Conversations with F/L E. A. Campbell (Retired)
(mp3 audio files)
On July 28, 1944 my father, Alex Campbell, was flying Lancaster A2-C on a raid to Stuttgart. At midnight close to Chateaudun, over occupied France, Lancaster A2-C was attacked and shot down by a JU-88, piloted by Leutnant Straßner.
Dad, as pilot, was the last person out of the plane, he survived a terrifying parachute descent and was hidden from the occupying Germans by a series of courageous French families. The audio files below pick up the story from midnight. I hope to add more to this narrative over the next few months.
Dad and I live some distance apart. We connect using the Internet and Google Talk.
We have attempted to maintain a high quality of recording, but some extraneous noise has crept into the first recordings. Hopefully we will get better at this as we go along. - E.W. Campbell.
Introduction: (lanc_intro.mp3
- 9:16)
I read an account of the events leading up to midnight
July 28, 1944.
First Conversation
(dad1_ok.mp3 - 3:16 minutes)
- laying in wheat field in occupied France
- steps out of parachute
First Contact with French
(dad2_ok.mp3 - 6:40 minutes)
- abandons parachute
- approaches French community
- "Je Suis Canadian"
- escorted to first safe house
- warns about time delay bombs
Germans Search for Survivors
(dad3_ok.mp3 - 16:00 minutes)
- German officer arrives at house
- A glass of wine
- German Officer returns
- Concealed in barn
- Germans search barn
- Hiding map
The First 24 Hours
(dad4_ok.mp3 - 22:50)
(unedited - some mic noise)
- spends night in barn
- describes horse cart
- covered with sheaves of grain
- hears bomber stream returning to England
- attempt to recall name - Roger, Rogier?
- morning walk across fields
- signaling with handkerchief
- reunited with Ben, the wireless operator
- arrived at safe house - The Arthurs - near Cloyes
- 18 egg omellete
- meet other flyers at The Arthurs
- Jones, mid-upper gunner, arrives
- long delay bomb explodes
- Suzette the dog
- tripe for lunch
- German troops stop to purchase water and wine.
- water scarce - reuse wash water
- hiding in sheaves of grain.
- JU 88 airfield close by
- Jones threatens to throw stones at JU 88
Escape to Freteval Forest
- JU 88s flying over the Arthur's house
- mentions Strassner, Leutnant Straßner, possibly the pilot who attacked them
- time to leave the Arthurs
- left before noon with bottles of wine
- a hot day, no water
- preserved pork
- cheese with maggots
- water from sheep trough
- wooden clogs cause blisters
- shoes become a problem
- farmer finds dad's flight boots
- clothing issues, curfew
- German staff car passes
- recalls ME109s flying over Arthurs
- meet German soldier at crossroads
- Freteval Forest
- Rogier leaves them at Freteval
- issues with using leaves as toilet paper
- bravado - using Franc notes to light cigars
- meets crew from Flying Fortress
- tents made from parachutes
- mentions Airey
Neave
- mentions Westland Lysander
- Halifax used to drop supplies
- supply drop fails
- describes supplies - boots, porridge and cigarettes
- condensed soup and porridge cubes.
- describes escape kit - compass, fishing equipment, tooth brush, soap
- making coffee from Barley
- dark rye bread from local baker
Check Back - More to Come
