Look what I found!
Discussion
Fotic said:
No one is any the wiser without googling.
Depends what books you read 
Though to be fair at first I thought it was the Martin Baker ejection seat thing, not just all parachutes.
There's also the Guinea Pig Club for burns survivors, dating from McIndoe, an early plastic surgeon.
(I suppose if you were really unlucky you got to join both...)
Glad too see most of you are aware of what they are 
Some bullets of the story are...
- Lancaster over Hamburg (nighttime), shot down.
- Bailed out, only to be collected by the place due to it's spiral, bailed again.
- One other crew member survived.
- Landed in farmers field, shot by farmer.
- Kept locked up by the father for 2 days before being handed over to German forces. Note - postwar, investigated proceeding with war crimes charges. The paperwork from the relevant ministry and other departments show this. (They had bigger fish to fry ).
- End up is Gross Tychow and the associated death marches towards the end of the war. (There are stories and Red Cross reports on the net about bayoneting which you might like to read). there was talk of being involved in a tunnel that got discovered, but I have nothing to substantiate this. Although I've been reminded by my grandmother that 'it was your to hassle the enemy and escape so you could fight again'.
-At some point did a runner and got back to the UK (however refuses to say how).
Turned up at my grandmothers a few days before VE day, they didn't know if he was dead or alive before that.
Married 2 week's later, a local hotel only helped because he was a POW.
All the paperwork is fascinating.
Some bullets of the story are...
- Lancaster over Hamburg (nighttime), shot down.
- Bailed out, only to be collected by the place due to it's spiral, bailed again.
- One other crew member survived.
- Landed in farmers field, shot by farmer.
- Kept locked up by the father for 2 days before being handed over to German forces. Note - postwar, investigated proceeding with war crimes charges. The paperwork from the relevant ministry and other departments show this. (They had bigger fish to fry ).
- End up is Gross Tychow and the associated death marches towards the end of the war. (There are stories and Red Cross reports on the net about bayoneting which you might like to read). there was talk of being involved in a tunnel that got discovered, but I have nothing to substantiate this. Although I've been reminded by my grandmother that 'it was your to hassle the enemy and escape so you could fight again'.
-At some point did a runner and got back to the UK (however refuses to say how).
Turned up at my grandmothers a few days before VE day, they didn't know if he was dead or alive before that.
Married 2 week's later, a local hotel only helped because he was a POW.
All the paperwork is fascinating.
Edited by TokyoSexwhale on Sunday 15th June 09:57
Edited by TokyoSexwhale on Sunday 15th June 09:58
We've got one, never actually seen it so thanks for the photo!
Grandfather was navigator on a Stirling, shot down doing a supply/ammo drop to the resistance and was the only survivor. Landed near a French farmhouse who happily took him in and subsequently escaped across to Spain. I believe we also have his fake French papers. I believe this was c.1942
My parents have maintained strong links with the area where he landed and have met people who reputedly have chunks of his plane, as well as a man from the farmhouse who sat on my grandfather's lap as a baby the night he was shot down.
Grandfather was navigator on a Stirling, shot down doing a supply/ammo drop to the resistance and was the only survivor. Landed near a French farmhouse who happily took him in and subsequently escaped across to Spain. I believe we also have his fake French papers. I believe this was c.1942
My parents have maintained strong links with the area where he landed and have met people who reputedly have chunks of his plane, as well as a man from the farmhouse who sat on my grandfather's lap as a baby the night he was shot down.
Some years ago I read a book called, Into The Silk. It gave fascinating stories and details of aircrew bailing out, here`s a link for those interested. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Silk-Ian-Mackersey/dp...
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