Afloat Six Days, Davenport Flier Rescued by Sub
IWO JIMA - (UP) - An army pilot who bailed out near Japan during a wild June typhoon rode out the storm in a tiny one-man life raft and was afloat for six days before being rescued by a submarine, it was disclosed today.
Lt. Arthur A. Burry, 21, Davenport, Ia., somehow survived the typhoon which damaged many American warships and ripped off the bow of the U.S.S. Pittsburgh.
Awaiting transfer to a Hawaiian rest camp, Burry told the story of the ordeal during which he was swept off the raft five times by waves.
His engine failed en route to Japan. Forced to bail out at 2000 feet, Burry hit the water without sighting any friendly planes.
Early on the sixth day 40 and 50 foot seas buffeted the small raft. The great waves washed Burry overboard five times but he managed to cling to the sides. All his provisions except the water were lost.
Exhausted and undernourished, Burry battled the storm all night. He was awakened in the morning by "singing voices" which he imagined were those of the rescuing party. It was only a few hours later than a submarine discovered him.
Source: Moline Daily Dispatch (Illinois), Friday, August 3, 1945
Rode Out Typhoon On Dinghy
IWO JIMA - (INS) - Lt. Arthur Burry, of Davenport, Ia., forced down at sea while flying on a Mustang mission over the Japanese homeland floated on a one-man raft for six days and rode out a typhoon before he was picked up by a submarine.
The weather was bad, Burry related today, and his fighter kept losing altitude. Then the engine failed and the 21-year-old pilot bailed out, unobserved by his comrades.
"I got my dinghy inflated and nothing much happened the first day," said the young army pilot.
"Next day I saw my flight on the way home from Japan and I tried to signal a B-29 later, but no luck."
Two days later, Burry saw another Superfort mission outbound and tried to signal with smoke bombs, flares, a sea dye marker, and even tracers, all without success.
The fourth day he made a pint of water with an emergency kit and put the container in the sea to keep it cool. Early on the morning of the sixth day the typhoon struck and overturned the raft. Burry lost all his equipment but saved the pint of water.
Then he became sort of delirious. He dreamed he was at an officers' club with someone offering him a cool drink and then snatching it away as he was about to take it.
A surfaced submarine spotted him and saved him at noon that day. He was brought back to Iwo and then assigned to a rest camp at Oahu.
Source: Hammond Times (Indiana), August 3, 1945
Lone Iowa Flyer Spends Six Days on Life Raft
GUAM (AP) - an American fighter pilot in distress rode his one-man rubber life raft through the tail end of the typhoon which damaged the Third fleet - and was rescued the morning after he dreamed a ship would pick him up.
For six days, Lt. Arthur A. Burry, 21, Davenport, Ia., signaled vainly to planes which flew high overhead on the way to Japan. He was rescued finally by a submarine.
On June 1, Burry was on a fighter mission to Japan when his engine failed in bad weather and he bailed out.
No one saw him jump.
"Nothing much happened the first day until I saw my flight coming back from Japan," he said, "I tried to signal a B-29 that was overhead."
Two days later, he saw a B-29 mission on the way to Tokyo. He used a smoke bomb, flares and a sea dye marker in attempts to attract attention In desperation, he even fired tracer bullets from his .45.
In the early hours of the sixth day a typhoon stirred the ocean. Five times the rubber boat capsized. Burry lost all his provisions and equipment - everything except a pint of water.
Exhausted by battling the sea, he dreamed that night that he was back with his squadron at an officers' club and in desperation he asked for a drink. It was offered to him, and then snatched away.
Faces of people he knew were very clean. Among them were pilots who had been lost over the Japanese empire.
"I met one man who worked in the control tower. He assured me I was safe and well and would be picked up the following morning by a destroyer." Burry continued, relating his dream.
A submarine pulled alongside and took him aboard at 11 a.m. the next day.
Burry is a son of Ernest C. Burry, 412 West Fifth street, Davenport.
Source: The Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 3, 1945, pg. 4
His Obituary Notice:
March 28, 1924 - January 29, 2018, Art Burry passed away in Granbury, TX, on January 29. He moved from Lucerne, CA, to Granbury, to be near his daughter in 2002. Art was born in Rockyford, CO, and grew up in Des Moines, IA. [sic-Davenport, IA] He enlisted in the Army Air Corp (predecessor to the Air Force) during WWII. During a flight over the Pacific he had to ditch his plane due to mechanical problems. He spent six days on a raft and rode out a typhoon. He was rescued by the USS Trutta submarine. Upon being discharged from the service he married the love of his life, Betty, and moved to the Los Angeles area. Growing tired of big city life he moved his family to Lucerne in 1958. There he and Betty raised their three children, Diane, Chris and Susan. They owned and operated the Arrow trailer park for about 12 years and then owned and ran the Lucerne market. He also worked for the County of Lake as an appraiser and spent time on the Board of Supervisors. He spent more than 20 years as a volunteer on the Lucerne Fire Department. Art is survived by his son, Chris (Betty); daughter, Susan (Wayne); and son-in-law, Steve Clover. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, and his daughter, Diane Clover. He had six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, whom he adored. A celebration of life will be held at the Northshore Event Center, 2817 E. Hwy 20, Nice, CA, on June 16 from 12 - 3 p.m. All are welcome to come and share stories and memories of a great man.
Source: Lake County Record-Bee (California), May 18, 2018 (photo included)
