大象传媒

The following excerpts are taken from my web site on my Grandmother's brother. This can be visited at:

^{About links}

Sunny's Service Record

Sunny joined up on 5th October 1941, where he entered 3RC to train as a wireless operator and air gunner. Transferred to Reserve on the 6th of October.

Taken from Reserve to 3RC on 3rd of January 1942.

Joined 10RC on 19th January 1942. Whilst in this training school, he was photographed on the 25th of April. One photograph included two training school friends; F. Betson (1682564) from Feltham, Middlesex and S. D. Cook (1580183) from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. It appears that both these men survived the war. I'm currently trying to trace them or their families.

Entered 2 Signals School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on 14th May 1942.

Transferred to Headquarters of 20 Group on the 1st of October 1942.

On the 4th of October, he was attached to RAF Padgate, near Warrington, Lancashire.

Transferred back to Headquarters on 10th of March 1943, where he immediately joined 2 Radio School back again at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire.

Just over two months later, Sunny joined 7Air Gunners School at Stormy Down, Wales, on 26th May 1943, training in air gunnery on Whitley bombers. Here, Sunny gained his Sergeant's stripes on the 9th of June, after gaining 78% in his training.

Sunny moved to 9 (O) AFU (Observer Advanced Flying Unit), at RAF Llandwrog, near Cearnarfon, Wales. Training on Avro Ansons. On the 15th June 1943, (shortly after is twenty second birthday). Apparently, RAF Llandwrog was a very pleasant base, being positioned on the coast directly next to the beach and in the shadow of the Snowdonian mountains.

From there he joined 12 Operational Training Unit on 13th July 1943. This training unit was re-organised as 1657 Conversion Unit, based at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. Where Sunny remained until 6th of December 1943. Whilst in this unit, Sunny became part of a crew. These were:

Sergeant John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard (1084862), the pilot.

Sergeant Gordon Kenneth Woodward (1549227), the navigator from Ardwick, Manchester.

Sergeant Jack Birch (1600760), the reargunner from Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Sergeant James McGahey (1421544), the flight engineer from Exeter.

Sergeant Ernest Walter Haigh (811039), the mid upper gunner from Speke in Liverpool, who was 28 years old and the 'Grandpa' of the crew.

Sunny and his crew joined 218 Squadron at RAF Downham Market, Norfolk on the 6th of December 1943. Here they became a full seven man crew, with the addition of Flight Sergeant William Earle Brown (CAN R155985) from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the bombaimer.

Operations Flown with No.218 Squadron:

December 16th 1943, MINING ( Off Frisian Islands ) Short Stirling Mk.III HA-S LJ.452

Take-Off 17.05hrs-Landed 20.05hrs COMMENTS : "2 x B204 + 2 x B218 mines dropped in allotted area, nothing of interest to report."

December 22nd 1943, SPECIAL TARGET, ABBERVILLE Short Stirling Mk.III, HA-R, EF124

Take-Off 21.05hrs-Landed 00.05hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS : "Bombs were dropped on T.I Markers, light flak experienced. Uneventful trip." NOTES : Only squadron aircraft detailed to bomb target that night.

14th January 1944, SPECIAL TARGET, SOUTH CHERBOURG, (4935N 01381/2W). HAZEBRUCK Construction Works. Short Stirling Mk.III HA-M EH942

Take-Off 18.00hrs-Landed 21.45hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS "Bombed primary target fro 14,000ft on Red TI markers. No built up area seen. Bombing very concentrated on T.I's"

21st January 1944, SPECIAL TARGET (BLACKCAP) Pas-de-Calais Short Stirling Mk.III HA-P 'Peter' BF504

Take-Off 18.10hrs-Landed 21.10hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS "Bombed target from 9000ft, bombs were seen to burst near TI Markers. 18x500lb brought back due to hang-up."

On the 23rd January 1944, the whole crew were transferred to 1678 Conversion Flight at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. The 218 Squadron historian, Steve Smith, gave me this explanation, as the reason Sunny and his crew were posted.

