Transcript of De-brief Interview with Fl. Lt. D. Far c/o a/c no.23 314 Sqn RAF Wyton, Cambs. Interviewing Officer Lt. S. Clingholme Intelligence Branch RAF.
Time 06.55 Date 4 Oct 1943.
CLINGHOLME: You look like you could use a cigarette young man.
FARR: Don’t mind if I do Sir, thanks, can you light it up old boy, fingers are ruddy freezing still.
CLINGHOLME: Light it yourself, here.
FARR: (eventually) Thanks …
CLINGHOLME: So what happened to your Radio Oppo?
FARR: Poor old Chalky, he’ll never fly again. Nerves gave way, he’s a gibbering wreck. We were bounced from behind and below as we crossed the Zuijder Zee in Holland. The Hun only got 2 hits on us before we drove him off, but a cannon shell came up through the fuselage, struck the main spar, where luckily most of its energy was spent, and ricocheted around the bomb bay in a shower of sparks, and landed at Chalky’s feet.
CLINGHOLME: Good God!
FARR: I thought it was a woman screaming Sir, I can hear it yet. It was Chalky, he saw the sparks in the bomb bay and thought we were gone. The Nav managed to get to him and slap him shut, shook him up a bit too. That was the only incident until we approached Berlin, then it was all the fun of the fair. On the approach we were jumped again. In fact every attack tonight took us by surprise, despite the good visibility. We’ll have to feed those gunners more carrots! Well that Hun knocked a few holes in us but done no serious damage. Mid-upper gave him a blasting though, swore he saw him going down.
CLINGHOLME: That’s odd, no one else seen any Jerries going down in that area.
FARR: Aren’t you giving him then?
CLINGHOLME: If I can get it corroborated.
FARR: You never gave him that last one he downed either.
CLINGHOLME: Look son, you know the rules, I need another signed statement to confirm it.
FARR: Have you been to Berlin Sir?
CLINGHOLME: That’s enough sonny, stick to the ruddy de-brief ok.
FARR: Ok Sir, just a bit frazzled, we counted 24 shell hits when we landed.
CLINGHOLME: What happened over Berlin.
FARR: The raid was in full swing when we arrived, I could see for miles, spotted the target greens no problem but we were picked up by a flipping searchlight on the run in from the IP. Well that was Chalky’s queue to start that God awful screaming again. No sooner had that happened and we were jumped by one of those Wild Boar single engine jobs. Came at us from dead ahead, with our front turret unmanned. Chalky bolted for the rear hatch, screaming blue murder and wanting home to his mum. The Nav knocked him out and ended up tying him to the main spar. All the time we were on the bomb run this fighter harassed us until the Mid-upper beat him off.
CLINGHOLME: Well you were lucky again with your bomb run, the picture shows a solid 30% hit I’d say.
FARR: Lucky, lucky? That was sheer skill and courage on the bomb aimer’s part.
CLINGHOLME: Aye that could be son.
FARR: I don’t believe it. Anyway leaving the target yet another Me110 jumped us, before I shook him off he knocked out the Mid-upper turret guns so we came back without them. Slightly further on, our final run in with the Hun left us in a bit of a mess altogether. We lost number 1 engine, took multiple hits to the starboard wing root, the cockpit was riddled and the heat K.O.’d. By that time we were nearing the coast so I decided to let her down to 5,000 feet and we coasted home.
CLINGHOLME: So was this one a piece of cake then son? You’re all lucky to be alive.
FARR: I heard you were taken off operations Sir?
CLINGHOLME: That’s enough Farr, your're dismissed, get out of my sight sonny.