大象传媒

In October 1944, I was a Flight Engineer in Australian Bruce Simms' crew when we joined 462 Squadron (RAAF) in 4 group at Driffield, Yorkshire, flying the Halifax Mark III with Bristol Hercules radial engines. We were there until the end of the year when the Squadron transferred to Foulsham, near Norwich, into 100 Group (Radio Countermeasures) and I remained there until the Squadron was disbanded in September 1945.

By April 1945 we were one of the senior crews and we were down to fly on the night of the 16th, with a very late take-off. By tea time the navigators had been briefed and ours joined us saying, "Do you know where we are going tonight? Prague!" Prague, the capital of Czecho Slovakia, and that sounded an awfully long way. So, what did we do in the meantime? We all went to the camp cinema, then down to briefing. At that stage of the war our army was into Germany and the Russians were closing in on the Eastern front so, in the event of any trouble, we were given a Union Jack badge with a Russia phrase saying that we were English, to pin on our battledresses. The red tape route markers were up on the wall map, mainly around the Nuremberg area as I recall. But one tape went horizontally right across the map to the extreme right hand edge, the vertical border actually bulging out a litte to include Prague. The other crews were briefed first as to their night's operation and then we were told officially that, not only were we going to Prague as a diversionary attack, but that we were the only crew from the Squadron going there. We would be in a force of only 22 aircraft from 100 Group carrying various radar and radio jamming equipment.

As this was announced, I always remember that a navigator from another crew, seated further along the row, pointed his finger at us and had a silent hoot of derision on his face. We all looked back saying "Yes we know". Tragically, he did not come back. And by another twist of fate, his Flight Engineer had gone sick with a heavy cold and another Engineer took his place.

We asked about defences at Prague but the only information we were given was that they had rarely been tested. So, off we went at about 11pm. In addition to our usual 1800 gallons of petrol in the wing tanks, two thirds of the bomb bay was taken up by two 230 gallon overload tanks. (Four engined bombers flew about one mile to the gallon). The remaining space was taken up with marker flares - we carried no bombs - in order to simulate an impending raid. (For many months past, the Pathfinder Force would always mark a target with flares to give the following bomb carrying planes an aiming point). Our "Spare Bod" - the Window Operator (and an extra member to the normal seven man crew) was down the back of the aircraft with his bundles of "Window" - metallized paper strips, which he dropped out at a regular rate, through an extra chute in the floor from a specific point on the journey, before we reached Prague. This "cloud" of floating metal produced a response on the enemy radar screen very similar to that of an aircraft and, it was hoped that we would be plotted as a much larger force than we actually were. This would confuse them into having to decide which was the real raid and where to send night fighters.

My main task was calculating petrol consumption and, twice during the flight it was necessary to transfer fuel from the overload tanks to the wing tanks by means of the electric pumps fitted to them. We turned at Prague after releasing our flares with no opposition from the defences. Then began the long haul back and the trip was uneventful. The gunners watched the dawn break behind them as we flew across Germany and France. The sun was shining as we entered the circuit to land back at base - no waiting this time as the rest of the squadron had been back hours before. Touching down about 7am it had been an 8 hour trip. Just in time for breakfast and not feeling tired - but in fact we were, because after climbing into bed, we knew nothing more until teatime.

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