Lancaster Bomber 514 Squadron

Alex :

A great signature piece to a fine aircraft and crew.............good one Skipper and Christian

boy I wouldn't mind having a copy of that article in French either

 

Ok guys I'll translate the article into English asap. Erich if you wish a copy of the article just let me know where to send it.

 

Skipper : sending you a private mail

 

Now you are making me blush. I will translate the article as soon as possible and post it here. It is just something genral about paying tribute to WWII Airmen, don't expect the latest best seller. However I get about three phone calls per day and have located several crashsites and testimonies, aircraft pieces etc...

 

Here is a translation of the article: As I said earlier it is quite general. To those who requested a copy with full names and details I will email these a.s.a.p.

AVIATORS’ MEMORIES REMEMBERS EPIC AND SACRIFICE OF AIRMEN

Two passionate aviation searchers have created a new association. Its purpose is historical and aims to remember the way WWII airmen lived and not to forget those who fell.

This new Association was born thanks to the support of …Remco …. And Christian……. two enthusiastic aviation researchers, willing to promote our duty to remember. The Association is baptised “Aviators’ memories” and has the goal to pay tribute to WWII airmen who crashed on the soil of France and particularly the Centre region.

BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER

The purpose is to solve mysteries about these soldiers’ stories and their sacrifice and to make sure that local populations and young generations know about their story. There is absolutely no desire to make money and writings will be perfectly impartial. The Association wants to bring something to the French historical heritage and to narrow gaps between peoples. In a nutshell: to make sure that these sacrifices will be engraved in memories forever.

DETAILED SEARCHES

Remco….. and Christian…… are not beginners concerning the matter. They have already realised a considerable amount of work on several crashes like Rebrechien or Trainou. Their work consists of detailed searching which ails to bring light of the exact circumstances that led to a crash of an aircraft.

MULTIPLE TALENTS

The association gathers multiple talents, such as researchers, a computer artwork designer and linguists who help to establish contacts with the last survivors or their families who are often scattered around the world. The association is open to all those who feel close to their philosophy. Contact Remco…. at…………..

INTERVIEWING Remco……. THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION

What are you currently working on?

We are working on several projects at the moment. Our designer is illustrating brochures for others associations near Paris. We have contacts with two pilots who were shot down the same day as the Rebrechien Lancaster. We have found information about these aircrafts after long searches. One Pilot lives in Canada, the other one in England. We helped the English pilot to contact his former gunner who now lives in Australia. He had no contact with him since 1944.
Our biggest work at the moment is the ordeal of a group of allied airmen who were deported to Buchenwald. Several of them went through the Loiret district. I found a lady who has helped four of them, two of whom are still alive. When their story is complete it shall be available on the Internet. We also hope to organise exhibitions.

Caption: Alex Campbell in his Lancaster. This airman was shot down near Chateaudun in 1944. He was saved by the resistance and is still alive.

 

Well I was not totally surprised on reading the translation. It just adds to the list of on going tasks taken on by these ambitious people, great stuff. And Otto, you have a right to be pleased with the success of not only this thread but your entire website. Thanks for many enjoyable hours of enligtening reading and participation. Cheers Alex Campbell

 

What a great assortment of contributors to this forum. Yes, I do look for and read your interesting postings. I think it is good for all of us to read and think about the enormous loss of life and the digusting manner in which so many died.
Maybe for me the thoughts of burning hold the greatest terror.- Trapped inside an ironclad tank with you and your crewmates screaming hopelessly, totally covered in burning oil on a sinking tanker, unable to free yourself from a flaming aircraft spiralling down.
I have seen some of the above examples of man's inhumanity to man- hollow eye sockets from a face with grinning teeth, parachute buckles shining through a mass of overcooked meat still bubbling and steaming, a bloated body in a much too small Wermacht uniform.
On a lighter vein I was going to submit my list of RAF patter and slang but next time. Cheers for now Alex Campbell

 

I commend all involved in this excellent look into a Lancaster Crew. I must admit, I have been following this conversation with growing excitement. It is a pleasure to have not only a Lancaster veteran in the forum but individuals with such passion for military history and an eye for details. My hat is off to you gentelmen.

