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1941
7 Aug
Shot down near
MARCHE |
I was a second pilot in a
Wellington Mk II which left LINDHOLM aerodrome at 22:30 hrs. on 6 Aug
41 to bomb ARCHEM. We were attacked by a ME.110 night fighter over
Belgium, and my starboard engine was damaged. I was piloting the
machine at the time. I took evasive action, but could not get the
machine to fly on a level course. I jettisoned the bombs and tried to
get back to England. The ME.110 attacked us several times, but did not
hit us again. The plane went into a steep dive, and I told the crew to
jump.
I myself landed by parachute
about 0045 hrs on 7 Aug 42 near MARCHE, South-west of LIEGE. I landed
about 200 meters from the crashed plane and about 150 meters from Sgt.
KOWALSKI (S/P.G. (-)631). As I attempted to get to him some shots
were fired, so I hid in wood and after some time I walked into MARCHE,
where I knocked at the door of a poor house and asked for a bed. I was
taken in, but told that I could not stay there, as there were two
German soldiers billeted in the house. There were not many German
soldiers in MARCHE however.
The man to whose the house I had gone went to
see a friend to get me some civilian clothes. He could not spare me
any of his own, as he had only one suit. While I was there a Canadian,
who had been a pilot in the last war and has lived in Belgium for 10
years, came and took me to his house. I slept at his house for two
nights. I then went to a farm about 4 km from MARCHE, but only slept
there one night. The farmer gave me a revolver and a rifle and some
ammunition and food and I spent the next two days and nights hiding in
the woods, as the Germans were looking for me.
Someone then came to fetch me and told me that
my 1st pilot - S/Ldr SCIBIOR - was safe in BRUSSELS and that I would
be taken to him.
I went back to MARCHE at night with Canadian
and slept, where I met an Englishwoman with five children. My instructions
were to follow this woman, but not to speak to her. I followed her to
a large house in BRUSSELS, where I had a meal.
There I was handed over to a Belgian and spent
a week in his house. I then went to the house of a Belgian woman, who
has since been denounced and is in prison.
I spent four weeks there and then went to a
house of another Belgian woman, where I met Sgt. KOWALSKI. From this
point my account is identical with his.
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INTERVIEWED by M.I.9. and A.I.1(k)
APPENDIX A - List of helpers
Distribution:
Distribution: M.I.9 (I.S.)
M.I.6. (D)
A.I.1. (a) P.W. M.I.9.(I.S.) M.I.6.
(D)
A.I.1.
(K)
M.I.9.
(d)
APPENDIX D -
S.I.O., H.Q. Bomber Command, R.A.F.
"
" Fighter Commnad, R.A.F.
"
" Coastal Commnad, R.A.F.
"
" Army Co-operation Commnad, R.A.F. |