Stout Hearts by Kite Ben;

Author:Kite, Ben;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / World War II
ISBN: 4603080
Publisher: Helion & Company, Limited
Published: 2016-08-19T00:00:00+00:00

Bombardier Perry was lucky to have only suffered minor injuries as there were many Allied casualties. A subsequent court of inquiry attributed the mistake to poor navigation by the pathfinders in the second wave, but usually the vast majority of aircrews did their utmost to bomb accurately despite the personal risk involved. Flight Lieutenant Campbell Muirhead, the Lancaster bomb aimer, describes a mission in support of OP CHARNWOOD on 7 July:

Another daylight op. We were told that very accurate bombing was essential – ‘bring the things back if you can’t be sure of your aiming point.’ This because we were bombing only 1 1/2 miles ahead of our troops (Canadians, evidently). My sighting was not right so I didn’t press the tit. I told Vernon [Flying Officer Vernon the pilot] to go round a second time. God, the language which came over that intercom! Interspersed with references not only to my complete inadequacy as a bomb aimer, but also to my parentage. Can’t exactly blame them – there we were, the only Lancaster left over Caen and what flak there was beginning to concentrate on us. But there was no way I was going to drop 13,000lbs of high explosive when there was the slightest possibility of the dreadful stuff killing or wounding our own troops: would have taken the load back to Wickenby first. However, I got a perfect sighting on that second run (despite what was still being said over the intercom) and placed my bombs exactly where I wanted them.

Despite that second time round, on the way back we caught up with the stragglers (‘B’ for Baker being brand new and with that extra few knots more than most). Flying almost level with another Lanc, who was limping. Just crossing the French Coast when up came quite a scything of flak. It got him (not by the Grace of God, us). He started diving straight down. We counted four parachutes opening, praying for more but to no avail. The Lanc struck the water burst into a terrific sheet of flame. We all fell silent until over base, everybody thinking of the three men inside.59

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