Rusty LeitH AM DFC
Rusty LeitH AM DFC
An Australian Spitfire Pilot’s wartime memorabilia and photos.
On the run in France
On 25 July 1944, a furious dogfight took place at 12,000 feet between twelve Spitfire Mark 9s of 453 RAAF squadron and a larger force of Messerschmitt 109 fighter planes.
Two Australians attacked a 109, then Rusty chased it towards Paris, finally bringing it down. His Spitfire was dangerously low on fuel and far from friendly territory. His engine finally stopped as he was north of the city of Lisieux in Normandy, still behind enemy lines. Now he was forced to attempt a belly landing if only he could find a suitable field.
He saw two fields almost on his approach path in front of a water tower. They were just long enough. There was a tall hedge dividing them. As he glided lower, he opened the aeroplane's canopy so that it could not jam and trap him inside, disconnected his oxygen and radio leads then tightened the seat harness. He aimed for the first field but realised he had too much speed. He would have to hold off and go for the second one.
The Spitfire sped across the field its belly almost touching the tall grass. The dividing hedge was coming up fast. It was thick and perhaps nine feet high. He eased back on the control column. The Spitfire lifted its nose slightly and scraped its belly through the top of the hedge. It then flopped to earth scything through the grass, at nearly 100 miles an hour. Rusty was thrown forward bumping his head and knees. When the plane finally stopped, he quickly climbed out and ran.
For the next four days and nights, Rusty walked south through France (see map), receiving food and directions as he went from brave French men and women. Along the way, he approached several farmhouses, watched a German plane crash and had near-misses with the enemy. Finally, he was taken by a local Resistance leader, Robert Martin, to a farmhouse in the hamlet of Cernay where he was hidden for three and a half weeks until liberated by the Allies.
Half a century later, Rusty was standing in a Normandy field with a farmer, Michel Spruytte. “This is where your plane crashed,” the farmer said. "Ahead is a water tower, behind is a hedge and we are standing in a field of long grass."
"Maybe," Rusty said to himself.
But there was remarkable evidence that the farmer may have been correct. The canopy of Rusty's Spitfire which he had slid open on that warm July day in 1944 had been salvaged from the plane along with the wheels and magnetos by a local mechanic, Pierre Peulevey. In 1950, Mr Peulevey gave the canopy to a farmer Mr Plassart who grew tomatoes under it for decades.
Eventually, there came an opportunity for Mr Plassart to return the canopy to Rusty.
The water tower at St Philbert des Champs, beside which Rusty crash-landed, is still there.
Rusty and local farmer Michel Spruytte returned to the field that may have been where Rusty crash-landed. Spruytte added that German soldiers were in the farm building visible in the distance. They shot at Rusty as he was running from his downed plane.
The man who escaped
from a Gestapo firing squadWhile Rusty was sheltering in the farmhouse at Cernay along with two other Allied airmen, the Resistance leader who had aided them, Robert Martin, was caught red-handed by the Gestapo. Items in his possession included this photo of Rusty which was to be used in a fake ID card. The photo shows the crease mark where it was folded into Martin's pocket.
Despite being tortured and taken into the woods for execution, Martin escaped.
Here is the remarkable verbatim account of this experience, in a letter to one of the other airman, Stan Canner, in December 1945. Later, Martin told this story in person to Rusty and his son David when they visited Normandy.
"I was seized the morning of 07 August, 1944 at 10:00 hours in the village of Fervaques by two automobiles of the Gestapo (9 men). At the time in my possession were: 27,000 Francs, my platinum watch, your identification (Dog Tags) your gold ring, my gold ring, all of which was taken from me immediately by the head of the Gestapo. In addition were the photos of you, Alfred, and Leith.
Once arrived at their headquarters of St. Marguerite de Viette, while handcuffed from behind, I was questioned, after having been struck with a bulls pizzle (lash), then with fist blows in the face. I admitted nothing. Then, to make me confess where you were, I had my toe nails pulled off and my nose broken. They also wanted to know where the arms depot was.
"At Noon, seeing that I would not talk, they decided to execute me. Still handcuffed, I was directed into an automobile with four Germans armed with machine guns. The automobile stopped in the woods of Montpinson. At that exact moment my only thought was that I would not allow myself to be killed without trying something. The opportunity presented itself at the next moment. The first German got out of the automobile with his machine gun against me. I slid against him at the edge of the road, the other three Germans speaking among themselves. I saw my opportunity. I struck the German in the face and he fell, letting go of his gun and I escaped very quickly. Immediately, the other Germans went into the automobile and began firing at me.
"Fortunately I was not touched. I ran as fast as the handcuffs permitted. The Germans did not persue me a long time. They returned (I learned later from their headquarters) with fifty men, and the dogs were led into the woods to chase me. During this time, I was still running in these woods of which I was unfarmiliar, directing myself by the sun hoping that I would re-join the Allies who were fighting at the time for St. Pierre Si Dives.
"After running for three hours, and walking along time in a river to make the dogs lose my scent, I arrived at a small region named Billot. There, I noticed a man (Mr. Seyra) who was willing to remove my handcuffs helped by the blacksmith Ferrant, of the district. Once my wrists were free, I undressed myself completely and put on old clothing, then continued on my way in the direction of a farm which had been indicated to me by Mr. Seyra. I arrived at the farm about 18:00 hours. It was the home of Mr. Voyer of The Hotel St. Baziles. There, I hid in the hay loft for three days."
More information about the three downed airmen is here.
Thirty years later, Rusty was reunited with Robert Martin (left) and Roberte Lunel who participated in sheltering the three airmen.
Record of Rusty's interrogation
On his return from behind enemy lines, Rusty was interrogated by the British intelligence services. Here is the complete set of interrogation documents on his file in the National Archives. The documents include the transcript of Rusty's experience on the run as told to Intelligence School 9 (IS9) of the secret military intelligence organisation MI9, advice and warnings about not divulging information and a list of the money Rusty had left over from his allocation of currency in his escape kit (900 French francs, 50 Belgian francs and 25 Dutch guilder). Click on each image to see an enlargement.
IS9 is perhaps best known for one of its sub-sections called Q which was made famous in fiction by the James Bond movies.
The interrogation (actually more like debriefing) of military personnel who had escaped or evaded capture behind enemy lines was very important. Not only did it provide information about the German military situation, it also assisted British efforts to help future escapers and evaders to safely return to Britain.
A teenager in the Resistance
What was the life of a member of the Resistance in France at the time when Rusty's was on the run?
Paul Lerouge, a teenager at the time, has written a personal account of his clandestine activities and those of his father and mother. They lived in the village of Beaumesnil in the Eure Department of Normandy. This private account has never before been published.
Rusty and Paul Lerouge became friends when Rusty visited France in the 1980s.
The photo shows Resistance members parading in Beaumesnil on 30 August 1944, shortly after the village was liberated. The second photo shows Germaine Lerouge, Paul's mother on the same day. Both photos were taken by a British Army photographer.
Read Paul's account here.
