His first operation was minelaying in the Baltic and he recalls standing in the astrodome to warn of enemy fighters. On other operations he would sit in the front turret and occasionally fire at enemy fighters, without success. Further minelaying operations were carried out and on his eighth, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and diverted to a US Army Air Force airfield where he stocked up on goodies, unavailable in England from the base exchange store.
On the 22 September 1943 he took part to an operation to Hanover and describes the night fighter tactics in detail. Following lengthy evasive action his aircraft was forced down to 5,000 feet where it was hit by by anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to bail out over Emden where he was caught by a member of the Luftwaffe who was visiting his girlfriend. After initial interrogation he was sent to the interrogation centre at Dalag Luft and after a two day train journey arrived at Stalag 5 prisoner of war camp.
On July 1944 the encroaching Russian army forced the evacuation of the camp and he was moved to the unfinished Luft 4 camp and remembers the bullying guards and poor conditions. Again in February 1945 the camp was evacuated and after crossing the River Oder in barges marched across northern Germany. After two months he arrived at Lübeck and escaped the column, narrowly missing being captured by German soldiers by conversing in French. Finding an allied airfield he was repatriated to England where he was treated as a hero.
After recuperation he attended a code and cipher course and was offered a commission if he would go to the middle-east. Wanting to get married he declined and wangled his way to 24 Squadron at RAF Hendon, were he was eventually demobbed in July 1946. ]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Terry Holmes]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Herefordshire]]> England--Oxfordshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--London]]> Atlantic Ocean--Baltic Sea]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Emden (Lower Saxony)]]> Germany]]> Europe--Oder River]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Lithuania]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> 1936]]> 1939]]> 1940]]> 1941]]> 1942]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> 1946]]> 1943-09-22]]> 1944-07]]> 1945-02]]> 1946-07]]>

After returning to the UK, Douglas went to an Operational Training Unit to get crewed up, initially at RAF Wymeswold and then RAF Castle Donington on Wellingtons. He went to RAF Marston Moor and on to 158 Squadron at RAF Lissett on Halifaxes where he describes an encounter with Group Captain Leonard Cheshire. Douglas relates how a rear gunner refused to fly and was court martialled.

Douglas flew three operations to Berlin and on the third took a direct hit. After most of the crew baled, he managed to land in the Netherlands before being taken prisoner. Stalag Luft VI, on the border of East Prussia and Lithuania, was followed by Stalag Luft IV after the Russians approached. For three months Douglas was part of the Long March before being rescued by the 6th Airborne Division and flown back home.

Douglas stayed on for three years after the war. He was posted to RAF Wing and went up to Cosford as a flying officer. He attended a Lancaster Conversion Unit and flew Lancasters. He finished at a development squadron at the Central Signals Establishment. He recalls flying a Lancaster at the first Biggin Hill Air Show in front of Winston Churchill.]]>
Annie Moody]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Sally Coulter]]> Pending review]]> Sound]]> Germany]]> Lithuania]]> Zimbabwe]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Great Britain]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Mediterranean Sea]]> 1940-09]]> 1944]]>
C A Room]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Diary]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Germany--Bad Fallingbostel]]> 1945-03]]> 1945-04]]> David Kavanagh]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Julie Williams]]> Pending review]]> Pending revision of OH transcription]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Lithuania]]> Poland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Suffolk]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Poland--Świnoujście]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> 1944-03-18]]> 1945-02]]> 1945-06-19]]> 1946-09-06]]> David Meanwell]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Tilly Foster]]> Carolyn Emery]]> eng]]> Sound]]> Civilian]]> Second generation]]> Germany]]> Great Britain]]> Poland]]> England--Yorkshire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Oberursel]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> George Dummett]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Steve Baldwin]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Service material]]> ]]> Royal Air Force]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1944]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Roger Dunsford]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> British Army]]> 1945-04]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Roger Dunsford]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> British Army]]> Poland]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> 1944-11]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Roger Dunsford]]> eng]]> Text]]> Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> British Army]]> Germany]]> Germany--Barth]]> 