大象传媒

I was flying as a Flight Engineer with my first crew and returning from a Pathfinder trip to Leipzig, my 23rd Op. We had reached the Zuider Zee, Holland, when a German fighter attacked us, strafing us with cannon shells. This put the starboard inner engine on fire, and the flames spread over the wing. The gun turrets, tail plane, rudder, undercarraige and wheel tyres were also damaged. I put the fire out by feathering and stopping the engine rotating, the flames died down and went out. Meanwhile the rest of the crew except the Pilot and myself were standing by the rear door ready to bale out. I looked for my parachute and couldn't find it. I asked the Bomb Aimer where it was, he said 'I've got it on.' I asked 'Where's yours?', he pointed to the Windscreen Deicing tank and it was wedged immovably between the tank and the cockpit floor. I couldn't have baled out.
We landed at Newmarket racecourse, without brakes. I cut the engines which slowedme down and got the undercarraige down using emergency air, the undercarraige collapsed on the starboard side tilting the aircraft over. We were able to get out. A cannon shell had missed the main fuel tank by an inch!
On the next flight I had flu and was in the sickbay, and all the crew went missing on the next flight.
I did another 22 Pathfinder trips afterwards, with my last on DDay with Company Wing Commander Joe Northrop as Master Bomber. We were only told it was DDay on return!
All my flights were on Lancasters. A great aircraft.
By Flt Lt Charles Earnshaw

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