Hi everyone, thought the attached might be of interest. It is an original leaflet , one of thousands dropped by my Dad and his crew on Nantes on the night of November 18th, 1943, their first operation, at the end of their training at the No. 22 O.T.U. They were flying a Wellington, number HF-761.
The translation, in part, reads : "Germany has lost the war. We know it, Hitler knows it. he continues the senseless war because he knows that the end of the war means his own end. because of that he keeps telling the German people that they must endure with him or die with him. But. Hitlers end does not mean the end of the German people. The responsible statesmen of the U.N. have this to say.." ( Continues with quotes from Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill and Eden ).
The translation is not mine, the paper it is written on appears to be as old as the leaflet....any corrections would be appreciated.
Dad and his crew only made one leaflet raid during their two tours, so I am assuming this leaflet is from that raid, and meant for the German occupying forces in Nantes, France.
Dave : WOW! Thank you so much for sharing this treasure! As you say, Ted Rutherglen (WAG) and Bob McWhirter ( AG) are in there as well as my Dad. Also there are Bob Bayne ( Navigator) and Malcolm Dingwall ( Bombaimer). Almost the whole crew in its final incarnation. The only ones missing are Ken Hart the mid upper, who was already flying with Coastal Command, and "Jimmy" Willoughby the Flight Engineer who would join them later at Tholthorpe (420 Squadron).
I will pass this photo on to all their families, and to Bob McWhirter , who I am sure will be delighted to see it.
Is there any chance I could impose on you to get the original photo scanned and copies made? I would of course reimburse you for any costs involved....
Is there any chance I could impose on you to get the original photo scanned and copies made? I would of course reimburse you for any costs involved....
Hi Clint,
I'm afraid I don't hold the original. That sits in the No. 22 OTU ORB at Kew.
The photo is glued in the ORB. You can ask Kew if they'll scan it but I wouldn't hold out hope.
If you leave your email address on my whiteboard I can send a 2.5 MB copy of what I posted.
