Diary of Flying Officer Clifford Timothy O'Riordan, 1942-1943 - Part 6
January
I knew exactly how he felt. Remember
my first brief at Sydney Police Court.
my voice shook, my hands trembled
& my knees knocked. the lecture
platform Gremlins who are a tribe
too old to fly, but can wreak devestation
on the framed got him. My talk
on "search" was an easy one.
Sun 10. Cold & sleet. Combat reports
& discussion. The wit of the class
is F/Sgt Paddy Moore an Irishman.
Should be on the stage.
Monday 11. The authorities have
decided that since the weather wont
clear, we had better do so, and we
leave to-morrow afternoon. Farewell
party. Vern Haaften the dutchman put
on a good act.
Tuesday 12. G/Capt Beaunish said good-bye
& apologised for our accomodation.
marks were read out. Got 72% & the
[[hop?]] in Lecture. Previous high in lecture was
a Cambridge lecturer in 40 course !!
Left at 12. Said good bye to Ted &
Dave. Two hour wait at Spalding
& walked around town with Hilton.
January
Arrived Doncaster 9. and stayed the night.
Struck Bruce Oliver† at pub. They have
been at Lindholme converting and are
going back to Squadron tomorrow also.
Told me Dave Galt is safe & just
arrived back in England - Cheers. Its
about a record. He went down on the
Stuttgart do on 25th October.
Wednesday 13 To Breightan 3 PM. The mess
is practically ruined. 14 holes in roof where
chaps have put their feet through on
Xmas party. They also rode motor
bikes around the mess. Jimmy Thomson
was standing on mantel over fire, fell
off & was run down. No injury.
Peter Jackson ½ rolled a Lanc over
Essen one night & Pete Isaacson &
crew have gone to Pathfinders.
Thursday 14. Court Marshall at Holme.
Defendant Sgt O'Keefe, fitter, won Stawl
Gift & other foot races charged with
insubordination. Called W/O Coutes a
f — billy goat, prize c — and lousy
bastard. Refused to leave the
mess etc. & I got him off! my
rep as 'the shyster' is growing.
January
Friday 15. Dillworth is new C.O. [[?]]
was sick 21 days, down to Sq/Ld. and is
going home to Australia. I am now
in Sq/Ld Camplin's crew. There are
war correspondents on station & something big
is brewing. 3 fresher crews on ops tonight
on easy target — if any are easy. (Bruce Oliver’s crew missing)
Saturday 16. Tammy looking for gunner
for the Winco. Said I’d go. Briefing
saw the big do up which has been
joked about many times but never come
off yet — Berlin. Flying in mid upper
as controller. Climbed to 20000 & flew
at that all the way. Cloud 10/10 all way
moderate icing. Saw M.E110 near
Stettin & took evasive action. Got to
target and found the one clear patch on
whole journey over Berlin. Made a
steady run in moderate flak and
dropped our 4000 pounder
smack on the pinpoint. It looked like the Cologne
show. Weaved our way back & not
troubled by a thing except the cold.
Winco flew perfectly. We were
the last to land & the vis was
very poor. Just got down & five minutes
January
later you couldnt see fifty yards. 8 hrs 10 mins.
Saturday Sunday 17. On again tonight. Same
target. Airborne at 6 PM and set course same
as last night. 30 miles from Danish coast
Osborn in rear turret reported a '110 making
an attack from Starboard quarter down.
We turned in & lost him. Had another
attack over Denmark & another at point
60 miles from Berlin FW 190s, in each
case we corkscrewed successfully. The
flak was heavy & vis bad over target.
Stooged around 25 minutes to make
special report. Attacked 10 mins after
leaving target by ME & near Denmark
by an 88. Avoided them by correct.
evasion action. Got coned in searchlights
& the skipper nearly put us in the
deck in a vertical dive. [[?]]
[[?]] frozen & just pulled her out but
we got away. Predicted by flak all
the way & had to weave like bell.
Leaving Danish Coast a searchlight
picked us up & began [[?]] from
vertical to horizontal in our
direction. Knew what to expect
& when an 88 dived on us we weaved
January
and corkscrewed like hell. Couldnt.
get my sight on him at all & in
the middle of it my seat collapsed.
