Bomb the Target, No Matter the Target

Heroes Remember

Bomb the Target, No Matter the Target

Transcript

Interviewer: Did you ever, I've heard that a lot of the, it was hard to bomb while you're, the targets were hard to reach sometimes and civilians got touched by the bombs. Was it hard knowing that some of your bombs wouldn't reach target and would hit civilians? No it didn't. Your main object was getting home, safely to base, you didn't care where your bombs fell you know as long as you wer were on target. Like I said before in war time there's no civilia civilians. They're all at the front line, if you're not making sh shells, you're making uniforms, you're making boots or making air aircraft. And, but that first trip of Bochum like, our government lied to us because when I was younger they said, "We don't bomb c civilians." At like you know at the start of the war. But our fir first target was Bochum, in ‘Happy Valley' in the Ruhr there, and and there was three hundred Lancasters being sent out. One hundred were sent to bomb the coal mine, and two hundred to b bomb civilians. We were told this by the briefing officer. He sai He said, "We've been after this coal mine for so long," he said, "Now we're going to go after the civilians." He said,"Winter's co coming," this is October, October 31st or so, and he told us, he he says, "Now we're going to go after civilians. And if we don't kill the worker, we'll blow up his house, kill his wife kill his kids. He's got no where to live he's got no family,he's very disg disgruntled and he won't produce." And that's what we were told. So this not bombing civilians was a...like I said, everybody is o on the front line. These guys were making coal, and coal miners.. that's war effort, and if he's got no where to live, well gonna be very unhappy with winter coming on.

Description

Mr. Taschuk explains why he didn’t think too much of the bombing targets they were assigned, and recalls a mission targeting a civilian mining town.

Neil Taschuk

Mr. Taschuk was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His father, a Russian immigrant, fought for Canada in the First World War. Mr. Taschuk joined the air force along with many others from the community, and was sent overseas as soon as he had earned his wireless air gunner (WAG) wings. He was assigned to a Lancaster in Bomber Command's 434 Squadron. Given the casualty rate at the time, it was a near death sentence. Against huge odds and having experienced numerous near misses, he and the rest of his crew were one of few in bomber command who were never injured in any action, training, or other mishaps.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 02:17
Person Interviewed:: Neil Taschuk
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Germany
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: 434 Squadron
Occupation:: Wireless Air Gunner

Language selection

Bomb the Target, No Matter the Target

Heroes Remember