大象传媒

Lincoln - A Rest Year

On March 20th 1942 Jack鈥檚 flight took off from Coningsby on a foggy day to lay mines around the Fresian islands. The mission nearly ended before it began. Jack, who had not plugged in his intercom was checking his guns when Radcliffe, his mid upper gunner, came along and told him to prepare to abandon the aircraft. He thought he had seen something go past. Jack looked out and saw the tip of one wing missing and the other up on end. Rodley, being a very good pilot managed to miss the Boston Stump (St Botolphs Church). They landed in the mud of the Wash just as the tide was coming in. After shouting and calling they were eventually heard by P.C. Fred Brown. Jack remembered the pigeons left on board and went back to collect them only to find none had been put on. He did rescue a precious orange for me though.

Rodley was questioned by Roy Chadwick, the Avro chief designer. It was later revealed that the aircraft had been overloaded with too much fuel as well as the weight of the mines.

In September 1975 Rodley was presented with an illuminated address by the Phobus Club of Boston for missing the Boston Stump. Only he and Jack were still alive to attend the ceremony.

On April 17th I was visiting an aunt in Stockton, expecting Jack to returning to the island on leave when I received a letter from him to say hios leave had been cancelled. He thought they might be going on a 鈥榮ticky raid鈥�. Next morning I heard on the radio that twelve Lancasters had made the trip to Augsburg and only five had returned. Then a telgram arrived. 鈥淥ne of the lucky five鈥� it read 鈥淥.K. Jack鈥�. I still have that telegram.

The crew stayed together. On their thirtieth mission their aircraft went US (unserviceable). One of the crew, Phil Henley, wanted to get his missions over an volunteered to join another crew. On that mission sixty eight aircraft went missing including the one Henley had joined. Rodley and his crew finished their missions and went their separate ways.

Jack was posted to Swinderby and I was able to live out. I went down with my daughter, Valerie to live in North Hykeham, a village between Swinderby and Lincoln. While I was there Guy Gibson was training with Lancasters for the Damusters raid. They came in so low over the fields it was quite frightening. It felt as though they were coming into the house the noise they made when three at a time came over.

One day Jack was notified that he had to go to the Palace to receive the D.F.M My mother in law and I went to the investiture. It was an experience never to be forgotten. We were given instructions that ladies must wear hats. We were given seats ion the centre of the second row. In front of us was a lady and her son. She was not wearing a hat. A naval officer covered in gold raid came and asked her to put her hat on. We watched in amazement as she took out a large handkerchief, tied it in all four corners and put it on her head. The naval officer escorted her to the back row.

Jack went up to Swinderby one day and was very late returning. I watched over the fields for his return. Finally he arrived dressed as a Pilot Officer. He had been to Nottingham to collect his new uniform. He had not told me that he was getting a commission. He had also got leave.

The residents of Seaton Sluice and Old Hartley knowing he had taken part in the Augsburg and other 1,000 bomber raids had decided that they would make a presentation to him of a silver tea service with the inscription 鈥楩or bravery on the Augsburg, the 1,000 bomer raid on Hamburg and other cities鈥�.

When he came home on leave without his stripes they thought that he had been demoted.

Jack鈥檚 next posting was East Kirby with a new crew to start his second tour of duty. He talked very little about them only that he was the 鈥榦ld man鈥�.

One evening when their raid was cancelled they decided to drive in the pilot鈥檚 car to Scunthorpe. On their return the car crashed, overturned and went into a ditch. Everyone got out of the car except Jack whose leg was through the back window with the car resting on it. After several attempts they managed to lift the car. He was taken to a local house where a Mrs Wass, an ex nurse attended to him. He was taken to the RAF hospital in Loughborough where it was found to have severed the tednons in his left leg. There would be no more flying for him. That accident saved his life. When his crew had to fly over Russia their aircraft became US. They returned in another plane which crashed in Sweden. Two crews were lost.

Jack was eventually discharged from hospital and came home out of the RAF.

Towards the end of the war German prisoners were housed in the billets near the island. Jack used to go to the Point to collect our milk and post. He got to talking to one of the German soldiers. It turned out that he had been on the searchlights at the time of the 1000 bomber raid. Jack and he had a good laugh.

In 1975 Valerie was an air stewardess with British Airways when she met a German Naval Officer. They married in Lubeck. At the party before the wedding Jack was asked what he had done during the war. It turned out that he had been on the one and only raid on Lubeck. Valerie鈥檚 new husband鈥檚 home ha been bombed!

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