Invisible Ladder

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by canuck, Jul 24, 2010.

  1. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    The Canadian Veterans Affairs website has many interesting transcripts of interviews with veterans. This one really captures some of the terror of Bomber Command ops.

    "I saw this one, one day time trip, this, it was a useless waste of life and these two Lancasters were one above the other, right above. In day time I figure, "What the hell, they must be green crews?" And we were over the target bomb doors open and I figured, "Oh no, oh no." Cause they're right above each other, I don't know why the gunners didn't look up or the wireless air gunner look up you know but... And out came the bombs and it took off...the bombs took off the nose of the lower Lancaster, and the bomb aimer was over in his position with no parachute on, and the bombs, he came out, he fell out of the air plane and you know, as he fell he was trying to climb a ladder on the way up. I can imagine the horror he was going through. He was trying to climb back up and I watched him all the way until he, in amongst these bombs. I figured, what a waste, you know, just stupidity. You know like if he got killed in action or something like that, you know but just to get, a stupid thing like that, one above the other and nobody saw him. But to a, they never even find his dog tags, he went down there in amongst all this cluster of bombs, so that was, I still think of that."

    Neil Taschuk

    Heroes Remembers - Neil Taschuk - Veterans Affairs Canada
     
    Owen likes this.
  2. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Canuk

    The history of Bomber Command is full of terrible stories of accidents such as the one you have recounted.

    I am particularly upset whenever I read one of the many tales of crashes as the aircraft landed on their return from a mission.

    Regards

    Ron
     
  3. Groundhugger

    Groundhugger Senior Member

    How many US aircraft were lost in similar accidents , they flew in such tight formations in daylight and see the newsreels of aircraft with holes throught their wings and tailplanes .
    The Britishflew in Darkness and were staggered over the target , but it does make you think of the losses , especially for the slower and lower aircraft like the Wellingtons and Stirlings with the Lancasters above.
    the fickle chance of fate ...wrong time and place ...and no one would ever know !
     
  4. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Since being advised by Dave Barlow of another Aussie killed in the RAF, I have not stopped thinking about the horrific way they all must have died.

    I would like to group the seven of these lads. Can anyone list the other two aircrew and the ground staff who were killed?

    BLOM, WALTER MICHAEL (DFC) Flight Lieutenant 40041 150sq 27/07/1940
    23 Royal Air Force UK Grave 3A. EAST BRIDGFORD (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD UK Nottinghamshire

    RAF WWII

    BLOM, WALTER MICHAEL, 33, Vere Road. 40041, Flight Lieutenant, DFC, 150 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 27th July 1940, aged 23. Buried in East Bridgford (St. Peter) Churchyard, Nottinghamshire. Grave 3A.

    Pilot of a Fairey Battle , Serial No L5528, Code Letters JN-. Aircraft was being "bombed-up" at its base , Newton, Notts. A bomb fell off, began to burn and eventually exploded, Blom, his two crew , and four ground crew were killed.

    Heroic in the air, it just emphasises the dangers not only to aircrew, but to the lads on the ground.

    Looking for a photo of Blom's headstone if anyone can assist.

    SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 31 MAY, 1940

    Flying Officer Walter Michael BLOM (40041)


    During May, 1940, this officer was detailed to lead a half section of aircraft in a low level bombing attack against an enemy motorised column of all arms advancing on a road in Luxemburg. Before reaching his objective a petrol tank was pierced by machine-gun fire and, although unable to locate his allotted target through being drenched and almost blinded by the escaping petrol, he pressed home his attack on another enemy column with considerable success. During this time the aircraft was subjected to very heavy fire from the ground and was repeatedly hit, receiving such damage as to render it beyond repair, but this did not prevent Flying Officer Blom from flying back to the base, a distance of 90 miles. He displayed outstanding courage and tenacity.
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    six are easily identifiable by the squadron being listed.

    001 BARKER R E 939176- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

    002 BARRINGER M A 911627- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

    003 BLOM W M 40041 150 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    004 BUCHANAN J R 77033 609 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

    005 CANN W Y 638518 150 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    006 COOPER N F 745487- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

    007 COX P A N 33184 501 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    008 FRANKLIN W H J 522061 150 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    009 HALL G A 619068 150 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    010 MARCH D M 42860- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    011 SHARP D H 619842 150 SQDN 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    012 STEWART F 638353- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    013 WHEELER H R 70727- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE

    014 WIGGINS R E 922179- 27/07/1940 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
     
  6. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Thanks Andy.

    Great info.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  7. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Chorley in BCL Vol.1 gives the following........

    27 July 1940

    150 squadron
    Battle I L5528

    While being prepared for operations at Newton a bomb fell off and began to burn. Despite an heroic effort by those inside the aircraft to quell the flames, assisted by a number of squadron ground crew and headquarters staff, an explosion occurred and six airmen were killed by the blast and five others were injured, one so severely that he died the next day.
     
  8. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    The Canadian Veterans Affairs website has many interesting transcripts of interviews with veterans. This one really captures some of the terror of Bomber Command ops.

    "I saw this one, one day time trip, this, it was a useless waste of life and these two Lancasters were one above the other, right above. In day time I figure, "What the hell, they must be green crews?" And we were over the target bomb doors open and I figured, "Oh no, oh no." Cause they're right above each other, I don't know why the gunners didn't look up or the wireless air gunner look up you know but... And out came the bombs and it took off...the bombs took off the nose of the lower Lancaster, and the bomb aimer was over in his position with no parachute on, and the bombs, he came out, he fell out of the air plane and you know, as he fell he was trying to climb a ladder on the way up. I can imagine the horror he was going through. He was trying to climb back up and I watched him all the way until he, in amongst these bombs. I figured, what a waste, you know, just stupidity. You know like if he got killed in action or something like that, you know but just to get, a stupid thing like that, one above the other and nobody saw him. But to a, they never even find his dog tags, he went down there in amongst all this cluster of bombs, so that was, I still think of that."

