´óÏó´«Ã½

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jenny Christian of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library in conjunction with ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Norfolk on behalf of Douglas Smith and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My name is Douglas Smith (Flight Lieutenant retired) ex RAF and ex Bomber Command Air crew member, a War veteran now and aged 83. We had the 60th Anniversary of the D day landings in Normandy, where a number of Vets shared their experiences, but alas 60 years have gone by and I should like my experiences to be shared, however humble they may seem, to be recorded in history and for future generations to enjoy.

In 1940 I volunteered to join the RAF to become a member of Aircrew and was selected to become a Wireless operator/ Air gunner to attend Signals School and Gunnery School and having passed those tests I started flying in July 1942 to put the schooling into practice.

In Oct 1942 I was posted to an Operation Training Unit at Abingdon where we formed as a crew. We were flying the Whitley 2 engine Bomber during our training, my Pilot was a Sgt. Hickman; this training lasted until Jan 1943. We then had to attend a Conversion Unit to fly four engine Halifax's as the Whitley was a twin engine bomber, this course was completed April 1943.

On April 4th 1943 we were posted to 76 Squadron at Linton on Ouse for operational duties and on April 20th undertook our first raid on Germany, the destination was over a 9 hour trip. The next four trips were to the Ruhr area, this was known as the Battle of the Ruhr, which was Germany's centre of industry and heavily defended. During the battle Germany put in an extra 30,000 ack ack guns as well as numerous search lights, Bomber Command lost a lot of crews. As well as the guns, the German fighter planes were very active and if you got caught in the Master searchlight you were doomed. We as bomber crews never had fighter protection on any of our night bombing raids and our own squadron losses were heavy. This was brought home to you when next day there would be empty beds in your billet, but at no time did you ever think this could happen to you. The crew you were part of became like a family as even in your leisure time you would be together, you seemed to do everything together.

The month of May 1943 was to become the most tragic time of my career in the RAF. I became ill with a sore throat infection and had to be admitted to hospital. I do not remember how long I was in hospital – maybe two weeks, but when I recovered I returned back to 76 Squadron. Then flying out of Holme-on- Spalding Moor in Yorkshire, to find that my crew had been shot down over Hanover and all of them killed.

In September 1943 I had to join another crew and it was back to operations once again, bombing Munich, Mannhiem; October Kassel, Frankfurt, Hanover; December Leipzig; In 1944, Berlin twice in January also Magdeburg and in July Bourg Leopold.

On June 1st 1944 we bombed Cherbourg and on D Day June 6th we took off 0230, bombed Mont Fluery and later that same day at 22.35 St. Lo. On June 24th we bombed Noyelle –en- Chausec, this was a daylight raid on a German rocket site.

In July 1944 I joined 158 Squadron at Lissett in Yorkshire. On July 7th we bombed Ascatilliers, and on the 24th of the same month we bombed Stuttgart, on the way home we were pursued by German night fighter planes. We shot down 2 enemy planes; my Pilot at that time was F/O Mc Adam. I met up with him about 4 years ago living outside Perth in Scotland.
Also in July 1944 we bombed Pas de Calais (Foret de Nieppe) and Battle "G" area in Normandy followed in August by daylight raids including on Brest and Hamburg. September 1944 was to see the end of my operational flying career, although that month we bombed Le Havre three days running, also Kiel and Dusseldorf.
November 1944 I became an instructor in 19 Operational Training Unit based at Kinloss in Scotland, the posting lasted until March 1945 as we were using the old Wellington bomber for training routines.

It has been difficult to go back 60 odd years and to recall everything that happened, we were not allowed to keep diaries or carry anything that might be of interest to the enemy, but unless you were involved in those bombing campaigns in the 1940's one would never realise how many lads lost there lives, so many in their early 20's, the odds against you completing a tour of operations was very high. The memory with my generation can play tricks these days, but, I hope I have been able to accurately recall some of the events and operations in which I partook during those years and about which I lived to tell the tale.

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