"A possible reason the crew of Sgt Gledhill were posted so soon into their operational tour could have been the disbandment of No.623 Squadron on December 6th 1943. No.623 Squadron was formed from No.218 Squadron in August 1943, like 218 it operated from RAF Downham Market. On the squadron脮s disbandment, a number of former squadron crews were posted back to No.218. Another factor was that at the time No.218 Squadrons losses were exceptionally low, between December 1st 1943 and February 1st 1944 only one crew were lost. This meant that the squadron had its full compliment of crews, plus spares. Thankfully the Stirling equipped squadrons of No.3 Group were not participating in the bloodbath over Berlin. This was left to the Avro Lancaster equipped squadrons, one of which was No.514 Squadron. During the period December 1943 to February 1944 No.514 Squadron lost I believe 12 crews. On the January 21/22nd attack on Berlin 514 Sqdn lost 4 crews in one night. I feel it is a combination of 218 having too many crews, and losses suffered by No.514, which saw Sgt Gledhill posted."

Joined 514 Squadron as a complete crew, on 4th February 1944, at RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire.

Operations Flown with No.514 Squadron:

1st & 2nd March 1944, STUTTGART Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'P' LL683

Take-Off 23.41hrs-Landed 02.05hrs CREW Only change was the Mid Upper Gunner, who was Sergeant George A. Henry COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 2000, 1 x 500 lb bomb, 40 x 30, 900 x 4 incendiaries. Returned early. Furthest point reached on course - Cambridge. W/T receiver U/S. Jettisoned bombs to reduce load for landing."

15th & 16th March 1944, STUTTGART Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'S' LI734

Take-off 19.14hrs-Landed 02.39hrs CREW The Mid Upper Gunner of this mission is not known. COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 1000 lb bomb, 72 x 30, 1050 x 4, 90 x 4, incendiaries. There was very thin cloud. Bombed at 23.20 hours from 21000 feet. Attack not concentrated. Holes in fuselage due to flak on homeward near French coast."

18th & 19th March 1944, FRANKFURT Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'T' DS821

Take-Off 19.30hrs-Landed 01.04hrs CREW Sergeant E.W. Haigh was the Mid Upper Gunner this time. COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 4000lb. bomb, 1350 x 4, 90 x 4, 32 x 30 incendiaries. Weather hazy. Bombed at 22.04 hrs from 21000 feet. Incendiaries scattered round T.I.脮s. Fires to South and East. Monica and Gee u/s homeward. Holes in port wing by heavy flak."

18th & 19th April 1944, ROUEN Avro Lancaster Mark II 'T' DS882

Take-Off 22.41hrs-Landed 03.10hrs CREW Flying Officer M.L. Morgan-Owen, Captain Flight Sergeant A.W. Green, Navigator Flying Officer G.A. Jacobson, Bombaimer Sergeant E. Gledhill, Wireless Operator and Air Gunner Sergeant A.D. Tetley, Mid Upper Gunner Sergeant H.S. Hayward, Rear Gunner Sergeant H. Sadler, Flight Engineer This is the first mission Sunny flew with F/Officer Morgan-Owen脮s crew. COMMENTS "Bomb load 10 x 1000 MC, 5 x 500 MC lb bombs. Weather was clear, good visibility. Bombed at 00.52 hours from 13500 feet. Target identified visually. T.I.s markers were scattered. Bombing was well concentrated. 1 x 1000 bomb hung up and brought back. A successful mission. Good weather on route."

22nd & 23rd of April 1944, DUSSELDORF Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'N' DS682

Take-Off 22.58hrs CREW Flying Officer M.L. Morgan-Owen, Captain, Flight Sergeant A.W. Green, Navigator Flying Officer G.A. Jacobson, Bombaimer Sergeant E. Gledhill, Wireless Operator and Air Gunner Sergeant A.D. Tetley, Mid Upper Gunner Sergeant H.S. Hayward, Rear Gunner Sergeant H. Sadler, Flight Engineer COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 8000lb. bomb, 48 x 30, 486 x 4, 54 x 4 incendiaries. Aircraft Missing."

The mission in which Sunny went missing, was the second he had ever flown without his regular crew and also the second time he had flown with F/Officer Morgan-Owen's crew. The reasons for this, I think, are two fold. Firstly, on the 19th of April 1944 Sunny's pilot, Flight Sergeant John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard was posted to the N.E. Strength of No.33 Base. Previous to this, Sunny's flight engineer and best friend, Sergeant James McGahey had died on the 31st of March 1944 whilst on a mission to Nuremberg with another crew. According to Sergeant McGahey's brother, Frederick, the aircraft came down over Nuremberg. Some of the crew had time to bail out, but not Jim.

