber. He was treated as a celebrity by the Germans who would take him around and show him off.