Westkapelle

Westkapelle

Account of return from an operation to Westkapelle when they flew over authors father's farm and local village where they threw out window.

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MPotterPL1878961-150914-24

[underlined]WESTCAPELLE[/underlined
After bombing at Westkapelle we decided to return via
Southgreen Farm, Fingringhoe (my father's farm). To do so
we had to flyover the army firing ranges at Langenhoe.
We flew over the farmhouse just over rooftop high, as usual
lifted for the hill at the back to the Whalebone Public House,
banked right for several circuits and wherever there were
houses we threw out "window" metal strips which we used
to disrupt enemy radar.
Our second circuits we turned left to cover the village, as we
passed over the farm my mother and sisters ran onto the
road waving table cloths and Mum had to be pulled back
forcibly by my sister Jean out of the way of an army convoy.
Dad and next door farmer, James McNair had to take a bottle
of whisky to the C/O of the ranges so that we were not
reported for low flying.
The "window" we had spread around caused great confusion
amongst the villages, no one would touch it as they thought
it had been dropped by Germans, until I explained it when
next on leave.