| |
| |
Lancaster ME703 pictured at Elsham Wolds after crash landing. Note the rear turret which has been almost shot away, the damage to the elevators and the fuselage floor and the collapsed starboard undercarriage.
| ||||
A close up of the remains of the rear turret. | ||||
| | | | |
Soon after, the Lancaster was again subjected to another determined attack by a Ju 88 and further damage was sustained by the Lancaster. The flight engineer went to inspect the damage at the rear of the aircraft and, through a hole in the fuselage, was able to see the remains of the rear turret barely recognisable and hanging as if by a thread. The fire in the fuselage was helped by the tremendous draught from the inrush of air through the hole in the fuselage floor but Sgt Taylor was able to put out the flames by using an extinguisher. The wireless operator, F/O Hallows had, by this time, patched up his set and distress signals were sent out. Once back across the English Channel a fighter station was contacted and asked to prepare for a crash landing but the Lancaster seemed to be flying reasonably well by this time and P/O Reed decided to continue the flight and try and reach his base at Elsham Wolds. On arrival P/O Reed was strapped in and he ordered his crew to take up their crash positions. As the Lancaster touched down the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed and the bomber swung off the runway, skidding sideways and coming to a standstill with smoke coming from one of it's engines. Thefive remaining crew members evacuated the aircraft safely thankful that they had survived such a difficult mission. For their courage and resourceful actions during that night each of the five received gallantry awards. P/O Reed was awarded the DSO, F/O Murphy and F/O Hallows each received the DFC and F/S Saruk and Sgt Taylor each received the DFM. The rear gunner, Sgt Hodson, was later buried at Stafford Cemetery, Staffordshire, England. Their Lancaster was damaged beyond repair and written off. In spite of their ordeal the crew were back on operations seven nights later taking part in a raid on Dieppe. Their new mid upper gunner was Sgt Stanley Stuart Greenwood RAFVR from Ambleside, Westmoreland, England and their new rear gunner was Flight Lieutenant Farnham Hill RAFVR OBE DFC who it is believed came from Wales. F/L Hill was a highly experienced gunner and the Squadron Gunnery Leader and was an extremely well respected and a popular member of the Squadron. This crew flew two further mining operations to the Heligoland Bight and Kiel Harbour in the next seven days. On the 22/23rd May 1944, they were detailed to fly on a mission to Dortmund. F/L Hill was due to have been replaced on this operation by an experienced Canadian rear gunner whose crew had just completed their second tour. F/L Hill agreed to fly one more operation with P/O Reed so that his replacement could have a celebratory drink that night with his old crew. Sadly F/L Hill's generous gesture was to prove fatal for him as P/O Reed and his crew were shot down and all on board were killed. Their Lancaster, ME 687, crashed at Hindingsel, a small village near Dulmen, and this excellent crew were subsequently buried locally and later exhumed and now rest at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Acknowledgements | |
| |
