大象传媒

Dec 11th
Usual time up in the morning. Up to the flights, find we are down for our cross country take off 3pm. Did the usual DI. Collected food after lunch for the boys and got out 'R' Rodger. Seemed to have qyite a lot of hold ups lots of ground staff fellows working on it.
Airborne at last 3.30 climbed up to 22,000 only 37 deg. below but lovely and warm in our cabin. Stood and looked out of the astrodomethe sunset was really marvellous all the colours of the rainbow, and layers
of snowy clouds far below us looked like deep snow everywhere. Our route was from base, Upper Hanford, Wales, up the Irish Sea in between the Isle of Man and across Scotland down ro Doncaster then out to Winglet. We could not do our bombing as the R T packed up on us.
I sat down on a box, the plane was bouncing all over the place due to our flight just under the clouds. I couldn't fix the TX so we packed up and back to base, soon got down and then we dived into the sandwiches and tea.
After taking off flying clothes we all went down to the mess for supper, Jumped into bed about 10.30 pm.
Dec 12th
After breakfast we went up to the flights and did the usual DI. Took my boots in for repair, cleaned up the helmets and Mic's after yesterday's trip,oxygen always makes them wet with condensation etc.
After lunch finished oof the helmets and cycled down to the billet didi a spot of mending socks etc. Afternoon lecture over, back to tea at 4pm, and down to billet, played cards and so to bed.
Dec 13th
Met Bob and the others after breakfast, up to flights. We were down for fighter AF but after hanging about all morning vis too bad.
After lunch Bill, Frank, Phil and I went out to 'Y' our new plane, just gave her the once over, seems ok. After tea Bob rang up we go out to fly at 5.30pm practice bombing trip take off at 6.30 for about 2 hours Wainfleet range.
We used Vis Rdf for the first time, it seems wizard, Frank and Phil ok at Gunnery. Had supper and went to bed at 10pm.
Dec 14th
Awful morning, fog and frost walked out to 'Y' did the DI all the others did their stuff too. After lunch went back to the billet and mad up ye old stove and cleared up a bit. Phil caught his victim in a snare problems now how to cook the same. Lectures in the afternoon and back to the billet. After tea wrote a couple of letters, in the mean time Phil cleaned the rabbit and skinned it all ready for the pot, so on it goes. In bed about 10.30.
Dec 15th
Not too good again up to the flights did runners job to ops room and orderly room. Went out to 'Y' did a spot of cleaning up, as W/Commander had an inspection of all aircraft in the afternoon we buzzed around until 4.15. After tea Bob and Allan jopined us in a game of poker until 8pm. All went across to supper and back to bed at 10.30
Dec 16th
Better morning as regards weather, did the usual DI. Bob and Allan came up to 'Y' good news ops on.
Checked everything up ok, back to the flights for briefing low and behold Berlin for our first op!! Transport to the mess for the ops meal egg and bacon, bread and butter and coffee.
Bill, Loyd, and I dashed of(f) to change into long underwear. Phil collected coffee and orange, wew were transported all of us back to the crew room and final briefing then out to the aircraft with half an hour to go to zero.
All excted and engines revved up and down the taxi path with a full load of cookie and incendiaries nickels etc. Quite a crowd to cheer us off, then off we go 6.40pm, climbing up and up the the first snag Monica packs on one side.
I go back to check up and find the fuselage door open, the wind pressure was terrifc I can only just close the door but cannot fasten it, so back comes Bill with a piece of rope and ties up the door. I manage to get M on the go and everything seems grand with first contact with base. Next thing we are over the enemy coast near Amsterdam tons of cloud and some flak bursting, on to Berlin at about 21,000ft.
Not very cold we appear to be well on time and in the stream ok, in between Bremen and Hanover right on the markers and bang on track, lots of flares but cloud too thick for SL, up comes the target right on time.
Frank calls back on the intercom to say he trouble the oxygen feeling awful, Bob ashs him to to hang on till off the target if possible and on we go. Loyd espies the target margers and we fly level on to them and zump! Bombs gone!! Ok from Loyd. My thoguhts as I felt the floor of the aircraftjerk when the cookie went were take that one and those and share between you!
Faint call for help from Frank and lots of gurgles over the intercom, so Bob asked me to see what I could do for him. Armed with a potable bottle (ox) I went down the back with the aid of my torch. The back door was open about two inches and by jove the wind came through like a knife. I mangaged to open Frank's doors in his turret putting my hand and arm under his arm I stretched up and tried to break ice from his oxygen mask, | could see lots of flares and lights outside talk about November 5th!! Just then some tracer shots by us below and behind (luckily) Frank although almost out turned his turret in the direction of the tracer on the port beam, so I was trapped by my armin between the turret and the rear of the fuselage I felt scared because I only had 2mins left in my oxygen bottle, I struggled out after what semmed to be ages and then I dropped my torch and lost it make matters worse.
After what seemed an ages I plugges in my Oxygen tube to the elson spare and recovered my breath a bit it was hellish cold although it was only 25 degrees below on the guage.
I struggled back to my place forward and told Bob how hopeless things were with Frank (we were still well in the flack and flares area in fact a flare just wizzed by our tail a near thing for us)
