dismantle it completely, and put it all back together again,
and know the names of all the different parts,
but we never ever got to fire one.
The nearest we got to a Browning machine gun,
was sitting in the rear turret of a Wellington in a hangar,
and operating the controls
to sweep it backwards and forwards,
but never ever did we get to fire one.
So if it had been the case
where the poor rear gunner or front gunner
copped to had to take over,
we wouldn't really have known exactly what to do.
I could strip a gun and rebuild it, but I never got to fire it
Roy Finch became a Wellington Pilot after joining the RAF at the beginning of the war. He enjoyed his time on the Wellington, as well as the social life he had with his squadron mates and the local girls. Roy’s time flying was unfortunately cut short, when his plane came down over Denmark on his third operation, and he ended up in a POW camp in Germany for three years and five months. The camp was later liberated by American GIs.
| Role PiIot | Age 20 |
Having five other people on board was an incentive to do your best
Roy FinchThat turned out to be my last trip
Roy FinchMy 21st birthday present was to still be alive
Roy FinchI realised something was wrong. The engine had cut out
Roy FinchI arrived in Germany wearing my pyjamas
Roy FinchThey marched us onto cattle trucks at gunpoint
Roy FinchI can't fly this thing. I've got a hangover.
Roy Finch
