"At Reims, breakfast was grand, creamed oats, 2 eggs, white bread, butter and jam. Tea. Feeling OK but stomach is slightly unsettled still. Left camp at 9 a.m. and travelled about 30 kilometres to airfield. Awaited planes until 1.30 p.m., when we boarded and left at 1.45 p.m.
Good journey in Lancaster to England. I was sick only once 10 mins before we landed at somewhere near Oxford (Westcott). Here we received cigs, tea and cakes. Boarded lorry and travelled for about 90 mins, via High Wycombe.
The camp is in the country near St Giles. Sent telegram and filled in forms. Received £5 advanced pay. Bought up 28 days' rations and 240 cigs, 1lb choc, bag of sweets, 6 matches also 1 bottle of 'Nufix' £1-4s-11d
Had supper in NAAFI of tea, spam, beans and chips. Good bed and good sleep."
Hurrah - almost home!! With all this being sick on the planes which were obviously bumpy I can only imagine what it was like for the men going out on the bombing raids. My dad told me what the average survival time was for a Lancaster rear gunner at the start of the war (before they switched to night flying) - I can't remember what it was but it was ridiculously short . Even after they switched to night flying the average survival for any Bomber Command aircrew was 6 trips.
@tandem02 That's interesting, thankyou - I see Nürnberg is quite close to the border. I was interested to see that the flight my dad had from Pilsen to Reims seems pretty much in a straight line.