Bob gave me a long oxygen tube (spare) and taking two or three potable bottles and another torch I went down to see Frank, he was just all out, I got his doors open again and pulled him flat on his back on the wooden plank (from his turret to the tail cross-member) then I pulled his oxygen mask off an plugged in the spare one on to the elsan oxygen point and popped the new mask on his face. After a bout 5 or 6 mins he began to flicker his eyes about and try to sit up but I made him lay still and told him to take his time then get back into his turret leaving the door open and still using the spare mask.
I then went up the front again and started to work agin. All this time we were getting away from Berlin and just missed Rostock and on to Denmark, across Denmark and out over the North sea lots of flack on the Danish coast but although Bob had come down several thousand feet to help Frank we dived through the barrage ok.
Frank gradually got back to normal exept his electrical suit did not work and he was very cold, we carried on until we got just off the coast nr Cromer cloud only 700 ft high se we kept it until we got back to base.
Base Gave us no 7 position and in we came to make a wizzard landing about 12 39 midnight, the ground crew cheered us in and we soon got down to breakfast after interrogation, we eventually got into bed at 2.45 am.
So ended our first operational trip, Bob had already had his baptism of fire before at Leipzig. Glad to say Frank soon felt better; but was quite sick due to rushing about, I think without oxygen etc.
Dec 17th
Foggy again, we got out of bed, 12-15, lunchtime and Loyd was actually awake first! Wonders will never cease! After lunch went out "Y" and cleaned her up inside and then Alan and I went into Lincoln to do some shopping; unfortunately by the time the bus came and we got to town the shops were already closing, we were unlucky.
We had some tea in Boots' cafe, it was quite nice, Welsh Rabbit and chips. Phil came in and we all went to the Ritz to see "Batann", which was quite a blood thirsty picture. Afterwards we just popped in for a quick drink and then met Frank before catching the bus, we all managed to climb on the bus at 10-15, it was always crowded, everyone trying to get on, it was terrible. We finally arrived back at camp around 11pm and fell into our beds.
Dec 18th
Thick fog again, no flying. Did the usual D I on "Y", checked all the helmets and had a look at the results of the raid. Quite a good concentration on the target, although we lost 30 bombers in the process. Our photograph was quite good, another Lanc was flying quite a long way below us and it came out pretty good in the photo.
It rained like blazers in the afternoon, came down form the flights at about 3pm. We all played cards for the rest of the afternoon and then about 5pm, Phil, Bill and I scrounged off to the mess. We managed to get a good supply of bread and butter and piping hot tea for our flasks by the time we arrived back at the billet. Loyd supplied us a spread from out of his Canadian parcels, smashing, we had toast and sardines and there was spam aplenty. We finished it all off with a wizard fruit cake, stiff with fruit and nuts.
We continued to play cards until 10 o'clock and I had amassed the princely sum of six shillings before we had finished. The weather has been awful this evening, wet and windy. I wonder whether it will be ops tomorrow? Our passes have all gone in to the orderly room, ready for our leave. So, off to bed.
Dec 19th
Fine morning but very cold. Went up to the flights and did the usual DI. Fixed up to go to Waddington, stopped for an early snack before boarding the 12-30 bus to Waddington. I had a very nice lunch in the Sergeants' mess and then on to pay parade at 2pm (Lord Nuffield 5/- perday whilst on leave) just what the doctor ordered! And two weeks pay! Caught the bus back to camp, had tea, met Bob, Alan and Frank and off we went to Southwold, roughly a two hour trip and we arrived at approximately 7-30. We got back in the mess for supper and then on to the billets for bed.
PPS...Did manage to ring Audrey from Waddington and when I got back a letter from her was waiting for me in the mess with the news about Brown being killed.
Dec 20th
Up to the flights, very cold strong wind, did the usual DI in "Y". Rumour circulating that ops were on. Complete panic, ops are on, rush to check everything and then down for lunch. Briefing at 12-45 and then we had bacon and eggs before we went back down to site for change underwear. Back for business, Frankfurt the target! Early take-off, all out to "Y" in good time. We have 13000lbs of destruction on board, 1 cookie, 4x 1000lbs and the rest incendiaries. Take-off okay, what a relief to get off the deck, gained height and set off.
Had some bad luck, three or four minutes had passed when the inner engine started bumping, M and G very jumpy so Bob decided couldnt go any further. Out to sea, jettisoned the bombs and bought back the incendiaries. Turned round, heading back towards port all the time loosing height rapidly. Landed early. We then had supper and got ready for leave. We heard that Frank was grounded by the MO, so we had young Chapman in the rear turret (his 19th op). We were very disappointed, although it was better than pranging over there. Leave tomorrow, we hope. 12-30, bed.

DECEMBER 20TH WAS THE LAST DATE RECORDED IN DAD'S DIARY.

He then went on leave. After his leave he completed 7 more operations. The first two were taken from his log book, the remaining five were taken from squadron records;
1-1-44 OPS Berlin
2-1-44 OPS Berlin
5-1-44 OPS Stettin
14-1-44 OPS Brunswick
20-1-44 OPS Berlin
21-1-44 OPS Magderburg
27-1-44 OPS Berlin Failed to Return*

A COPY OF A DIARY OF 1578273 SGT BERNARD CLARK RAFVR WOP/AG 61 SQUADRON, WHO WAS A CREW MEMBER OF LANCASTER DV400 QR-Y

CREW OF LANCASTER

F/O R.A.West (Bob) Pilot
F/Sgt A.P.Brander (Phil) AUS Air Gunner
P/O F.Langley (Frank) Air Gunner
F/O A.V.Beetch (Allen) Navigator
F/Sgt L.W.Cumming (Loyd) CAN Bomb Aimer
Sgt B.Clark (Bernard) Wireless Operator
Sgt W.Warburton (Bill) Flight Engineer

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.