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This contribution to WW2 People’s War was received by the Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Norfolk. The story has been written and submitted to the website by Tim Edwards (Volunteer Story Gatherer) with the full permission and on behalf of Mr Neville E G Donmall.

This first part of my story takes in the incidents that led me into the dark heart of German advancement during late 1944 and into the Big Push of ‘45 that was to signal the end of the German hold over Europe.

I was a soldier who had fought in the South Americas at Montevideo and ended up at a table with General Patton as he fought through the Rhineland.
I was an RAF flier who was shot down by a Junker 88 over enemy-held Trier on the Moselle River.
A man apparently cornered by the enemy in a snow covered landscape of minefields and pillboxes.

In mid December, 1944, I was flying on ops with a crew of eight in a Halifax LK-Y from 578 Squadron, No.4 Group RAF, based at Burn near Selby in Yorkshire. Squadron briefing on 22nd December was shortly after midday and we were informed that the target for that night was the Bingen Marshalling Yards, positioned on the Rhine some 30 miles southwest of Frankfurt.

One Hundred and Six aircraft were deployed upon the raid; 90 Halifax’s, 14 Lancaster’s and 2 Mosquito’s. I later learned that 2 Halifax’s and 1 Lancaster had failed to return.

Halifax LK-Y was airborne at 1611 hours climbing to 18,000ft on a cold sleeting December evening. We cleared cloud at 17,000ft on a southerly course from Southampton. Leaving our coast behind we were soon over eastern France where the cloud started to break. Some fifty miles from the target it was down to only five tenths cloud.

Our flight to Bingen was fairly uneventful, with moderate flack in places. There was also some moderate flack over the target area. Target indicator markers went down on time and the main force was assembled over the marshalling yards within 7 minutes. On the run in we could see the Rhine and the target clearly, and our bombs went directly down on the aiming point.

After clearing the target area we turned south for about ten miles, and then we set course for Southampton. Having passed Bad Kreuznach on the new heading of 280 degrees, our gunners reported a Junkers 88 on our tail and prepared to attack. The JU88 and mid-upper and rear gunners opened fire simultaneously. Both gunners reported hits on the JU88, which dived away beneath us. They also reported minor damage to our tail plane and fuselage. A few minutes later the mid-under gunner reported the JU88 was attacking from beneath us. As we returned fire, our aircraft shuddered as hits were registered on our starboard wing. Flames appeared near the petrol tank, and our pilot ordered the crew to bail out, all crew members acknowledged the call.

Lifting my seat I clipped on my parachute and released the Escape Hatch beneath my feet. Positioning myself on the edge of the escape exit I bailed out at 17,000 feet. I recollect counting up to three and pulling the ripcord, but remembered nothing more until I found myself swinging beneath the parachute, with my jaw hurting and feeling a little sick. I must have been in a prone position where the chest-type chute deployed, for it had hit my chin and knocked me out.

I started to look for the ground but couldn’t see it, due either to cloud or fog. A short while later I hit the ground with a hell of a wallop, once again hitting my chin, this time with my knee. Luckily I landed in a foot or so of snow, which somewhat reduced the full impact of my landing. I got up and rolled my ‘chute. I got out my compass, got a westerly heading, then carrying my ‘chute over my arm, I set off at a run. I knew how imperative it was for me to clear the area before the Germans found me.

I discovered I had landed in some hills. I kept running until I came to the shelter of a wood, I stopped as I entered, and looked back. I could see my tracks were showing in the snow, but as it was once again snowing my tracks would soon be covered. A few hundred yards inside the wood the snow was barely six inches deep, and travelling was much easier. I sat down for a rest, as I needed it after a strenuous run for a considerable time. After my rest I started to think about getting rid of my parachute, Sutton harness and lifejacket. I did not want to leave it on my track so I walked to the south side of the wood, and on the edge came upon a large snowdrift. I dug into the base of this, pushed my Sutton harness in and my lifejacket. With my Scout’s knife, which was strapped to my leg, I cut a number of panels from the parachute. These I wanted to wrap around my body to keep me warmer. The temperature was 10-12 degrees below zero, it was extremely cold. I cut a branch from a fir tree to brush out my footprints as I returned to my resting place. From this position I continued running in a westerly direction through the white wood. Eventually I was once again out in deep snow and still appeared to be climbing up the hills.

Dawn was approaching and I would have to find a hiding place, when I came across a small country road. On the far side were a copse and a slit-trench. I went inside the copse, collecting a number of branches, which I laid across the trench. Over this I laid the parachute panels and scattered snow across these, then brushing away my tracks I clambered into the trench under the shelter and pushed the snow out to the edge thus forming a wall, which stopped the icy wind and kept me out of view. I curled up and tried to get some sleep.

The cold must have woken me about an hour later. It was light outside, I thought about taking a look when I heard a horse and cart pass by. I knew there were at least two people on it as I could hear them talking, so I decided not to emerge until I was ready to leave the area.

I checked my escape pack which included Horlicks tablets, water bag, water purifying tablet, razor, soap, needle and cotton, small compass, silk escape map, Benzedrine tablets and foreign currency. To keep my hands warm I pulled my sweater sleeves down and sewed it between my fingers, thus forming mittens. I put snow inside the water bag and placed this inside my battledress to melt. I spread out the silk map and began to work out my approximate position, and to make a decision which way to travel to get clear of Germany. The nearest country was Luxembourg and I was this side of the Moselle River, which I would have to cross. I worked out that my heading would take me near to Trier. I stayed in the trench all day, sleeping fitfully, being disturbed every so often by farm vehicles and the extreme cold.

As soon as it was dark I climbed out and collapsed my hide into the trench, re-wrapped the ‘chute around me and started walking along the road. After about an hour I came across a small village. Warily, I was about to pass through when, in the darkness ahead, someone lit a cigarette. I detoured well around the village and vowed to keep clear of habitation whenever possible.

After a long spell of walking and climbing higher into the hills, I came across a large wood on a ridge of high ground. As I was about to enter I could see a stout stick propped against a pine-tree, which I thought would help me along the way. I eventually emerged from the wood - the ground suddenly dropped away to a valley below - the ridge was now in a south-westerly direction. I continued along the ridge on the edge of the wood. I began to feel tired so decided to have a rest. I sat down with my back to a large tree and had a couple of Horlicks tablets and a glucose sweet, of which I had about a dozen in my pocket and a drink of water. I then refilled my water bag with more snow which I was constantly doing. Whilst resting, I kept on hearing what I thought was the pat-pat of snow falling from trees, but then I noticed, with some trepidation, a ring of eyes surrounding me. I picked up the heavy stick and charged at the animals, they scattered in all directions, but appeared to be Alsatian type dogs, probably turned loose by their owners due to rationing, or military police dogs, which may have escaped due to bombing. I didn't think it wise to stay in the area any longer so I left the wood and went to the valley below.

I now appeared to be in farmland with the odd small farmhouse scattered around. Keeping on a westerly heading eventually I came to a railway line running north- south. It was getting near to first light and I needed to find another hiding place. I climbed over the embankment of the railway line and to the south of me on the far side was a line of hedges covered with a canopy of snow, top and sides, which I thought would make a good hiding place from view and wind. I went along the bottom of the embankment until I came across a small hole in the hedge, and crawled inside; curling up my body I went to sleep. I awoke with a start when I heard a man pushing his bike along the field within a couple of yards of me. I froze until he had moved on. Later on I heard a train coming along the railway line. Nothing disturbed me for the rest of the day, so I slept fitfully. Time dragged - one hour seeming like three. Eventually it was dusk, and once again I prepared to move on.

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