1944-09]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Angola]]> Belgium]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> Cuba]]> Cyprus]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Prague]]> Ethiopia]]> Ethiopia--Addis Ababa]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> France]]> France--Toulon]]> Germany]]> Germany--Bautzen Region]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Germany--Goldberg (Schwerin)]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Germany--Hohnstein (Grafschaft)]]> Germany--Karlsruhe]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Ravensburg]]> Germany--Sandbostel]]> Germany--Schönfeld]]> Iran]]> Kenya]]> Poland]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Northern Rhodesia]]> Sri Lanka]]> Sri Lanka--Colombo]]> Switzerland]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Turkey]]> Turkey--Istanbul]]> Ukraine]]> North Africa]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Germany--Mühlberg (Bad Liebenwerda)]]> Czech Republic--Cheb]]> Lithuania]]> Angola--Luanda (Luanda)]]> 1945-05]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Cyprus--Famagusta]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Germany--Berlin]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Germany--Colditz]]> Germany--Neubrandenburg]]> Germany--Munich]]> Germany--Görlitz (Görlitz)]]> Germany--Meiningen]]> Germany--Obermassfeld-Grimmenthal]]> Great Britain]]> England--Merseyside]]> England--Oldham]]> England--Surrey]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Barth]]> Poland]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Germany]]> Cyprus]]> Netherlands]]> Switzerland]]> Ukraine]]> England--Lancashire]]> 1945-04]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Czech Republic--Prague]]> Germany--Krefeld]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> Germany--Liebenau Site]]> France--Metz]]> Ireland--Sligo]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Sydney]]> Germany--Spangenberg]]> Italy--Mantua]]> Germany--Marienthal]]> Germany--Glauchau]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> Germany--Coswig (Saxony)]]> Germany--Braunschweig]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Ukraine--Odesa]]> Czech Republic--Cheb]]> Sweden--Göteborg]]> Germany--Biberach an der Riss]]> Italy]]> France]]> New South Wales]]> Germany]]> Ireland]]> Russia (Federation)]]> Sweden]]> Ukraine]]> Germany--Ruhr (Region)]]> 1945-04]]> Great Britain. Red Cross and St John war organisation. Prisoners of war department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> France]]> France--Marseille]]> Germany]]> Germany--Bleicherode]]> Germany--Eichstätt]]> Germany--Görlitz (Görlitz)]]> Poland--Kołobrzeg]]> Poland--Malbork]]> Great Britain]]> Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies--Channel Islands]]> England--Bradford]]> England--Cullercoats]]> England--Hull]]> England--Leeds]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--Liverpool]]> England--London]]> England--London]]> England--Stockport]]> England--Woodbridge (Suffolk)]]> Wales--Bridgend]]> Wales--Wrexham]]> Netherlands]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Sweden]]> Sweden--Stockholm]]> Switzerland]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Switzerland--St. Gallen]]> Lithuania]]> Poland]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Germany--Bad Fallingbostel]]> Poland--Kędzierzyn-Koźle]]> England--Northumberland]]> England--Suffolk]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> 1945-02]]> Ivan Lochlyn Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Poetry]]> Artwork]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Germany]]> Lithuania]]> Poland]]> Germany--Barth]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> 1943]]> 1944]]> 1945]]> Ivan Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> Royal Navy]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Isle of Wight]]> Norway]]> Scotland--Argyllshire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> England--Sussex]]> England--Westbourne (West Sussex)]]> England--London]]> England--Hayling Island]]> England--Evenley]]> England--Somerset]]> England--Blackpool]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Poland]]> Poland--Gdańsk]]> Lithuania]]> Lithuania--Šilutė]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland--Szczecin]]> Poland--Białogard]]> Poland--Pyrzyce (Powiat)]]> Germany--Lauenburg]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Germany--Rheine]]> England--London]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Ireland]]> Ireland--Dublin]]> Ireland--Cork]]> Austria]]> Austria--Vienna]]> Libya]]> Libya--Tripoli]]> Libya--Banghāzī]]> Egypt]]> Egypt--Cairo]]> Egypt--Jīzah]]> Egypt--Port Said]]> Kuwait]]> Bahrain]]> Iran]]> Iran--Tehran]]> Scotland--Oban]]> Ivan Ure]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Wehrmacht]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> Royal Air Force]]> Polskie Siły Powietrzne]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> Wales--Colwyn Bay]]> England--London]]> England--Lancing]]> England--Blackpool]]> Scotland--Edzell]]> Scotland--Arbroath]]> England--Whitley Bay]]> Germany]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Hamburg]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France]]> France--Le Tréport]]> France--Abbeville]]> France--Paris]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> Poland--Świnoujście]]> Poland--Białogard]]> Europe--Elbe River]]> Germany--Lüneburg]]> Germany--Rheine]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Lithuania--Klaipėda]]> John