大象传媒

This story is submitted by Helen Hughes of the People's War team in Wales on behalf of Frederick Jones, and is added with his permission.

The Lancaster was a big bomber, but looking at the present day 747s it鈥檚 a baby - you could almost fit it on the wing of a 747 鈥� but it was a big one at the time. It was a marvellous aeroplane at the time - everybody worshipped the Lancaster鈥he was a wonderful aircraft. Even the pilots who flew the thing, thought they were marvellous aeroplane. Because they were forgiving鈥�.you could make a mistake with them and she would forgive you鈥�.and of course they carried the bombload 鈥� 22,000lbs of bomb which is high explosive at times, and at other times could be incendiary or armour piercing bombs. I have a photograph of our crew underneath the aircraft and you can see the bombs in the rack. It was Christmas Day 1944 when we were ready to go to Essen in the Ruhr鈥�.this was Christmas Day and we were ready to go. The usual day for us would be we鈥檇 be shook and someone would say 鈥� Come on, you鈥檙e on the battle order鈥� and the battle order was a list of all the crews that were flying that night. And they鈥檇 give you a briefing time and all this鈥�.and then you鈥檇 go and get your kit, your parachute from the parachute section from the Waafs, and you鈥檇 put your own gear on. Get your gear out of your locker, then you鈥檇 go to briefing. They鈥檇 tell you your target, what they thought was the weather鈥nd then you were ready for take-off and away you鈥檇 go. You鈥檇 do the mission, and then you鈥檇 come back and be de-briefed. They鈥檇 say how did this go on, how did that go on鈥�.and did you see this, did you see that鈥�.and then you鈥檇 have bacon and eggs which was the most wonderful meal that you鈥檇 ever had in your life! Everytime you came back it was nothing but bacon and eggs鈥�.and everytime the meal went down wonderful鈥� and that really was our life. That was a daily occurrence 鈥�.we鈥檙e not talking about say three or four days in between. In 24 hours I can mention we went to a place called the Dolenze canal 鈥� twice 鈥� in 24 hours. And at 18 years old 鈥ell 18, 19 it was an adventure to us. Some people say 鈥淵ou must have been brave鈥� - We weren鈥檛 brave 鈥ecause you didn鈥檛 realise! At the time, being as young as we were, you didn鈥檛 realise it was so damn dangerous, and it was damn dangerous you must admit. At the time you don鈥檛 realise how scary it is鈥�.you do now! That was our day really鈥�.and I did thirty of those, down the datteln canal 鈥�.three on the canal, the rest I went to places like Dortmund, Essen down the Ruhr valley because that鈥檚 where most of the machinery was made for Germany. At our age now you can remember it vividly, whereas twenty years ago I never really thought about it.

(see also Good and bad memories from 30 bombing missions)

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.