-: We all got woken up at 8 o'clock in the morning
and told get dressed, dress up warm, double pullovers
and socks, you'll be addressed by the CO at 10 o'clock,
go into the briefing room.
So we all arrive in the briefing room,
everyone who was training there,
and we all sat down and he stood up and he says
"We've got the order come through from headquarters.
"They're a bit worried now the Germans have started sending
"their fighters in, for the first time, at night,
"over England to shoot down the trainees.
"So we want to get you out the way.
"So what we've decided is that
"the training will get you out of the way of England.
"You'll leave here and fly in a straight line
"to Iceland, go up there and then come
"in a straight line back, keeping away from
"you know where they've been starting to do this."
The CO said that the electric suits as you know
have just come out for air gunners on operations.
There's not enough to go around so we're taking out
the back panel of the rear turret
so you'd have a clearer vision.
So we all got in the aircraft
and started flying up to Iceland.
As we got up into Iceland I started to freeze.
A terrible, worst experience of my life came over me
and I yelled out to the pilot, I said "Skipper" I said
"I'm freezing to death."
He says "Oh."
He says "Oh my God."
He says "It's 25 degrees celsius."
He says "I'm gonna turn back."
I said "And I'm going blind."
I said "The water on my eyes are turning to ice."
I was in a terrible state.
He turned around, went back, and as he,
as we turned around I saw the greatest sight
I ever saw in my life, the Aurora Borealis.
But I was in an awful state but he dived down to 4,000 feet,
we got back to base
and I'd recovered, but I went through the worst experience
I've ever had in my life.