大象传媒

Returning from a daylight attack on Brest during 1941, Sqn Ldr Budden's Wellington bomber was described as little more than a flying skeleton, so badly was it burnt and damaged by enemy fire. The crew had dropped their bombs over the dock where the Gneisenau was lying and were waiting for the flight to reform over the French coast. Sqn Ldr Budden related the rest of story as follows, back in 1941;

"I'd just put my nose down to join another Wellington which I saw below me, when we were attacked by an enemy fighter. Bullets whipped between my legs and went through the cabin. They just missed the second pilot too. They had apparently come through the rear turret for the rear gunner was wounded and an oil pipe severed.

Flames enveloped the turret, but the rear gunner put them out, then scrambled back to his seat, and although the oil was all over the turret so that he could hardly see, he fired back at the fighter, which was making another attack. He was wounded again and the turret once more caught fire.

Meanwhile, the whole fuselage seemed to be ablaze and the bomb doors were set alight by incendiary bullets. The second pilot and wireless operator were fighting the fire with everything available, gloves and cushions and fire extinguishers, and throwing burning material overboard.

Suddenly both engines stopped and the aircraft went into a dive. The Captain was thrown forward and a hook on his parachute harness caught on the control column. 'I couldn't get it loose' he said and we were going down, out of control, from 10,000 feet.

The navigator, Sgt Ebrill, went to his help but as he was trying to unfasten the hook a bullet struck hum. The captain struggled to get free and at last managed to do so when the aircraft had fallen fully 9,000 feet. The bomber was brought back to an even keel.

The starboard engine by some miracle came on; and then the port engine. Then we started to clear up the mess.

The wireless operator and the second pilot did what they could for the navigator but he died of his bullet wound. They also applied a tourniquet to the rear gunner's leg.

When it was discovered that the undercarriage would not go down, the crew were asked if they would rather bail out when they reached England. They all said 'No, we'll stick with you, sir'. So the flight went on and eventually made a crash landing without any further injury to the crew."

Sqn Ldr Budden & the late Sgt Ebrill were recommended for VCs for their part in this action. However, the Air Ministry did not want to award a VC to a dead crewman. Sqn Ldr Budden never forgave them for this and was himself shot down and captured on his very next mission. All talk of medals simply 'disapeared' at this time.
____________________________________________
Added by: Alan Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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