A Not So "Ducky" Situation

Heroes Remember

A Not So "Ducky" Situation

Transcript

Coincidentally at elementary school, I was shot. And I am one of the two Canadians that was shot in an air force air plane, during the war in Canada. And I still have the, you can see some of the buck shot is still on my fingers and my hips and that. What happened, it was about, towards the end of the course and we were lolly-gagging around and started chasing ducks on the river. And I saw this one group of ducks over by the shore. So I came back in across the shore line and I was dragging my, the wheels of the Tiger Moth through the reeds. And there was a thump, a bang and I went over the ducks and they didn't fly, they were decoys. So, I turned around to see what we'd hit and what I had done was taken the top off a duck blind and there's 3 hunters in it. And I be, I suppose top of the ceiling with the tip of my wing, I was right down on the deck. And I'm looking down and all three of them have their guns pointed at the aircraft. And then I see flames coming out of the tip of the barrel. And then I feel the sting of these bullets hitting me. So, it proved one thing that, that your eyesight is faster then buck shot because I saw those flames before I felt the sting of the pellets. So, I got out of there in a hurry but now I got an aircraft with 200 holes in it and you're 5 000 miles from Germany. So, what do you tell the CO? Anyway, it was quite a story but it worked out okay and I got away with it.

Description

Mr. James discusses an amusing training incident.

Lyle James

Mr. James was born February 27, 1917. He grew up in Sarnia, a small Ontario town whose economy depended on Imperial Oil and the Canadian National railroad. Being politically aware, Mr. James considered Hitler to be a global threat; he enlisted with the hope of keeping World War Two from spreading to Canada. After receiving his wings, Mr. James sailed to England where he joined 101 Squadron, Bomber Command in 1943. Mr. James became the pilot of a Lancaster bomber after training in a Wellington. He piloted 32 missions during the second Battle of the Ruhr. Today, Mr. James is a frequent guest speaker at service clubs and schools, where he shares his reflections on the Second World War.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 01:39
Person Interviewed:: Lyle James
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Canada
Battle/Campaign:: Bomber Command
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: 101 Squadron
Rank:: Flying Officer
Occupation:: Pilot

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A Not So "Ducky" Situation

Heroes Remember