大象传媒

My Uncle Laurie, who was born in Stockton-on-Tees, was a Bomb Aimer in Halifaxes, during the War. He flew 11 successful missions but, prior to the twelfth, he had a premonition that he would not come back this time. He wrote a letter to my Auntie Beryl (then Beryl Pooley and his fiancee) in which he told her that he had a premonition that he would not return from his next mission but that he felt he would be OK and she should not worry! On this occasion, this is not a 'tall tale' as the letter is still in existence (sadly my Auntie Beryl passed away last year but Laurie still has the letter he sent her).

Sure enough,Laurie's twelfth mission, on 20 January 1944, with 102 Squadron, was over Berlin, and he was shot down! Amazingly, considering that he parachuted down on the outskirts of Berlin, probably the most heavily guarded city in Europe, he managed to evade capture for 3 days despite being detected once as he tried to steal a bicycle in a village. Eventually, as he walked along the side of what can only have been one of the first autobahns built, he was overtaken by a Wehrmacht lorry packed with soldiers and was taken into captivity. He ended up in Stalag Luft III, but, fortunately for him he arrived too late to be included in the mass breakout after which 50 POWs were shot but he did act as a look-out as part of the escape. I have some further details of this story but this will suffice for a start and I will edit the story and add additional information at a later date. A few years ago, I noticed an article in the Darlington & Stockton Times, asking for contributions to a book on Bomber Command; I sent the details and Laurie's story featured as Chapter 2 of Mel Rolfe's book 'Flying Into Hell'. As a result of this, Anglia TV and Yorkshire Television latched onto the story and managed to contact the other 2 surviving crew members and a reunion was organised, along with a visit to RAF Pocklington to look at a Halifax which is being rebuilt there.

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