大象传媒

This story by Bernard Halsall MC is submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Market Harborough Branch, Royal British Legion, in whose newsletter it appeared in July 1999. It has been added to the site with the author鈥檚 permission. Mr Halsall fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

A Scrap of Paper

Some 12 years ago (1987) I was able to visit the RAF Museum at Hendon, and a worthwhile visit it was. On leaving. The commissionaire asked me if I had enjoyed the visit, and I told him that I had, although the aircraft I most wished to see was not there. Without prompting he said, 鈥淵ou mean the Halifax鈥�. 鈥淣ot one remained that could be repaired鈥�, he said, 鈥渁lthough I believe they have found one in a fjord in Norway. But it will be difficult to salvage.鈥� I heard nothing more of the Halifax and presumed it had not been recovered.

Then, three months ago (1999), I received a letter that got me involved again personally with a Handley Page Halifax Bomber. The letter reported that the Halifax had been salvaged successfully - what remained of it after over 50 years at the bottom of the lake - and had been transferred at great expense to Trenton, Ontario. This task was undertaken by the Halifax Aircraft Association (H.A.A.) in Canada, which then set about reconstructing the plane. Scarce parts have been sought, manufactured or bought from many sources, but mainly from UK The project is due to be completed in 2001, and is to become a memorial to the 10,000 Canadians who lost their lives whilst flying a Halifax with Bomber Command.

The letter went on to say this particular aircraft was numbered NA 337 and had been delivered in March, 1945 to RAF 644 Squadron at Tarrant Rushton. Furthermore they had found that it had been used to pull a Hamilcar Glider on the Rhine Crossing (Operation Varsity) for its first operational flight. And the letter went on to say that the glider was one of twenty, each carrying a 17pdr A/T Gun, its lorry and crew. These twenty carried Chalk Nos. from 239 to 258. The Canadians were keen to find out the name of the Glider Pilot who was pulled by NA337. I looked up my old log book - my Chalk No. had been 248 - but there was no record of the name of the Tug Pilot.

I still have one or two contacts, and I put out appeals without much hope - it is all so long ago. Last week I received a sheaf of Photostats, none of which gave me the answer. But amongst them was one foolscap sheet, all hand written, obviously as events occurred, from the Control Tower, and headed 鈥淪pecial Mission - 24.3.45鈥�. It listed the Aircraft Flight Number, the Pilot鈥檚 name, take-off time (to the nearest second), ETA to target, Release time and return time to base.

There had been 38 Halifax and 36 Gliders lined up for take-off - 2 Halifax were 鈥渟pare鈥�. Each glider weighed just over 21 tons. Take-off was fixed for 0730 hrs. All tug engines would be fired by 0710 hrs - all 152 of them! - and the first 鈥渢rain鈥� is recorded on the sheet as 鈥淭ake-off 0719 hrs. By 0725 hrs, 05 seconds 16 trains were airborne, and the lift off was completed by 0739 hrs 50 seconds.

The Control Tower record sheet also included such entries as 鈥淭ug returned to base 0745/45 starboard outer U/S鈥�, 鈥淩eturned early with rope - no glider鈥�, 鈥淏urst tyre on landing鈥� and three 鈥淒id not Return鈥�. From all these entries I found P-X 337 was flown by F/O Turnbull, who pulled Chalk No. 253 - but no entry of any Glider Pilots鈥� names. (Incidentally, I found that I had been towed by A-V, Pilot Ft/Lt Johnson, and we were airborne at 0725.15).

As I read through this scrap of paper I was taken back the full 54 years to relive, once again, the excitement, and the tension, and the fear.

NA. 337 went missing returning from a successful dropping mission, code name Crop 17, on the mountain near Groe, 80 miles NE of Oslo. NA337 was hit by flak at the head of Lake Mjosa around 0130 hrs on Tuesday, 24th April, 1945. Only the Rear Gunner, F/Sgt Tom Weightman survived. The Pilot was F/Lt Alexander Turnbull, D.F.C. The crew lie buried in the War Cemetery at Lillehammer.

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