Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - RAF Aircrew POW DIARY 1944 (SHOT DOWN) (A Fascinating Insight)

Here is a typed version of the diary as it is difficult to read in parts on the images above

MY CREW

Our Crew was good, fairly experienced and what is even more important, we were good pals and worked well together. Hugh Wallis, our Pilot, was a Flying Officer, He hailed from Gloucestershire, was unmarried and a splendid pilot. Alan Pardoe, our Bombardier was a Flight Sergeant and a native of Wales. Alan was married on our previous leave at Christmas. He was a comparative newcomer to the Crew having taken the place of “Ginger Holbrook” after he was grounded. Jock Preston our Engineer came from Glasgow, was married and had been with us several months. Kens Sims was our W/OP and at the same time the Jester of the Crew. A constant source of amusement, he was the son of a Policeman and lived in Lee. Ken was a Flt Sgt & was expecting to be Commissioned in the near future. Dave Brewer from St Albans was our Mid Upper Gunner. He joined the Air force at the age of seventeen and was very keen on his job. Harry (Eric) Bremner was our Rear Gunner & was from Australia, a very quiet steady fellow, he was madly in love with an Australian girl. On the same night that we were shot down Harry had been granted a Commission

http://www.militarytrader.co.uk/foru...c/progress.gif 20th February 1944 SHOT DOWN

In the very early hours of Feb 20th 1944 the seven of us in aircraft F (Fox) set out for Germany. It became fairly obvious shortly after crossing into enemy territory that we were in for a warm reception. Twice within the first hour we managed to evade attacking enemy aircraft. Shortly after passing North of Hannover we really did run into trouble. Without any warning whatsoever, we were hit. I heard the loud cough of canon shells above the engine roar and felt the jar as they hit the aircraft. Alan’s voice came over the Comm “Sorry Wally I didn’t see that one” . I looked out of the cabin & saw that the two Starboard engines wee on fire. Meanwhile Wally was taking evasive action and all this happened in the same instance and was followed by one of the Gunners shouting “He’s coming in again”. The next second we were in lames all over with all four engines, wings & bomb bays being ablaze… to my knowledge. The inside of the aircraft was lit with the horrid glare of the flames and there was a sickly stench of burning glycol. Wally immediately gave the order to bail out and at the same time the aircraft went into a steep dive. I clipped on my chute, removed my helmet and went forward behind Jock with Ken behind me. Wally was in his seat and it was obvious that the controls had been shot away. He shouted to me to pass his chute to him, which I did and he slipped it on. Meanwhile Alan was having great difficulty in opening the Escape Hatch. He had not got his chute on and was sitting astride the Bomb Sight trying to get the hatch open, but without success. All this happened within a few seconds of the first attack and by this time the plane was diving at an angle of about sixty degrees, the force & spin pinning me to the sides. Wally signalled to Jock to jump in the hatch. He did this and the hatch fell away leaving Jock jammed in the escape opening. He was struggling to force his way out but the centrifugal force was so great that he couldn’t move. I managed to get my weight on top of him and he finally went through the opening leaving me with my head outside the aircraft and the rest of my body inside. I couldn’t move an inch anyway and then things became hazy. I remember thinking I ma about to die and also realised that the aircraft was spinning. Then there was a terrible jar and I seemed to see a white hot engine flash past my eyes. My mind told me we must have hit the ground and I was dead. The next second I regained my faculties somewhat and realised that I was in the air and the wreckage of my plane was falling away from me. Apparently the petrol tanks have exploded. I grabbed the handle of my chute & pulled, the handle came away alright but the chute did not open. I immediately tore up the pack with my hands and d the next moment I was floating in mid air. At the same instant the wreckage of the aircraft hit the ground below me and the bombs exploded. My clothing was smouldering several places, but that soon ceased. I noticed that my feet were horribly cold and when I looked down I saw that my flying boots had been ripped or blown completely off and that only my leggings remained. I was in a terribly dazed condition but remember entering cloud for a second or two and then being dragged across the top of trees. I then went crashing through them and my chute caught in the top branches. I was only about 200 yards away from the wreckage of the plane and when I was able to collect my wits about me I found that I was suspended in my harness between two large fur trees, the trunks of which were too far away for me to reach whist the ground was thirty feet below me. I tried swinging towards the trunk but each time I did mange to get moving the chute slipped a little more from the branches which were holding it. I was terribly uncomfortable in my harness, the release gear having worked its way up just below my chin. I tried to climb up the lines of the chute but without success and was thinking of realising myself and just dropping when I heard voices. It was a German Patrol & having discovered me, and even in my predicament sent somebody to fetch a rope.

At length it arrived and after several unsuccessful attempt they succeeded in throwing it to me. I grabbed hold of it as well as I could and they pulled me across towards one of the tree trunks. I was just reaching out to grasp it when the branches holding snapped , and I fell. Fortunately I could not see where I was going to hit and consequently my body must have been relaxed when I struck otherwise I feel sure I would have been seriously injured on the hard frozen ground. I hit the ground and was conscious of an awful pain shooting up my back and I then lost consciousness. When I came to I was in enemy hands

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