Martin]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Memoir]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> United States Army Air Force]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Indian Air Force]]> Royal New Zealand Air Force]]> Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe]]> South African Air Force]]> Wehrmacht. Kriegsmarine]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> England--Lincoln]]> England--Huntingdonshire]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> Germany--Berlin]]> France--Caen]]> France--Normandy]]> Poland--Świnoujście]]> Germany--Dresden]]> Poland]]> Poland--Vistula River]]> Poland--Toruń]]> Italy]]> Europe--East Prussia (Poland and Russia)]]> England--Grimsby]]> France]]> Belgium]]> France--Ardennes]]> Netherlands--Arnhem]]> Belgium--Brussels]]> England--Dover]]> England--Wolverhampton]]> Germany--Frankfurt am Main]]> Germany--Hannover]]> Europe--Elbe River]]> England--Newark (Nottinghamshire)]]> Netherlands]]> Germany]]> England--Sleaford (Lincolnshire)]]> 1945]]> POW Accounts Department]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Map]]> Royal Air Force]]> Germany]]> Czech Republic]]> Poland]]> Austria]]> Slovakia]]> 1944-09-21]]> Samuel Day]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> Civilian]]> Great Britain]]> England--Durham (County)]]> England--Bishop Auckland]]> 1945-10-13]]> Ted Thornhill]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Pending text-based transcription]]> eng]]> Text]]> Text. Correspondence]]> EThornhillEBThornhillCE441118-0002,
EThornhillEBThornhillCE441118-0003]]>
Civilian]]> Royal Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Beeston (Nottinghamshire)]]> 1944-11-18]]>
The British Prisoners of War Relatives' Association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> Australia]]> Victoria--Melbourne]]> Japan--Hakodate-shi]]> Malaysia--Sandakan (Sabah)]]> Korea]]> Japan--Fukuoka-shi]]> Taiwan]]> Thailand]]> Japan--Zentsūji-shi]]> Germany--Königstein (Pirna)]]> United States]]> Washington (D.C.)]]> Russia (Federation)--Vladivostok]]> Thailand--Bangkok]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> England--Worcester]]> England--Bridlington]]> England--Brighouse]]> England--Bristol]]> England--Burnley]]> England--Caterham]]> England--Clitheroe]]> England--Durham]]> England--Grimsby]]> England--Cleethorpes]]> England--Hungerford]]> England--Kendal]]> England--Newbury]]> England--Cheshire]]> England--Oldham]]> England--Reading]]> England--Spen]]> Russia (Federation)--Moscow]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland]]> Singapore]]> Victoria]]> Malaysia]]> Ontario]]> Germany]]> Japan]]> Russia (Federation)]]> England--Durham (County)]]> England--Gloucestershire]]> England--Berkshire]]> England--Lancashire]]> England--Lincolnshire]]> England--Surrey]]> England--Westmorland]]> England--Worcestershire]]> England--Yorkshire]]> 1945-02]]> The Canadian Prisoners of War Relatives Association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Bournemouth]]> Germany--Lübeck]]> Germany--Moosburg an der Isar]]> Germany--Fischbach]]> Germany--Bremervörde]]> Germany--Luckenwalde]]> Germany--Spremberg]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> China--Hong Kong]]> Germany--Liebenau Site]]> Japan--Kōbe-shi]]> France--Paris]]> France--Nantes]]> France--Rouen]]> France--Nice]]> Canada]]> Manitoba]]> New Brunswick--Moncton]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> Saskatchewan]]> British Columbia--Victoria]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> British Columbia--New Westminster]]> France--Lyon]]> France--Marseille]]> France--Dunkerque]]> Germany--Barth]]> Poland]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland--Łambinowice]]> Czech Republic]]> Czech Republic--Karlovy Vary]]> Germany--Nuremberg]]> France--Bordeaux (Nouvelle-Aquitaine)]]> France]]> Ontario]]> New Brunswick]]> Germany]]> China]]> Japan]]> Switzerland]]> England--Hampshire]]> Germany--Parchim]]> 1945-05]]> The Canadian Prisoners of War Relatives Association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> Anne-Marie Watson]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Portugal--Lisbon]]> Japan]]> China--Hong Kong]]> Switzerland--Geneva]]> Sweden]]> United States]]> Pennsylvania--Philadelphia]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Ontario--Ottawa]]> British Columbia--Vancouver]]> Manitoba]]> France--Belfort]]> France--Marseille]]> Poland]]> Poland--Tychowo]]> Poland--Żagań]]> Switzerland--Bern]]> France]]> Ontario]]> China]]> Switzerland]]> Portugal]]> 1944-06]]> The RAF ex-POW Association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Civilian]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Royal Australian Air Force]]> Great Britain]]> England--Warwick]]> England--Stafford]]> England--Hampshire]]> New Zealand--Dunedin]]> New Zealand]]> England--Warwickshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]> The RAF ex-POW Association]]> IBCC Digital Archive]]> eng]]> Text]]> Royal Air Force]]> Royal Air Force. Bomber Command]]> Royal Air Force. Coastal Command]]> Royal Canadian Air Force]]> Royal Navy]]> Great Britain]]> England--London]]> Poland--Żagań]]> New Zealand--Auckland]]> Canada]]> Ontario--Toronto]]> Canada]]> British Columbia--Abbotsford]]> British Columbia--Victoria]]> England--Headcorn]]> Australia]]> New South Wales--Penrith]]> Germany--Stuttgart]]> Germany--Mannheim]]> Germany--Leipzig]]> England--Stafford]]> England--Nottingham]]> Poland]]> New South Wales]]> Ontario]]> Germany]]> New Zealand]]> England--Kent]]> England--Nottinghamshire]]> England--Staffordshire]]>