大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of Jack Morley, and has been added to the site with the his permission. Mr. Morley fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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The stories were transcribed from audio recordings made and supplied by Jack. When some of the foreign place names that are mentioned could not be found very easily in an atlas, they have been typed as they sounded, as have some of the technical and coded terms with which I was not familiar, therefore, they will probably be misspelled.......... Bill Ross, 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War Story Editor.
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Other parts to this story can be found at:
Part 1: A5041397

Part 2: A5041531

Part 3: A6023701

Part 4: A6039722

Part 6: A6081301

Part 7: A6126077

Part 8: A6126167

Part 9: A6138010

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I never got back to Sheffield for my 21st.

Towards the end of April, we got posted away to a conversion unit, I think it鈥檚 1664 at Doncaster. This was to be converted onto Halifax. We didn鈥檛 like this idea, but, we wandered around for a day or two, 鈥榗os we 鈥榙 to pick up an engineer before we could go flying at this unit. We met a local farmer and got friendly with him. One morning, we were to met a flight engineer. This was little Jock Wood. He came across and met us. He said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about me, I鈥檝e been an engine fitter, I know all about engines and I鈥檒l be alright. So we walked around for a while with him and then one day we were flying. We climbed into this aircraft, and he said, 鈥淚鈥檓 going to show you that the Halifax is quite safe, depite all the crashes that there have been this week.鈥�
There had been five crashes that week. He said, 鈥淭hey鈥檝e all been pilot error.鈥� He took off and went up to about ten thousand feet, and then he ahd words with the engineer. He said, 鈥淲hen I say 鈥榙o it鈥�, do it straight away.鈥� And so, at about ten thousand feet, he said 鈥淐ur starboard outer.鈥� Jock did the job. Then he said, 鈥淐ut port outer.鈥� All the time he鈥檚 talking to us. He was piloting, George was stood beside him. This was at Sandtoft. He said, 鈥淐ut starboard inner.鈥� We were a bit havy wavy now because we were flying on three engines.

He said, 鈥淟ook, yer see, the Halifax is quite safe, it will fly on three engines 鈥� even on one engine. We can cut three.鈥� He said, 鈥淛ust to show yer how safe it is," he said to Jock, 鈥淣ow be quick when I tell yer to start the engines up, but cut the port engine.鈥� He cut the port engine and the officer said, 鈥淟ook, we鈥檙e still flying, we鈥檙e gliding, we鈥檙e losing height." Suddenly, he said, 鈥淩ight Jock, start Port inner, start Starboard inner, start Port outer, start Starboard outer." Jock did this and he took us round a couple o鈥� times and did various things. He said, 鈥淵鈥檚ee, this aircraft is quite safe."

We came in to land, and he said, 鈥淩ight George, now it鈥檚 your turn.鈥� So they swapped seats and they had a bit of a talk and then George took off whilst he sat beside George, passing out the instructions. He said, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to tell yer to do all that I鈥檝e done, I just want you to fly this aircraft.鈥� He turned round to Jock and said, 鈥淵ou did one thing wrong when we were doing all those actions.鈥� He said, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 that sir?鈥� He sez, 鈥淲hen I got down to one engine, I put some boost on, you should have stopped me, you should have tapped my hand and knocked my knuckles and fetched a lever down to take the boost off.鈥� 鈥淥h, right sir.鈥� So, George took us for a circuit round and landed, took off again, but George, as with the Wellingtons, when he touched down, the Halifax bounced two or three times. The Flight Lieutenant said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry about that, this fella can certainly fly, he鈥檚 done everything I鈥檝e asked of him." He said, 鈥淚鈥檒l fly with yer once more on a cross country trip, then I think he鈥檒l be alright, he鈥檒l be able to fly on his own.鈥� So we did this and George did several things that were asked of him.

The bomber tried the bomb doors and the gunners tried the new type of gun turrets which we鈥檇 got because we only had one on a Wellington and there were two on a Halifax. They were different turrets with electric sights, they were quite good. The gunners soon got used to using them whilst the pilot was learning to fly the aeroplane. I was using the wireless to get fixes etc. The navigator was in there and he kept saying, 鈥淪it down here Jack.鈥� He taught me thoroughly how to use the G. Then he said, 鈥淕et me a fix from Alder Grove,鈥� which I did, 鈥淕et me a fix from another place,鈥� which I did. He showed me his maps and said, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I planned the route and we are bang on course."

