大象传媒

Brian Soper
Summary of Wartime Experiences Leading
to Lancaster Operational Period (Part 1)

Born in October 1923, I left school at 15+ (in 1939) just at the beginning of the war. I lived through the heaviest of both the night and day bombing in London. I watched the 鈥渄og fights鈥� over London by day and the fires of London burning by night. We slept in shelters most nights.

In November 1941 my elder brother Dennis, aged 21, who was in the navy, was killed when his battleship HMS Barham was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. There were just a few survivors.

After Dunkirk in late 1940 everybody was expecting a follow-up invasion by the Germans. Several young friends and myself decided to join the home guard. Unlike the comic 鈥楧ad鈥檚 Army鈥�, we were lead by a tough ex-army Major. Taught unarmed combat 鈥� rifle and bayonet fighting, went to 鈥楤isley鈥� for target shooting. Used a Tommy gun and Sten gun, and did live hand grenade practice (all at 16/17 years).

We did our full-time job in the day, and three nights a week slept at the local barracks of the Queen鈥檚 own light infantry HQ at Clapham Junction 鈥� Battersea, where we did our training. This was all during night bombing by the Germans. Part of this time was also taken by night guard duty on Lombard Road Railway Bridge, looking for invasion paratroops.

This was in 2 hour/4 hour shifts with orderly officer inspections 鈥� we had Lee Enfield .303 rifles with ammunition, bayonets and passwords.

Following my brother鈥檚 death in 1941, I decided to join the RAF as aircrew. Naturally I was hoping to be a pilot. Unfortunately so was everyone else. I enlisted for aircrew on the 21st January 1942 and went for the aircrew medical and a variety of exams and other tests. Rejected as a pilot I was offered 鈥榓ircrew鈥� to train as wireless operator-airgunner, which I accepted. Eventually I had a letter from the Air Ministry to say that with the arrival of the 4-engined bomber an additional crew member was required to take over many of the pilot鈥檚 duties, i.e. 鈥榯he flight engineer鈥�. I accepted this offer and was subsequently 鈥榗alled up鈥� on the 28th July 1942 at 鈥楶adgate鈥�. There we were 鈥榢itted up鈥� 鈥� given some minor training and posted onto 鈥楻edcar鈥� near Middlesboro鈥� where we did our full 鈥榮quare bashing鈥� training.

From there we were sent onto other training stations depending on which crew station we were accepted for.

I was sent to Cosford near Wolverhampton to a flight mechs course of 18 weeks. From there a direct posting to 鈥楬alton鈥� to do an engine fitters course 16 weeks. Having passed this I was sent to an operational bomber squadron (103) at Elsham Wolds, where I spent several weeks servicing Lancs which were on bombing raids. Eventually I was posted to St Athens in Wales, which was the main training centre for flight engineers. Also (fortunately), for WAAFs.

There was a large room full of potential flight engineers. We were sorted into groups depending on which aircraft we were to train on. I was unaware at the time of the advantages or otherwise of the different types of aircraft.

There were Stirlings, Halifaxes, Lancasters and for coastal command, American Liberators and Fortresses. Fortunately I got in with the group for Lancasters which may be one of the reasons why I am still here (they were the best).

We were trained for most of the technical points of the Lanc. Fuel/hydraulic systems, flight requirements, electrics, constant speed propellers, pneumatic systems, flaps and landing gear, flying for economy, 2 speed 2 stage superchargers, etc 鈥� up 鈥榯il then I hadn鈥檛 flown.

Having satisfactorily completed my courses I was posted to a conversion unit which is where the various trained specialists met up, and were allowed to make up their own seven crew members. This was at RAF Faldingworth for our crew.

I just happened to meet up with this rather pleasant character, pilot (w/o) Arthur Rew, who was looking for a flight engineer. Arthur already had a navigator (f/s) 鈥淏utch鈥� Lynn and a wireless operator (w/o) Don Sinnot from Newfoundland. The bomb aimer and front turret gunner, George Annersly (w/o), from Edmonto Alberta. We had about the oldest man on the squadron 鈥� in his thirties (I was 19) 鈥� 鈥淲ild Bill鈥�, Redding mid upper gunner, and like me, a sergeant. Finally Frank Boyd (sgt) rear gunner. No nicer group of guys you could ever wish to meet.

Some had done quite a bit of flying on other aircraft but most like me were complete 鈥榮progs鈥� with no flying experience.

