28th May 1940 – 103 Squadron - Fairey Battle I – L5515 – F/O R D Max RAF and crew – Op Abbeville – Pontoon bridges.
Damaged by flak during attack. Pilot and Wireless Operator/Air Gunner wounded. Landed at French airfield at Chalons. All crew safe.
Aircraft left at Chalons and abandoned.
Crew :-
F/O R D Max RAF – Wounded/Safe. ( Pictured below )
Sgt D Allen RAF – Safe.
AC1 Dunbois RAF – Wounded/Safe.
Roy Max’s own account of this mission from Valiant Wings by Norman Franks
“We were sent out to bomb pontoon bridges the Germans had built and we had to try and hit this darned thing, I came around at about 6,000 ft and started to dive down and as I did so I found German guns on three sides. It amazed me because the German convoy was still moving up and hadn't yet got near the bridge. Obviously their engineers had come ahead to put the bridge across and had placed guns all around.
I dropped the bombs and came out low. I could see this one gun on top of a hill, which seemed to be doing most of the damage, so gave him a good burst with my wing gun. Unfortunately they had hit us before that and the engine started to back fire and make funny noises. Then I saw the engine temperature rising so obviously glycol was leaking out and it was getting hotter and hotter. I headed back as far as I could, saw and airfield which had French aircraft on it and landed there. Poor old "Trunky" Allen, my observer, was cursing. Dubois my gunner had been wounded and I had been hit by a piece of shrapnel in the left knee. I thought I had lost my knee as I could not feel a thing. All I could see was blood dripping off my heel.
Anyway when I landed I'd almost decided I had lost my leg but when I got out I found my knee was only cut and bruised. Obviously the sharpnel's energy was spent before it could do much damaged.”
Flying Officer R D Max 103 Squadron
Compiled by David Fell. Photo from my own archive
|