Sad to ½ kneel ½ stand for rest of
journey. Tired as well.
Monday 18. Standown Australian
correspondents up to get official
story. Billy Wendans crew had to
bail out & arrived just in time
for the party. We gave them
the facts which no doubt they
will dress up nicely. Corfethe
bomb aimer in Wendans crew is
gone. His chute got tangled with
his intercom cord & didnt open.
Tuesday 19 Got leave with Camplins
crew. Arrived London 3 AM & finally
got in at Nelson's girl friends' mansion.
Hamilton house which has been
converted.
Wednesday 20 [[?]] Col Shade
& Pat Boyle at Codgers. Col finished
his ops & gets smashed up at O.T.U.
The only one to get out of the plane
alive. He walks like an old man
and his back has to be operated on.
January
went to Murrays Club a jewish dump.
Friday 22 Sharing a room with Sam
Landy at Regent Palace. Hes spending his
leave listening to the 'smiler' murder trail.
Beat the town up with Shade & Boyle
tell me Triggs has got a DSO.
Saturday 23. Polvady [[bronchitis?]] a [[?]] Only
get up for meals.
Monday 25 Still crook but got to go
back. Went Kodak house & ran into
W/C [[?]]. He doesnt look well.
Ran into Ilford DFC & bar on Pathfinders also
John Ross. Caught late train.
Tuesday 26. Arr station Jack Stainstreet there
large as life with a couple of sticks
& going home - lucky devil. Dickie
Osbornes crew went the other night.
Old Stewie Meglin† his rear gunner was
one of the brightest lads on the
station. Got a letter from Jim
Crocketts father. Hes very cut up and
tries to disguise it . went bed crook
Wednesday 27. Batman woke me with
news that our Adj John Kearns had
died during the night. cerebo spinal
meningitis. He was only sick about
January
twelve hours. Much overworked. Couldnt
take leave because no one to relieve
him. Dam shame a fine fellow
I went with a corporal & saw
his effects put together.
Ops to Dusseldorf to-night. We
arent on for which Im glad as my
cold is not so good. Six crews
going. Helped them on with gear
& went out to see take off. Lent
[[?]] Simpson my helmet.
Thursday 28. All back from last
night but my old crew Brittingham 8.
Billy Matchett the observer & trained
with in Aussie & Canada. Bobbie
Rogers the W.O.P was an Englishman &
a fine chap. Norm Simpson the bomb
aimer a cheerful happy go lucky kid
Ian Brodie a quiet fine chap &
Martin the rear gunner. By all
the rules I should have gone with
them, but because I was away on
the C.G.S. course for six weeks they
had to substitute another gunner in
my place & when I came back put
me in the Flight Commanders crew.
January
Britt himself knew it was coming. Has
had three shaky do's before & should
have been taken off. Im sure he
wanted that but would never say it.
Hope to God they are prisoners of war.
Friday 29. Heard about Paddy Boyle & his tie. When he gets full
he hides his money in all sorts of wierd places. He
met a WAAF and finished up sleeping with her. He had
secreted a pound in his tie & when they got
dressed the next day the ties got ruined & he found
himself with the girls tie minus a quid.
Saturday 30. Briefed for high level formation
with mosquitos. First flight with Camplin as
skipper. At 10000 ft I asked for more [[oxygen?]]
After that, things are a bit hazy, but for three
and one half hours we flew at 23,500 ft, temperature
minus 35 and I had no electric
heating & no oxygen! Found later that the
pipe going into turret had broken off. Was
unconscious most of time & suffered extreme
cold. Ears filled up on coming down & the
Doc grounded me for a week. Terrific headaches
during evening & all symptoms of being
drunk. Glad of a chance to get rid
of my cold and feed up a bit.
January
Sunday 31. The boys have gone to Hamburg to-night.
MacLaughlin has taken my seat in Camp's crew. I
went over for the take off at midnight. It was
cold and rainy. The chaps were in the crew room
Joking away and smoking. I Had my first
opportunity to look at shops going on a raid.