I have recently discovered the story of Jim's last flight. One of the survivors of the crew, Harry Darby, the Bombaimer, recounted the events of that night in a book which has been published. Jim died going to the aid of the rear gunner, Sgt Roy Hill, who was trapped in his turret after the Lancaster was attacked by a night fighter. The plane crashed with a full bomb load just outside the Bavarian village of Eichenhausen, district of Bad Neustadt. In 1984, the local German parishioners erected a stone memorial with a bronze cross and plaque bearing the names of the five men who died. Until very recently, Jim's family did not know this.

The fate of the remaining members of Sunny's original crew is a little confused. Sergeant Jack Birch, Sergeant Gordon Kenneth Woodward, Warrant Officer Class II William Earle Brown and Sergeant Ernest Walter Haigh, all died on the 22nd of May 1944. Sergeant Woodward, Sergeant Haigh and W/Officer Brown were all part of the crew of Lancaster 'R' DS781, bombing Duxberg and died together. According to research from Ernest Haigh's family, the aircraft was attacked by Luftwaffe fighters and came down in the North Sea. Sergeant Haigh is buried in Kiel War Cemetery in Germany, Sergeant Woodward and W/Officer Brown's bodies were never found. The crew in which Sergeant Birch died is a little unclear, due to incorrect records at the Public Records Office. However, it appears that he was also in Lancaster 'R' DS781 and perished with his fellow crew members. Until very recently, Jack Birch's family did not know this.

Warrant Officer John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard, died on the 31st of March 1945. Having obviously been promoted through the ranks, he was in 154 Squadron, based at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire by the time of his death. This squadron was in fighter command. At the time of his death, Warrant Officer Gilbertson-Pritchard was a fighter pilot flying Mustang Mark IV's.

Postscript: on the 24th & 25th of February 1944. Sunny's pilot, Flight Sergeant Gilbertson-Pritchard, was the second pilot with a crew on a mission to Schweinfurt. Just after bombing the target, an incident occurred which I will quote; "A 4lb incendiary dropped from above into the aircraft by the Navigator's table and was thrown to safety by WOP. Pilots nerves affected by falling incendiary. Slight damage to Navigator's table." I'm not surprised his nerves were affected..!

The Men Behind the Story

Ernest 'Sunny' Gledhill

Sunny was from Odsal, in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Before volunteering for the RAF, he was an assistant in his mother's pawnbroker's shop. He was a good-natured young man and the apple of his mother's eye. His older sister, Margaret, (my Grandmother) spent a lot of time looking after him when he was young, after their father died when Sunny was nine years old. Which left their widowed mother to build the family business and keep them fed and clothed.

On Sunny's personnel record, he is described as being 5ft 71/2" tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. He is also described as having a scar on his abdomen, (from having his appendix out), and a birth mark on his left ear. He was originally born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, on the 4th of June 1921.

Jim McGahey

Jim was from Exeter in Devon. He was a deeply religious man and before volunteering for the RAF, he was a scoutmaster and carpenter. Working on various churches and cathedrals in his area. Jim was also a talented musician, playing the piano and accordion amongst other instruments.

He surprised his whole family when he volunteered for the RAF, as they were expecting him to be a consciencous objector. His brother, Frederick, remembers the whole family being shocked, when Jim came home to Exeter on leave once, in a pair of sheepskin flight boots. Knowing that in doing so he was breaching regulations. As Frederick reminded me, the winter of 1943 - 44, was the coldest on record and apparently Jim was determined that his feet shouldn't get cold! Frederick believes that Jim was 'led astray' by another member of the crew, the Canadian, William Earle Brown, who apparently was a bit of a rascal!

Ernest Walter Haigh

Ernest was born in Walton, Liverpool on 27th August 1915 to Ernest and Florence Haigh. He was the third of four children.

On 10th February, 1936, 611 West Lancashire Squadron was formed at Hendon as a day bomber unit and moved to Speke, Liverpool, on 6th May 1936, to begin recruiting on Merseyside. Ernie, whose home was alongside Speke, enlisted on 1st August 1936. He was initially Aircrafthand on general duties.

