大象传媒

My Hero by A. David Owen

If I remember correctly and I have not been able to fully research it 鈥� towns used to sponsor a particular aircraft in the Wings for Victory campaign. Ours at Darlaston in the Black Country was a Handley Page 鈥� Halifax. After a 鈥榃ings for Victory鈥� procession at Darlaston, which I think involved a church service, my father who was Chairman or the Council at the time invited the whole crew back to our house for tea.

The crew were still in their uniform and I remember we played in the garden and had a wonderful time. They were all our heroes, but, as children do, when they had all gone, we each adopted one to be our 鈥榝avourite鈥�. My elder sister had first choice (as always) and she chose the handsome captain - Captain MacDonald who was a Canadian. They all had nicknames and he was known as 鈥楳ac鈥�. My brother chose 鈥楤ubbles鈥� he was the rear gunner and I chose 鈥楾ich鈥� a fun loving little Welshman (I was and still am very fond of Wales) he was the bomb aimer.

We often thought about them afterwards and I must have written a letter to Tich, because one day my father brought a letter home from Tich and read it with me (see copy of letter and the letter that came with it below).

Letter 1
610981 F Sgt Jones JE
Sgts Mess
RAF Graveley
Hants

Dear David

Thank you so much for the letter and the cards, they were grand.

Yes, I enjoyed myself at your home, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much at the Dancing Display.

You want to know how many times I have been over Germany, well I have been o Germany thirty-six times, Italy three times and Czechoslavakia (have I spelt it right David?) once, making a total of forty trips. I went on all the trips (except two) with Mac and the boys. Once I went with the Commanding Officer and the last trip I did with another crew, because Mac was ill, but I think he is alright now.

I hope John is feeling alright after having his tooth out.

By the way, the aeroplane we are flying is a Halifax Heavy Bomber. It is 99 feet from one wing tip to the other. It has four engines and weighs about thirty tons, So you see David it is a very big and heavy aeroplane. If I can get a photograph of one, I will send it to you.

Well David, I will have to finish this letter now, please remember me to your Grandmother, Mummy, Daddy, Grace and John and don鈥檛 eat too many of the delicious cherries we had for tea when we were with you.

That is all for the present so
Cheerio
Xxxxxxxx Tich (or Taffy)
(or Jim)

PS The letter on our aeroplane is 鈥榃鈥� for William, it鈥檚 been changed from 鈥榋鈥� for Zebra.
Tich

Letter 2:

O.Ford Jones (Correspondent to Principal London and Provincial Periodicals)
Smethwick
Staffs
May 29th 1944
Councillor A G B Owen
Darlaston

鈥淒ear Councillor Owen

You will remember some time ago I wrote you that one of the crew of Darlastons Bomber had been taken prisoner of War and you very kindly sent his mother a photograph of the crew taken at the Wings for Victory procession. This morning I received a second letter from Mrs Jones whose address is 7 Bryngwyn St Bedwas Mon, Nr Newport S. Wales, informing me of the sad news that her son Ft/Sgt Jones died of his wounds on April 2nd .

Reading between the lines I think he was one of the 47 who were shot by the Guards recently as he (his) mother says he was shot in the abdomen while trying to escape. She has asked me to put a note of his death in the paper (I am Editor of the Wednesbury and Darlaston Times) which I shall do this weekend.

At the same time she encloses a letter to David and has asked me if possible to find the boy and let him have it. From the details given this is your small son and I enclose it herewith.
Mrs Jones reference is very touching she writes:

鈥楴ow I have had news that he died of wounds on April 2nd of peritonitis resulting from a gun shot wound in the abdomen. All I can think is he tried to escape as he told me he should do so if ever he was taken prisoner. We are very proud of him for he died as he lived worthy of his D.F.M.

In his letters to me he mentioned he had received letters from Darlaston. I naturally do not know his friends there but please put in a notice in your paper so that his friends may know. I have been asked by the Air Ministry not to put the cause of death but just his rank, etc.

Another thing I have a letter here which I am enclosing. He talked a lot of a little boy David to whose parents house he went to tea.

In his effects I discovered he had answered a letter the child had written him but there was no address. Maybe you know the people he is referring to and would forward the letter to them as I don鈥檛 like the thought of the little chap thinking Jim had forgotten about him when he thought so much about him. 鈥�

I am very happy to be able to forward the letter which I am sure you will be delighted to give to your son David.

Yours faithfully

O Ford Jones 鈥�

I was only 7 at the time 鈥� my first thought was 鈥業t鈥檚 not fair 鈥� why did Tich have to die when Mac and Bubbles are still alive? Tich had flown with another crew that night. I treasure the letter to this day. Tich will always be my 鈥榟ero鈥�.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Sue Russell of the 大象传媒 on behalf of Mr A. David Owen and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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