On other occasions I have been too busy to
worry about the others. I helped some of the new
chaps put on their electric clothing. Nobody mentioned
the target, but it was in every mind. Hamburg is
not called 'Chopburg' for nothing. Its the place where
many a good man has 'got the chopper'. Met looks
fierce. Two fronts to go through and a lot of icing.
Suddenly the trucks arrived, and the crews
bundled into them, carrying their gear. The navigator
with a large satchel and sextant. The WOP
with his flimsies and Gyro machine, the gunners
with their parachutes & 'Mae Wests'. These are
left in the fuselage as there is no room in
the turret for them. After the buses had
gone, the flights officers were strangely silent.
An engine coughs and breaks into a roar.
Others start & soon the air is sent by the
32 motors of eight Lancaster's running up.
Ten minutes of this and the engines roll.
It is a threatening mutter. Then the marshalling
January
begins. The giant machines, with navigation lights
on, taxi from their dispersals to the end of the
long runway. Each machine has a 'cookie' (400
lb high explosive) and incendiaries aboard.
The leading machine Z for Zebra is now in
position. The A.C.P. flashes a green on his Aldis
lamp. The engines growl, then roar, then scream
and Z, Zebra moves with increasing speed down
the runway. He takes a devil of a time to
ge off. You hold your breath, and a quick
prayer flashes through your mind. At last he
lifts and the wheels retract. The other aircraft
follow in quick succession, and soon the
roar of circling planes blots out everything
else. Hope to God they all get back. Its a
six hour journey, and as the boys jokingly
say "fraught with peril".
Monday 1st. All safe from last night. Paddy Boyles
instrument (air speed ind) froze & he went through
the target unaided & got a photo. Baron Keys
also got one. Stiffy Horne made a mess
of a training flight & is grounded. Jimmy
Craft & Jackson of Alec Warles crew, have got
their commissions and are screened.
Tuesday 2. Went to Holme to change my electrical
stuff. Called in at Pub on way back & met
February
LAC Rowe who was in Middlesex Hospital with
me. Decent chap. Just been posed here as a sniffer.
The boys are pranging Cologne to-night. Who'd have
thought there was anything worth belting left in
Cologne after the big raid.
Wednesday 3. All back except Sullivans crew
which landed away, shot up a bit by a
night fighter. Got four letters from
home.
Friday 5. rain and cold. I'm absolutely
brassed off with this war. It doesn't
look like ever ending. Life is a
mixture of boredom & hectic times. A
man misses the company of his own
women folk. If you take the 'second
best' you get more tied up than ever,
and you remember those illicit hours when
you are settling down for the run
to the target, with eternity just round
the corner. Its not worth it.
When I am feeling this way, I normally
go to the local & get a gut full of
beer. Tonight I haven't got the energy.
Sunday 9. Went to see the Doc this morning
to get his OK to fly, but after he looked
in my ear he said that its still a bit
February
inflamed & that I had to go to Ranceby to see
the specialist there. The boys went
to Lorient - a piece of cake.
Monday 8. Took train to Grantham. 4 changes
and mighty cold. Stan Ricketts came as
fa as Leeds. He is going to get a pilots
course. He's pretty hot too. When we
were coming back from Berlin & well out to
sea, I saw an unidentified aircraft 500
ft below us. I immediately gave the
order for corkscrew evasion. When I
got another look I found it was a Lane
& put him back on course. I didn't
know until later that it was Stan, the
bomb Aimer who was flying the Life at
the time & not the Winco. He was
asleep in the bomb Aimers position.
Tuesday 9. Saw the ear specialist. He blew out
my ears & told me I had to stay on the
ground for ten more days. Came home
via York. A liberty bus was in there
& I stayed with Jack Kirby, George Peterson
and Bill Wendon. Went to the dance
at the De Grey rooms. Had a pretty measure.
First dance in God knows how long.
Kirby got hooked with an awful bag.
February
Wednesday 10. Op's Wilhelmshaven. Scrubbed
at 5 PM. Ten tenths all over Europe and
down to the deck. An amazing picture
'A Yank at Eton' was shown in the airmens
mess. Afterwards there was a
party in the Sergeant's mess for Stewie
Woods† & who has been screened & is
going to a conversion flight at Bliton.
