Sergeant John Walter Gifford Saunders 1324708

Sergeant John Walter Gifford Saunders 1324708

Recollections of John's service career, by his son Clive, including a letter from 44 Squadron Association. It describes John taking fellow RAF volunteers' compulsary swimming tests in their stead and his initial training in Rhodesia. He flew in Wellingtons before transferring to Lancasters with 44 Squadron. John had to bail out on his first operation after his Lancaster, ED348 'M'. was hit by flak. On this operation the crew members were Pilot Officer A C Smith, Flight Engineer Sergeant M O D Barrett, Navigator Sergeant J Dobson, Bomb Aimer Sergeant T J Profit, Wireless Operator Sergeant C M Meakin, Air Gunner A R H Wells and Rear Gunner Sergeant J W G Saunders. Three members of the crew, Sergeants Barrett, Meakin and Dobson did not survive the incident. John was captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war during which time two tunnels were dug from the camp but both were discovered. Whilst a prisoner John befriended a Polish girl in an adjacent camp. He was liberated by the Russians and made his way to Switzerland from where he was repatriated.

Three typed sheets

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