大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer on behalf of Pilot Officer John A. Martin DFC (retired) Larne, N. Ireland and been added to the site with his permission. Mr Martin understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I always said my second tour which was between 1944 - 45 was like flying 28 cross country鈥檚. It was like flying from A to B and back. They were all daylight raids. We saw the odd bit of flack coming up towards us, but we were never hit. We had a fighter escort nearly all the route to the targets when we were going out. Our task during the second tour was to support the advancing army, by breaking up the towns ahead of the army arrival in Germany. Towards the end of the war, because we were a second tour crew, we were always led the attacks. We led the 165 aircraft when they were going out on a raid. We carried the 鈥榖lock buster bomb鈥�, it was one big bomb. When we dropped the bomb, because it was so heavy, our aircraft actually rose in the air. I think it weighed about 1200 lbs. At the end of our second tour, Red Hills and I were awarded the DFC. I had flown a total of 56 bombing missions. The citations says, 鈥淔or action against heavily defended targets.鈥� I heard the news of the award when I was reading the Flight Magazine one night in the Officers Mess, and read, 鈥淔 Hills DFC and JA Martin DFC鈥�. I was totally amazed that I had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, that was the first time I had heard of the award. I received a letter from the King, King George VI.

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