大象传媒

Towards the end of our training on Wellington 1C planes, at the Operational Training Unit, our crew of six sergeants
(2 x Pilots 1 x Navigator 1 x Wireless Op 1 x Front and 1 x Rear Gunner) were detailed to practice a height test.
This entailed climbing to the maximum height possible and then return to base.
On this occasion it was my turn to be Captain and we managed to slowly reach a height of 18,000 feet.

At this point, I realised I was completely lost and tried to call up the Navigator.
Getting no reply, I tried my Co-Pilot, with no reply. The intercom had packed up!
Shouting above the roar of the engines, I asked him to go and get the Navigator.
When he presented himself up front, he appeared to be completely drunk. He had forgotten his oxygen mask, which is an essential piece of equipment when flying above 10,000 feet. The next step was to ask the Wireless Operator to get a fix on our position. Unfortunately, the radio equipment had also packed up!

By this time with the weather closing in quickly, I decided it would be good policy to descend as rapidly as possible! Eventually, we were down to 1,500 feet and the Navigator had come to his senses. In spite of his expert assistance, we were still unable to find out where we were. Just as I was beginning to panic, I spotted an aerodrome and set my compass on zero as I flew over it. I then turned on a reciprocal heading, so that we could see which runway was in use, as indicated by the windsock.
Finally much to everyone鈥檚 relief, I managed to make a good landing. The Aerodrome by the way was Hendon, in NW London.

Unbeknown to us, the people on the ground were very worried that we were going to stray into the cables which were hanging down from the London barrage balloons!

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