After the op's briefing I wandered over to dispersal where I saw the rest of the crew lounging around one of the bomb trolleys. They were betting on tonight's trip. "2,000 gallons! must be the Ruhr" said Tom Wilkinson. "No thats nearer 1500" said Pat Garside. "Then it's Stuttgart!" Fluke suggested. "Well" said Jack Carter one of the ground crew LAC's "all I know is we've poured 2,000 gallons of juice in your kite's tanks". "Its Berlin" I said to groans from all.
"Enemy coast ahead" clicked the intercom. My stomach tightened as usual. Being bounced by a 110 over Holland didn't help. Lots of bangs and crashes and a heart stopping moment as cannon shells pinged of the bombs. Knocked out the mid-upper turret guns. Managed to shake him off.
We were bounced again near Minden, W/OP Wilkinson badly hit in the right knee, bomb bay hit again, port rudder holed. I ordered John down from mid-upper to take care of Tom and move him to the couch between the main spars. His knee is shattered, blood everywhere. Couldn't shake this bastard off. Big holes appeared on the starbord wing root. A nasty vibration started up soon after that. Lost him at last.
John Walpole moved to W/OP position. As we approched Berlin I ordered him to the front turret while we were over the target area.
Me 110 attacked as I was lining up for the bomb run. Catseyes saw him but missed. The Jerry gave us a good belting and tore off the port rudder plus wounding the bomb aimer in the left upper arm. Searchlights caught us and the Flak was accurate and too close for comfort.
A Wild Boar 109 curved down to attack from 12 o'clock. Tom in the front turret fired at him knocking large chunks of his cowling. The 109 fired haphazardly and zoomed over us spewing glycol from its damaged engine.
Over the Berlin I could see other Lancs by the light of the large fires below. "Bombs gone, bombs gone! Bloody hell they've hung up again!" Pat Garside rushed to the bomb bay " They have just dropped Skip! 10 seconds late! …" I was furious, not again! You wait till I see the ground crew chief they will all be on a Fizzer!
The return trip was uneventful as was the landing. Unlike my meeting with the crew chief!