On his personnel record, he was described as 5ft 4", with fair hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. His occupation previous to joining up, was as a Bottle Hand. Ernie had always wanted to fly, so soon volunteered for flying duties as an Air Gunner on 20th August. On the 10th of April 1937 (?), he realised his ambition and became Acting Air Gunner (unpaid) and was promoted to AC1.

On the 1st of January 1939, 611 Sqdn became a fighter squadron and received it's first Spitfires in May that year. War was rapidly approaching and on the 13th August 1939, Ernie married Josephine Agnes Putterill before joining his squadron at Duxford in Kent. On the 26th of August, he became embodied into the RAF for the duration of the hostilities. On the 3rd of September war was declared and the squadron served a period on defensive duties.

On the 30th of September 1940, Ernie and Josephine had a baby girl they called Josephine Doreen. As 611 Squadron was now equipped with fighter aircraft, there was obviously no need for Air Gunners. Ernie elected to remain with the squadron and made steady progress as a trainee Armourer. Throughout 1941 - 1943, 611 Squadron was heavily involved in the defence of Britain.

In July 1943, Ernie volunteered (knowing the dangers), for flying duties in order to become an Air Gunner again and was immediately posted to 10 Air Gunners School. At this time, Ernie's wife, Josephine was pregnant with their second child, Ernest Benjamin, who was born on 9th November 1943. Tragically, the baby died a few months later. This would account for why Ernie was missing from a couple of missions in March 1944.

Ernie completed his air crew training and was promoted to Sergeant on the 27th August 1943, before joining 12 Operational Training Unit on the 31st of August. Here, Ernie became part of Sunny's crew.

Jack Birch

Jack was from Chesham, in Buckinghamshire. He was married to a lady called Nan, with a baby daughter named Ann. Just before Jack went missing, he visited his nephew and niece one Sunday morning. His niece, Jean Leithall (nee Birch) remembers the visit well. Jack had apparently nearly completed a tour of 30 missions and was looking forward to ending his tour. Sadly, they never saw him again.

John Gilbertson-Pritchard

I am currently trying to trace John Gilbertson-Pritchard's family.

Gordon Kenneth Woodward

I am currently trying to trace Gordon Woodward's family.

William Earle Brown

I am currently trying to trace William Brown's family.

George Henry

George is the only Airman who flew with Sunny, who survived the War. In the Public Records Office, George is listed as having flown two missions with Sunny's crew. However, according to George's flight record book, he only flew one.

George was from Fulham in London and before joining the RAF at eighteen years old, worked in a chiropodists equipment factory. George was first in 15 Squadron, where he flew seventeen operational missions in Stirlings. He then transferred to 514 Squadron in December 1943. George was a 'spare' mid-upper gunner and filled in with different crews until eventually hooking up with the crew shown below. George completed his tour of thirty missions whilst in 514 Squadron. George's nickname was Hawkeye Henry.

George then trained air gunners for six months, before being posted to India to crew Liberators. This is where George saw out the rest of the Second World War.

I am in regular contact with George and his wife, Joan. We finally met in June 2002 at the 514 Squadron Reunion at Waterbeach. George's distinct memories of being in Bomber Command, are of the horrendous Nuremberg raid and of always being fed bacon and eggs before and after the mission!

Maurice Linden Morgan-Owen

Maurice was the pilot in Sunny's final crew and from Wandsworth in London. Maurice volunteered for the RAF on his 18th birthday. He trained to be a pilot in Canada, sending very spirited letters home to his family. Maurice was fun loving and liked a pint or two!

In November 2002, I received an e-mail from Alex and Hazel Campbell in Canada. Alex trained with Maurice in Canada and also became a pilot in 514 Squadron. Hazel worked at the training school for the pilots and also remembers Maurice. Alex says, "Out of 59 chaps in Class 69, Hazel remembers him as a round faced and rather cheerful person. After being flight time keeper for a series of 3 classes, she transferred to pay and accounts at #5, Brantford.We have a photo of A.T.P. Class 69 which I hope to send to you. Our pilot training in Canada took place under the B.C.A.T.P.(British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). Maurice and I would arrive at #5 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) RCAF, Brantford, Ontario in Nov. 42.We endured a long and snowy Canadian winter to obtain our pilots' wings on 16th of April 1943. At one time we all had to pitch in and shovel snow to rescue a snowbound locomotive from a nearby railway."

