大象传媒

I served in the RAF from October 1940 to October 1946, as a wireless operator/air gunner in bomber command:
As a newly arrived Wop/AG at Linton on Ouse in 4 Group, 35 squadron, it was a rude awakening to find myself in the front turret of the C.O's mark ll Halifax doing intensive training at formation flying in preparation for a daylight attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau the german pocket battleships in Brest docks. This was to be a joint effort with 18 Halifaxes from 10, 35 and 76 squadrons of 4 Group, 18 Stirlings from 3 group and 11 Manchesters of 5 Group and with a fighter escort.

With W/Cdr 'Robbie' Robinson as skipper we took off from Linton when we joined up with 10 and 76 Squadrons to rendezvous with the other two groups off Lundy Island.

It was a clear sunny cloudless sky on the 18th December 1941 when we approached the French coast about midday. In the front turret of the leading Halifax I had a front row view as we changed from a vic formation to line astern. Although our escort kept the enemy fighters busy, we met very accurate flak, the first round exploding just ahead of us as we flew through its smoke. As one of our 2000 lbs bombs hung up at the first attack Robbie decided to make a further attack, this time from the land direction when the two port engines were damaged by flak, one of which could not be feathered causing considerable drag and we were forced to lose height to maintain flying speed. It struck me afterwards that although I was unable to swim I was in no way fearful of landing in the sea.

We ditched about 50 miles from Start point and took to the dinghy which inflated just as described in the manual but Robbie immediately clambered back on to the mainplane and back to the cockpit to retrieve his pipe which he had left in the cockpit. He always flew with his unlit pipe poking from the side of his oxygen mask.

F/Lt Rivas our tail gunner who had broken a bone in his foot with the landing advised us not to open the brandy in the dinghy until we were picked up (He had previous ditching experience!

Another aircraft in the formation circled us and transmitted our position, but had to leave us. Some time passed and we were beginning to get anxious when we saw the cross trees of a ship on the horizon whiched proved to be a naval torpedo boat who had been searching all the night before for a Whitley that had ditched. Once on board we were very well looked after. Each crew member went to his bunk and shared with us his stored tots. We finally arrived in Dartmouth not a little drunk. to find ourselves being ushered into the naval guard room (a room in a pub!}. We were given beds in the Royal Naval college and the following day travelled back to York where we were met on the station by half the squadron singing "Winco's in the drink"

Back on the squadron we were expecting to get surviver's leave only to find being on standby for another visit to Brest.

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