 

I thought of anouther question I wanted to ask you Mr Campbell. Would you be able to fly a Merlin powered Lancaster without any new training and if so what would be the differences other than the engines would sound different ?

 

Yes TA I did pretty well just as you suggested. On the 23rd of July/44 under the guidance of our Flt Commander "Timmy" I flew a Mk III for some 20 minutes.
Then on the 24th I flew a new one not yet assigned to a Flight with registration # PB291/G. The Merlin had shutter controls for the liquid cooling rads while the Hercules were air cooled.
Another difference was the supercharger enabling the MkIII to gain more altitude and look down on us. The Herc XVI was rated at 1650HP and the Merlin about the same I believe. Both remarkable performers all round. EAC

 

"roger wilco"

 

A Random list of some of the patter I recall
I was so glad to see "Kilroy was here"
Clag- Overcast, solid cloud
Prang- Accident, hard landing, pranged the target
Boffins- Engineers, designers,(Barnes Wallace)
Erk- RAF ground crew mechanics (Bless 'em)
WAAF- RAF- Womens Auxilliary Air Force
WD- RCAF- Womens Division (Bless 'em all)
Briefing- Last meeting before take-off
Debriefing- Interrogation after a raid, (fewer in attendance).
Dicey- Precarious
Got the chop- Shot down, killed
Went for a Burton- Got the cop
Bought it- As above
Bangers and mash- Sausages and mashed potatoes
Roger wilco- R/T for "Message received and understood, will comply"
Tarts- Not allowed in airmens barracks
Wizard- Expression describing a sensational person or event
Pundits- Ever changing Morse Code locator lights
Disperal- Parking spot for your Lanc
NAAFI Wagon- Tea wagon sponsored by Navy Army Air Force Institute
Tail dragger- Aircraft with tail wheel or skid, no nose wheel
Gen- Information, gossip
Pukka Gen- The real McCoy, infallible
Ack Ack- Anti aircraft fire
Flak- Shells bursting from Ack Ack
Methinks that's enough for now. Cheers Alex Campbell

 

I love the slang, especially as I only knew some of the most common expressions, thanks for sharing this list, it's great to imagine coversations with these expressions. By the way I have been away to Crete for 2 weeks so I got delayed with sending the drawings. I will try to meet Christian asap, hopefully he'll be home. He has planne dto spent his holidays at the exact place where the allied airmen crossed the Pyrénnees.

 

Thanks Skipper 67 and Martin Bull you might be interested to note July 28th next is the 63rd anniverary of the demise of Lancaster A2 C. Cheers Alex Campbell

 

July 28th is one the dates I will certainly not forget, not only because of A2-C but also because of SR-V2 which crashed 500 yards from my home 13mn after A2-C. I had a Canadian family visiting the grave only a few weeks ago.

 

I have a very special thought for Alex Campbell today. Tonight will be the 63rd anniversery of the crash of A2-C. I hereby wish to thank you for everything. 63 years ago, you contributed to our reborn freedom, today you are still around telling us your memoires and juicy stories. May you keep on doing so for many years! People like you are precious and should be cherished and we are proud of you. In fact more and more people are getting to know you and I hope something great will come from this thread. I also have a thought for the rest of the crew, especially Robert Giffin who didn't make it and who was almost your neighbour in Ontario. I of course have a thought for the crew of SR-V2 who crashed minutes later in my hometown. Remco.

 

Good Afternoon,

This morning our local paper just printed the story of Lancaster A2-C, under the heading.
"Pilot's brush with death documented on Internet"
Story posted here:
Osprey Media. - Pembroke Daily Observer - Ontario, CA

The story includes links to this forum and mentions some of those involved in the evolution of the story.

I have already received an e-mail about the story and the role of the WW2 forum:
"Just wanted to let you know that I read the article in today's paper
about your Dad. It was very interesting, I am sure your Dad is very
happy with the out come of the research and having the many unanswered
questions he may have had answered. This story sure does show the powers of the Internet."