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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2021 13:41:31 GMT 12
STRUCK BY INCENDIARY
AIRMAN SUFFERS INJURY
HAMILTON MAN’S EXPERIENCE
Flight-Sergeant Alan Lewis, well known in Hamilton, has written to friends in the town telling of a wound he received in operations over Germany. The damage was suffered chiefly by one hand, and the airman is otherwise well and in good spirits. Before joining the Air Force Flight-Sergeant Lewis, who is a Welshman, was employed in Mr W. J. McMiken’s orchard in Hamilton, and was active in musical circles. Before being wounded he had completed one operations tour, spent six months on instruction work and begun another tour of operations. He had made 46 operational flights over the Rhineland including the two famous 1000bomber raids. In his letter Flight-Sergeant Lewis said that his plane was over Dusseldorf and about to drop its bombs when it was hit in the rudder by flak. Then an incendiary bomb, dropped from above, crashed into the plane, struck him on the side of the head and injured his hand, which was on the controls. It rendered his turret useless, the controls being snapped off. When he “came to” he found the incendiary in the turret. Flight-Sergeant Lewis spent the rest of the flight on his bed, where he received first aid from the wireless operator. The arm was fractured and the side of the head injured, but he was making a good recovery.
WAIKATO TIMES, 24 OCTOBER 1942
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Post by davidd on Jun 1, 2021 15:09:45 GMT 12
I presume that was a "friendly" incendiary bomb?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 1, 2021 15:12:54 GMT 12
I would think so yes.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jun 1, 2021 15:46:05 GMT 12
Would have been enough to make him hot under the collar, as they would have said in the 'old days'! Lewis was NZ40741 Alan Glynne Lewis, enlisted as an AO u/t on 12 Mar 40 but by the time he embarked on the Mataroa for the UK and attachment to the RAF, he had been remustered to air gunner. He was later commissioned. Errol
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rodm
Flying Officer
Posts: 65
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Post by rodm on Jun 1, 2021 17:11:10 GMT 12
The incidences of aircraft being hit by 'friendly' incendiary bombs increased as the war progressed, primarily because BCHQ increased the concentration of aircraft over the target.
For example, on night raids between Jan-May 1945 alone, 44 Bomber Command aircraft suffered varying degrees of damage from falling incendiary bombs (including one completely written off after returning home). To this can be added a handful brought down over the continent due to incendiary bomb strikes.
Cheers
Rod
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waynem
Pilot Officer
Posts: 46
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Post by waynem on Jun 2, 2021 15:09:53 GMT 12
The 75(NZ) Squadron ORB for 31 July 1942 mentions the incident briefly.
Attack Against Dusseldorf.
F/S Lewis, rear gunner of Wellington III X3646, was struck and injured by a 4lb incendiary bomb falling from another aircraft.
Cheers, Wayne.
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