In Hot Water (Part 3 of 3)

Heroes Remember

In Hot Water (Part 3 of 3)

"You've got the film. Is there anything on the film?" You know, and they've got this wet thing, they say, "Yeah, there's something there." So I take the prints then I go to the photographic interpretation section, APIS, Air Photographic Interpretation Section. So I hand the photographs to this young British lieutenant, very British chap, and I said, "What's,what are these? What's on there?" So he gets the... hmm? Interviewer: The loop? Well they're two things. Little..you can see, and you can get the image from these two things. Interviewer: Stereo scope or something? Stereos yeah. So he looks at them and he says, "Ah, my dear fellow, those are Tiger Tanks." And I said "Thank God." So I take the films, go back to the wing commander and I said, "Sir, these are Tiger Tanks. No question about it. And Lieutenant Bogart says they're Tiger tanks." It was Dirk Bogart who did the interpretation for me. And it saved my life because I would have been... and the wing commander said, "Don't let it happen again. Outta here." So I was gone. So that was a, for me, quite an interesting experience. But Dirk Bogart when I was doing, writing the first version of Patton's Gap, I corresponded with him and he remembered very well the funny event.

Mr. Rohmer continues his story of spotting Tiger Tanks in an unexpected area in Normandy, and how his reporting of it got him in hot water...

Richard Heath Rohmer

Major General Rohmer was born in Hamilton, Ontario on January 24, 1924. He enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force on his eighteenth birthday. He had received some training in Canada before being shipped overseas to Bournemouth for further training on both Spitfires and Mustangs. He chose to fly a Mustang and was finally able to get into operations in the Fall of 1944.

General Rohmer provided reconnaissance for D-Day, the Falaise Gap and the Liberation of the Netherlands.

After the war, General Rohmer instructed Spitfire pilots on how to attack in the air at Gunnery Instructor School and later went back to college in Ontario, Canada. After graduating from college he went on to practice law. General Rohmer has received several awards throughout his illustrious career including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Canada Defence Medal and is an Officer of the Order of Canada just to name a few. General Rohmer is also a best selling author.