M/Sgt. Gustafson Resting At Hospital In Arabia After Rescue By Fishermen
Ending his seven years of Army Air Force service with a round-the-world flight scheduled to make aviation history, Master Sergeant Sigyr R. Gustafson of Norwood is resting today at an RAF hospital in Southern Arabia, the lone survivor of a big B-29 that crashed into the sea Tuesday night.
The Norwood soldier was a crew member on one of three planes that left Tucson, Arizona, a week ago. to encircle the globe.’ The first trip of its kind ever made by the heavy bombers, it ended in disaster off the Arabian coast when Sgt. Gustafson’s plane crashed. No word of the other American airmen who were on the plane has been received. Sgt Gustafson was found, by Arabian fishermen who brought him to the English hospital.
At least 16 American crewmen were believed lost in the crash as authorities in the country attempted to piece together conflicting reports from Aden. Early reports from the Associated -Press at Aden said that 19 were feared lost with Sgt. Gustafson the lone survivor, while the United Press reported that only six were known dead. In Washington, the Strategic Air Command said it received word from a State Department consul at Aden that 19 of the 20 officers and men’ aboard were missing. Capt. Percy H. Kramer, public information officer at Davis-Mon than Field in Tucson, Ariz., the ship s home base, issued a list of 18 men aboard the ship when it left Tucson.
News of his miraculous escape was received yesterday by members of his family. his and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Arvid Hermanson of Folan avenue, who brought him up after the death of his parents when he was six years old, expressed both joy over his escape and sorrow over the fate of his crewmates. Another aunt, Mrs. Dorothy Legaski of Folan avenue, operates the grocery store at the corner of that street and Washington street. Other members of the Gustafson family are his sister, Kirs Esther Sheehan of 620-A Neponset street, Canton, a brother, Rungar, of Milford, and a brother, Ronnie, who is serving with the Army.