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Crew RAF 514Sqn $Thomas Harvell
" ... there was the unmistakable thump of cannon fire, and I glimpsed tracers going up vertically on the port side of the bombardier's observation window" SGT. THOMAS HARVELL, 514 SQUADRON, BOMBER COMMAND
A formal photograph of Sgt. Thomas Harvell of 514 Squadron showing the Flight Engineer's brevet on the left breast pocket of his tunic. During an attack on Stuttgart on 28 July 1944, Sgt. Harvell's Lancaster was attacked and shot down by a Ju-88. It is believed that the pilot of this night fighter was Hptm. Heinz Rökker of 2./NJG2, who claimed two bombers that night.
I was the Flight Engineer of Lancaster LM206 that took off from Waterbeach at 21.40 hrs on the evening of 28 July 1944, destination Stuttgart. 1 occupied a seat next to the pilot, F/Lt. Robert Jones, carrying out the duties of a co-pilot. This was our twelfth operation, and the second to Stuttgart in three nights. We flew across France at 11,000 feet, skirting to the south of Paris in comforting cloud until we reached the area of Lorraine when we climbed to 14,000 feet into startling, bright moonlight. It was then that some Flak burst close to the aircraft and the skipper, Bob Jones, told me to go into the bombardier's compartment and release some bundles of 'Window'. I wriggled down through the small hatch of the bombardier's compartment and, as I was doing this, the voice of the rear-gunner, Sgt. Alfred Braine, came over the intercom reporting fighter flares being dropped some distance away and from above us.
I had just pushed out two packets of 'Window' when there was the unmistakable thump of cannon fire, and I glimpsed tracers going up vertically on the port side of the bombardier's observation window. This was immediately followed by a bright glow of fire that emanated from the area of the port inner engine. Then I heard the rumble of the hydraulic system and I realised that the bomb bay doors were being opened. The aircraft reared up as the 8,000lb bomb load was released and the skipper's voice came over the intercom saying, "I have let the bombs go, Ken!" This was addressed to our bomb aimer, F/O. Kenneth Loader, who was back assisting the navigator, F/Sgt. George Robinson.
I felt frustrated at not being in my usual place in the cockpit and was attempting to get back when the aircraft started to go down. At this moment the skipper informed us, "You had better get out lads!" I re-entered the bombardier's compartment where there was an escape hatch in the floor. As I did so, I had a last look at Bob Jones, who was now out of his pilot's seat and was standing up in the cockpit. I sat on the glycol tank in the compartment and attempted to reach the release toggles of the escape hatch, but the g-forces were now so great that I could not do so. Then came the thump of another burst of cannon fire, followed by a rush of warm air and I was catapulted head first into the domed observation window in the nose of the bomber and blacked out.
When I came to, I realised that I was falling free of the Lancaster and I deployed my parachute. I saw that burning debris from the aircraft was falling towards the canopy of my chute, so I spilt some air out of it from one side so that I went into a sideways glide away from the debris. I landed in a field and badly twisted my right knee, and my scalp was bleeding from lacerations caused when the Lancaster exploded. I was now some distance from the burning wreckage of the aircraft and I later learnt that the only other survivor from the crew was the navigator, George Robinson, who had landed close to the wreckage and was taken prisoner. I evaded capture and, using the alias of Charles Hautier, continued fighting the war with a Maquis group, the guerrilla arm of the French Resistance.
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