RAF Bomber crewmen- Canibalism at sea?

[kaki3152]

Lately, I've been re-reading "To War in a Stringbag" by Comdr. Charles Lamb, which is great read. Commander Lamb flew Swordish torpedo bombers from the beginning of the war, with personal accounts of missions from Malta, Taranto, the sinking of HMS Courageous , and other such great stories. Highly recommended. Cheap to find in paperback ($5~)

During the time, Cmdr Lamb was interned in French North Africa, he reported that three members of a ditched RAF bomber arrived at the French internment center at Laghouat, Algeria. The fourth member of the crew, the pilot, was not among them. The following is a direct quote from the book [p. 304];

"When only three of a bomber's crew of four arrived [at Laghouat], after nearly three weeks afloat in a dinghy. I was allowed to visit them in hospital on their first day...their survival was a miracle and I asked them what had happened to their pilot. The three men were all from the Commonwealth and were the aircraft's navigator, wireless operator and gunner. They admitted that there had been a difference of opinion between them and the pilot. They had stopped at Gibraltar for temporary repairs and the crew thought the repairs were inadequate and tried to prevent the pilot from taking off again. When they came down in the sea ,rather naturally they blamed the pilot.
'He died in the dinghy' said the navigator uneasily
'You buried him at sea' I asked, and there was a long silence, and the was a haggard face looked at me from a pillow through hollow eyes.
'We ate the bastard!' he groaned, closing his eyes as though the picture filled him with pain.
Later, they when had recovered and were out of the hospital , they tried to retract their statements and said they were joking
'Nobody confesses to cannibalism ,even in jest' I said and there was a long period of silence ,which was an admission of guilt on their part."

I have Bomber ME Bomber Losses and will look for a possible match.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

l'll leave you to make the running on this most distasteful subject. The incident is probably that which occurred on 20 January, 1942 (BLME1/120).

https://static.awm.gov.au/images/col...25_019--1-.pdf (see p.172 of 535). Usual Storr errors.

Col.

[kaki3152]

Thanks Col. I realize this may be a distasteful subject, but it may be to some people's taste (:-) I have a book on the French frigate Méduse , which makes for some grim reading.

I also came to the conclusion it was the January 20,1942 incident involving Wellington II Z8504,after looking through "RAF Bomber Losses in the ME."

The notes read as following:" Took off Portreath for Gibraltar but ditched after an engine failed. After eight days in an dinghy, the survivors were washed ashore about 45 km East of Mostagnem, French Morocco. The dead are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The others were released from internment in November 1942. "

I have enclosed a file with the info from Storr (RAAF crewmen).