Lancaster JD184 “Sophie’s Toy”
Report by Sgt. Reginald Church, tail gunner
“We were attacked by 110’s four times getting to the target but once there we had smooth sailing — no searchlight, no flak and no night fighters. I heard the bomb aimer tell J. R. [F/O J. R. Atheling, pilot] on the intercom he was disappointed because he figured he only hit about 30%. But — and then’s when the trouble really began — just after we unloaded a 110 snuck up and really mauled us. It was that Hun that holed the fuel tank and wounded Laurie [bomb aimer, Sgt. Terrance Laurel], Jones, the mid-upper gunner [Sgt. Cadoc Jones], and the pilot. The captain’s was the only serious wound.
"We tried to get as far west as possible but we crash-landed near someplace called Flemalle, I think, on the edge of what looked like a big forest. Cunningham [Sgt. Jay Cunningham, flight engineer] done okay on the landing but the plane lost the starboard wing and started burning. I got myself out and was helping to get J. R. out of the cockpit when we saw a German patrol coming up a road. A couple of us, me and ‘Laurie’, ran for the trees, but because of his leg wound he couldn’t go very fast; I tried to help him but he told me to go on, that he couldn’t keep up. I really hated leaving him, especially because Terry and me was mates, you see. I got into the forest and heard gunfire behind me. I ran back to where I could see and saw the Krauts had all my mates in the bag and J.R. was on a stretcher. I was trying to run but kept hitting into trees and tripping and so then I just walked for a long time. I must have been dazed ‘cause all I can remember was how dark it was in the forest but I kept at it until daybreak. The next thing I remember was a Belgian (I think he was a woodsman or gamekeeper) was standing over me. He took me to some other fellow on a farm nearby. There was a lad and he took me to the coast under a load of horse manure in a farm wagon; we didn’t have any trouble and by midday some fishermen were handing me a sausage while they shoved me in the hold with some gawd-awful old fish. (Best sausage I ever ate, though — even with the lingering smell of horse crap and them fish all over me!)
“Now I want to call Laurie’s mum and let her know he’s alive. You tell the squadron commander I wanna fly tonight. Oh, hell, I almost forgot to tell you, someplace near Schweinfurt I sent a 110 blazing down. Will I get credit for it?"
[Signed] Reggie Church