IBCC Lecture & Supper Series - My Father's Story -A Navigator in WW2 - 30th January
Stuart has enjoyed over 35 years in the aviation industry in a variety of roles, including Captain of Boeing and Airbus aircraft for a large UK airline. In 2011, Stuart began researching the story of his late father, Alan Green, who served as a Navigator with RAF Bomber Command in World War 2. His talk begins with his Alan’s early life in Coventry, followed by his RAF selection and initial training at RAF Cardington and on the south coast in Torquay, when he learns of the destruction of his home city in the biggest single raid on the UK in WW2 (November 1940). Extracts from an emotional letter to his parents are followed by details of his airborne training in Canada under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. His return to the UK in 1941 sees completion of his training at various OCUs and his posting to 218 Squadron at Marham. Having covered his first mission in December 1941 on a Wellington, the focus turns to his 3 most notable missions of his 23 operations. The first is the infamous “Channel Dash” when 3 capital ships from the Kriegsmarine broke out from Brest and made their way back to Germany, despite the attention of the RAF and the Royal Navy. The next is a top-secret mission against the Skoda factory in Czechoslovakia, the only Bomber Command mission conducted with the help of ground forces. Having described Alan’s first bale out from a Stirling, which was the result of a “friendly fire” incident, the talk then covers his 3rd most notable mission, the 1st 1000 bomber raid on Cologne. Finally, there is detail on Alan’s second shoot down by a German night fighter over Holland in June 1942. After a period on the run assisted by Dutch farmers, we hear about Alan’s capture and subsequent time as a POW in Stalag Luft 3 along with his 2nd pilot, Des Plunkett, who had a major role in the Great Escape, as “mapmaker” and 13th man out of the tunnel. To conclude, the talk describes the aftermath of the escape, the “Long March” of POWs and subsequent liberation thanks to the Russians.
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Stuart has enjoyed over 35 years in the aviation industry in a variety of roles, including Captain of Boeing and Airbus aircraft for a large UK airline. In 2011, Stuart began researching the story of his late father, Alan Green, who served as a Navigator with RAF Bomber Command in World War 2. His talk begins with his Alan’s early life in Coventry, followed by his RAF selection and initial training at RAF Cardington and on the south coast in Torquay, when he learns of the destruction of his home city in the biggest single raid on the UK in WW2 (November 1940). Extracts from an emotional letter to his parents are followed by details of his airborne training in Canada under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. His return to the UK in 1941 sees completion of his training at various OCUs and his posting to 218 Squadron at Marham. Having covered his first mission in December 1941 on a Wellington, the focus turns to his 3 most notable missions of his 23 operations. The first is the infamous “Channel Dash” when 3 capital ships from the Kriegsmarine broke out from Brest and made their way back to Germany, despite the attention of the RAF and the Royal Navy. The next is a top-secret mission against the Skoda factory in Czechoslovakia, the only Bomber Command mission conducted with the help of ground forces. Having described Alan’s first bale out from a Stirling, which was the result of a “friendly fire” incident, the talk then covers his 3rd most notable mission, the 1st 1000 bomber raid on Cologne. Finally, there is detail on Alan’s second shoot down by a German night fighter over Holland in June 1942. After a period on the run assisted by Dutch farmers, we hear about Alan’s capture and subsequent time as a POW in Stalag Luft 3 along with his 2nd pilot, Des Plunkett, who had a major role in the Great Escape, as “mapmaker” and 13th man out of the tunnel. To conclude, the talk describes the aftermath of the escape, the “Long March” of POWs and subsequent liberation thanks to the Russians.
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