The Great War by Les Carlyon

[silentC]

Yeah, shocking metaphore that...

[Mattsplatt]

I have my great Uncles journal from Tobruk and also PNG - harrowing but so interesting!

During my 9 years in the Airforce I had the opportunity to copy and transcribe many entries about Victoria Cross winners. Some of the stories are beyond comprehension. One such entry I recall was about an Australian tail gunner in a flying fortress or something over Europe, being hammered by the Luftwaffe he's taken down quite a few different Messerschmidt fighters. He was wounded several times from machine gun fire (.30cal from memory), one entering his abdomen and lodging against his spine rendering him paralysed from the waist down. He was also hit with .50cal machine gun fire (big) and still proceeded to fire back. His turret then jammed from inhaling too much enemy fire, but he fought on even after receiving a wound to his head that rendered him blind in one eye. I can't remember the number of planes he brought down, but he was directly credited with saving the plane and crew from the 'normal' fate of such missions.

When they finally made it home, it took hours to cut him out of the tail, a quick trip to the quacks and back to duty a few weeks later.

Jeeez, don't make em like that anymore.....

And back to the original point... the Carlyon books are amazing, hope someone remembers his Great War book for my B'day??