F/Lt Bill 'Balls of Brass' Reid. VC.
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F/Lt Bill 'Balls of Brass' Reid. VC.
Stuff such as this isn't unique but I thought it worth posting. What grabbed my attention was the first line in the second paragraph. “We carried on and reached the target ……
Balls of Brass Bill! Balls of Brass!
I'd be exactly five months old that night, fast asleep In County Durham and sucking on a thumb, while Bill and his crew made their point.
(Do I remember, in the 60's, seeing Bill's name on the side of a VC-10? If so, next time it's in the paint shop add… 'and crew'. )
………………………
From, The Lancaster at War. Mike Garbett & Brian Goulding.
ISBN. 0 7110 0225 8.
………………………
For getting his badly shot-up Lancaster home in spite of severe injuries to himself and his crew, F/Lt Bill Reid won the VC. The skipper’s own account tells only too graphically how terror could strike:
“3 December 1943. BIII, LM-360 QR-O. ‘Self and crew Op. No. 10’
Düsseldorf. 5 Hours 30 Minutes (night). Attacked by Me110 at Dutch Coast. Rear Gunner was unable to open fire due to a heating failure, thus his hands were frozen. The Intercomm was out so he was also unable to give avoiding action orders or warning. By supreme effort he did open fire after a brief delay, but not before the Night Fighter had raked us from stem to stern. However, the Fighter was driven off. By now the rear
turret was almost useless, the compass was u/s, the elevator trim tabs were u/s and the kite kept wallowing. The wind¬screen was shattered and I was wounded in the head, shoulders and hands. We continued on track but were suddenly attacked by a FW190's which riddled us all over on two passes. The Nav was killed instantly and the Wireless Op badly wounded. The Rear Gunner tried hard to hit the fighter but only one gun would function and the turret packed up altogether. The Mid Upper turret was hit, stopped, and the oxygen system put unserviceable. I was hit too and started losing blood fast. The Flight Engineer gave me oxygen from the portable supply. The FE was himself injured.
“We carried on and reached the target bang on track. Had memorised the course luckily. We left the target and set course by the Pole star and moon. I was growing weak now from loss of blood and the oxygen supply was no more. The cold air coming in from the shattered cockpit was freezing. The F/E and Bomb Aimer between them flew the kite back. On sighting land they looked for the first airfield visible, revived me and we came in to land at what turned out to be Shipdham, a Yank liberator base. There was some ground mist and I could not see the runway lights. Blood kept getting into my eyes and I was almost fainting. The F/E and B/A were both holding myself and the column with all their might. One leg of the undercart collapsed but there was no fire.”
Balls of Brass Bill! Balls of Brass!
I'd be exactly five months old that night, fast asleep In County Durham and sucking on a thumb, while Bill and his crew made their point.
(Do I remember, in the 60's, seeing Bill's name on the side of a VC-10? If so, next time it's in the paint shop add… 'and crew'. )
………………………
From, The Lancaster at War. Mike Garbett & Brian Goulding.
ISBN. 0 7110 0225 8.
………………………
For getting his badly shot-up Lancaster home in spite of severe injuries to himself and his crew, F/Lt Bill Reid won the VC. The skipper’s own account tells only too graphically how terror could strike:
“3 December 1943. BIII, LM-360 QR-O. ‘Self and crew Op. No. 10’
Düsseldorf. 5 Hours 30 Minutes (night). Attacked by Me110 at Dutch Coast. Rear Gunner was unable to open fire due to a heating failure, thus his hands were frozen. The Intercomm was out so he was also unable to give avoiding action orders or warning. By supreme effort he did open fire after a brief delay, but not before the Night Fighter had raked us from stem to stern. However, the Fighter was driven off. By now the rear
turret was almost useless, the compass was u/s, the elevator trim tabs were u/s and the kite kept wallowing. The wind¬screen was shattered and I was wounded in the head, shoulders and hands. We continued on track but were suddenly attacked by a FW190's which riddled us all over on two passes. The Nav was killed instantly and the Wireless Op badly wounded. The Rear Gunner tried hard to hit the fighter but only one gun would function and the turret packed up altogether. The Mid Upper turret was hit, stopped, and the oxygen system put unserviceable. I was hit too and started losing blood fast. The Flight Engineer gave me oxygen from the portable supply. The FE was himself injured.
“We carried on and reached the target bang on track. Had memorised the course luckily. We left the target and set course by the Pole star and moon. I was growing weak now from loss of blood and the oxygen supply was no more. The cold air coming in from the shattered cockpit was freezing. The F/E and Bomb Aimer between them flew the kite back. On sighting land they looked for the first airfield visible, revived me and we came in to land at what turned out to be Shipdham, a Yank liberator base. There was some ground mist and I could not see the runway lights. Blood kept getting into my eyes and I was almost fainting. The F/E and B/A were both holding myself and the column with all their might. One leg of the undercart collapsed but there was no fire.”
