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 came into the mess one day and saw this wee insignificant Warrant Officer Pilot standing at the bar, and he and I had a drink, we continued and may have had one or two more. He said during our conversation, 鈥淚鈥檓 looking for an engineer, I鈥檓 going back.鈥� (Returning to flying bombing missions). He had already carried out 39 trips in the Middle East. We had a further libation or two and at one stage I said I would go back with him. He said that was OK and he would go and have a word with the WinC (Wing Commander) in the morning. I got up the next morning and didn鈥檛 quite remember exactly what had happened. The wee Warrant Officer Pilot came to me the next morning and said he had had a word with the WinC who had OK鈥檇 my return to missions with the W.O. Pilot. That was the start of my second tour. We started our trips on Sterlings and then went to Feltwell to finish on Lancesters; but Wireless Operator Gamble whom I had previously flown with, was at Feltwell and expressed some amazement at my return to take on a second tour; especially going back with a 鈥楽prog鈥� crew, who had never been over Germany in their life, apart from the Pilot. Wireless Operator Gamble said that yes, he was going back, but at least he was going back with a seasoned crew who had flown over Germany before, they were all intelligent officers who had been to Germany before. The next time I met Wireless Operator Gamble was in 1945 and he told me that he went up with his new crew on his first mission, they never even got the bomb doors open, when they were shot down, and he was taken Prisoner of War. So much for his telling me I was stupid for going with a 鈥榮prog鈥� crew. Gamble had to walk the long march when the war was almost finished; he was in one of those long treks where the Prisoners of War were moved in retreat as the Allied armies advanced. He was on the road for weeks and weeks, walking.

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