Only Thinking of Himself

Heroes Remember

Only Thinking of Himself

Transcript

Probably the worst thing that we did, we got moved quite a few times and on the march, and there would be only one, there was a thousand of us, and the Germans were taking us to another camp, and we got shot up by three Spitfires. And they probably thought they were German troops. I can remember this one time they had, they came in, one guy waving their great coats, the blue great coats. They came through anyway. One time they made two passes at us, that was just three of them, but they made two passes and they, they killed over a hundred. Nothing ever happened to them, They probably got home and got a medal. Things like that were not too happy, especially when it's your own people and Canadians at that. You see the, you can take their numbers, they were so low. I don't think anybody ever paid for it, well that was kind of demoralizing. I know three chaps and one of them is right here in Regina, who took off. The German guards weren't able to watch everybody, They were watching everybody except themselves I think. Anyways, these three fellows took off and they got back to the British lines. Most of us felt that there was strength in numbers you know and that to get away on your own, you really could be in trouble, but they made it.

Description

Mr. Fawcett reflects on betrayal and being unable to forgive his Mid-Upper Gunner.

Charlie Fawcett

Mr. Fawcett was born June 15, 1922 and grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He first became interested in planes when his father took him to Regina to go for a ride in one. It was this early interest in aviation that led him to sign up with the air force in 1942. He received gunnery training at Dafoe, SK and from there went overseas in the latter part of 1942. He chose to be a rear gunner as it was the fastest way to get overseas. Once in England he was assigned to an RAF squadron, stationed in Yorkshire, that consisted of an Australian pilot and an all English crew. In 1943, while on a trip to Czechoslovakia, they were shot down over Germany by a Messerschmitt. After bailing out of the aircraft Mr. Fawcett landed in a tree. The following day he was taken prisoner by the Germans. Over the next 2 ½ years he was interned in three different POW camps. Mr. Fawcett remained a POW until the end of the war.

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