The airmen and the headhunters : a true story of lost soldiers, heroic tribesmen and the unlikeliest rescue of World War II / Judith M. Heimann.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-279) and index.

November 1944: Army airmen set out in a B-24 bomber on what should have been an easy mission off the Borneo coast. Instead they found themselves facing a Japanese fleet--and were shot down. When they cut themselves loose from their parachutes, they were scattered across the island's mountainous interior. Then a group of loincloth-wearing natives silently materialized out of the jungle. Would these Dayak tribesmen turn the starving airmen over to the Japanese occupiers? Or would the Dayaks risk vicious reprisals to get the airmen safely home? The tribal leaders' unprecedented decision led to a desperate game of hide-and-seek, and, ultimately, the return of a long-renounced ritual: head-hunting. This survival story features a bamboo airstrip built on a rice paddy, a mad British major, and a blowpipe-wielding army that helped destroy one of the last Japanese strongholds.--From publisher description.

A B-24 over Borneo -- Into the jungle -- The D.O.'s dilemma -- "Good-bye, Mister" -- Another part of the forest -- Becoming Lun Dayeh -- A letter from the Japanese -- Polecat Gulch -- The Pangeran forces the pace -- The D.O. declares war -- The Navy crashes in -- Help from on high -- SEMUT finds work for the Yanks -- A way out -- The Allies arrive.