An Air Crew Rescued From the Sea by Net Invention. 18 January 1943, on Board HMS Illustrious, in the Indian Ocean, An Air Crew Returning From a Dawn Anti-submarine Patrol Made a Faulty Landing and While Endeavo A15065

An Air Crew Rescued From the Sea by Net Invention. 18 January 1943, on Board HMS Illustrious, in the Indian Ocean, An Air Crew Returning From a Dawn Anti-submarine Patrol Made a Faulty Landing and While Endeavouring To Recover Stalled Into the Sea. HMS Illustrious USED Life Saving Nets Lowered From Her Wireless Masts, To Rescue the Crew. This Is the First Known Occasion When An Aircraft Carrier Has Rescued Any of Her Own Flying Personnel by This Means. by Brilliant Manoeuvring and Seamanship the Carrier Was Brought Alongside the Crew in Their Dinghy. the Observer Was the First To Leap From It and Grab the Net Trailing in the Sea. the Masts Were Immediately Raised and He Was Hoisted Inboard. the Air Gunner Being Slightly Stunned When the Aircraft Crashed, Caused Both Himself and the Pilot, Who Was Assisting Him To Miss the After Net and in Consequence Another Attempt Was Made To Rescue Them. This Time the Pilot and Air Gunner Had Recovered Their Dinghy and When the Net Was Very Close To Them Leaped Out and Were Hoisted Inboard Clinging To the Net. the Life Saving Nets Were Originated by Some of the Ship's Officers.
As the masts are raised the Observer is hoisted inboard clinging to the net. It can be seen that the pilot and air gunner have missed the after net, and are just perceptible as they swim back to the dinghy.