Heard about Shade & Richardson
putting on a drunken turn in London.
They were in Trafalgar Square at
[[midnight?]], and looking at Nelson on his
column. Shade: "Hello Lord Nelson".
Hello Lord Nelson". Lemon Control calling.
Ar you receiving me? over to you over"
Richardson "Hello Lemon control!
"Islet" Lord Nelson calling. Receiving you
loud & clear, Strength niner. What is
my turn to land please? What is my
turn to land? over over." "Hello islet
Lord Nelson. Lemon control here. Circle
at 1500 feet. your turn to land is 'three' -
' three - over over." "Hello Lemon control
I've been circling at 1500 ft for five hundred
bloody years. Each time I get in
the circuit, that bastard Lord Wellington
February
cuts me off". They tell me that a couple
of policemen and a few tramps were highly
amused.
Thursday 11. Got to go to the military prison
at Northallerton to-morrow, to see an AC II
who has asked me to defend him at
a court martial in a weeks time. They
couldnt hold him in the guard room. He
escaped three times from close arrest.
Ops Wilhelmhaven. All back by 11 PM.
Friday 12. To the 'pen' at Northallerton.
Ive heard about the 'glasshouse' & now ive
seen one. Pretty grim. A converted civilian
prison. My blokes excuse for going AWL
is trouble at home. His wife is going
around with a merchant seaman. Dont
blame the poor devil. He hasnt a
chance though. He has ten previous
convictions. Went to see 'Dangerous
Moonlight' at York on way back. A super
film with grand music.
Saturday 13. George Viner came up to
visit us. He is now with 461 on boats.
Have me all the news of Wauk, Lubby &
Veane. Reckons it is a complete rest cure
after coastal bomber command.
February
Sunday 14. Got a divorce case to advise
on to-day from Holme. May as well
put up my shingle.
Lorient pranged again. I would be
u/s when the easy targets are going.
Monday 15. Ops Milan tonight and
I’m not on. Bet they start ‘Rhur
bashing’ as soon as I’m fit.
Tuesday 16. Stand down. Went to
pub with Paddy Boyle & a few other.
Pat was telling me how keen he
was these days to get a good photo
of the target, & how he keeps her
straight & level for ten seconds
after ‘bombs gone’. I told him
it was nice to have known him.
An Aussie R.C. padre has come
to the station for a visit "Father Pierce".
He’s the roughest diamond I’ve struck
in a long time, but a nice chap.
Wednesday 17. W/O Dillworth has been
posted and we have a new C.O. - Martin.
He trained under the Empire Scheme!
Heard that Stewie Woods was killed
in a crash this afternoon. No
future in OTU stuff. News is through
February
that Osborn is a prisoner of war (wounded)
and that only two of his crew were killed.
Poor old Stewie Meflin was one.
Thursday 18. To Holme for the court martial.
Plea of guilty and I threw myself around
for half an hour in a plea for
leniency. Seemed to go over all right.
Got a lift back to Breighton with
W/Cdr De Boulay in his Proctor aircraft.
Bonzer little job, just like a car.
That’s my idea of flying.
Friday 19. Orderley dog for the day.
Standown. Party to farewell Dillworth.
Bar rigged up in ante room. Quite a
decent show. I made a determined bid for
section officer Knatchtall-Hugesson, a WAAF from
Holme and a cute blonde at that.
Saturday 20. The Doc checked my ears and pronounced them
OK. Standown so went with MacWilliam to Goole.
A dirty little town but with some amusing singing
rooms in the pubs. One barmaid was the dead
ring of Mae West but very cross eyed.
Sunday 21. Got to communion. Ops but we are
not on. Being in the Flight Commander’s crew
is just one long holiday. All the time I
was grounded I didn’t miss a trip.
February
Tuesday 23. Mess meeting. Never heard so much talk
and so little business. McKinnon and Mould are two
new faces in the mess. They have just got their
commissions.
