大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer on behalf of Pilot Officer John A. Martin DFC (retired) Larne, N. Ireland and been added to the site with his permission. Mr Martin understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

We went out one night on a bomb raid and the tacticians thought they would be very crafty, after the main force went out, at a certain stage, the Lancesters and the Halifaxs went to Hanover and the Sterlings went to Bremen. While we were a Bremen the Wireless Operator was at the rear throwing out propaganda leaflets. The seat where the Wireless Operator normally sat in the aircraft, near the pilot, had armour plating right behind it. While the Wireless Operator was at the rear, a fighter came in and started to fire at us. I was in sitting at the Wireless Operators seat with my feet up trying to miss the bullets that were being fired at us. The Wireless Operator was at the rear trying to avoid the strafe that was being fired around him. We managed to get away from the fighter. Gamble, who was throwing the propaganda leaflets out the rear came up and said, 鈥淧addy, Paddy, I鈥檝e been hit, but don鈥檛 tell the pilot till we get out of trouble.鈥� I took my torch out of my flying boot and looked at him to see how badly injured he was. What had happened was, the bullets had penetrated the hydraulic system and jets of hydraulic fluid had hit Gamble on the face, his face was covered in hydraulic oil, and he thought it was blood, in the dark. He was greatly relieved when I told him it was 鈥榦nly鈥� oil. Thankfully we got away from the fighter.

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