Two Me110 nightfighters had made the outward journey to the target hard work. The first one in particular was a persistent blighter who smashed the starboard aileron and wing flap as well as knocking out the mid upper guns.
We pressed on only to be hit by the flak over the target. This combined with the poor weather ensured we were well off the markers.
The flak however had done more damage than we thought. Fuel soon began to trail out of the port outer tank.
With no way of getting home we pressed on to just short of the Dutch boarder before bailing.
Everyone other than our engineer Sgt Ben Holloway got out safely. We found him dead on the ground wrapped in a partially deployed parachute. There was no time to consider our options; a troop of half-track mounted Germans appeared and for us the war was over.
P/O Jack Steele [pilot: Night Knight]