Wednesday 24. Went to Selby with Ron Mould from Cooma
and had a game of golf. Drives OK, but [[?]] bad.
Course in very good condition. Went to bowling
club later with Doug Miller and had supper at his place.
Thursday 25. Ops Nuremburg tonight. Nazi headquarters.
F/O Surgeon came to see us. He got grounded for
his eyes and has the greatest bludge job in the
world. He goes around the country with
an exhibition of pictures taken by the
photographic section of the RAF and explains
them to the admiring customers. He has lent
MacLaughlan his bike, and there are now
about seven motor bikes at flights, but only
one or two not u/s.
Friday 26. Lovely sunny day. Almost home weather.
Nothing doing for us. Steve Macullagh is browned
off. P/O George was made a pope last night at
the seven sisters. They play the 'Cardinal Puff' game
which is a good way of getting cut quickly.
I’ve made myself official handicapper for the
shove hapenny championship. G/C Cammy reckons
I’ve handicapped him out of it.
February
Sunday 27. Standdown, & slept till mid-day. In
evening Bruce Hurst asked me to make a four
for the Owl Club at Selby. Anne and Plunk two
of the WAAF officers completed the party. We went
in Bruce’s tinny car, which he bought from
W/C Kaufmann for £10. Had a nice party.
Allan Dr Blackie, who turned up with Goodbody
& insisted on paying our bills. Got as far as
Selby with the car when she conked. Bruce
spent about half an hour sucking petrol
(stolen) through the pipes and we got home.
Sunday 28. Got to mass in the morning. Ops on,
but our crew not needed. Had an hour on the
bunk in the afternoon. At 4 PM met MacLaughlin
who told me that the rear gunner in Younger’s crew
was u/s. Volunteered to take his seat, but
without joy. Only their fourth operation.
Take off six o’clock for St Nazaire the U-boat
base. Got to the target OK. Terrific
fires and plenty of searchlights & flak. A
hell of a lot of stuff was coming up from
Lorient which should be absolutely bare
by now. Heating didn’t work too well &
I was like a block of ice when I was
pulled out of the turret. Saw no night fighters
or anything to trouble us but plenty of our
March.
own aircraft, which made it all fraught with
peril. Paddy Boyles crew came back
with a bit of luck. Over the target an
incendiary bomb (one of our own) went
right through the aircraft and started a fire
near the ammunition boxes. The WOP
put it out. Good show.
Monday 1st Got up at 12 and found that we
were on tonight. Camp' said it was a
good thing, which made me suspicious.
At briefing, we heard the worst. The
big dart Berlin! We had to book the
[[?]] back on his Luftwaffe day.
C. Charlie our kite, but was changed at the last
minute to the standby kite D, Donald. Took
off at 6.40. The starboard outer didn’t function
at all on take off & I didn’t feel so happy
stooging around Breighton with a 4000 pounder
on board with the likelihood of a quick landing.
Set course and with a spluttering motor headed
for the target. Just before reaching the
Danish coast, the second magneto went u/s &
the skipper called for a vote, as to whether
we would go on or not. I said nothing.
If anything, I would have preferred to go
back, as it was a long and difficult
March
journey. Nobody had any ideas much, so on
we went. The flak & searchlights at
Syft were a forerunner of what we were to
meet on the way. Liesburg, Rostook, Lubeck
— every northern town gave us a welcome &
we were careful to keep clear of their heavy
defences. The path-finders dropped their
navigation flares (orange cascade) right at the point
we expected them. The run to the target was a
piece of cake. It had been lit up for us & was
just as bright as Broadway. There must have
been at least two hundred searchlights over the
target, but the flak was negligible. We made
a [[?]] run on the point of aim & took ten
photos. Coming out was not so easy.
We had to skirt Hanover, Hamburg, Hamm,
and Bremen. Got quite a lot of predicted
flak close to us on several occasions. Bremen
was very active. Had to go for two & one
half hours over the worst part of Germany
before we were clear of the enemy coast.
Finally got out over Rotterdam. Even then
we were pooped at by flak ships thirty
miles out and just when I was having
my coffee. To finish the evening we nearly
ran into the balloons at Grimsby. On return to
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