大象传媒

We arrived at our new posting very late on 30th Dec 1942, and were very impressed when the Duty Sgt told us that our Commanding Officer wished to meet his new crews; more so when we were introduced to Wing/Co Guy Gibson. I recall this as if it was yesterday, he said that due to a number of losses 106 Squadron had been stood down. for 14 days He went on to say we would be found some nice quiet mine-laying trips to start us off... On Saturday 16th of Jan 1943
however we were called to the opps briefing room,were I was busy following the red marker ribbons, trying to decide who was going where, when the C.O; walked onto the floor to say "Gentlemen your target for to-night is Berlin"; this was the first time that Lancasters had been used against the Big City. We took off at 1635 hrs in "Flagday "A" Apple to join the other 189 Lancasters, we follwed the markers on to target, made a first time run-in; bombs gone: and flat out and on our way home; our return route was to fly into the gap between Rostock and Lubeck which by now had both been fire-bombed by other air-craft. As we crossed the coast our rear gunner spotted a J.U;88 that was to close for comfort our Pilot took us down in a power-dive to sea-level. We lost the JU88 but came out of the dive with one engine over-heating, this meant shutting the engine down and feathering the propellor to stop any futher damage. We had one other problem with a change in wind direction, what the Met had forcast as a tailwind turned round to become a full head wind which left many in the mire to say the least; making savings of fuel in every way possible. However we arrived home safely in the early hours of Sunday morning, next came de-briefing, bacon and eggs and off to bed for what was left of the night.

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