It was about this time that I met Mary while I was on leave. She was working in a factory in Battersea during the bombing raids. Machining uniforms by day and doing part time duties with the London Fire Service so many nights a week. We later agreed to get married if I got through my tour of 鈥榦ps鈥欌��

So on our crew went at Faldingworth, getting to know each other and preparing for our operational tour. Arthur was beginning to convert to flying Lancs. We had dual control aircraft with the two pilots (instructor and trainee (Arthur)). However, we nearly didn鈥檛 get off the ground. Halfway down the runway on his first takeoff we swung off the runway to port and across the grass. Managing to pull up eventually, we taxied back for a second try. The flight engineer instructor was standing with myself (trainee flight engineer) behind the pilots with some apprehension.

The second attempt was no better. Again we taxied back to the start of the runway, where the two pilots had a long discussion. We know that the Lanc. had a tendency to swing to port on take off. This is due to the direction of rotation of the propellers. Normally the pilot automatically compensates for this by the use of rudders etc. However they discovered that while the tail of the Lanc was on the ground, Arthur couldn鈥檛 see the near runway at all, due to his build. They decided to raise his height by using my parachute pack for him to sit on. This proved satisfactory & he did perfect take-offs from then on. Throughout our tour it was part of our take-off drill; so 鈥楲ift up鈥�, place parachute, and once the flaps were up, take it away and stow, taking care not to pull the release!

Arthur became very proficient at flying the Lanc. We spent many hours doing take-offs & landings; ie 鈥榗ircuits & bumps鈥�, firstly with the pilot instructor, until eventually he went solo. During this time I was learning my own procedures with the engineer instructor until I was also qualified to do my job alone.

There were many training flights for all the crew - cross country trips for navigation & wireless practice, practice bombing on special bombing ranges, and fighter affiliation ie dummy attacks by our fighters which we had to resist & which gave the gunners some practice. Also there was gunnery practice with aircraft towing target drogues. We went on to do night take-offs and landings until Arthur was cleared for solo night flying. I had practice at dealing with flight problems; shutting down one, or sometimes two, engines in flight, keeping flight logs and working out fuel consumption. I also had to be able to make continuous checks on temperature and pressures, and monitor fuel tank contents, changing tanks from one to the other when necessary. When we were all reasonably proficient, we were posted on to our squadron - Twelve Squadron 鈥榃ickenby鈥�.

When we arrived at our Nissan Hut, which held two crews of seven, we were replacing a crew that had 鈥榞one missing鈥�. The other crew went out that night, and it wasn鈥檛 long before they too were shot down. Once settled into the base we continued with the flying training while waiting to go on 鈥榦ps鈥�. Before we could do any operational flying, they decided to create a second squadron on the base, this was 626 squadron. They picked us - not having done any ops, with some other crews who had already completed some bombing raids on 12 squadron.

On 18.11.43 I was a little shocked, not having done any ops, to be called into the Chief Flight Engineer鈥檚 office and told that I would be flying that night, not with my crew, but with Flight Lieutenant McLauchlin, a highly experienced senior officer, whose Flight Engineer had been recently commissioned & was away getting 鈥榢itted up鈥�. Later at the briefing, it was another jolt to see that it was 鈥榯he big city鈥�, (Berlin), the first time for me of many.

For the first time I experienced the flak, the searchlights, the fires, the bombs bursting on the ground and the Lanc shaking when the flak was close. I saw the brilliant colours of the target markers on the ground, & experienced the long, long wait over the target while the bomb-aimer identified the target and gave his instructions to the pilot. I felt the great lift of the Lanc when the bombs were released and then the two minutes flying on straight and level for the camera to check where our bombs had gone. And finally to dive and turn away on a course for home. I had to wonder what this experienced crew thought of this new 鈥榮prog鈥� engineer on his first trip, the crew that I hadn鈥檛 even really met.

It seemed like hours before we got away from the target. We had worse trips than that later, but the first one was memorable. At the de-briefing, a cigarette & a tot of rum was like living again - but for how long?

I followed this trip with three more to Berlin, flying with my own pilot and crew. The first of these, (23.11.43), was very similar to the previous one, although both ground and sky markers were used as there was a lot of cloud at lower levels. These took the form of flares, red, green, or yellow, the colours specified at the briefing, dropped by pathfinder Lancs or Mosquitoes. Sky markers called Wanganui flares were dropped by parachutes, with one colour dripping from the other. To bomb on these, the bomb-aimer would need to be sure of approaching from the right direction; height and wind speed calculations were important. These markers were only used when the ground markers could not easily be seen and were probably not too accurate.

