AAR Mission: 144/9
Date: 4th-5th April, 1945
Target: LUTZKENDORF
Aircraft: The Big Bad Boar
Pilot: P/Off Frederick Haswell
Bomb Aimer: F/Sgt Anthony Hancock Flight Engineer: P/Off David Miller Navigator: F/Sgt Arthur Simpson W/Telegraph Operator: Sgt Charlie Johnson Mid-Upper Gunner: Cpl Hamish Ferguson Tail-End Charlie: Cpl "Bill" Cowley
With another gap between this mission and the last one, it has been a mixed blessing. It has given us time to relax but that gives me cause for concern that some of the crew may become complacent. Either way, when the call came for this mission, we were well rested and keen to make another of our deliveries.
The Big Bad Boar had an uneventful flight to Lutzkendorf. For some of us, we had memories of our last trip here. We never actually made it to the target as we'd lost ``Nicky'' Briggs on the way in. With him being our bombardier, it made the rest of the flight pointless.
This time, however, we made it to our target but were coned in the searchlights on our approach. Flak shook the tail up, damaging the rudder and the root of the tailplane but apart from giving Cowley a bit of a headache, there were no injuries to the crew. Also, the bombing run was successful with Hancock reporting about 50% of the bombs having hit our target.
A Wild Boar caught this wild boar on the way back. They had thrown a Fw190 up at us and it chose to come at us from the front, taking out the ailerons on the starboard wing. It was only through persistence and this fighter pilot's insistence on coming at us from the front that Hancock was able to bring him down from the guns on the front turret.
Over central Germany, a 110 was stalking us and hit us before any of us saw it. It knocked out the ailerons on the port wing, which could make things awkward for us on landing. It also knocked out the mid-upper turret and injured Ferguson. Cowley was nevertheless able to shoot it out of the sky before it was able to come around for another attack, which was a relief.
The rest of the journey was uneventful. When we were safely behind our lines and flying over the North Sea, Johnson claimed that this lack of enemy involvement was down to the combined bombing offensives having had a decisive effect on the German war effort whereas Cowley disputed this, claiming it was down to our air gunners taking out German pilots more quickly than they could be replaced.
We reached our base and I was able to land the plane safely. Ferguson had received just a light wound to the left hand but it is estimated he would be back with us after having got some TLC from the medical staff.
Respectfully yours
Frederick Haswell (Pilot Officer)
Damage - 68 Peckhams