大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Victoria Parkin of Age Concern Ceredigion on behalf of Flt/Lt T. W. Reed R.A.F. Retd. And has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 Terms and Conditions.

A Night To Remember

On the 9th of June 1939 I enlisted in the Royal Air Force as a U/T armourer and after recruits training was posted to R.A.F. Acklington in Northumberland. It was then No. 2 Air Observer School training the air observers in bombing and gunnery skills.
On 2nd of September 1939 we were entrained to R.A.F. Warmwell our Warstation and the aircraft a motley collection of Biplanes (Boulton Paul Overstrands and Sidestrands, Westland Wallaces and Wapitis and Hawker Hinds and Harts). I was able to do quite a lot of flying in these obsolete aircraft and enjoyed my stay there even though it was in tents. I was then posted to R.A.F. Manby for training as an armourer and later as an armament after I was posted to 49th Bomber Squadron at R.A.F. Scampton as a Corporal Armament Fitter on 13th January 1941.
The aircraft were Hampden bombers at that time (January 1941) and it was common practice for armourers to volunteer as replacement gunners when a crew was shot down due to injury etc. There were actually 2 L.A.C. Armourers sporting the Distinguished Service Medal. After one L.A.C. went missing and became a P.O.W. this practice was stopped.
With the advent of the 鈥淗eavies鈥� Manchester and Lancaster I was appointed Sergeant in charge of the Gunnery Section and shared an office with Flt/Lt Rodgers the Gunnery Officer and his 2 Flight Gunnery Leaders, and when all aircrew where promoted to Sergeant I shared my room with 鈥淐han鈥� Chandler, who after being shot down off the Dutch coast turned up 9 days later 5 miles off Yarmouth (the he went on to complete 99 Sorties before the end of the war leaving 49 Sqdn. for 617 Sqdn.).
As P/O Roy Perry had lost his mid-upper gunner when his aircraft was shot up on a previous flight and Operations had ordered a 鈥淢aximum Effort鈥� and a new aircraft had become available he needed a replacement and I was asked to 鈥渟tand in鈥�.
So began my most memorable 鈥渘ight to remember鈥� October 1st/2nd 1942. I reported to P/O Roy Perry at 10 a.m. for the usual N.F.T. (Night Flying Test) when the aircraft was flown for about 20 minutes to test all the systems were ok.
After lunch I went to 鈥淏riefing鈥� for the night鈥檚 operation and found out that the target was the Dornier Aircraft Factory the supply base for the Experimental Island, Peenemunde. Where Flying Bombs were tested.
We 鈥渢ook off鈥� about 6.30 p.m. and slowly gained height as we crossed the North Sea. As I was in the Mid-upper Turret I had a good all round view and could see several of our aircraft keeping pace at a distance.
As we flew up the Dutch coast I observed a huge explosion in the sky ahead, it could have been an aircraft loaded with bombs. We eventually turned in across the coast at 20,000 ft and had not gone far when the skipper announced that one of the port engines was overheating and he would have to throttle back and we subsequently lost height, taking us down to 18,000 ft just brushing the clouds and as we went through the cloud tops I was treated to the sight of sheet ice coming off the wings past my turret and a display of St. Elmo鈥檚 Fire.
On one occasion I alerted the skipper to a Junkers 88 night fighter which flew at 45潞 across our bow, he obviously hadn鈥檛 seen us (the skipper confirmed the sighting).
The sky cleared as we approached the target, I could see shells exploding puffs of acrid brown smoke which filled the aircraft and my turret which was right above the photoflash open flare chute as we got nearer the target I alerted the skipper to an aircraft (Lancaster) above us had opened his bomb doors. Roy acted instantly putting our aircraft into a dive which I shall never forget. I thought he was going to shake the turret off the aircraft. We pulled out of the dive at 8000 ft and as he had kept his heading, carried on with the bombing run. With all hell breaking loose in the air and on the ground I was glad to hear 鈥淏ombs Gone鈥� and felt the aircraft leap before we dropped our 鈥淔lashbomb鈥� for the photograph. Needless to say we turned sharply out over the Baltic and headed for home.
Halfway across the North Sea we were diverted to Acklington and heard the navigator P/O Watts say 鈥渨here鈥檚 that?鈥� and when I told him where it was he said he had no maps for the North East.
I told the skipper that I knew where it was and as I鈥檇 been a Sea Scout I was well acquainted with the N. E. Coast. I said just aim for the East Coast and I鈥檒l guide you up the coast. I pointed out all the landmarks as we flew up the coast and just north of Newbiggin, and as we turned west a single searchlight broke through the clouds and we were 鈥渟tacked up鈥� until cleared to land about 2 a.m. in the pouring rain. After de-briefing and breakfast we got our 鈥渉eads down鈥� and at about 9 a.m. on the 2nd October led a 鈥渧ic鈥� of 3 Lancasters back to Scampton.
I was flattered to hear the skipper and crew ask me to make up their crew for the remainder of their tour which I know they finished successfully. I don鈥檛 know whether any of them survived the war but would like to hear from any who did.
With hindsight I cannot comprehend how those aircraft kept at it, sometimes on successive nights without losing their reason. I salute them and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
I left the squadron on compassionate posting when my father was killed on March 19th 1945 (torpedoed off Yarmouth). After End of War leave and Terminal Leave, I returned to Fighter Command as a F/Sgt (Subs) and was posted to (guess where!) R.A.F. Acklington Armament Practice Camp then C.F.E. West Raynham Air Fighting Development Squadron, finishing service as a Weapons Systems Trials Officer at A&AEE at Boscombe Down in October 1961.

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