Alfred Douglas Tetley

Alfred was Sunny's Mid Upper Gunner in his final crew. Alfred was one of three brothers. His family owned and ran a greengrocers shop in Starbeck, an area of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Alfred has no surviving relatives. I have found out that there is a plaque commemorating only Alfred in Starbeck.

George Alexander Jacobson

George was Sunny's Bombaimer in his final crew. He was from Queensland, Australia. George was born on the 25th March 1917, in Gympie, Queensland. He enlisted on the 5th April 1940, in Brisbane, Queensland and whilst training, was in 12 Operational Training Unit (OTU). George embarked for England on 7th September 1942. His next of kin was listed as Charles Jacobson who lived in Gunalda, Queensland.

I have kindly been given a number of documents relating to George. All of which are very poignant, and include a copy of an inventory of personal effects which were returned to his mother and also documentation relating to George's Ford car.

Herbert Stanley Hayward

Known as Stanley or 'Bub', he was the rear gunner (or Tailend Charlie), in Sunny's final crew. Stanley was from Bishops Stortford and one of five brothers and four sisters. According to letters written by Sgt F. Barrett, Stanley had a fiancee who lived near or in Hunstanton, Norfolk, her name was Mary. Does anyone know this lady? I recently received an e-mail from one of Bub's nieces, which tells a very strange tale indeed. This is what she wrote:

"I remember as a child hearing the family talk about Uncle Bub and how my grandmother was not told of his disappearance because she had been extremely ill, near death in fact. One night she dreamed she saw Bub in the water, with his dark hair floating all around him. The next morning, she said she knew that Bub脢had been trying to tell her that something had happened and insisted on being told the truth. According to one of his 2 surviving sisters." At the time this happened, Bub's mother did not know that anything had happened to him, least of all that he had come down in the Sea....

F. Barrett

F. Barrett (service number 1387535), was the original wireless operator with the crew Sunny joined. He wrote a number of letters to the Hayward family from Ely Hospital. He explains in the letters that he had had an accident, which meant he was being kept in hospital. Therefore, the reason why Sunny joined Morgan-Owen's crew. In his letters, he promised to visit the Haywards as soon as he was able. Apparently he kept this promise. Can anyone tell me where F. Barrett is now? I have checked with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and he definitely survived the war.

Henry Leo Sadler

Known as Leo, he was the Flight Engineer in Sunny's final crew. Born in Brighton on 21st October 1918, Leo had a younger brother and three sisters, two of which were WAAF's. Leo's family moved to Birmingham in 1922.

Leo joined the RAF in approximately 1936.脢His mother was very proud of the fact that he was trained by Rolls Royce. Somehow Leo seems to have got himself into the脢Fleet Air Arm and served on the Eagle. At some time in both Crete and Ceylon. Leo's family are not sure how or why he got into Bomber Command.

In 1941, Leo got married at the Rosary Church, Saltley, Birmingham. His wife's name was Joan and she was from West Hartlepool. They had a daughter named Maureen (after one of Leo's sisters).脢Unfortunately the family lost touch with Joan after the war.

His nephew, Mike Donkersley, remembers him as a kindly, good humoured man.

Alan William Green

Alan was the navigator in Sunny's final crew. I am currently trying to trace his family.

Memories from Bomber Command Crew

During my research, I have met some wonderful and fascinating people. I have been very priviledged to hear some of their memories of bomber command. Below are just a couple of these memories. If anyone would like to add to my collection please feel free to e-mail me.

Dave

Dave was a tail gunner in Lancasters during the Second World War. He was in 'Moose' Squadron, which had a large number of Canadian airmen in it, (hence the name).

Dave completed is first tour of thirty missions in mid 1944. He was then posted to a base in Wales, to work as an instructor. Teaching recruits air gunnery.

One day, he was on a training flight with a group of recruits. The Australian pilot was very experienced and said to Dave over the aircraft's intercom, that the plane was in trouble and that he didn't think it would get back to base. He instructed Dave not to panic the recruits, but to get them ready to parachute out of the stricken aircraft. Dave duly advised his recruits to clip on their parachutes and prepare to jump.

At this point, one of the recruits said he was very sorry, but he'd forgotten his parachute. Dave sighed and reluctantly handed over his own parachute for the recruit to use. The pilot then turned the aircraft and did a run over a sandy beach. The recruits all jumped out.