Towards the end of April, he came on board one day and said, 鈥淚鈥檓 satisfied that your pilot is sufficiently conversant with the Halifax." He said, 鈥淎re you ready for coasting away?鈥� So we thought we were going to go to a squadron. We鈥檇 got a full crew now, we鈥檇 got a flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer, pilot, wireless operator and two gunners. He said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going on a squadron yet.鈥� We said, 鈥淲hy not?鈥� He said, 鈥淏ecause you鈥檙e going on to a Lancaster squadron.鈥� That was a great relief for us鈥� - we didn鈥檛 want to be on Halifaxes.

We were told we were going to be posted to the Number One Lancaster Finishing School at Hemswell. That meant we would be flying Lancasters on operations. We set off for Hemswell in the bus. When we got there, we noticed all the signs were in Polish. We enquired about this and the driver said, 鈥淲ell, the Number One Polish Squad used to be here, but they鈥檝e been moved."

We were to be billeted at a place called Number Three, Lancaster Green. That was the sergeant members of the crew. The officers were in the officers鈥� mess. We were given the chance to look around for a while and get used to things. The following day we were on orders to go flying. The point of this school was that our pilot, having learnt how to handle a Halifax, now had to learn to handle a Lancaster, which was much different, especially in the handling. Also, it was a much safer aeroplane we thought.

The Flight Sergeant joined us and introduced himself and annouced that he would be our pilot鈥檚 instructor during this course. During our stay there, we sampled the delights of the countryside between flights, but mostly, we were flying. A couple of days after we got there, we learnt that Flight Sergeant Robinson and crew, who鈥檇 been our mates at Castle Donnington, had crashed onto the police station at Kirton in Lindsey, and all were dead, which included my pal, Bill Harvey, but I couldn鈥檛 go and see them at that time, I couldn鈥檛 do anything. We had to carry on with what we were doing. We had a trip out to Lincoln and one to Market Rasen while we were there, otherwise, we鈥檇 go in the sergeants鈥� mess for a drink or down to the caf茅.
We got stuck into this course, George did very well; a bit of trouble landing, which he always did, but he was a wonderful flyer, we knew that. The flight sergeant came to me one day and said, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a wireless operator aren鈥檛 you?鈥� I said, 鈥淵es.鈥� He took off his cap band and said, 鈥淗ere you are, pin that on your tie, you might get into trouble some day, but that鈥檚 my good luck token for crews that I鈥檝e instructed.鈥� He said, 鈥淚鈥檝e had two crews that have got through the tour, and they鈥檝e come back here and given me the cap badge back. I hope you鈥檒l do the same."

I promised I would do so if we survived, which we did and I took it back later.
We went on leave at the end of the course, then we reported back to Hemswell on the morning of June the sixth. We didn鈥檛 know at the time that the invasion had started, but, we got out and nobody said anything to us. We got into a crew bus at Hemswell and made a short journey to Ludford Magna where we鈥檇 been posted to 101 squadron, special duty. We didn鈥檛 know what this special duty meant, but we had an inkling. When we arrived at Ludford Magna, it was strangely quiet. There were people standing around and walking around, and as we got down from the bus, my old pal Art Wallace was there to greet me. They鈥檇 got there a couple of days before; they鈥檇 seen our names on the list of arrivals and they鈥檇 come to meet us. They hadn鈥檛 yet got their special operator, neither had we until later, but, it was a strange morning. The aircraft, we were told, had been flying all night without bombs, just doing the radio duties, jamming the German night fighter wavelengths and dropping bundles to fool the Germans into thinking there were about 2,000 aircraft going over Germany, which was successful apparently.

Later, the squadron flew at 25,000 feet on a rectangular course, we kept flying around. They only had six fighter contacts I think and only one was an action one. The Germans were fooled into thinking that something was going to happen in that part of the coast. There were 24 aircraft set off from 101 Squadron through this deception job. Three returned with either crew sickness or faulty aircraft and one that ditched in the sea was picked up by a destroyer, but the remainder flew around at 25,000 feet and did a wonderful job. Later, they were congratulated for saving the D-day landings from being a massacre, because while they were doing this, there were two other squadrons doing duties, making it look as is there were landings at different places along the coast from where they were going to be. There were 617 people from 100 Squadron who did a similar job to us, but not quite in the same vein, but they were part of Bomber Command.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In the meantime, the slow aircraft which had been part of the invasion force, was going across and the invasion was starting to cross the channel, and 101 was keeping fighters away from them. Other aircraft were jamming the wavelengths of the defences, so all in all, it was a complete success. When these aircraft were returning to Ludford, they passed other aircraft with fighter escorts going back to the invasion beaches, so we knew that the invasion aircraft and the troops were safe from attacks from Germany.

