Bombing Runs

Heroes Remember

Bombing Runs

Transcript

At that stage of the war we were bombing mostly oil targets, oil producing towns and then a few railway junctions, transportation so basically we were after oil and secondary after transportation. We went on one, about our twentieth trip and as we got across the English Channel one of our engines quit and they couldn’t get it started again. So the skipper said, “Look, we’ve only got three engines, should we go back?” You know, he’s asking the crew. “No let’s get it in!” So we flew on three engines which meant we were very gradually losing altitude but we were falling behind so that as we got to the target, we were the last ones over the target and we were down to about 12,000 feet by this time so we bombed. I guess they didn’t expect anybody to come that late because there were no fighters. There was still lots of flak and then by the time we got back across the channel, we were down to about 5,000 feet and then we just slipped into a Southern England aerodrome but we got the trip in. We just wanted to get the trips in and get away from this kind of work.

Description

After crossing the English Channel, Mr. Heather describes the challenges faced when they lose an engine.

Stan Heather

Stanley (Stan) Heather was born in Toronto, Ontario, on June 5, 1923. He began his military service on February 27, 1941, at the Galt Aircraft School as an airframe mechanic trainee and then joined the Royal Canadian Air Force at the manning depot in Toronto as an AC2 (Aircraftman, 2nd class) mechanic in July of that same year. He flew as an air gunner with Royal Air Force 78 Squadron at Breighton, Yorkshire, England. At the end of the war, he had achieved the rank of flying officer, and returned to Toronto to pursue his education in Accounting while working for the Dominion Bank. He worked for the Chrysler Corporation as an accountant, for Dale Carnegie Courses as a sponsor in the West Indies (for 15 years), and for the Mississauga Board of Trade as its general manager. In 1985, he co-founded Heather Child Care Supplies Ltd. with his wife, Hassina which they still operate together. Mr. Heather is a proud father of five, grandfather and great-grandfather.

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