Then the pilot working very hard, with Dave assisting, managed to nurse the aircraft back to base safely.

Dave was in the Sergeant's Mess later, having a well earned drink. One of the officers came in and told Dave he had some bad news for him. The recruit who had taken Dave's parachute had died. The parachute hadn't opened.

Dave told me that even though he had seen some terrible things during his operational tour, it took him a very long time to get over what had happened that day.

George

George was a mid upper gunner and in the same Squadron as my Great Uncle Sunny, flying one mission with him. George's first mission was to Turin in Italy, it was winter 1943-44. He was flying in a Stirling, which due to the number of engines it was equiped with, could not fly as high as a Lancaster could.

The aircraft was over the Alps, with a full bomb load. When the skipper told the crew that one of the engines was on fire. He advised his crew to prepare to bail out.

It was a bright moonlit night, and George said it was almost like daylight over the Alps. He could see the huge mountains and all the snow. Apparently it was beautiful.

George scrambled out of his turret and down into the darkness of the interior of the aircraft. For a moment he couldn't see where his parachute was stowed, as it was so dark. At that moment, the plane went into a dramatic nose dive. The skipper had decided to try and put the fire out by using the wind speed.

George frantically clipped on his parachute and found his way to the hatch to jump out. He opened the door and looked out at the Alps below, which were rapidly approaching. He thought about just how soft a landing it would be for him on the snow. As he moved to jump, the navigator grabbed the back of his collar. The fire in the engine had been put out and they were going to turn around and head for home.

They were in a deep Alpine valley. The engine which had been damaged would not run properly and they could not gain height. They dropped all their bombs in the deserted valley and managed to gain a little height. Following first the valleys of the Alps, they limped back over France to England.

George told me that he thought to himself, 'This is my first mission, if the rest of them are like this, it's going to be hell.'

Des

Desmond Evans contacted me in January 2003. Des was part of the ground crew which looked after Lancasters on 97 Squadron, RAF Coningsby. Following is part of the e-mail he sent me:

"There was a very close relationship between AirCrews and the Ground Crews who serviced their Aircraft.

During my time with 97 Squadron I lost three Aircrews, and each time it was devastating. The loneliness of waiting for your particular Lanc to return was awful, and when yours didn't return on time, there was that awful half an hour to an hour wait until you knew their fuel reserves would have run out and there was no chance they were coming back.

Later of course someone would come to your dispersal where the Aircraft would be normally parked and tell you "Sorry Lads-they've had it."

Our Dispersal Point would be empty for a few days, and we would probably help out on another aircraft until our replacement Lancaster would arrive. We would then check the engines and probably later in the day a new Aircrew would arrive. In most cases very young and very raw with no operational experience. We would get introduced to the Pilot and Crew and the whole sequence would start over again. You would look at them, mostly no older than 22 years of age and wonder how long they would be with us..

Your site and records of your Great Uncle and his comrades is very touching and it is a wonderful site. My generation are so pleased to see you younger people taking such a interest in WW2 and especially the RAF Bomber Command activities.

A Operational unit was unique in the closenes between ranks. My particular Skipper was Wing Commander Porter and he and his crew.were all Officers and yet this lovely man and his Crew would take my pal and I, just ordinary LACs, out with them for drinks to the local pubs as though we were their buddies.

Porter was the Leader of the first BERLIN Raids and was decorated with the DFC and Bar. We all went on leave at the beginning of August 1944. The Wing Commander came back two days early from his leave. One pilot due to fly on Ops was taken ill, so Porter said he would fly in his place.-- The raid was Mine Laying over STETTIN BAY. They took off at 9-40pm and at 01-33am a radio message came in--We are hit--burning burning--abandoning --" that was all they had time to transmit. All were killed. One is buried on the Island of BORNHOLM (Danish), four including W/Cmdr.Porter are buried at POZNAN Polish War Cemetery--three were never found.

It is hard to describe how you feel the loss of a whole Crew. One minute you are chatting and having a smoke before they take off---and 4 or 5 hours later, they have gone--just a memory.

Your Great Uncle was a brave man and so were all his Crew. Anyone who says they were full of fun before they went on a raid and that they hadn't a care in the world, are fools .These young men knew exactly what lay before them, they were tensed up and nervous--and that's what makes them brave--they still went and did what they had to."

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