The man on the right is Flight Sgt. Nicholas S. Alkemade (UK) the man on the left is SSgt. Alan E. Magee (USA). The only real difference between these two hardfucks is their nationality. Here are the similiarities: Both part of a bomber crew, both shot down behind enemy lines, both captured by the Germans and both survived a 18,000 to 22,000 ft. free fall after bailing out of their bombers with no parachutes.
Ssgt. Magee was shot down over France in 1943. German fighters hit his B-17, shooting off the right wing, causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. Magee was wounded in the attack but managed to escape from the ball turret. His parachute had been damaged and rendered useless by the attack, so having no choice, he leapt from the plane without a parachute, rapidly losing consciousness due to the altitude. Magee fell over four miles before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. Somehow the glass roof mitigated Magee's impact and rescuers found him still alive on the floor of the station.
Magee was taken as a prisoner of war and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 shrapnel wounds in addition to the damage from the fall. He had several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, and lung and kidney damage, and his right arm was nearly severed. He was featured in Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 10 most amazing survival stories of World War II.
Flight Sgt. Alkemade on the other hand was shot down in 1944 over Germany. His bomber was attacked by a Luftwaffe night-fighter. His plane caught fire and began to spiral out of control. Because his parachute was unserviceable, Alkemade jumped from the aircraft without one, preferring to die by impact rather than burn to death. His fall was broken by pine trees and a soft snow cover on the ground. He was able to move his arms and legs and suffered only a sprained leg. The rest of his crew didn’t make it. Alkemade was captured by the Gestapo and released in 1945. #skymiles #stayzero #zerofoxtrot #ww2