"Dive left!" The pilot's instinctive reaction to the screamed command from the mid upper saved 14 lives. Climbing through a patch of cloud to join the formation, and still over the Wash Juliet came within inches of a mid-air collision.
The resulting dive pushed the airframe to the limit and the bomb clamps beyond theirs. The 4000lb Cookie wrenched itself loose as the crew struggled to recover an even keel and ripping its way out through the bomb doors and falling away.
With a damaged aircraft, much of the bomb load gone and little chance of catching up the formation having lost almost all of her altitude Juliet returned to base with a white-faced and silent crew.
This mission will not count towards their tour, right now they don't care. It is enough to be alive.