Merchant Airmen

[ShotOne]

Just come across "Merchant Airmen", an Air Ministry publication dating back to 1944. What a cracking read! It shone a new light even on those bits which were familiar like the Mosquitoes of the "ball bearing run". What I didn't know was most flights used much less sleek types; Whitleys and Lodestars, many in daylight. Brave stuff when the Germans knew exactly when they left and had a good idea of the route. I'd also wrongly assumed these were RAF owned and crewed but the RAF had no spare manpower then for such adventures.

Some boys own tales; one BOAC Captain bringing back RAF crew just as France capitulated managed to appropriate just enough fuel. As he took off a car screeched onto the runway and he took off overhead as German outriders entered the airport. He had to hide his aircraft in cloud over Nante, where he was scheduled to refuel, came under German attack. Standards had to be maintained even in the face of extreme hazard. Realising he was likely to be attacked he ordered lobster to be served, reckoning he may as well be shot down on a full stomach. Happily they made it back. In another case, the cook of a C Class flying boat escaped being killed by an attacking Heinkel seaplane only because he had run out of gravy and was rowing to a neighbouring aircraft to get some.