"THUNDER BAY"
Mission 58 - 17/18 April, 1944
Berlin - Industry
- Outbound.
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As we crossed into the continent attacked by Me-110 which the tail gunner hit enough that the Kraut missed on all his passes (Me-110 FCA — Sgt. Morris Langley). Soon afterward another two-engine attacked which mid-upper nicked but not enough to prevent his putting some shrapnel into my back (minor), knocked out the mid-upper guns and damaged port rudder (Me-110 FCA — Sgt. Chris Beasely).
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Attacked three times more before Berlin, first knocked out pilot compartment oxygen, dropped to 10,000 feet. The next Kraut destroyed the raft, hit the starboard outboard tank which fortunately self-sealed.Following pass tail gunner blew away part of his rudder (Me-110 FBOA — Sgt. Morris Langley) but he still managed kill our Flight Engineer and destroyed the starboard aileron. The third attack was within sight of the target area and he knocked out the no. 3 engine. His next pass was ineffective as the nose gunner sent him home with fire streaming from his port engine (Me-110 FBOA — Sgt. Nigel Hill).
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Just before our bomb run we were attacked by a two engine craft which knocked out the no. 2 engine. Next he hit the port wing root. We were coned by search lights, and attacked by a Me-109; on his third pass the tail gunner hit him hard but still he destroyed the controls to the port aileron and port landing gear (Me-110 FBOA — Sgt. Morris Langley).
- Bomb run.
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We began Thunder Bay's first bomb run on two engines, at 10,000 with no oxygen in the pilot's compartment and no mid-upper MG's — and a whole lotta hope: bomb run on with 30% accuracy!
- Return.
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It was a long slow return flight. We were fired at continually by light FLAK units but were not hit — probably because of low-lying cloud. Over Belgium a ME-110 attacked, but completely missed on his first two passes but on his third he hit the starboard wing root. Over the North Sea another 110 attacked who put another hit on the port wing root; it was his last as our nose gunner sent him down in flames (Me-110 Destroyed — Sgt. Nigel Hill). Within sight of England a final 110 had at us but did no real damage, probably because Hill sent him packing (Me-110 FBOA — Sgt. Nigel Hill).
- Landing.
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Had I known we had only one landing gear operable (no warning light) I would have got everyone out once we were over England, aimed the a/c towards Denmark and jumped myself. As it was by the time I realized it we were too low and losing power by the second.Besides the landing gear, we lacked two engines, ailerons, and rudder control - but I managed to crash-land at Woodbridge with no further fatalities. There is no way the ground crew can patch up the wreck; it's a total write-off. No one was killed in the landing but Sgt. Langeley and Sgt. Hill were slightly injured and P/O Alford Simmons, Sgt. Dumont, and Sgt Beasely were seriously injured. (I think Sgt. Langley summed it up for all of us when he said April is warmer in Ontario.)
(Signed) F/O Tony Clearing, Pilot
"THUNDER BAY"
Pilot: F/O Tony Clearing [minor wound]
Bomb aimer: Sgt. Nigel Hill [minor wound]
Flight engineer: P/O Ian Madden [KIA]
Navigator: P/O Alford Simmons [serious wound]
W/O operator: Sgt. Maurice Dumont [serious wound]
Mid-upper gunner: Sgt. Chris Beasely [serious wound]
Tail gunner: Sgt. Morris Langley [minor wound]
Peckham Points: 327