大象传媒

A tongue in cheek title, but very apt as the following memories, dredged out of the hardest most draining 24 hours in a bomber tour of 30 Ops for me.

The occasion was a 5 Group Bomber Command attack on a synthetic oil plant at Politz on the German Baltic coast by some 230 Lancasters:
Bomb load 14 x 1,000 Ibs.
Fuel load maximum (2,154 gallons).

A decoy target would operate 40 miles inland, 10 minutes before H-hour, to draw the fighters off. In theory, the 230 or so aircraft flew a staggered box, 25 miles long and 3,000 feet deep. From H-hour, 23 aircraft per minute bombed for 10 minutes -end of the attack. Each aircraft was given a time to bomb, H plus 1 -2 -3 etc., we being plus 9.

To conclude the briefing the Station Commander said that we must, repeat must, take it out tonight, or 'YOU WILL GO BACK'. Such was the importance of depriving the Germans of oil.

The Squadron Navigation leader Flt Lt Booth, took the place of our sick navigator. We discarded our valuables etc., donned flying gear, flying boots, heavy stockings, heated clothing for the gunners, roll neck pullovers, parachute harness, Mae West, gloves etc

We took off from Fulbeck at 16.48 on December 21st 1944, having begun briefing at 14.30. In the darkness at 3,000 feet we crossed northern Denmark -the Skagerrak, and proceded along the southem coast of Norway, some three miles off shore, the mountains on our left looking high. A flashing light in the mountains above our height caught my eye from my position in the mid- upper gun turret. I informed skipper F/O Jim Ciark. The wireless operator John Smith had a look too but we could make no Morse sense of it.

We now turned right and took some buffeting from the slipstreams of aircraft which had turned right earlier, in order to proceed down the west coast of Sweden. Other bombers were occasionally seen, but not as frequently as one would expect in a stream 230 strong.

The novelty of seeing small town and village lights (Sweden was neutral) was rudely brushed aside at Gothenburg when their ack-ack opened on us with the type known as 'Flaming Onions' -the shells seemingly joined as if in a string of onions. It was quite tame compared to the ferocious German stuff. Perhaps this was the Swedes' intent, I like to think so.

Gothenburg looked to have a wide avenue bisecting the city at right angles to the coast which, years later Iearned was a river! How the lights must have dazzled me. Having kept low to avoid the radar so far, we now began the climb to bombing height -17,000 feet, passing over the island of Bornholm which looked black and sinister in the Baltic Sea below.

The navigator made use of this place for a position fix and I think we were behind schedule. To bomb after H plus 10 minutes meant that the main force had gone, leaving one an Isolated target for radar, fighters and flack.
So we applied the pace. Some 20 minutes later target marker flares appeared ahead, to which we changed course. Ten minutes later, and closer, came a second lot of flares (the real target) the first ones being the decoy. Back on course again we bombed through a most impressive flak barrage at around H plus 15 with one or two late arrivals. As we left I saw a fighter in the distance, probably arriving from the decoy. I have no recollection of a Master Bomber controlling the operation via radio. The target fires and explosions looked weak and reconnaissance showed the damage below expectations. The Cooks Tour route placed a big burden on navigation leading to a scattered attack.

Course was now set for a point in the North Sea, where a call to base would result in us diverting to Dallachy, the expected fog having set in at base.

The engineer calculated the fuel and was dubious about reaching Dallachy near the Moray Firth but we had to go for it on the basis of it being the 鈥榙rome able to accept us. A fuel check every 20 minutes or so broke up the seemingly endless journey to land.

A crew member said on the Intercom that another owed him ten shillings. He asked the Engineer to scrape up an extra couple of gallons to enable him to collect it next pay day! In the tough old bomber world of here today and gone tonight, one could only borrow from one's own crew, for obvious reasons.

Dinghy drill was discussed and crash positions in the aircraft gone over. Speed was reduced to give maximum fuel economy, we just crawled along. Further fuel checks and many monotonous miles later, we made land. The engineer warned us we would have nothing to spare to make Dallachy, as his calculations were based on gauge readings which could not be regarded as 100% accurate.

The Skipper ordered crash positions, backs braced against the main spar which connects the wings, we hoped to make the R/W and listened intently for the warning engine splutter. With no intercom we tensed it out till a heavy bump, followed by decreasingly smaller ones meant we were down. By now we were too shattered, mentally and physically to have any great feeling of relief after 10 hours and 35 minutes in the air. Two thirds of this time had been on oxygen.

It was now 03.20. The three ground crew who had marshalled and parked us were given instructions to refuel, plus a few items to check. This was a Beaufighter base and the ground crew knew little about Lancasters. A long discussion between them, the Engineer and Skipper finally got the problems sorted.

Off to a short debriefing, we learned that the Skipper had flown straight in, ignoring the customary circuit. The Engineer said that two tanks read empty, which explained the pilot's action. We later learned that the remaining fuel totalled 60 gallons, barely enough to do a circuit! A meal and bed about 05.00, too weary to sleep properly.

The Skipper came in at about 10.00, base still foggy. We rose and washed. I carried a shortened toothbrush in my top pocket. After a hard Op, the dirt on my own teeth and the fur on my tongue would have kept a grizzly bear happy in the worst Arctic storm.

A shave in the Barber's shop. Lunch. Ring base - foggy - ring at 1600. 'Right' said the Skipper, 'We will go to the village pub and relax.' The Guard Room Corporal looked hard at our motley clothing - flying boots, white roll-neck pullovers, scarves etc He said nothing to the skipper's explanation, but did direct us to the nearest pub, a mile and a half away. A glass of beer each sufficed for the hour spent there, too tired to say much.

On leaving, Jim, the rear gunner, with long legs, didn't think that he could make it back, his legs.ached from the cramped turret. We found a workman's barrow (he was at lunch!), sat Jim in It and took turns every 50 yards to wheel him in the barrow. Half a mile on, a large car, driven by an attractive lady, stopped and asked if we would like a lift to Dallachy. The skipper and smallest member took the front seat and five of us occupied the rear. She and the skipper talked non-stop to the Guard Room. We thanked her and she drove off. 'Get her number and remember it,' said the skipper. On leaving the Guard Room we asked why? 'She knows more about last night's .raid than we do, and were on the damn thing. I'm going to see the Adjutant'. .He was told that was the wife of a Sqdn Ldr at Dallachy, end of story.

Base was now clear to return, the skipper got the OK to leave. At the aircraft were two ground crew and no trolley accumulator starter; people were at tea! 'We are not going to wait', said the skipper, telling Sgt Cooke, the Right Engineer to prepare to start up. The skipper and Bomb Aimer F/Sgt John Hale went to the cockpit. The F/Engineer clambered on top of the wheels, his head up in the wheel housing. With the aid of our torches he primed the engine pumps, shouting down 'I hope no one pulls the under carriage lever!' With four engines running we did our checks and took off at 17.10. We followed the coast past Ramborough Head to the Humber, where we turned in to Lincolnshire, landing at Fulbeck at 19.20. A meal followed, and so to bed, lovely sweet bed!

YOU WILL GO BACK!

We did, on February 8th 1945, flying time 8 hours 55 minutes. No further visits were required.

This story was entered by Jenni Waugh, 大象传媒 People's War Outreach Officer, on behalf of Bernard Lazenby, who accepts the site's terms and conditions.

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