On 26.11.43 we went to Berlin again. There were many searchlights around, both at the target and at Frankfurt, with many night fighters in the Frankfurt area. On return to base, there was a problem getting the wheels to lock down. Having tried all the recommended procedures to no avail, they diverted us to another base, in case we messed up the runway for the others. After going through the final checks, Arthur landed 鈥榯ail heavy鈥� and the locks came on. We stayed over night and returned to Wickenby the following day with the undercarriage checked out.

We were again routed to Berlin on December 2nd 1943. This time, on the way to the target, we lost all the oil from the port inner engine and had to shut it down and feather it. The rear turret was 鈥楿/S鈥�, and the starboard inner engine running hot. After shutting down the port inner, we lost several thousand feet. We were still losing height and very near to Hanover. It was decided that Berlin was still a long way off, and if we got there, we wouldn鈥檛 make it back.

A suitable point was found near Hanover and the bombs released. With a lighter load we were able to maintain height, and in spite of the return flak were routed for base. As we were damaged we kept a special lookout for night fighters. Due to all the problems and only three engines, we arrived back a little early due to the shorter journey.

On 20th December 1943, they gave us a break from Berlin & sent us to Manheim. This might be a good time to mention the 鈥榝lak鈥�. It came in three sizes: light, medium, & heavy. We missed all the light at 20,000ft, but got some of the medium, and all of the heavy. It was delivered either as a mass barrage over the target, or other places en route. Otherwise it was radar predicted for the individual aircraft, which was very accurate.

We thought we hadn鈥檛 yet reached the target. Suddenly we were rocked by six or seven heavy blasts all around us from predicted flak. At the same time the gunners spotted the target 鈥� behind us, in another direction 鈥� we were slightly off course. We had to do a complete circuit to avoid the other oncoming Lancs & join the bombing circuit & we eventually bombed on the markers. It was otherwise a reasonably uneventful trip.

On 23rd December 1943, the day before Christmas Eve, we were again routed to Berlin. It was recorded as a pretty uneventful trip, but of course there was always flak, and always fighters. Again we were sent to Berlin on the 29th December 1943. We were approaching the target and getting lined up for the bomb run. I was helping the gunners to look out for fighters. Suddenly, above, to my right, came a Halifax, diving and weaving across us. It came within a few feet of us and must have been taking evasive action against a night fighter. It looked near enough to touch! Remember of course that all around us, apart from the target, was total blackness. I just happened to be looking that way. I shouted & tried to help the pilot push the control column forward. Any action would have been too late anyway. Of course it missed, & when we recovered we just got back on course & carried on with the bomb run. W all agreed it was probably our closest encounter.

There were of course many other close calls. Several times there were fighter attacks. Once, from out of nowhere, appeared tracer bullets, which fortunately just missed us. We managed to break away two or three times. It was just a chance encounter &, remembering it was in complete blackness, we managed to lose him.

If gunners could spot the fighter first, we managed to stay out of trouble. It was the ones that you didn鈥檛 see that you wouldn鈥檛 come back from. They would fly beneath the bomber and shoot up into the wing tanks, which normally just blew up.

All the crew were very happy with Arthur Rew as our pilot. He was very conscientious, but also cautious, for which we were very grateful. Much emphasis was made on maintaining the prescribed routes. Safety was keeping strictly en route, gaining protection by numbers from predicted flak & radar-predicted fighters. We also of course derived protection from the silver paper strips 鈥榳indow鈥� dropped on the route to confuse the enemy radar. However ,on track, flying towards heavy flak bombardment, Arthur would say to Butch the navigator, 鈥淧ilot to navigator: Butch there鈥檚 a lot of heavy flak up ahead, I鈥檓 going to divert a bit to starboard to try and miss it鈥�. To which Butch would reply that it would take us off the stream & 鈥榯he window鈥� protection. After several exchanges, Arthur would eventually divert anyway, and later ask Butch for revisions to get back on course & speed. It worked for us 鈥� it was just done in exceptional circumstances. Of course the navigator, for most of the trop, was in a blacked out compartment as he needed the light for his charts & calculations. He rarely saw the target or the flak, but always got us there, & back on time. What many people are not aware of is that having once reached height & set course, it was rare, even on a thousand bomber raid, to see another Lanc, except over the target. Then you realised where all the others were & how dangerous it was. Occasionally we would get caught in somebody鈥檚 slipstream. In looking out for other aircraft we looked to see from the glow of the exhausts if there were four engines to make sure whether or not it was another Lanc.

Continued in Brian Soper2.doc鈥�

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