Mission 137 Debriefing
Target: Ladbergen
This was the second trip out for the Jenny Bryce. We did not encounter any opposition until we were over the target when a ME 110 tried to sneak up on us. Our new tail gunner, Sgt Barker, gave him a good burst and he broke off without even scratching our paint job. There were quite a few searchlights, but we seemed invisible to them. The flak was heavy — where the hell does Gerry get all of those guns? Do they give them out in cereal boxes? We took a couple of flak fragment hits to the pilot compartment which nicked some O2 hoses. No real damage, but it tossed us about enough to throw our bomb run off.
Our return trip was as peaceful as a day at the seaside, until we approached our base and some bloody fool opened up at us. Luckily his aim was no better than his judgement, but all the same we were wishing we had an egg or two in the bay. Probably just as well that we didn't; given our luck we would take out Buckingham Palace.
We aborted to our secondary landing site. On my approach I saw some bloke had parked a lorry in the middle of the runway. We just missed it and put down safely. We are good to fly for the next mission.
Joseph A. Campbell
Flight Officer RAF Bomber Command
March 4, 1945