Beats Walkin'
Operation: Mission 82 Givors (Railway)
25/26 Jun, 1944
Crew: Pilot: F/L Jake Houston; Bomb aimer F/O Reggie Newhouse; Navigator Sgt. Abe Hanover; Flt. Eng. Sgt. Ormond Pearling; W/O Sgt. Brian Hostler; Mid-upper Sgt. Cecil Harding; Tail gunner Sgt. Thomas Leeland
Opposition outbound: We were attacked as soon as we neared the bomber stream over the Channel. He did no real damage except some serious rounds into the starboard wing root, but we were reminded that there may be much more to come — and there was! Mid-upper put enough rounds into him to discourage any attacks after his second pass (FBOA Sgt. Harding). He had just left off when another 110 attacked, again un-spotted. This one put quits to No. 2 engine, destroyed the starboard flaps and the tail turret; Sgt. Harding drove him off (FBOA Sgt. Harding). So, hardly underway we were reduced to three engines and no tail guns. I contemplated turning back but knowing how much the crew wants to get the missions in I decided to continue on. We encountered resistance again about midway when mid-upper gunner Harding was seriously wounded. (The navigator moved him to the cot and bandaged him well enough to stop the bleeding. I had Leeland (tail gunner) take over the mid-upper guns which left us blind from the rear but he had told me that it was impossible to see due to the damage to his turret.) And twice more we were attacked before the bomb run when I had to feather No. 1 engine. The port in-board fuel tank was also hit and started burning which we extinguished, the heating to the navigator's compartment was knocked out, the port aileron was destroyed, and tail controls were shot away. We were too close to turn back. We had no interference from fighters, or flak over the target.
Flak: Light — no hits
Bomb run: estimated 20% on target
Opposition homeward: Because of the heating problem I dropped to 10,000 feet which left us alone in the sky and moving slowly and much too low for comfort. Attacked twice more: starboard rudder controls shot away, further damage to the starboard wing root, damage to an aileron and tail controls and a lot of rounds where earlier the bombs had been. Several times encountered low flak but no hits.
Landing: Spot-on!
Crew casualties: Sgt. Cecil Harding, seriously wounded.
Comments: I just had word that Sgt. Harding will recover rapidly and fly with us on the next mission.
(signed) F/L Jake Houston, Pilot
Beats Walkin'