    Neil Taschuk

    Heroes Remembers - Neil Taschuk - Veterans Affairs Canada


    A very tragic story indeed, which occurred more than people think.

    I remember seeing a photograph of a Liberator bomber that was hit by bombs from above and survived the damage to return to the UK base.

    Even without exploding the bombs cause serious damage on hitting aircraft airframes.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  9. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Chorley in BCL Vol.1 gives the following........

    27 July 1940

    150 squadron
    Battle I L5528

    While being prepared for operations at Newton a bomb fell off and began to burn. Despite an heroic effort by those inside the aircraft to quell the flames, assisted by a number of squadron ground crew and headquarters staff, an explosion occurred and six airmen were killed by the blast and five others were injured, one so severely that he died the next day.

    Peter,
    This must be a similar occurance. It is the only photo I've seen of a Lancaster exploding on the ground. Hard to imagine anyone surviving that blast.
    lancaster.jpg
     
  10. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Canuck
    Whilest training with the 1st Cdn Div at Lucera which is a few miles North of the massive Foggia airfields from where an all day pattern of bombing as far as the Ploesti Oilfields in Rumania took place every day - we watched a squadron of Liberators return with an obviously disabled plane in the centre of twentyseven in three layers of nine planes returning to base - suddenly the disabled one turned upwards hit another and both fell on a third - there was nothing we could do for the crews but mark the spot where they fell
    a sad end to the day
    Cheers
     
  11. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Tom,

    From the myriad of stories told on this site it is pretty obvious that the overriding theme is that death could find you in so many different ways.
     
  12. Peter Bennett

    Peter Bennett Peter Bennett

    Since being advised by Dave Barlow of another Aussie killed in the RAF, I have not stopped thinking about the horrific way they all must have died.

    I would like to group the seven of these lads. Can anyone list the other two aircrew and the ground staff who were killed?

    BLOM, WALTER MICHAEL (DFC) Flight Lieutenant 40041 150sq 27/07/1940
    23 Royal Air Force UK Grave 3A. EAST BRIDGFORD (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD UK Nottinghamshire

    RAF WWII

    BLOM, WALTER MICHAEL, 33, Vere Road. 40041, Flight Lieutenant, DFC, 150 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 27th July 1940, aged 23. Buried in East Bridgford (St. Peter) Churchyard, Nottinghamshire. Grave 3A.

    Pilot of a Fairey Battle , Serial No L5528, Code Letters JN-. Aircraft was being "bombed-up" at its base , Newton, Notts. A bomb fell off, began to burn and eventually exploded, Blom, his two crew , and four ground crew were killed.

    Heroic in the air, it just emphasises the dangers not only to aircrew, but to the lads on the ground.

    Looking for a photo of Blom's headstone if anyone can assist.


    I took this photo today for Spidge. Blom and his crew are buried together, but would the ground crew who were killed qualify for CWGC commemoration. If so where might they be buried ?
     
  13. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    A longer excerpt from Mr. Taschuk

    http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/video-gallery/video/6560

    He passed away in 2006:

    NEIL TASCHUK
    NEIL TASCHUK March 10, 1924 - July 16, 2006 It is with deep sadness and sorrow we announce the passing of Neil Taschuk on July 16, 2006 at St. Boniface Hospital at the age of 82 years. Predeceased by his wife Dorothy and brother Murray, he is lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his three daughters, Janet (Sonny) Fedoruk, Kerry Silver and Lesley (Don) Lewis; grandchildren, Glenn (Claudette) and children, Justin, Jaiden, Kim (Tracy) Rebeck, children, Alex and Paige, Jarrett Falk, Kristi Falk, Alicia (Jeff) White and child Jacob, Alison (Todd) Lemire and children, Justin and Serena. He will also be lovingly remembered and missed by his longtime friend and companion, Mae Collins and many brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces. Neil lived a long fulfilling life, touching the lives of everyone that knew him. He grew up in the Fort Rouge area. He served in the RCAF during Second World War as a wireless operator in Bomber Command in a Lancaster Bomber flying countless missions over Europe. Upon returning home he married the love of his life, Dorothy (Armstrong) and had three beautiful and caring daughters. Neil worked at CN Rail until his retirement. He was a member of Legion 215. Neil loved his morning coffee at Kildonan Place Mall and his weekly bingo trips to Club Regent. He was a fantastic cook and his homemade soups and chili will be greatly missed and never forgotten. His sense of humour, wit, charm and thoughtfulness were with him to his final day A celebration of his life will be held at Cropo Funeral Chapel on July 20 at 2:00 p.m. A reception will follow immediately after the service. All are welcome. The family extends a special thank-you for all the excellent care he received while a patient in I.C.U. at Seven Oaks and St. Boniface Hospitals. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Kidney Foundation of Manitoba or to a charity of your choice. CROPO FUNERAL CHAPEL 586-8044
    As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on July 19, 2006
     
  14. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

  15. gpo son

    gpo son Senior Member

    RIP Neil Taschuk :poppy:
    Thanks Tim
    After all that terror he managed to have a wonderful life

    Matt
     

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