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In 1945, my squadron was flying a special mission to Malta. Four Lincoln bombers were involved and we carried our own ground staff with us. The Lincoln was still on the secret list, and no unauthorised personnel were permitted to enter the aircraft.

As we approached Malta, the engine revs of our aircraft consistently began to drop, then rise again to the usual 2,650 revs. The oil pressure was also affected, falling and rising again with the engine revs. We landed safely.

After several weeks in Malta, we were told that the engine was okay. We left for the UK soon after, but roughly forty minutes into the flight, a voice on the intercom stated that thick black smoke could be seen on the starboard outer engine. The cockpit dials began to fluctuate. I shut down the troubled engine and proceeded homewards, changing course direct to St Mawgen, near Newquay.
As we neared St Mawgen, all the usual checks were completed prior to landing, and we informed control tower of the starboard outer engine. However, the reply came that there was a severe crosswind. This crosswind would have made landing very risky without one engine, and steering difficulties could have led to a crash. We were told to continue to base (RAF Waddington).

Again, we were unable to land as Waddington was also affected by crosswinds, so a diversion to Wittering ensued. Approaching Wittering (in Lincolnshire), we descended to three hundred feet, but could see nothing but thick fog below us. Contact was made with control tower who said they could hear our aircraft. We changed to 270 degrees and decreased height further. Soon, through the blanket of fog, we spotted a flag pole; the station’s radio mast. Giving our course and speed to control tower, they responded by firing a red Verey light from the tower, which we kept on our starboard side. Another was fired further down the airfield, which we kept on our port side.

Flying very low to land at the end of the runway, control told me that there was no runway, only grass — not a suitable surface for a heavy bomber. Visibility was zero and approaching at 130 knots was far from ideal. I carried on, doing everything by the book. We all desperately hoped for the best. I closed down the engines and we all waited. On hitting the ground, the Lincoln bounced up. The second bounce was luckily smaller than the first. Then we landed.

Considering all the difficult circumstances which were against us that night, all the crew knew that we had managed the best of landings. No-one doubted that we had come down ‘on a wing and a prayer’.

FLIGHT SERGEANT S.L.MORRIS
61 SQUADRON, BOMBER COMMAND

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