So, we鈥檇 been posted to this squadron, and the aircraft were strangely decorate (unable to decipher the description and purpose of this........editor).
I started this story because, on the 18th of July, 1978, following a request by Dennis Goodliffe for funds to erect a memorial stone, enough funds were received, to put up this memorial stone and also to get a book of remembrance. A flight lieutenant historian from the squadron, spent many hours in the cold going to Lincoln Cathedral and to air ministry records to make sure that every name that was intended to be in the book, was there. That was just a small point and to answer anyone who says, 鈥淲ho formed the association?鈥� the first air marshal, a former commander was invited to unveil the memorial stone. Dennis Goodliffe had organised everything and he continues now, after all these years.

Returning to the story:- We arrived at 101 and were informed about what had been happening via a tannoy announcement, and we wandered about, learning all about the place and the surrounding countryside for a few days, and then we were appointed a special operator. I suppose Alan Wallace was a special operator (he鈥檚 now resident in Spain). Our special operator was Colin York, a Lancashire lad, one of our traditional enemies, me being a Yorkshireman. We had much banter about this; the navigator used to join in and I used to argue with him. I used to say, 鈥淭he wireless operator is the only man in this crew with a trade,鈥� and he鈥檇 retort with: 鈥淲ireless operator isn鈥檛 a trade, it鈥檚 a bloody disease.鈥� This is the way we carried on and we went on tests and little flights around to familiarise ourselves, and Colin York practised his business. He had two receivers and a transmitter, sited in the fuselage aft of the bulkhead between the wireless operator and the mid upper gunners **(?). He had no windows to look out of like I did. He used to operate a receiver that had a white strobe, which moved backwards and forwards every fifteen seconds. When it lit up, it indicated that it was onto of these German stations from the Kabugelite (?). He would lock onto it, tune the transmitter, and jam the frequency with a sort of wigwag noise. He could do this three times; he had three transmitters.
We gradually became acclimatised with Colin. Then came the 29th of June and we were thought to be fully fit to go on operations, and that was to be our first operation. It was to be SRP-Peter-W4967, the aircraft a 1942 vintage which had taken the place of the former P-Peter, which had been shot down during a raid on the 16th of June, almost a fortnight previously. The trip was to be to Sarrecort, which is in the Pas-de-Calais area. For about three weeks now, the V1 flying bombs had been creating havoc around the south of England, and it was decided that we would try to take the launch sites out. Sarrecort was a big launch site. If we gained height, there was nowehere safe, in fact the sky was full of aircraft coming the other way, to-ing and fro-ing from Sarrecort; this was a huge raid. As we approached the target, each aircraft had very accurate predictor flack coming at it. When our bomb doors were open and we started our bombing run, predictors started to get onto us, and they appeared to be at our height when.....left right, steady, bombs gone, the aircraft lifted upwards and George turned to port, and as we did so and dived, the predictors were bursting where we would have been a second later. So George did a very good job there and we got out of range. On the whole, it was a very good bombing, but the V1 bombs continued to come, there must have been dozens of launch pads down there.30th of June, 1944: We were scheduled to bomb the first of many targets in marshalling yards, at a place just outside Paris. The idea of bombing these marshalling yards was to deny the enemy the use of any reinforcements that might be coming up by rail. On this night, we flew in LM 462-V squared. We took off and we gradually made height and headed towards Paris, and as we headed towards the target, our mid upper gunner said, 鈥淛ack, just have a look out.鈥� There were two little handles, one each side, and I looked out and I dared not sit down, I was absolutely scared to death. For the whole way, as far as I could see, was a wall of flack and we were heading straight into it. Dai did his usual left, left, right, right stuff, and we flew through the flack with not even a touch. I was scared to death, but we never got touched at all. Nothing burst near to us although it looked so fierce. Now, with bombs gone, we turned for home. Was I relieved when we got away from that flack?

3rd of July was more of the marshalling yard target, this time, to Orleans, on an aircraft SRT-LM472, taking off at 2245. We crossed the coast at Dieppe. There seemed to be fighter contacts all around, which was only natural. Anyway, down to Orleans where we found the target and we had a good bombing run, turned for home. There were still many fighter contacts, but fortunately, none with us, we managed to steer clear of them right up to the coast at Dieppe, then the attacks ceased.

We went to another marshalling yard near Paris, but this time, we used an aircraft that we came to think of as our own: SRZ-LL756, taking off at 2225. This was a very good operation and we made a good attack. We didn鈥檛 encounter any fighters that night, and the duration of the flight was 5 hours, 25 minutes.
Continued in part 6.........>

Pr-BR

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